What's all the buzz about herbal medicine?

[Smiles Jr.]

I've always been interested in herbal medicine. Well, maybe not medicine, but I've been interested in how herbs interact with the body and how to use herbs for other-than-food purposes. Are there any good discussion forums on-line that are dedicated to herbal uses and homebrew recipes? It seems that whenever I find something about this topic the information is infested with outrageous claims, witch's brews, and people who, I'm sure, are wearing tin foil hats. (no I'm not talking about our buddy, Hoodat )

I have never tried any of these things and I may never attempt any of these things but I think it would be fun to study about it. We always have a small herb garden but all of our herbs are for cooking or canning only.

 

[Mackay]

Actually the claims are not ALL outrageous.

What is outrageous are all the side effects the drugs bring people and yet they still stick them down their throats.

Essiac is long known for curing cancer... not all cancer but a significant percent to make it worth a try. Keep an open mind and start researching. So many herbs have powerful action with little or no side effects when used correctly.

Do a search for Susan Weeds forum on herbs and join. She is a master herbalist and many students and herbalists gather there.

 

[catjac1975]

Humans had "medicine" long before there were drug companies. There are practitioners who will treat you with natural remedies. You need to be careful about growing and preparing your own. Some plant medicines are very potent.

 

[Mackay]

Yes, some plants require a bit of knowledge to work with..

but some are simple and easy to use, like comfrey.

A couple of weeks ago a woman came to me because she heard that I grew comfrey. She had severely injured her hand in a fall. There were sutures on her palm and all her fingers, although not broken, looked like sausages. She was in a lot of pain.

A comfrey leaf poultice applied over night eliminated almost all pain and her swelling was way down. When she returend three days later I couldnt believe how normal her hand looked. She wanted some more comfrey but Im not really sure she still needed it. It was amazing.

I had a friend many years ago who broke his leg. A simple fracture of the lower leg. He had no insurance. He had the doctor splint it and he applied comfrey poultice daily over the break area. He was walking on it in about 4 weeks and had next to no pain.

There are some warnings about drinking comfrey so look into that. The root is great to put into skin care products and many products have the extracted allointoin in them.

 

[vfem]

There is a magazine out there that is ALL about herbs, all the time! If I can remember what its called maybe they have a website and maybe a forum even!?

Oh yeah!!!

http://www.herbcompanion.com/

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Yes, some plants require a bit of knowledge to work with..

but some are simple and easy to use, like comfrey.

A couple of weeks ago a woman came to me because she heard that I grew comfrey. She had severely injured her hand in a fall. There were sutures on her palm and all her fingers, although not broken, looked like sausages. She was in a lot of pain.

A comfrey leaf poultice applied over night eliminated almost all pain and her swelling was way down. When she returend three days later I couldnt believe how normal her hand looked. She wanted some more comfrey but Im not really sure she still needed it. It was amazing.

I had a friend many years ago who broke his leg. A simple fracture of the lower leg. He had no insurance. He had the doctor splint it and he applied comfrey poultice daily over the break area. He was walking on it in about 4 weeks and had next to no pain.

There are some warnings about drinking comfrey so look into that. The root is great to put into skin care products and many products have the extracted allointoin in them.

Now that's the kind of things I would be interested in learning more about. See there, you increased my curiosity.

Thanks for the link Vfem. I'll go snoop around there.

 

[hoodat]

The nearest thing to a "wonder drug" is turmeric. It has no known ill effects and is a tasty spice. It helps prevent Alzheimers, several types of cancer, is an anti inflamatory for arthritis and other auto-immune diseases Look it up online and see all of the other uses it has. It is one of the few herbals that has had extensive clinical trials and been found to be effective.

 

[journey11]

One thing to remember with herbal medicine is that the dosage is usually not standardized, so it takes some time and experimenting to see what is the right dose for you. For example, if I wanted to use valerian root, I would first make a tincture and try only a drop or two at a time (usually added to another beverage) until I reached the desired effect. Also, shelf-life, temperature and sunlight can greatly reduce the potency of your herbs. Proper storage is very important.

Also, just because it's "herbal" doesn't mean it is necessarily SAFE. It is still a chemical compound and that must be respected. Take time to thoroughly research your intended herb before you start taking it. Many of the things I took prior to pregnancy were off limits while I was expecting (or even nursing). This can even include something as innoculous as a cup of tea. For example, people with heart problems or nervous tension would want to avoid any herbs that were stimulants.

Many of your Rx drugs are based on the chemical compounds originally valued in herbs!

 

[hoodat]

Many of your Rx drugs are based on the chemical compounds originally valued in herbs!

I find it ironic that many medicines were taught by herb doctors from Africa, South America, American Indians etc. but as soon as they synthesize it they begin to bad mouth herbalists as charlatans.
I was with a group of Seabees working with the Negritos in the Phillipines when one of my men took a big slice in his leg from a sharp machete. One of the Negritos hacked a section of vine and blew on one end. A milky sap oozed out and when it was applied to the bleeding leg you could see the tissues shrink till the bleeding stopped. The Negritos called the vine,"Shut the door" plant. Modern medicine doesn't have anything that can do that.

 

[baymule]

Cobweb applied over a cut will stop the bleeding.