Pharmacology vs. Herbal Medicine

Where Does Our Medicine Come From?
How is Pharmacology similar to Herbal Medicine? When we get sick we go to the doctor. The doctor writes out a prescription and says “Take this, you’ll feel better.” We go to our friendly neighborhood pharmacist who puts some pills in a bottle, instructs us on how to use the medicine, including any warnings or possible side effects, and then sends us on our way. We get home, pop a pill and violá! all better. But where did that pill come from? What is it made of? I bet you’d be surprised to learn that many of the medicines found in our modern day pharmacopeia are derived from plants. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, approximately 25% of modern drugs used in the United States have been derived from plants. Herbal Medicine, on the other hand, is centuries old. Cultures all over the world have used plants as medicine. A wealth of healthful knowledge was once dispensed by shaman and herbalists. The pharmacy was in nature and prescribed by the medicine man. Today’s pharmaceuticals are just adulterated Herbal Medicine, one of the oldest forms of health care.

Plants are the basis of both Pharmacology and Herbal Medicine. One of the most potent pain relievers in the medical world, morphine, comes from the opium poppy. An important heart medication, digoxin, is derived from the foxglove plant. According to the World Health Organization, of the 119 plant derived pharmaceuticals; roughly 74% are used in ways that correlate to their traditional uses. For example, aspirin, an over the counter pharmaceutical, is used as a pain reliever. The active ingredient in aspirin is salicylic acid which is a compound from the bark of white willow trees. White willow bark is still used for the same purpose in Herbal Medicine, yet, is used in its whole form complete with all its synergistic qualities. Science picks and chooses which properties it wants to take from the plant creating a kind of Frankenstein medicine not realizing as Aristotle did, “The whole is more than the sum of its parts.” Plants are very complex and when you use a whole herb as medicine you reap all the benefits including vitamins and minerals. Never the less, the derivative of both is a plant base.

The history of Herbal Medicine is biblical and far reaching compared to the relatively young Pharmacology. “Medicinal herbs were found in the personal effects of an Ice man, whose body was frozen in the Swiss Alps for more than 5,300 years, which appear to have been used to treat the parasites found in his intestines.” (Wikipedia) In fact, Herbal Medicine has been documented as far back as 2735 B.C. when the Shennong Jing was authored by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nong, who is known as the father of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was a book of herbal monographs that described many plants and their medicinal uses. Similarly, the first U.S. Pharmacopeia was published in 1820 and had listed numerous herbal medicines. It was considered the standard until the 19th century when science took over having found a way to extract and synthetically produce the active ingredients found in medicinal herbs. Our modern day pharmacopeia used for pharmaceutical information by both doctors and pharmacists is The Physician’s Desk Reference or PDR. The increased interest in herbs and the recognition of their relative importance have prompted the PDR to create, just in the last 10 years, a version for Herbal Medicine.

Thanks to the whole alternative health movement, Herbal Medicine has seen resurgence but with it comes many problems that are similar to pharmaceuticals. The number one problem with new herbs and new pharmaceuticals is lack of research and poor manufacturing practices. There are always new drugs on the market and new herbs both are regulated by the FDA. Herbs, however, are classified as dietary supplements rather than drugs. The US Pharmacopeia has set standards for purity, labeling, strength, and quality. Herbal “supplements” often follow these voluntary practices and will label the product with a UPS logo thereby ensuring consumers of the good manufacturing practices. Still, lack of due diligence in the research and manufacture of both herbs and pharmaceuticals often lead to recalls and lawsuits. Both herbal medicines and pharmaceuticals require consultation with a professional before using and both can have side effects, cause overdose and even death.

Although there are many finer elements to each, Pharmacology and Herbal Medicine are very similar. While science has bended and shaped herbs in to a synthetic, easy to take consumer friendly pharmaceutical product; Herbal Medicine has remained largely unchanged. Although they are both regulated, Herbal Medicine is regulated loosely and categorized as a supplement. A great number of pharmaceuticals are labeled drugs and are dispensed by prescription. Yet despite these differences, the truth remains. Pharmaceuticals are the post scientific bastardization of Herbal Medicine.