How herbal medicine works

Herbal medicine isn't in competition with orthodox medicine. The two disciplines share the same scientific basis. But because they act in different ways they complement each other.

Herbs are very complex. And because herbal medicine often use the whole plant, herbal medicines are more complex still. Which makes it hard to understand how they work. Just as you can’t describe a rose with just a ruler, neither can medicinal herbs be understood by chemistry alone.

But thousands of years of successful use, and now scientific experiments, prove that they do work and are effective treatment for a number of conditions.

Like herbs, the human body is remarkably complex. It’s also extremely good at regulating factors like nutrients, waste and temperature through homeostasis. But when disease strikes, this natural equilibrium is interrupted. Carefully chosen herbal medicines help the body regain its balance. The body can search for and select just what it needs from the herb, and ignore the rest.

It means that herbs can take a little longer to work than pharmaceutical medicines. But because they act in harmony with the body, they have few, if any, side effects.