Digestion
It is fair to say that poor digestive function is almost an endemic feature of modern life. In addition to well known syndromes such as irritable bowel and conditions such as Crohn’s disease, poor digestive function can contribute to as the root cause of many apparently unrelated issues. Inflammatory conditions and skin conditions can find their root cause in poor digestive functions and poor integrity of the surfaces responsible for the absorption of nutrients from digested foods.
Medical herbalists feel justifiably confident about their ability to help when, through assessment they see that digestive functions are below par or that there is a clear pathology within the digestive tract.
Many herbs are known to act directly on the digestive functions - bitters for example may stimulate acid and enzyme production, fennel and other aromatic herbs prevent bloating, but this is only part of the story.
Inflammation plays a major role in many conditions affecting the digestive tract, and medical herbalists have a synergistic approach to decreasing inflammation. For example there are herbs which act in a similar way to aspirin, herbs that will allow your own body’s cortisol to remain active for longer and therefore ‘spares’ or rests your adrenal glands, and herbs which soothe inflammation by direct contact. Thus when inflammation is part of the process medical herbalists will use medicines affecting the many different facets of inflammation, this is true synergy, not mere additive effects.
To give an analogy, if you are out in the cold, you could keep warm by wearing an ever thicker coat. This would be the pharmaceutical approach, the thicker coat being more aspirin, or a higher dose of steroids. We all know, however, that the better approach is layering; a base layer to move moisture away from the body, a thermal layer to trap warmth, and an outer layer to protect from the elements. This is the herbal approach, healthcare as it should be practiced.
Click on Find a Medical Herbalist to find your local Medical Herbalist.
Medical herbalists feel justifiably confident about their ability to help when, through assessment they see that digestive functions are below par or that there is a clear pathology within the digestive tract.
Many herbs are known to act directly on the digestive functions - bitters for example may stimulate acid and enzyme production, fennel and other aromatic herbs prevent bloating, but this is only part of the story.
Inflammation plays a major role in many conditions affecting the digestive tract, and medical herbalists have a synergistic approach to decreasing inflammation. For example there are herbs which act in a similar way to aspirin, herbs that will allow your own body’s cortisol to remain active for longer and therefore ‘spares’ or rests your adrenal glands, and herbs which soothe inflammation by direct contact. Thus when inflammation is part of the process medical herbalists will use medicines affecting the many different facets of inflammation, this is true synergy, not mere additive effects.
To give an analogy, if you are out in the cold, you could keep warm by wearing an ever thicker coat. This would be the pharmaceutical approach, the thicker coat being more aspirin, or a higher dose of steroids. We all know, however, that the better approach is layering; a base layer to move moisture away from the body, a thermal layer to trap warmth, and an outer layer to protect from the elements. This is the herbal approach, healthcare as it should be practiced.
Click on Find a Medical Herbalist to find your local Medical Herbalist.
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