Herbs and Supplements -
A Fusion of Ancient Wisdom and Modern Day Research
by Zachari Cahn, L.Ac.
H
erbs have been used since the beginning of humanity because of their effective therapeutic value,
and the World Health Organization estimates more than eighty percent of the world’s population still use herbal medicine as a primary source of heal- ing. What was once a practice based on empirical observation has in the last century transformed into a sharp-edged double-blind placebo-based paradigm accepted by the scientific community. As a result, two things have happened regarding herbs in our culture: What our ancestors (as close as our grand- mothers) knew about home health rem- edies has faded; and the idea of using natural, non-toxic extracted substances has emerged in the form of vitamins and supplements.
Herbs:
immune system and to treat asthma and prolapse. Research has confirmed it to be an immuno-stimulant; a preventative herb for asthma and cough; and helpful for gastric and rectal prolapse. There are hundreds of books on medicinal herbs and foods. “Family Herbal” by Rosemary Gladstar, “Pre- scription for Nutritional Healing” by Bach & Bach, and “Healing with Whole Foods” by Paul Pitchford are valuable resources for any home.
Supplements:
Supplements are big business Herbs Herbs and medicinal foods
can effectively treat a myriad of symp- toms. Our health is not outside our grasp - it is in our gardens. Whether we use turmeric as an anti-inflammatory, artichokes and apples to lower choles- terol, eggplant to lower blood pressure; green tea, blueberries and pomegran- ate to benefit heart health and increase lifespan, or countless other herbs and foods to improve our health; it is an empowering process to grow and utilize our own medicine. Even simple weeds are useful. Dandelion, for ex- ample, benefits liver and kidney health, helps remove water weight, and helps regulate blood pressure, and plan- tain can be used topically to disinfect wounds.
Because modern medicine often
attempts to validate what our ancestors knew about the medicinal power of plants, most medicinal herbs have been researched for their pharmacological effects. Astragalus has been used for thousands of years to strengthen the
34 NA Triangle
www.natriangle.com
and many large companies are mass producing low quality, low-cost health products. The truth is, quality and prop- er absorption are hard to find in supple- ments, and while we may think we are saving money buying discounted multi-vitamins or omegas online, more often we are wasting it. When choosing supplements, consider the following:
Politics (& money):
Lovastatin, the active ingredient
in red yeast rice extract that is used in major pharmaceuticals to lower LDL cholesterol, was patented, and a suc- cessful lobbying effort made it illegal to manipulate the natural state of red yeast rice to increase the amount of lovastatin. Because the levels of lovasta- tin in every harvest of red yeast rice are volatile, its production cannot be standardized. It is very time consum- ing and costly to produce a red yeast rice product that consistently has the amount of lovastatin needed to effica- ciously lower cholesterol. Buy red yeast rice from companies that have in-house lab testing, ensuring each batch has the appropriate levels.
Absorption:
Most consumer grade multi- vitamins come in pill form. This makes
it difficult for the digestive tract to break them down, and often they pass through intact. For many vitamins and supplements, it is better to have them in a powder form in a vegetable capsule.
Quality:
Essential Fatty Acids are readily
available, and rightfully so, as omegas balance hormones and mood, regulate skin conditions, reduce hair loss, sup- port healthy blood sugar levels, pro- mote healthy body weight and healthy triglycerides/cholesterol levels, lubri- cate joints and reduce chronic inflam- mation. However, the fish oils com- monly available often have little to no Omega 3’s. Fish oils need to come from a cold water arctic source. Cheaper fish oils may be more harmful than beneficial. Research the companies and spend the money on higher quality.
Dr. Judas Folkman, who first rec- ognized angiogenesis (blood supply) as an important component of cancer, had a long and difficult battle to convince the medical world of his ideas, but eventually won a Nobel Prize for his work. While research is showing that the herbs curcumin and green tea affect angiogenesis in cancer, those recom- mending them are also meeting resis- tance. This is the process. We research and our understanding evolves. The empirical science of herbs developed in this way for thousands of years, and supplements serve as a sturdy bridge between the western medical mindset and ancient herbal wisdom.
For information or to comment,
contact us at: Acupuncture Alliance – Integrative Health Center LLC, 404 East Chatham St, Ste A, Cary, NC. 919-638- 1001.
www.acupuncturealliance.net.
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