I have a question for you….why do people struggle with prioritizing herbal medicine the way they would a pharmaceutical drug or prescription? Why oh why do I call in a prescription to the herbal pharmacy and people never show up to get their herbal prescription? Better yet why do they get it and then don’t take it?

I find this so often in my practice and it baffles me every time. Is it my fault as a practitioner for not selling it like a pharma rep? Is it because it can take time for it to take effect? Is it because sometimes the effects are subtle at first?

So in an attempt to start to turn the tide on this phenomena I thought that perhaps going over some of the pros and cons of taking herbal medicine might help.

 Let's dive in with some of the down sides to taking herbal medicine. 

1. The effects aren’t always immediate- I think a lot of people struggle with this one. We want things now and we want it fixed now. Herbal medicines have a tendency to take a little longer to work but the effects are often more permanent. Herbs can take awhile to build up in the system and are often addressing root causes. So always keep in mind that with chronic problems, they didn’t get this way over night so don’t expect them to be fixed overnight. 

2. They can smell and taste strange- herbs are of the earth and as a result they can taste just like that….dirt. Or they may be really bitter, or strangely sweet, or like salad with dirty mushrooms, but keep in mind they are medicine. They are meant to be taken as medicine. You are taking them to get well and stay well. There are also times when they will taste good to the person, because their body is craving what the earth is giving them.

3. They may contain strange things- Yes you will have to get used to using, what may feel like, the compost pile as medicine. Some herbal formulas contain herbs that are unknown to us because they are from a different land or culture. And if you are brewing it as a tea it could literally be a bag full of twigs, berries, rocks, peels, or seeds, but each of these herbs has been researched and used for hundreds, if not thousands of years. They have provided healing for generations. We also have to remember the pharmaceuticals that are sold are at their  essences derivatives of these very foundational herbs. The synthetic medicines so many of us take were at some point derived and inspired by the compounds of these herbs. 

The best part of taking herbs

1. Far fewer side effects & and often less severe- More often than not I find with my clients that the herbal medicines of work or they don’t and we can then reevaluate and decide on a different formula. I do want to point out though that it is medicine so it is important to be sure of previous medical conditions and medications because there are things to watch out for. But you won’t find any commercials that go on for 10minutes about the possible side effects and complications due to your herbal medicine. 

2. The ultimate goals are usually different- Most often the goal is not for you to be on an herbal medicine for the rest of your life but to correct an imbalance and then have no need for it any longer. You may need to take the herbals for consecutive months or even a little longer but this also depends on how long you have been dealing with a disorder. Unlike western medicine we don’t want you to have to stay on an herbal formula forever. Ideally we correct the imbalance and move one. That is not to say that there aren’t herbal formulas that you can take for prevention and to maintain health.

3. They are natural and of the earth-Because of this they are easily recognized by the body they are easily absorbed. The earth has this amazing ability to provide us with what we need and this includes medicine. It’s not uncommon in nature to find the poisonous plant right next to the antidote. 

4. This medicine can be made specific to you- Have you ever been standing in the medicine isles of the pharmacy staring at all the options thinking…..” well I do have a, b and C going on but I don’t have d, e, and f. I don’t have all these symptoms. I just want a decongestant not a decongestant, antihistamine, anti inflammatory and anti blah, blah blah. One of the beautiful things about herbal medicines is that they can be very general or they can be tailored to you specifically. You can get a formula made specific to your needs and condition. Treating what you need and only what you need. 

5. They can be more cost effective-I know that the supplement biz is also big biz just like pharma but as I mentioned before our goal is not to have you on a hundred dollar or more prescription for every. So not only are your herbs oftentimes going to be cheaper upfront but they will be cheaper in the long run. 

I hope that this list of pros and cons helps in some way to encourage you to not only give herbal medicine a try but to ACTUALLY TAKE IT! The world of herbal medicine is truly a magical one and can work wonders for so many things. They do require some patients and relearning to  listen to your body but the benefits are out of this world. 

Warm wishes & good health 

Serena