I have also noticed that some vitamin suppliments now contain herb extracts. So won't the body become immune to the medicinal effects of these so when they may actually be needed to treat an ailment, they are going to be of no use?
But then if we make to much of a to-do about the availablility of over the counter herbs, vitamins, etc. this will give more fuel for pharamaceutical companies to push the government to have them taken off over the counter sales and only be available by prescription. This sort of thing raises its ugly head periodically concerning sales of these products and even essential oils.
Jayne
hom student
Hypericum-
Unfortunately the crude form is being sold everywhere now for depression
(St. John's Wort), not sure what the long term effects of this will be.
Best wishes, Joy
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
over use of herbs
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westernherbalist
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2020 10:00 pm
Re: over use of herbs
Herbs do not have the same disadvantages of chemical medicine. One of
the virtues of botanicals is they are an extention of the food chain
and assimilate as such. The effect of the herbs in your vitamin
mixture can no more multiply and lose it's effectiveness than eating
an apple a day will become non-beneficial after ...a couple of years?
As always the largest problem with herbal usage is inappropriate
dosing. Toxicity will occur will all herbs/foods if ingested in
rigorous and random amounts. Random dosing equals random results. Non-
specific equals non-specific.
Mark McDermott M.H.,AHG
--- In minutus@y..., Jayne Evans wrote:
extracts. So won't the body become immune to the medicinal effects of
these so when they may actually be needed to treat an ailment, they
are going to be of no use?
over the counter herbs, vitamins, etc. this will give more fuel for
pharamaceutical companies to push the government to have them taken
off over the counter sales and only be available by prescription.
This sort of thing raises its ugly head periodically concerning sales
of these products and even essential oils.
depression
be.
the virtues of botanicals is they are an extention of the food chain
and assimilate as such. The effect of the herbs in your vitamin
mixture can no more multiply and lose it's effectiveness than eating
an apple a day will become non-beneficial after ...a couple of years?
As always the largest problem with herbal usage is inappropriate
dosing. Toxicity will occur will all herbs/foods if ingested in
rigorous and random amounts. Random dosing equals random results. Non-
specific equals non-specific.
Mark McDermott M.H.,AHG
--- In minutus@y..., Jayne Evans wrote:
extracts. So won't the body become immune to the medicinal effects of
these so when they may actually be needed to treat an ailment, they
are going to be of no use?
over the counter herbs, vitamins, etc. this will give more fuel for
pharamaceutical companies to push the government to have them taken
off over the counter sales and only be available by prescription.
This sort of thing raises its ugly head periodically concerning sales
of these products and even essential oils.
depression
be.
-
Nancy Siciliana
- Posts: 160
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2001 10:00 pm
Re: over use of herbs
Hi Jayne and everyone,
What I see happening all around me--now that herbal products are ubiquitous--is widespread development of the proving symptoms of these much overused drugs.
Hypericum--or rather St. John's Wort--is one of the worst problems, I think; every drug store chain in the country has developed their own "house" brand, and they sell it as if it were candy. Echinacea is another overused herbal product....valerian, chamomile, and creams made with capsaicin are also problematic because they are so widely used, and also prescribed purely with profit in mind.
The real threat is not so much in the mass marketing of these substances, but in the way they are being "prescribed" by people with no training in herb or nutritional supplement use. To make a fuss about the drug store selling these items is really counterproductive; we ought to be making a fuss that people are using these drugs without being under the care or supervision of properly trained and knowledgeable herbalists or nutritionists. In every case where I've seen these OTC herbals make problems, the patient was "advised to pick up some St. John's Wort (or whatever other trendy herbal's around) from the Shopper's Drug Mart, and take it every day" by their GP--who knows nothing about the plant or its use!
It seems quite clear to me that we should be trying to educate people to use these substances only on the care and advice of herbalists or other alternative practitioners who specialize their knowledge in these areas--people who have trained as necessary to acquire the full knowledge of how to use and apply these powerful substances. To get caught up in the false "issue" about them being sold at all is really just being fooled into buying into conventional medicine's control of "drugs".
Regards,
Nancy
What I see happening all around me--now that herbal products are ubiquitous--is widespread development of the proving symptoms of these much overused drugs.
Hypericum--or rather St. John's Wort--is one of the worst problems, I think; every drug store chain in the country has developed their own "house" brand, and they sell it as if it were candy. Echinacea is another overused herbal product....valerian, chamomile, and creams made with capsaicin are also problematic because they are so widely used, and also prescribed purely with profit in mind.
The real threat is not so much in the mass marketing of these substances, but in the way they are being "prescribed" by people with no training in herb or nutritional supplement use. To make a fuss about the drug store selling these items is really counterproductive; we ought to be making a fuss that people are using these drugs without being under the care or supervision of properly trained and knowledgeable herbalists or nutritionists. In every case where I've seen these OTC herbals make problems, the patient was "advised to pick up some St. John's Wort (or whatever other trendy herbal's around) from the Shopper's Drug Mart, and take it every day" by their GP--who knows nothing about the plant or its use!
It seems quite clear to me that we should be trying to educate people to use these substances only on the care and advice of herbalists or other alternative practitioners who specialize their knowledge in these areas--people who have trained as necessary to acquire the full knowledge of how to use and apply these powerful substances. To get caught up in the false "issue" about them being sold at all is really just being fooled into buying into conventional medicine's control of "drugs".
Regards,
Nancy
-
Tanya Marquette
- Posts: 5602
- Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2001 11:00 pm
-
Dave Hartley
- Posts: 992
- Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2020 3:47 pm
Re: over use of herbs
Hypericum is one very good example of the indisputible fact that herbs can
and do lose effect (at least the "desired" effect) after (in this instance)
6 - 8 weeks, normally... extended use without "time-out" period CAN and DOES
create severe side effects.. and this is not in huge dose.
Herbs may be used pretty much in one of two ways which we need to
understand; they can be used in "doses" of a NUTRITIONAL range or MEDICINAL
range.
When used (intelligently) in the nutritional range, they can be beneficial
adjunct to healing with homeopathy or most any other modality.
When used in the medicinal range, they can be an interference; when used in
the medicinal range by OTC wonder-herb-of-the-month shoppers, they can be
potentially harmful- toxicity or lack notwithstanding.
Dave Hartley
http://www.localcomputermart.com
Santa Cruz, CA (831)423-4284
Asheville Computer (N. Carolina) (828)285-0240
and do lose effect (at least the "desired" effect) after (in this instance)
6 - 8 weeks, normally... extended use without "time-out" period CAN and DOES
create severe side effects.. and this is not in huge dose.
Herbs may be used pretty much in one of two ways which we need to
understand; they can be used in "doses" of a NUTRITIONAL range or MEDICINAL
range.
When used (intelligently) in the nutritional range, they can be beneficial
adjunct to healing with homeopathy or most any other modality.
When used in the medicinal range, they can be an interference; when used in
the medicinal range by OTC wonder-herb-of-the-month shoppers, they can be
potentially harmful- toxicity or lack notwithstanding.
Dave Hartley
http://www.localcomputermart.com
Santa Cruz, CA (831)423-4284
Asheville Computer (N. Carolina) (828)285-0240
-
Minervabks
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2020 10:00 pm
Re: over use of herbs
Hi Dave,
Echinachea, another massively used remedy, is also a good example. I have
heard that even 'respected' sources in Germany have come to the conclusion
that it is best taken for a couple of weeks on and then a period off (a week
or so) before resuming. Without the respite it is accepted that it is a
complete waste of time.
Sorry that I don't have exact details to hand but if anybody wants to know I
will try and get information.
Stewart
Stewart McOwan MARH
Minerva Homoeopathic Centre
173 Fulham Palace Road
Hammersmith
London
W6 8QT
Tel 0207 385 3512
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Echinachea, another massively used remedy, is also a good example. I have
heard that even 'respected' sources in Germany have come to the conclusion
that it is best taken for a couple of weeks on and then a period off (a week
or so) before resuming. Without the respite it is accepted that it is a
complete waste of time.
Sorry that I don't have exact details to hand but if anybody wants to know I
will try and get information.
Stewart
Stewart McOwan MARH
Minerva Homoeopathic Centre
173 Fulham Palace Road
Hammersmith
London
W6 8QT
Tel 0207 385 3512
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]