It seems that every year there is another, what I call, “Herb du jour” or (Herb of the day.) In a never ending attempt to cater to those looking for natural alternatives to drugs, companies are always coming up with the next “cure all” or the next miracle herb. This makes big money for the companies pushing it, but I truly hate it for several reasons:
· It takes an allopathic approach to herbal medicine
· It discredits true holistic healing
· It turns many people away from herbs because “they don’t work”
· It pigeon-holes herbs without regard for their diversity of function
· It can be very dangerous!
These “fads” are usually birthed when new research becomes available, and the
particular herb becomes trendy either through the recommendations of celebrities, influencers or TV doctors.
The issue is that none of these people, usually, are herbalists and have no idea how herbs should be used, but rather take an allopathic approach claiming, “it’s good for everyone” and take this herb for that ailment” without ever considering specificity to the individual.
Herbal medicine doesn’t work this way. This allopathic approach to herbalism actually flies in the face of the fundamentals of holistic healing. As we’ve discovered in the last four weeks, I could have 10 clients with the same condition, but all of them could require a totally different approach and herb to address their specific and unique needs.
My personal issue with this is that it feeds into the false notion that “herbs don’t work”. Fads discredit the validity of the actual science behind herbal medicine, as well as the art, which is person specific.
Another problem with this is that it limits or “pigeonholes” certain herbs into specific categories with no regard for the wonderfully diverse constituents in the plant. If I mention echinacea, even non-herbalists will immediately tout it as an immune stimulant, right? Did you know that originally it was used as a blood purifier and detoxing herb? This is not to say that echinacea doesn’t have some constituents that assist with immune building, but we need to understand that herbs do so many other things and to slap a label on them – “this herb is good for that” is nothing more than limiting plant medicine to an allopathic methodology and belief.
Some fads are actually bold faced lies.
Take Wild Yam, for example. For years, this herb was passed off and marketed as herbal progesterone. Wild Yam is NOT a natural source of progesterone. It contains a chemical called diosgenin, which resembles endogenous hormones in the body. The reason this lie became so popular is because companies started formulating their products with synthetic progesterone. But people still believed they were getting a natural boost from wild yam. There was even a doctor who came out with a book about it. Misleading. Wild yam is actually a cooling, drying antispasmodic.
Along this line are the Essential Oil MLMs that promote and push the internal consumption of essential oils, which is downright dangerous. Essential oils are incredibly concentrated plant medicine, and high enough amounts taken internally can damage the nephrons in your kidneys, which can cause irreversible damage. Companies pushing for this may have even paid for studies proving the safety of consuming essential oils. These findings are often presented in really convincing ways as well. The goal there is to prevent you from overlooking the potential dangers, so you buy more products, and they earn more money. I’m sorry, but this is just irresponsible at best and criminal negligence at worst. The people doing this are sales reps and nothing more. I am currently pursuing my Aromatherapist Certification, and I can tell you that reputable aromatherapists would NEVER recommend this. If you are being told to ingest essential plant oils, avoid these people.
Remember, herbs that become fads are almost always promoted by companies, celebrity doctors, influencers, and marketing agencies who may not always have your best interest in mind.
They might be thinking more about their bottom line than whether or not this fad will help people. Therefore, it’s good to approach new herbal fads with a healthy dose of skepticism and caution. When a new fad herb hits the market, the safest thing you can do is to contact your local herbalist – a REAL one! And get their take on it.
Speaking of that, the kids are back in school, and the nights are getting chilly! Time to make a batch of elderberry syrup to help everyone stay healthy during cold 7 flu season. Go the website at HERBGAL.ORG and get some Elderberry Syrup in a Bag and a Cold & Flu Survival Pak to get you through this first month of THE BUG! Also, it’s a great time to schedule a Personal Consult with me. Don’t wait until you’re suffering from the latest virus, plan ahead and
LET’S GET BETTER!
Commentaires