How Herbs Affect the Body
Many people who want to take herbs are not aware of how herbs affect the body. They therefore make a number of mistakes. There are number of mistakes in thinking about the way that herbs work that need to be avoided in order to gain the benefits from the herbs. These include:
Expecting the same reactions in the body as with pharmaceutical drugs
Not taking herbs for a sufficient length of time
Taking herbs for a long time and not giving the body herbal 'down time'
Potential interactions between herbs and medical drugs
Expecting the same reactions and feeling in the body as with pharmaceutical drugs
Because of the way we take herbs and the philosophy of natural therapists we cannot expect to have the same reaction to herbs as we do to pharmaceutical medication. With pharmaceutical medication it, in a sense, 'swamps the body - it forces its reaction on the body and because the doses are often substantial we can quite strongly feel the impact of the drug. So if we take sleeping tablets, for example, we are 'forced' by the drugs to sleep - we don't wake in the morning necessarily feeling relaxed and rested. Indeed we may still feel drowsy. The reaction in the body is not natural. The same is the case, for example, with pharmaceutical cough mixtures or pain medication. Herbal medications however don't swamp the body's natural processes - they work with them. For example, an herbal, expectorant cough formula aims to help the body remove the excess mucus. If you are expecting the herbs to immediately stop the coughing you may be disappointed. The same will be the case with herbal calming and sleep formulas. They do gently 'take the edge off' and ease stress and anxiety and relax the nervous system so that the natural restorative process of the body can function. You feel different when you are using herbal medication compared to when you use pharmaceutical medications taken for the same purpose.
Not taking herbs for a sufficient length of time
Because herbs work with the body to restore natural processes and bring about healing they do not accomplish this work in just a couple of days. They can have some dramatic affects very quickly and in some cases the healing can occur quickly but in most cases it can take a while for the body to undo the damage that has been done. So often the herbs need to be taken for a month or more (although this will depend on the individual person and the herb that is being used - for some herbs it is dangerous to take them for too long). I have heard of people who took a herb for a couple of days said the "it didn't work" and stop taking it. They were expecting a really quick reaction and when this didn't happen they gave up. You need to give herbs the time that is needed to bring about changes in the body.
Taking herbs for a long time and not giving the body herbal 'down time'
Having said in the previous point - that you need to take the herbs for a sufficient length of time that allows the natural restorative and healing processes of the body to work - it is also important for the body to have some 'down time'. It is recommended that you don't take the herbs for one day a week or 4 or 5 days in the month. This allows the body a chance to rest and to continue to make changes and adjustments. It is not really understood why this assist the herbal treatment process but it dose seem to make the whole process more effective.
Potential interactions between herbs and medical drugs
Pharmaceutical and herbal medications can have the same or different effects on the body which means that they can interact. If you take some herbs on the top of your pharmaceutical medications they can have a stronger affect. You will not necessarily want this. For example, some pharmaceutical and herbal medications will 'thin the blood' if they are used together your blood can become too thin and you can have unwanted bleeding. Some herbs will slow the absorption of some drugs and other herbs will increase the speed at which it is excreted from the body - this will alter the blood levels of the drug and thus its impact on your body. There are many potential interactions. This means that you need to be informed about both your pharmaceutical medications and your herbs. If you are using pharmaceutical medication it is wise to see a health professional who understands these potential interactions.
Herbs work differently on the body to pharmaceutical medications and you need to understand these differences and the way that herbs are likely to make you feel. You also need to understand any potential interactions with pharmaceutical drugs - this is not to stop you from taking herbs but to be aware of adjustments that may need to be made.
See how herbs and other natural therapies can work together to gain and maintain your health. Get your copy of Safe Colon Cleansing: Your Good Health Guide and begin now. Then get on with really enjoying life.
09.08.2007. 21:03
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