Andrea Durrheim

“Here, eat this root.” When’s the last time your doctor told you to do that? I’m going to guess never. Yet around 25% of registered medicines come from plant extracts or contain synthetic copies of plant-based compounds. 

Ever wondered why your doctor or pharmacist doesn’t just give you a handful of leaves or some ground-up roots if the medicines they sell are based on a herbal cure? There are actually tons of good reasons, none of which relate to a profit motive. Let’s touch on a couple of the big ones.

They Want To Give You The Thing That Works

Let’s think of it this way. Using natural herbs is a bit like throwing the kitchen sink at a problem. A plant can easily contain hundreds of known compounds, plus a bunch that haven’t been identified yet. Of these compounds:

• One or more of them may help you
• A lot of them do nothing much
• Some of them might be harmful

It makes sense to give a person an effective compound that’s been carefully studied. Let’s suppose you’re a researcher and you already know which compound does the good stuff. You’re still looking at 10-15 years of study before you might (and the emphasis is on “might”) get your new medicine registered. By that time, you’ll have the next thing on our list. 

A Predictable Result

There are loads of things to think about here, too. For instance, you want to know that the compound works for most people, or at least more people than usual. 

Let’s suppose you know that the whole herb works most of the time and is fairly safe to use. You’re still not out of the woods. You need to know how much people should take. Here’s the snag. A whole bunch of things affect a plant’s chemical composition. Genes, growing conditions, harvesting practices, post-harvest treatments: you’re left with an unknown quantity. 

With an extract of an active ingredient, or a copy, you can be sure. 200mg of the ingredient works. This tablet contains 200mg. Take it twice a day. It’s much harder to standardize whole herbs. Plus, whole herbs contain all those other ingredients you haven’t studied. That’s iffy, which brings us to the next point worth taking into account. 

They’re Minimizing Risk

Apart from the fact that one can get too much of a good thing, what’s good for one person might not be good for the next. That’s without considering that there are a bunch of unstudied compounds in whole herbs. A very small number of people can experience negative side effects from medicines that most people can take without a qualm. For an example of things that can go wrong, just read the pamphlet enclosed in your next box of Aspirin. 

Are you scared yet? At least you can be fairly sure that all those possible side-effects affect a tiny percentage of people, and the contraindications are reasonably clear. They’re based on years of study targeting a single compound. It originally came from willow bark, and its synthesized copy is well-understood. 

Should You Avoid Using Herbs as Medicine?

If it’s up to you to decide whether you’ll use herbs as medicine, you’re one of the lucky ones. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirms that many people around the world still have limited access to doctors or don’t have the resources to get conventional medicines. 

Since you’re reading this, it’s a fair guess that you can choose, and many people do still use herbal medicines and benefit from them. There are even medical doctors who recommend whole herb treatments. At the same time, there are risks. To stand a good chance of benefiting from herbs:

• Don’t use them as a replacement for conventional medicine if you’re seriously ill.
• If you’re a member of an at-risk group (pregnant, breastfeeding, living with a chronic condition, treating a child), talk to a doctor about the herbs you want to use. 
• If you’re using medications, ask your doctor if it’s safe, or check for known herb-drug interactions. 
• Do your own research. What are the benefits? What are the risks? How should you use the herb?
• Self-monitor. If you experience any unpleasant reactions, stop immediately. 

Many herbs fall under the “generally safe” category, and you might be surprised to find common foods and spices in your herbal medicine kit. Ginger and garlic are examples that most people have in their kitchens. Not all herbs are as safe, so be sure to take responsibility if you decide to doctor yourself with herbal medicines.