Wise Consumption of Herbal Remedies

Herbal remedies have an incredibly long history of use. Animals of many species seek out different plants to heal themselves. Mankind has used herbal remedies for thousands of years as healing agents. However, just because the label says natural does not mean safe. Plants can cause a wide range of reactions. In fact most of the poisons that indigenous tribes use to hunt are plant based herbal remedies meant to cause a variety of effects including paralysis and death. Plants are the basis for various kinds of compounds: pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and otherwise, many of which have unpleasant "side effects." A smart consumer would do well to consider these factors.

 

It should be understood that the concept of a side effect is entirely human, whether the side-effects are related to herbal remedies or any other types of medicine. The concept of a side effect is really one of convenience. With any substance that is ingested into the body, there are simply a range of effects, one of which is the intended effect and the effect that we really want. We call everything else the side effects. Does not mean that those side effects are any less real or any less likely to happen than the primary intended effect? The softer, more natural, more whole and complete a substance is, the more mild the "side effects" typically are. Let’s look at the banana example; the banana has a range of effects. It has potassium, a fair amount of sugar, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese and a range of other compounds in it. When bananas or other natural foods are consumed as whole foods “side effects” are not an issue.

 

Now let's consider one of the most common herbal remedies, guarana. When guarana is used in the berry form - the whole form - it can give you an energy boost. Its contains a little bit of caffeine so it can get things moving. When guarana is consumed in its most natural from, it’s difficult to consume enough of it to really mess yourself up. When guarana is extracted and concentrated into tiny capsules where the moisture has been evaporated, the fiber has been removed, and then solvents have been used to remove a great deal of the other ingredients, we are left with guarana concentrate. This is now a potent stimulant that contains much more of that active ingredient – caffeine - which is now rapidly pushing our body in a specific direction. Instead of a little lift occurring over a gradual period of time, we now experience a pronounced stimulant effect and agitation. We will feel an increased heart rate, a bit of vaso-constriction, and there may be withdrawal effects. Withdrawal effects like headaches and irritability occur if it is used over a period of time and then suddenly refrained from.

 

This process can be extended further and further until we are isolating single molecules and then ingesting them. At this point we are dealing with a dangerous situation. We have substances that we can use in the short term to generate a specific effect from a few exposures. This might be exactly what we need to accomplish a very specific goal. But when any of these types of substances are used long term we are now inviting problems. This substance is no longer one of the many herbal remedies with an incredibly long history of use. The substance is now transformed in to something else and we should expect “side effects”, i.e. unwanted effects. When we concentrate and isolate herbal remedies they quickly become something else entirely and the more we increase the potential for negative effects. It is only several thousand years from now that the concentrates, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals of our present day will have the history of use that herbal remedies currently enjoy. It worth taking the time to think about whether you want to be one of the pioneers that these new substances are tested upon.