Herbs are, in their original form, all natural. That doesn’t mean they are all safe, or that they are safe for everyone. They have side effects and they have interactions with each other and with orthodox medicines.
Defining Herbs: For the purposes of this article, herbs are plants used to deal with or prevent medical issues. It might be something from your spice rack, or some obscure plant grown above the tree line in the Andes. It may also mean a food, like apples or grapefruit.
What is an Interaction? If you’ve ever mixed baking soda with vinegar, you’ve seen a physical interaction. If you don’t do it over or in a sink, you’ll also have a mess. Herbs react to conditions inside our bodies. When they are mixed with other herbs or with medications, they can interact. Like the baking soda and vinegar, they can make a mess…sometimes a deadly one.
What is a Side Effect: A side effect is any reaction other than the main reason for using an herb or a medication. Chamomile calms people down, but it has a side effect of causing drowsiness.
How do I Find the Info I Need? You’ll need reliable sources. I’ve found that it is best to get information from three. My doctor is one, though I do know more about herbs than he does. My pharmacist is another. What he hasn’t already memorized, he has the resources to look up.
The third are books and articles. However, I’m picky when it comes to these resources. I look for three different resources (that aren’t quoting each other) that agree on the issue at hand. I also want to know that the author knows what he or she is writing about.
Why is it Important? I’ll give you two examples. The first is an herb that has (thankfully) been banned. Ephedra was a popular ingredient in weight loss products. However, it has side effects and interactions. It interacts with heart medications and some asthma medications. The worst side effect? Death. A lot of people died or became seriously ill because of this herb.
The second is licorice root. There are two side effects and a fistful of interactions. One side effect is that it causes blood sugar levels to spike. It can do the same with blood pressure. The interactions, obviously, are with medications that deal with diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. In fact, the problem is so bad that many candy makers use anise to flavor their “licorice.”
As you can see, mixing herbs and medications is not something to be done lightly. Herbs can do a lot of good. That’s why the industry is thriving. They can also do some pretty nasty things. Getting accurate information is your best bet in keeping the good and avoiding the bad.