As herbal medicine progresses back to its former position of popularity, there is an increasing inclination on the part of the media to do “herbal exposés” that tend to be deceptive, sensationalist, and sometimes irrational.
Fortunately, as you venture deeper into your study of the subject, you will be able to distinguish these hype pieces from informative journalism.
One that rears its ugly head every now and then is the myth that: “If a herb has the power to heal, then it can harm.” Technically, this is probably true as almost every natural healing system has an adage akin to “The dose makes the poison.”
“Doctors and scientists often assume that any active substance must have side effects, because their experience is with drugs, and drugs by their very nature will have side effects. Indeed, any rational decision regarding whether to use a drug begins with the acknowledgment that there will be side effects, and weighs that unavoidable cost against the potential benefits of the drug. But the activity of a whole plant, with all its compounds intact, simply is not comparable to the action of a single concentrated compound.”
As herbalist Michael Moore puts it:
“A physician’s biochemical tools are drugs. By extension, docs may rightly presume that any agent capable of promoting change probably has similar potential for side effects…”
Ironically, the expectation of side effects for drugs is such a given that side effects can come to be seen as a necessary sign of value, a warped sort of status symbol says Landis. Thus a corollary myth is: “If a herb doesn’t have the power to harm, then it can’t heal.”
Observes herbalist Moore: “Carried to an irrational extreme, some medical folks feel that anything without potential side effects is quackery. This, of course, leaves any alternative approach in a Catch-22 bind.”
A good case in point can be found in the realm of preventative medicine. It is a phenomenon herbalist Robyn Landis coined the “no-result” result:
“One of the ironies of taking good care of yourself in [herbal medicine] is what I call the “no-result” result. We are not accustomed to measuring our success by what doesn’t happen. We want to see something take place, even if it means being very ill and getting heroically “cured”. A shift in thinking is in order here: No news is good news. There are countless all-too-common health catastrophes whose absence in your life will confirm your success.”
Dig Deeper
Take a few minutes to think about the above. How do you feel about the “no-result” result? Does it make sense to you? Write down your thoughts and feelings or leave a Reply below.
I have always believed in the “no result” result, The goal is to not have anything that needs to be “cured” by taking proper care of oneself.
I don’t understand the the No-Results Results
How do you feel about the “no-result” result? Does it make sense to you? I understand why people feel this way, but I think that as we continue to see the evidence of herbal remedies, the poisoning of our bodies by prescribed drugs (just watch the ads on TV by lawyers looking for people that have had adverse reactions to various drugs etc), as a society we will continue to evolve and look for natural cures. Even the scientific community, that for years has disregarded herbal healing, is now conducting more research on claims and verifying positive evidence. Admittedly it is a small portion of the scientific community, but it is progress that I believe will continue to move forward and expand.
“All things are poison, and nothing is without poison, the dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison.” by Paracelsus
In Biochemistry I learned this in toxicology… Anything can have adverse side effects (drugs and herbs included). The difference between it being poisonous and a cure is the amount. Some substances are toxic in small amounts, others in extreme.
With regards to the “no result” result: There is always some measurable result, even if it is minuscule. Living a better lifestyle will have you feeling better mentally and physically. You might have more energy, you’re not farting as much and less uncomfortable, you feel prettier…this all adds up to some kind of result in the end.
It’s so engrained in our culture. Everybody wants it now, and they want proof. So it makes sense that people are more likely to turn to conventional medicine, because it gives them both proof and speed. But at what cost?
Patience is better for your health, mentally, physically and medicinally.
Doctors should stop believing all the things taught them and look up different ways to care for there people
I think about the “no result” result in sports terms, mostly. People usually view it as getting faster, stronger, quicker, etc. because of whatever training regiment they are on, but the real result is achieving those things while still maintaining the health of their bodies. Becoming faster or stronger is great! If you are getting injured every month or two, and having to take time off training, your body is regressing, and you have to build back up to where you were before you were injured. Doing this over and over again deteriorates your body and hinders progress. Many athletes include injury prevention methods in their training program, which doesn’t improve their skills, but keeps them healthy. So their is no “result” because they did not get injured and recover, but they did not have to take time to recover, which is a result.
This is easy. I’m not going to stop taking my vitamins because I don’t see what it does to me. I know our food doesn’t provide enough.
But I also won’t take more than I require. Not because it can harm me but because it is wasteful.
One thing I’ve been noticing as I learn more and more about herbs is that the correct application of the correct herb as you go through your days means that you will feel more normal (the no-result effect). This is something to be sought after, as so much of how people live their lives involves them not feeling good because… they ate too much, they didn’t get enough sleep, they ended up overdoing the alcohol…. etc, etc, etc.
By carefully monitoring what you eat, and the herbs that you use to care for yourself, you can prevent things from going South.
I am hanging on the no news, is good news aspect of this article.
Me personally, have and have had many different health issues.
I have made a shift and use food and natural remedies to help, and i feel better most of the time.
However preventative is another word I am going to hang onto.
Until we throw all our efforts of leading a healthy life into the wind is when we will find out just how effective these herbs/ healthy choices have been helping us.
Its not a bandage, its healing the body as a whole so we wont always see or feel that bippity, bobitty boo affect.
No news is good news.
I really like what you have focused on in this unit. It condenses the information to the essential points they seem to want to make.
This unit had me thinking of what wording to use to properly describe my irritation with the views of some.. Firstly I have a young daughter and I have watched as she has grown how doctors have prescribed medicines with some ridiculous side effects and then face questions from perfect strangers when I choose not infuse my daughters body with these chemicals. We have changed our entire lifestyle (Diet, light exercise, more natural medicines) and the outcome has been amazing.
Yes, the dosage is the most important factor. Most opinions have been concreted by inaccurate media and misconception.
A “no result” result is an opportunity to try again. The poison is in the dose, to experience side effects in order to be effective is ‘quackery’ and to be, in my opinion, excluded from this journey of teaching/learning. This part of the course feels awkwardly misplaced though may make more sense later on…
Should also be noted that the first rule is to heal, or at least to do no harm. It used to be the basis of even medical healing (Hippocrates). Now if only 3,000 people die from a side effect of a conventional drug it is considered ‘safe’ and can be released for use. Those numbers do not include off label use which is more and more common now.
I think the ”no result” result can mean-we must experiment with our bodies until we get the results, don’t believe everything written by scientists.
I would rather add preventative herbs to my life than wait and see a miraculous cure from something that didn’t need to take place.
No news is good news. If you strive to be healthy and make conscious decisions to be healthy, the result is health. It does make sense to me.
It does make sense to me and yes we are result driven and wants to see before believing. I think this is why this course is so important. To open eyes not to only see and believe.
The ‘no-result” ideas I feel have been often been perpetuated by the instant gratification world that we live in.
The no-result result makes sense to me. Our standard should be health. Illness is a curse. So we should strive to maintain the standard of health and if we fall into sickness, we should strive to be restored to health.
Hi
The ”no result” result can be good or bad. Good if you are incorporating herbs into your nutrition to improve your life and you avoid getting sick. Bad if you are trying to cure an ailment without success. It is much better to use herbs than synthetic chemicals to preserve your health.
People are so use to western medicine and do not know enough of herbs, so they think that if it is “to natural” it is not good. I also used think that until I started studying herbs and my outlook change.
It is true that if you do misuse anything, it is bad and it can harm you.
I highly agree with this. I feel like I used to think like this, but after reading this lesson, have a completely different mindset. So many people think this way and it is hard to change their minds!
The only difference between medicine and poison is dosage. The mistaken belief that “if it is plant based, it must be safe” probably originates from the “no result” notion.
In my opinion, the very high concentrations in Allopathic medications of various extracts removed from other potentially useful intrinsic compounds in the natural herbal medicines are the reason for the extreme side effects. We are tampering with perfection when we extract certain ingredients. We are assuming that everything on our planet is accidental or random if we take for granted that compounds can be separated and still be effective. As an example, the Griffonia simplificolia seeds are very effective in stabilising Serotonin production and normalising sleep through the resulting improved Melatonin access, however, the extracted 5Htp often has side effects whereas the whole plant seems to help with ADHD, insomnia, depression, bi-polar, anxiety etal
Prevention is better than cure, if you choose to live a lifestyle of excess you are bound to run into complications one time or another which could have been prevented by a simple decision instead of looking and hoping for a miracle cure
Research and use common sence
“if it can heal, then it can harm” is also stated as “too much of a good thing can kill you”
people can drink too much water, flushing out necessary trace minerals
we can eat too much fish, accumulating toxic mercury in amounts our bodies can’t handle
so, in a way, it is true.
but just because it comes in a bottle from a man in a white coat doesn’t make it any safer. Maybe less safe because the other naturally occurring ingredients are no longer there to, say, prevent stomach upset. And to be able to trademark/patent a medicine, it has to be changed from its natural state.
I have friends who take essential oils internally without diluting them. I cringe every time they recommend this. While I do use essential oils, I know that the amount of herb needed to produce that vial is exponentially more than I would ever consume. Dousing your cold with internal eucalyptus and mint oils, neat, is like eating pounds if not tons of the plants. The active ingredients can burn your mucous membranes and cause other issues.
A middle of the road approach would make more sense. Dilute a drop or two of the oil in warm water; make a tea of the actual plant…Moderation is vital in all aspects of life and medicine, whichever you choose!
Very true. We are so used to having to fix something, that we get bored if there isn’t anything to fix and assume nothing good is happening…
Let me try…
Yeah, that’s the essence of man at times. Everything on earth is harmful if used in excess. At times, less can also be harmful. But whats more important is to rather try than not try anything at all…Faith without action is dead(as the Bible says)
With “no result, result’, we don’t measure our success by no results or something that doesn’t happen. We must see a result, no matter how little.
we don’t even need to see a result. simply staying healthy is a success!
Ok.. I could answer this all wrong.. but I’m going to give it a shot.. this is what I think (passion in overdrive):
“If a herb doesn’t have the power to harm, then it can’t heal.”
Herbal medicine can harm you!! and some of the herbal medicine should not be taken for long periods of time.. or with other chronic medicine.. (thinking out loud while sipping my Rooibos and Liquorice Root Cut Tea)
For instance:
Glycorrhiza glabra (Liquorice Root Cut)
Do not use when suffering from untreated high blood pressure, or during pregnancy, or if you suffer from diabetes, glaucoma or have a history of stroke. Might deplete potassium. -http://pharmagermania.co.za
That is why it so important not just to suggest herbal medicine to people that are on chronic medication.. it can definitely interfere with what they are taking..
The other fantastic example is Cayenne Pepper if you have low blood pressure you shouldn’t drink it at all.. because it lowers blood pressure…
The No Result Result: I feel that illness creeps up on you… and while it might feel like a no result result.. you might never know what was actually lurking in your body that you just eliminated that didn’t have a chance to present itself in its full ugly sick glory…
The “no- result” result makes sense to me: the unquantifiable measures of a healthy life are by itself testimony to the result which seems like “no-result”. It is so advisable to have a mindset of healthy-living and by so doing avoid potential illnesses or infirmities.
Take a few minutes to think about the above. How do you feel about the “no-result” result? Does it make sense to you? Write down your thoughts and feelings or leave a Reply below.
The ” no result” result can seem to many people like nothing is really going on inside their bodies if they never had a certain illness, to begin with, but I believe that through nutrition and the use of herbs we can prevent illnesses that may have otherwise occurred in our bodies. It would be hard to see the results of a herbal medicne that is preventing us from contracting an illness just as it would be hard for us to see the result of a traditional medication that is preventing us from contracting an illness. Somehow though we would tend to have more faith in the fact that the traditional medication is actually doing the job it was intended to do.
What I find ironic is that many of the pharmaceutical medicines prescribed by doctors are derived from the very plants and herbal medicines that are derided as “quackery”. Case in point- Digoxin (digitalis), which is prescribed for heart conditions, is derived from chemicals found in Foxglove, a plant that is largely considered toxic.
Good Morning.
According to you where will the best institution to study Herbal Medicine with be?
Regards
Ettiene De Lange.
Well, that’s a bit like asking my mom who her favourite child is. To which she will always reply: “They all are.” 🙂