Why herbs are important to health and longevity. Part One

Herbs have been around for centuries, used in various medicinal cultures including Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine. They are also a part of many cultures, being included in the daily diet and used as a part of medicinal therapy.  Their roots are deep, but over time we have lost our perception in their value, instead leaning more on pharmaceutical therapy.  Through the proper use of herbs, being applied to our health and overall life, we can often get to the underlying ‘root’ problem, bringing about balance and restoring many aspects of our well being, often well beyond what medications can offer.

Curcuma longa flower

What is an herb? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an herb is “a plant or plant part that is used for its medicinal, savory or aromatic qualities.” In many cases, the connotation of an herb yields many mysterious thoughts, often one associated with quackery or weird science, or even voodoo type of medicine.  Many think that use of herbs is ‘old school’ to a degree, believing that we as society have advanced way beyond what some plant can offer in regards to health.  Other individuals just view herbs as something they cook with or add to their food for flavoring, such as spices.  All of this is true, to an extent, and dependent on the person’s point of view.  For myself, I started out in the first group, thinking it was quackery but on the same side of the coin, I was also one that used herbs as part of cooking, by habit.  I didn’t quite see the ‘medicinal’ value that so many proclaimed, but that perspective changed with time.

In reality, an herb is food with medicinal value or the ability to modify health.  Given this crude definition, it not only includes strange plants from distant countries, high in the mountains, but can also include foods we eat on a daily basis, such as fruits and vegetables.  The fact is that most proper foods we eat, or should eat, contain within them the ability to modify health parameters.  If we simply look at science, the facts are obvious.  To go even further, it is not hard to tell that consuming a diet filled with these foods leads to better health.  I think, the biggest difference between real, everyday foods and true medicinal herbs lies in the abilities contained within, some being more potent in their effect than others. I also believe that many of these herbs, being hard to find, hard to grow and rare, imply that they can be that hidden secret or remedy, available only to those that are truly seeking.

As we have discussed in prior articles, many chronic diseases and even the aging process are tightly connected with the process of inflammation.  Many things that we do or do not do in our daily lives, impacts this process.  It is not completely controlled on a genetic basis, as we all like to believe or are told.  Genetics do play a role, creating a predisposition to some conditions, but other factors can facilitate those genetic influences.  The diet we choose, the role of stress in our lives and even our choice in whether to exercise or not, all can impact genetic expression.  Some choices encourage those ‘bad’ genes to express, while others help to stifle their expression.  Nothing is 100%, but the bottom line is that we do have a choice and through our choices, we can readily alter our health.

Herbs are one potent means by which we can encourage health and even regulate gene expression.  Along with proper diet, exercise and mental outlook, I believe that the sky is the limit in regards to recovery and health promotion.

Herbs and Their Purpose:

Herbs are very valuable, promoting health in many ways, but with their use must come knowledge and respect.  They have been used for centuries in various cultures of medicine, including Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine, are generally safe and well respected for their abilities.  However, just like some medications, herbs can create some negative side effects in the incorrect situation.

In traditional medical cultures, disease is a lack of health, thought to arise out of imbalance within the body.  Too much maybe of one thing and too little of another.  This is actually true, but can exist on different levels in different people.  Look simply at a person that works too much, either physically or mentally.  That work can be an excess, too much, and create a drain on the body.  So, we have an ‘excess’ but also a deficiency.  Too much of a ‘good’ thing can be a ‘bad’ thing, really.

Ayurvedic medicine focuses on three body types or doshas; being Vatta, Pitta and Kapha.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, they focus on 5 personalities or constitutions; being Fire (heart), Earth (spleen), Metal (lung), Water (kidney) and Wood (liver).  Again, disease is an imbalance within that person’s dosha or constitution.  Herbs and diet are used to help restore that balance, in both medicinal cultures, and hopefully, as that imbalance is improved and stabilized, disease is more manageable or maybe even non-existent.  The ‘deeper’ a disease or pathogen, the harder it is to resolve.  When I say ‘deeper’, I am implying the more time that has gone by, implying chronicity and with that, often other disease conditions develop.  Almost like a snowball effect.  An example would be an early stage type II diabetic, maybe just in the metabolic stage of diagnosis.  In the early stages, the condition may be more easily rectified, whereas over time, we then start to develop more clinical problems such as impaired insulin function, altered cardiovascular health and even circulation.

Herbs and foods are used to create balance and restore health.  In many cases of disease, as we define it, there are cellular processes involved, including inflammation, oxidative stress and altered cellular signaling.  Many, if not all herbs, can actually mitigate this inflammatory pathway and provide antioxidant support.  However, just because an herb demonstrates this action or ability, does not mean that it is correct in every situation.  As a society, we tend to hear that ‘X’ herbs or even food has shown anti-cancer or anti-inflammatory properties in research studies, or maybe it even promotes weight loss.  We jump on this little bit of information, thinking it is the answer but when it doesn’t aid our personal situation, we dismiss it.  This lack of response happens for a few reasons, actually, which are; improper application of the herb, improper dosage or lack of resolving ongoing contributors.

No Two Herbs Are Alike:

When it comes to herbs, they can be actual foods that we consume on a daily basis or they can be parts of a plant, such as leaves, berries or more commonly, the roots.  In some situations, different parts of a single plant can exert medicinal benefits. So roots can have one impact or benefit, while leaves may have another. No matter which herb we are talking about, each one has its own properties and specific applications, despite what research tells us.  This is where things get can get complicated.

Each herb has an ‘energy’ to it and even tropisms or specific areas in the body to which it benefits.  Most herbs are viewed as being cold, cool, neutral, warm or even hot in energy.  We know this based on use of spices used in cooking.  Herbs like garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper and red pepper all are heating nature.  However, in research, they all demonstrate ‘anti-inflammatory’ properties.  This is where confusion can set in with many.

In Ayurvedic medicine, some herbs are beneficial to a Vatta type, while others more to the Kapha type.  An example here would be the Pitta dosha or personality, which is more ‘hot’ in nature or can be.  In those Pitta imbalance cases, we need to be cautious as to what herbs are chosen, as some herbs will cause more internal heat for that person, negating our purpose.  Give a Pitta person some red pepper when they are not in balance and problems may become worse. In Chinese medicine, an ‘Earth’ personality generally is quieter, tends to carry more weight easily and often has digestive concerns.  Some can benefit from warming herbs, but other herbs may be too cooling and hard on the digestive tract.

For example, spirulina blue green algae and even high consumption of green vegetables, can create GI upset for these folks.  The good news is that with most herbs, negative effects and even positive effects, can be short lived.  Meaning, even if we develop an upset stomach, it will generally resolve in the following 12-24 hours as long as we discontinue usage.  Same with foods.  Eat some Mexican food, get an upset stomach or even heartburn, but you will feel better by the next day as long as you don’t consume those left overs.  Some herbs and foods can promote health in some individuals, while in others, exacerbate certain conditions.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbs are also looked at by their tropism or which organ system they influence in the body. Some herbs such as ginger or even Poria cocos, are seen to benefit digestion on various levels, with ginger being more heating while to me, Poria is more neutral.  The ‘Earth’ types tend to benefit from digestive tonics.  The Wood types tend to benefit from herbs that benefit or even ‘soothe’ the liver, of which there are many and include Curcumin, Turmeric, Bupleurum and Milk Thistle.  The ‘Fire’ types tend to have more heart related concerns and benefit from herbs that target the heart in their actions, including Schisandra, Hawthorne and many others.  It is not that a ‘Fire’ type wouldn’t benefit from digestive herbs, some do and some do not have a need for them, again dependent on the disease course and chronicity.  Wood types, often have secondary GI upset, as an example, thus do benefit from both liver specific herbs but also mild digestive tonics.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line here is that a high majority of herbs demonstrate ‘health promoting’ properties which includes the ability to balance inflammation and provide antioxidant support.  However, given the inherent energy to each herb and organ system that it benefits, not every herb will be beneficial for every person.

While the details of each specific herb are beyond the scope of this article, in part two, I hope to discuss further herb benefits and applications in regards to health promotion.

 

Author:  Tom Schell, D.V.M, CVCH, CHN

 

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