Why You Might Reach for Herbs First

Why I Love Herbalism

We know it to be true that just because a practice is old doesn’t mean it works. And many people, before they dive in, have this suspicion about herbs and their ability to support health for humans. But the truth is, herbalism has been practiced, tested, studied and improved-upon for centuries. The parties that are doing this research are not government three-letter agencies, so they are not as widely known or supported, but there is earnest work being done. Here are the reasons I reach for herbs as a first defense.

1. Accessibility

Both whole herbs and premade herbal remedies are easily accessible to most individuals. You can grow your own in a garden, purchase them from a store, or even buy them online. There is no prescription required, and as an added bonus, they often are not taxed in some states because they are technically a food item. They are just as easy to access as over-the-counter medications, and you can make the choice that is most tailored to your needs.

2. Low Instance of Adverse Effects

Did you know that herbal practices are the very basis of many of our modern medicines? It’s true! Herbal remedies were once the commonly used option for everything because, well, they were all people had. But as science goes, time and money were spent to take what already worked and make it even more effective (and profitable). The effective constituents within these plants are now synthetically produced in labs- separating them from the whole plant so they can take on different forms, be added to other compounds and make medications that work “better”- whatever that desired improvement may be. But not without a cost.

See, the whole plant is more than just that one constituent. There are a multitude of biological structures within even a single herb, and in many cases, some of them do a wonderful job of protecting the body from possible harms of the effective constituents. When we separate those parts, we take away those protections, and subject the body to a higher risk of adverse effects.

Use of the whole herb takes this into account and produces a minimal risk for negative reactions.

3. Increased Effectiveness of Modern Practices

Another fact that is not unknown is that the human body can build resistance to medications. We see this with both short- and long-term medications, and this situation requires either higher dosage or changes in treatment plans altogether.

This is another reason I reach for herbal remedies first. If the herbal defense can support the body in the healing process, I will have avoided the use of a modern drug and in the case of needing to reach for those methods, I can be more confident they will be effective.