5 Common Myths About Herbalism

Have you ever thought that all Herbalists must go through the similar training or studies, and hold certain certifications in order to practice, like in many other fields?

Or been in the store and noticed elderberry gummies, and thought that tasty option would work over a tincture?

Or perhaps you’ve heard of doctors promoting herbs or their custom supplements with herbs, and thought that you should be able to fully trust their expertise?

Or maybe have been perusing herbal products and thought yay extra potent strength herbal, this must be the best option!?

Or been under the impression that herbals like digestive bitters at the store must be the same, or better, because it must go through more red tape to have the store front?

If you resonated with any/all of the above, then it's crucial you keep reading so we can dispell some of these common myths about herbalism. Or even if they didn't apply, perhaps you will think of someone who may benefit from reading this and pass it along. :)

Here are 5 common myths associated with Herbalism.

Myth:

All Herbalists are the same and must go through the same studies or Herbalists with certificates must be better.

Reality:

All herbalists are created differently. There is no true certifying agency or licensing board for Herbalists in the US.* While there aren’t more premier school options like Michigan for Medicine or Yale for Law, there are amazing small schools and programs out there. But even those result in fluff titles and if we are being completely honest, truly give no true reflection to an herbalists skills and qualifications or ability to "practice" herbalism.

Herbalism is all encompassing and the people’s medicine, so there leaves a lot of freedom for all to learn the practice, but also a lot of grey area for those practicing in a clinical setting with the public.

So quite honestly you should do a little research into someone’s background to find out exactly what their studies have been and their level of competence. They will model ethical behavior, following HIPAA rules, work in a professional capacity, as if they were held to the same standards as if they had a practicing license.

Examples:

Someone can attend a quick workshop and get some sort of certificate, never personally work with plants, order their tinctures in bulk from outside sources and be "practicing" herbalist.

Whereas someone else could have taken hundreds of hours of classes non certified, or perhaps other schooling, wildcrafts, grows and makes their own herbals, consults with clients and be a herbalist.

Or have someone who takes no classes, follows recipes from books and online, selling herbal products with limited additional insight into things like the human body, holistic health, and call themselves an herbalist.

I bet it would surprise you to hear me say that none of the above are technically wrong in calling themselves an herbalist. The herbalism community is all inclusive, and open for everyone.

It puts the power into your hands, to be a conscious consumer, read into your herbalists credentials, develop a relationship to better understand who is making your herbals and perhaps someone who is guiding your healthcare decisions.

So while it may seem the profession lacks solidity, it is in that natural fluidity, which has made herbalism stay and remain relevant and timeless.

Takeaway: You should always have a level of scrutiny on who is guiding your healthcare no matter their qualifications, because there can be bad health professionals and bad herbalists who can and do cause harm.

(*The exception to the above are those like OMDs (Oriental Medicine Doctor) or Naturopathic Doctors who are technically licensed to prescribe herbs and treat patients.)

Myth:

Any product with botanicals like elderberries are considered herbal medicine and will be safe/effective.

Reality:

Repeat after me. All Herbal Products are NOT created equally.

Quality of Source Matters. We know the dangers of chemically sprayed conventionally farmed herbs, but even organic herbs grown inside or on mono farms in poorly diverse soil will not have the same potency or efficacy as a wildcrafted plant.

Preparation Matters. A tea made with elderberries is going to have different effect than a tincture made with elderberries, and whether that tincture is made with alcohol or glycerin will also have a different effect. The medicinal benefits of the plants are slowly lost the more it is processed, meaning powdered or cooked down syrups for example, will have less medicinally active properties.

And, if you go further where the herbals are mass produced in a plant to create the wide array of products you find at bigger retailers there is absolutely very little to no medicinal benefits left. It's a lovely marketing tactic at best to capitilize on popular herbal's longstanding positive reputations.

Of course true natural products will vary in some ways, but even the most organic sounding ones in natural wellness spaces and stores can be adulterated and contain fillers, contaminants, preservatives, incorrect dosages, and contain herbs that are not grown sustainably on monocrop farms with poor soil.

Takeaway, be a conscious consumer. Can your herbalist or company say what farm they use or where they wildcrafted? They have done studies that the plants medicinal qualities will vary based on environment it is grown in.

Myth:

Someone with a Doctorate recommending an herb must be good advice and their recommended product with said herb must be safe and effective.

Reality:

Sorry to burst your bubble but your medical doctor, chiropractor, even functional medicine doctor probably couldn't identify the Hawthorn, or tell the difference between St. John's Wort and Evening Primrose in the wild, know what months it is best harvested, let alone tell you it's hot or cold, damp or dry, and even briefly any of it's other uses besides "for the heart" or for "seasonal depression" and proper dosing for individuals. They also tend to not be able to have the discernment to know a quality herbal option.

It’s vital to note that just because someone is a popular intelligent social media doctor, does NOT mean that they have done any outside herbal studies outside of reading maybe some isolated studies. They can talk about benefits all day, long, but so can anyone with basic internet searching. They also have a wonderful team who can compile data for them. :)

From my personal research/experiences, many of these health professionals are experts in their own practice perhaps, but in often have subpar, ineffective or harmful products with herbs that they recommend or sell with their name on the label.

Myth:

Extra Strength or High Potency is best!

Reality:

This type of labeling/marketing is an immediate Red Flag. Straight to Jail.

First and foremost, Herbals fall into the supplement category where there is absolutely no regulation. Meaning no one is checking in to ensure that a product actually has that amount of said herb in it. So there could actually be very little or way too much, there often are synthetic isolates added in to increase the potency, along with many other factors that only increase risk of side effects, commonly including GI upset, skin rashes, and liver damage.

This is western consumerism at its finest, where more is always better. We need things that took years to develop to heal in a week. This is also why you see the struggle to treat and manage dis ease in western medicine, because with the strong medicines, yes you may find short term benefits but the adverse reactions and long term effects tend to negate any temporary gains.

Myth:

Something like an herbal bitters from a well known company “founded by an herbalist” that is available in natural stores must be better than some small herbal company not found in stores.

Reality:

I will reiterate points above, that Herbal Products can share the some of same ingredients, can prepared the same way, yet not be of the same quality. And the oversight is not there, which means a store shelf at natural spaces and stores doesn’t indicate a product is any better than a product not in stores. Unfortunately even the best companies can sell out, resort to different manufacturing practices, change formulas and/or change source of herbs in order to increase profitability. You commonly see companies slightly alter formulations, maybe increase from 5-7 ingredients to 7-9, and while the added ingredients may sound natural, a little research shows you that they aren’t as healthy as they sound. There also is increasing reports showing adulterated herbal products, where many products contain very little of the plant that they say.

Unfortunately corruption is found in the natural wellness industry just as much as western drug companies. So this comes down to doing your due diligence and getting to know your herbalist and their practices. The right ones will have no issue talking about formulation, ingredients and sharing the source of their herbs. The good ones will never have something like essential oils in their bitters.

Herbalism is an ancient traditional practice full of wisdom and resources for the restoration, promotion and maintenance of health and wellness. While the herbal products and ideas may have shapeshifted with the times, there are still a growing number of us traditionalist herbalists who are rooted in the natural ways, and will fight to see that herbalism doesn’t get lost to this capitalistic greed driven society.

We can see the influx of pollution of bad products and misinformation into the river of herbalism and want to be the filter to restore balance to the ecosystem.

We honor and respect nature, practice sustainably, seek to serve, won’t compromise for profitability, and won’t deliver anything less than the safest and highest quality herbals to the public.

We understand the ethical commitment that comes with working with others health and well being.

Thank you for being here today. I hope that this was clarifying in the right ways for you. I am planning a future post where we can get into more detail of what to look out for on your (herbal) natural supplements.

As always reach out with questions & comments!

xx

Melanie

Intuitive Herbalist & Holistic Wellness Guide