I get a lot of questions about how herbs actually work in the body. A lot of us are interested in a holistic approach towards the care of our animals, but what that actually looks like sometimes remains a question. Hopefully this will shed a little light at least on the herbal aspect.
There is a lot of information on the internet regarding herbs and their relationship to pharmaceuticals. Many people correctly point out that a number of pharmaceuticals are derivatives of the compounds found in various herbs. White Willow Bark is a great example of this relationship. For many centuries, people have chewed on willow bark to reduce fever and inflammation. This practice dates back to the time of Hippocrates (400BC). Willow bark contains salicin, which was used in the 1800s to develop aspirin.
However, there is a difference between the derivative compound and the original plant. The derivative (the pharmaceutical) was developed to target a specific condition or symptom, whereas the whole plant (the herb) targets the entire system. In other words, to use a plant analogy, the pharmaceutical targets a branch or a leaf, or another individual component of the plant, whereas the herb gets to the root of the problem.
Let’s say you have a headache and are trying to decide whether you should use white willow bark or aspirin. It is possible that both will ease your headache. White willow may be slower to relieve your pain than the aspirin, but its effects may last longer. However, the white willow contains other compounds that will be working throughout your entire body. The polyphenols and flavonoids have antioxidant, fever-reducing, antiseptic, and immune-boosting properties which are not found in aspirin.
If you decided to take the aspirin or the white willow bark and your headache went away, you might think you are cured since the symptoms disappeared. This is very much in line with the approach used in western medicine and western herbalism. However, a day or two later, you might experience another headache and wonder why you need to reach for another couple of aspirin.
Practitioners of Traditional Chinese or Ayurvedic medicine look beyond the symptoms of disease and try to alleviate the underlying imbalance that caused it. Thus, a headache could be caused by liver congestion, stomach upset, tension, or weakness in the body. If your headache was associated with osteoarthritis in the neck or lower back, willow bark may be your top choice. However, dandelion can ease a headache caused by liver congestion whereas valerian would be used for a headache caused by tension. This explains why sometimes an herb doesn’t seem to be working even though it is often used for a particular symptom. If an herb is not working, it is not a correct match for the underlying cause of the condition or its energetics. Traditional cultures treat the person, whereas symptomatic treatment, be it pharmaceuticals or herbs, treats the disease. Traditional cultures also support the holistic concept of using herbs, diet, and exercise to strengthen the body and prevent disease.
As an example, in the Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) case that I’ve talked about before (see our blog – How We Got Started), the standard treatment is the administration of the drug Lasix prior to exercise. Lasix is a diuretic, and it works to decrease pulmonary arterial pressure and therefore reduce the instance of capillary breakage. In contrast, the herbs in our blend Taretto (plantain, yarrow, elecampane, dandelion, Shepard’s purse, and mullein) function as a diuretic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, hemostatic, stomachic, antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, and expectorant. The herbs work in combination to target the root of the problem, as well as reduce inflammation in the respiratory, pulmonary, and digestive systems to promote the body’s natural healing processes. Instead of applying a temporary effect to the symptom, the herbal strategy is to strengthen the affected systems and restore natural balance to the body.
Herbs are not meant to fully replace pharmaceuticals, there can a place for both in the care of our animals. Both have different functions and can work in harmony to create a desired outcome. For example, if your horse colics, an herbal blend might buy you some time getting to the vet but should not replace veterinary treatment. Pharmaceuticals target specific conditions, symptoms, or illnesses in the body and can be critical to the treatment of disease and injury. Herbs strengthen and support the natural systems in the body to help the body’s own healing process to occur, supporting the effect of pharmaceuticals. However, some herbs should not be combined with pharmaceuticals. For example, if you are taking blood thinners, you would not want to take an herb that thins the blood. In other cases, some herbs can reduce the effects of pharmaceuticals. If you have questions regarding drug/herb interactions be sure to contact an experienced herbalist or veterinarian.
You can learn more about specific herbs and their historic uses on our website here.
We strongly recommend that you work with your veterinarian when pursuing any heath care strategy. Your vet can guide you on the use of pharmaceuticals, herbals, and other holistic measures.