How Do Herbs Work?
By Nathaniel Whitmore
The world is a mysterious place. Modern man seems to be preoccupied with the impossible chore of understanding the world through the human intellect. Isn’t it clear that human reasoning will never be able to explain the world in its infinite complexity?
Scientists on the cutting edge of exploring life through scientific methods do not claim to have all the answers. If they thought they had the answers, they would not be looking for them. Spiritual thinkers have always focused on the topic of humility. Those who claim to have connection with God stress that it is found and maintained through humility. In order to know, we must realize that we do not know. In order to understand and learn from life, we must be free from the dogma of religion, the theories of science, and the arrogance of opinions. I have brought up all these points about human ignorance to lead into a confession: I do not know how herbs work.
Of course, I could explain to you some logic behind the chemical or energetic workings of herbs. We could maybe discuss the various constituents that have been identified in herbs (many of which have been copied synthetically to produce modern pharmaceuticals). I am not so inclined to understand the world in the light of chemistry, however. I would much rather discuss the logic of yin and yang. We could consider how when the body becomes too yang (hard, tight, hot, and dry), it is helped by herbs that are yin (cooling, softening, moistening, and cleansing). We could discuss the opposite scenario, when the person who has become too yin is brought into balance through the use of yang herbs, foods, and lifestyle practices. The theory of yin and yang has been proven through over 5,000 years of direct human experience. So what will it be? Ancient Oriental theory? Cutting edge scientific theory? Nutrition? Homeopathy? Cleansing?
The problem with all these theories is that they are just theories. Theories change. Chinese medicine continues to go through changes, even though the fundamentals are thousands of years old. Scientific theories change at an astounding rate, in spite of countless dollars dedicated to scientific progress. Another problem with theories is that above all human understanding, the world is a very mysterious place.
So, with that being said, and at the risk of being arrogant, I will attempt to explain how herbs work. Some herbs are more like foods. These are often called “tonic herbs.” They act much in the way that food does- when they are consumed, they help to nourish the body. They often provide concentrated amounts of vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and various phytochemicals that may not be found easily in the average diet but are useful or even necessary to the body.
Some herbs have a strong action on certain body functions. Such herbs are not generally considered tonics but are classified according to the action they tend to provoke. It is not easy to understand these effects using modern chemistry (likewise, it is often difficult to explain how pharmaceutical drugs work according to chemistry- which is no secret of the industry or doctors). You can probably safely assume that the actions were discovered through direct experience, and that the knowledge gained was passed down through the generations. Some herbs stimulate body functions. They counter diseases of hypo-functioning. Some herbs “cool down” hyper-functioning, relaxing tension, and decreasing auto-immune responses and the like. Some herbs help dry up conditions of mucus stagnation. Some herbs moisten conditions of dryness.
Life is a personal process. Every individual comes to terms with life on their own time and in their own way. Likewise, understanding plants is an individual process. One thing I can say for sure is that people are attracted to herbal medicine. The idea of using herbs as medicines is ancient. It feels right. It feels natural. Consider your connection to herbs to be the same as your connection to nature and the same as your connection to life.
Plants are teachers. Their presence is appreciated by all. They are beautiful, even majestic. They nourish our very lives and they cure our illnesses. The question of “how herbs work” must be answered by one’s self.
Nathaniel can be e-mailed at wathakes@gmail.com.
© Copyright 2010 Connections Magazine
