There are some barometers of American culture that I put a lot of stock in. For one, if something gets mentioned in the daily comic strips, take heed. Lately, the title character of Cathy and her office mates have been turning heavily to herbs. They aren’t alone. You can hardly pick up a magazine or watch a news program without some references to herbs. Herbs to ease depression, insomnia, migraines, herbs to help with weight loss, Chinese herbs, Indian herbs... Where to begin?

     I began to use herbs about eight years ago, right about the time I became involved in an organization that worked for a national health care plan. To me, herbs were another way to take care of myself, take some control of my life. In the past eight years, I have seen more and more people use medicinal herbs. Now, herbal medicine has made it. Words once as exotic to most Americans as kava kava and echinacea have become punch lines in comic strips.

     And herbs do pack a punch. It always bothers me when I hear some well-meaning folks insist that herbs have no side effects. Think about it. A side effect is just an effect that we don’t want. So, if we say that herbs have no side effects, then we are saying that they have no effects. And they do. I also get uncomfortable when I hear people praise herbs by saying that since they are natural products of plants, they must be harmless. I wonder if they think we dig cigarettes out of tobacco mines.

     Before I go any further, I need to emphasize something. I am not a medical professional, and I am not trying to advise you on medical matters except to warn you to be careful with herbs. They are medicine, real medicine, and they can be very potent medicine. I’m going to give you my experience with medicinal herbs-not all good-and point out some areas in which using herbs has helped me. I’ll also give you a few websites to get you started on the research that you need to do to make an informed decision about this medical option. A mere eight years ago, I went to the library. How times do change!

     There are many other herbs that I have experimented with and even more that I have studied. I would like to emphasize that these are medicines which must be used and treated with respect. I would especially like to warn any reader about herbal compounds that are used as part of a weight loss program. While there may be some that may work for some people, many of these compounds contain herbs that have been known to cause many people serious problems, particularly ma huang or ephedra.

     And that leads to a further point about herbs, especially herbal anti-depressants and tranquilizers, as well as herbal weight loss compounds. The herbs may help you deal with a particular problem, but the real solution to your problems is not going to come out of any bottle. 

     People who sell herbs cannot legally advise customers on their use. Many health food stores will offer racks of literature on the herbs that one can read for oneself. Health food stores have long been the place to shop for herbs, but as herbs have become more mainstream, they can now be purchased at drug stores, department stores, and even grocery stores, which may be appropriate, since legally, herbs are classified as food supplements not medicines. The labels on bottles of herbs refer to recommended servings, not doses. Of course, if you are taking any prescription medication, are pregnant or nursing, or have any chronic medical condition, you should talk with a medical professional before taking herbs.

     If you’ve never taken herbs, you should know there are several options. All of these can be bought as "crude" herbs to be brewed into teas. Kava kava and echinacea both cause a slight buzzing numbness in the mouth. Or, you can take them as tinctures in a glass of water, or, most conveniently, as capsules. One consideration is to be sure that you take enough, that you give yourself a large enough "serving."

     The echinacea that I have in my cabinet is in 380 mg capsules. I take twelve a day of them--four capsules, three times a day. There are other over-the-counter substances that have gained popularity, even notoriety, including hormones such as DHEA and melatonin, which are not herbs. Of course, in Chinese medicine, such substances as dragon (actually, dinosaur) bones, dried seahorses, and human placenta (the sale of which is illegal in some states) are considered herbs.  

      Herbs seem to be sprouting all over the web. I am only going to give you a couple of references, and I must emphasize that I cannot vouch for every word in every one of these listings. Pardon my paranoia, but there are serious ethical and legal issues in writing an article such as this. But, these pages both have links which will enable you to begin your search.

     The Herbal Realm is an attractive site, full of good information, and it is not simply advertising that appears to be giving information. Watch out for those sites, because if they are selling a particular herb, you can be sure that you can going to hear only the good things.

      Michael Tierra, one of the best-known herbalists, maintains a fascinating site in which Tierra integrates herbalism with other forms of complementary medicine, such as acupuncture. His disclaimer so well reflects the concern that I have expressed throughout this article that I am going to quote it:

The information contained in these web pages is meant to be for educational purposes and not as a recommendation as a cure for any disease. It is not intended as a replacement for the services of a qualified acupuncturist, medical doctor, or other duly licensed health provider who understands your needs and individual condition.

     Tierra’s site reflects the strength and weakness of the Internet. He can regularly update his material, be open to online chats and bulletin boards, and be available to anyone who has access to a computer. But, still, you will be dealing with a computer.  

     Back when research involved those anachronisms called books, we were sometimes warned not to believe something just because it was in print. Even less can we believe something just because it is on a website. There are many opportunities to have free websites with no monitoring of content, and so, useful and exciting as the web is, there is so much cyber-junk out there. Yes, you can buy prescription drugs without prescriptions. Whether there really is a site that claims that the dinosaurs were wiped out by AIDS, I’m not sure.