Herbology and Nutritional Science

Use of herbal medicines and nutritional supplements has grown exponentially in recent years. Unfortunately, much of this use involves self-prescribed herbs and supplements based upon claims of advertising. In the United States, where this industry is barely regulated, much false information and poor quality product have been found. Patients are finally realizing that it often pays to utilize professional guidance and prescription and obtain professional product. TCM continues to evolve in herbal medicine, and today traditional formulas are refined to include native herbs, nutritional supplements, and organically certified sources, keeping pace with modern scientific research.

“Herbal medicine, or Herbology, is the practice of correctly combining herbs in formula to achieve medical goals in therapy.”

Years of intense study are required to understand the actual physiological effects of herbal medicines and the correct means of extraction of the array of chemicals from natural substances. While plant based medicines were the primary medical treatment in the United States up to the 1920’s, and herbal medicines such as American Ginseng were once the chief export of the United States, the dominance of the chemical pharmaceutical industry all but stopped the practice entirely by the 1960’s. This is because synthetic chemicals can be patented for high profits, while herbal medicines cannot be held to corporate patents. Herbal medicine thus threatens large pharmaceutical profits.

In recent years professional herbal prescription and nutraceuticals have been well studied and scientifically reviewed and endorsed by the NIH, WHO, the European Union, and many countries and governments around the world. Today, more and more medical doctors are turning to herbal products and nutritional supplements and the pharmaceutical industry is investing heavily. One Traditional Chinese herb, artemesia qinghao, with an active chemical called artemesin, has been proven to be much more effective to treat the world’s number one cause of death, malaria, than any synthetic pharmaceutical product, and has been adopted as the chief medicine worldwide by the WHO. Studies have shown that Artemesia qinghao has a 97 percent cure rate for actue malaria, without side effects. The side effects of its pharmaceutical counterpart, mefloquine, are alarming enough to prompt U.S. marines to refuse the drug in Liberia in 2003. In September of 2011, the prestigious Lasker Award for clinical medical research, the American equivalent to the Nobel Prize for Medicine, was given to a TCM physician and researcher from China that was the former head of the Chinese Materia Medica (medicinal herbal institute) in Beijing, Tu Youyou, and the Nobel committee is also considering a Nobel Prize for the research confirming this Chinese herbal medicine, artemesin, as such a safe and effective cure for one of the most deadly diseases, malaria. The use of Artemisin was heavily fought by the pharmaceutical industry for decades, despite the fact that it has saved many millions of lives. As scientific research continues to focus on plant chemistry, or phytochemicals, more stories like this will emerge.

Alarming evidence of serious injury from pharmaceutical products continues to dominate the news today, and more and more patients and physicians are seeking safer alternatives to synthetic drugs. Many patients are tired of the numerous side effects and want to improve their health and reduce dependence upon prescription medication. Your TCM herbalist can work with you and your prescribing M.D.’s to achieve this goal. Herbal medicine, professional prescribed, is extremely safe. You can do your own research and find virtually no cases of injury from professional herbal prescription. While there are numerous anecdotal warnings about potential herbal dangers, actual cases of injury are hard to find. While adverse effects do occur, these are generally mild, infrequently seen, and quickly subside with changes in your prescription. Professional herbalists are aware and highly trained in toxicities, contraindications with other pharmaceuticals and other herbs, and prescribe these medicines safely.

There is no group of herbalists with a greater history of organized herbal science than is seen in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In fact, many of the methods of classification of herbal chemistry seen worldwide originated in China. The texts that support TCM herbal prescription address both single herbs and formulas and incorporate current scientific study. Naturopaths, medical doctors, homeopaths and Western herbalists all utilize the information in Traditional Chinese herbalism. Since the science is so complex, treatment results may vary widely from one prescriber to the next, and it is advised to choose your professional herbalist wisely.

For more information on herbology and herbal prescription, refer to other articles on this website under For Patient, Diseases and Injuries, or access the article on research in herbal medicine under For Practitioners, Evidence-based Herbal Medicine. Just click on the calligraphy for acupuncture and moxibustion at the bottom of the page to get back to the homepage.

Above: Chrysanthemum is utilized in TCM and can be found in many herbal formulas to treat a variety of conditions, especially as an aromatic to open the sinuses and to treat conditions of the eyes.

— Photo: Michele Clement