ignorance. Although the products are believed by users to be less toxic, more effective, and more “natural” substances than synthetic drugs -- many herbs are drugs, and using them is adding pharmacologically active chemicals to your body.
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Varro Tyler literally “wrote the book” on the science of crude natural substances used medicinally, having authored a textbook on pharmacognosy widely used in universities for many years. Again, Tyler states if herbs “are used in the treatment (cure or mitigation) of disease or improvement of health (diagnosis or prevention of disease), they conform to the definition of the word drug.” (Herbs of Choice, page 1.)
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Misinformation? or The Right Stuff?
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Taking responsibility for one’s health is a major theme of alternative / New Age / holistic medicine. It should be a major tenet for everyone who is able. The problem is, taking responsibility for something means that you have a responsibility to educate yourself, and to be responsible for seeing to it that your sources of information are factual, accurate, and up to date. This is especially important in issues of health. The vast majority of people selling (multi-level as well as in stores), and using herbs, are abysmally ignorant of responsible, reputable information about herbal medicine. Most salespersons who prescribe herbs are not trained in pharmacognosy, anatomy, physiology (the way the body works), or diagnostics. They are, however, well schooled in using archaic and poorly researched and documented literature based on false claims of authority and credibility.
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Tyler has written two books for professional and lay readers: The Honest Herbal, and Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytochemicals. Both are highly recommended. Because much of the marketing of herbs in the USA is based on exaggeration and myth it is important for consumers to seek sound information, ignoring advertising and marketing hype.
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At a recent regional herb show in Asheville none of the literature racks contained Tyler’s books. Many of the books were New Age based. The references in others include “historical” sources dated from the 16th, 17th, and early 20th centuries.
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Typical examples of poor sources of herbal information (there are many) are Louise Tenney’s Today’s Herbal Health (Woodland Books, Provo, Utah) and Jethro Kloss’s Back to Eden (Lifeline Books, Santa Barbara, CA.)
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Tenney’s book is a collection and rehash of folk lore and superficial misinformation. Her brief herb descriptions are followed by long lists of all kinds of conditions which she claims can be treated, some which are mutually exclusive, with no dosage or clarifying information.
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Tenney makes only rare mention of possible side effects or contraindications. Her claim that “modern use has shown that (lobelia) has no harmful effects” is just plain wrong. Overdoses have bad side effects which can lead to death. Without criticism she includes unsafe herbs like coltsfoot, comfrey, chaparral, and sassafras.
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Because of his frequent mention of God, (Kloss was a Seventh Day Adventist), Kloss’s book is also found on many Christian herbalists’ recommended lists.
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