Large study finds association between headaches and digestive symptoms

A large study conducted in Norway points at some definite links between headaches and GI tract complaints like acid reflux (see figure on the left), nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. Over 60,000 people participated, and the results were adjusted for sex, age, education, depression, anxiety and use of medication. The clearest connection was between headache frequency and GI symptoms (rather than severity, or simple headache occurrence). All reported symptoms were evaluated clinically (quite a feat!) and so there is some measure of objectivity to the data as well.
The authors rightly point out that, while there's been a decent smattering of research on migraines and GI complaints (esp. nausea), none has been conducted on headaches in general. This is interesting because to me a non-migraine headache is more indicative of generalized neuromuscular tension and inflammation, and thus we might speculate that this study shows that GI tract irritation is linked to inflammation in other parts of the body. Which came first is not as important to me as the fact that an intervention in the gut may be able to help inflammation in areas far from the gut. In the author's words,

"There is anatomical and functional evidence of convergence between nociceptive and viscerosensory systems involved in reflexes and homeostatic and behavioural control of autonomic outflow".

Now of course, this is not news to herbalists. Demulcent herbs (like Flax) have long been used to alleviate not only GI tract inflammation (most directly), but also respiratory, urinary tract, and neuromuscular inflammation. Simon Mills' concept of acupharmacology (an excellent overview on page 11 of this newsletter) does a lot to explain these mechanisms in more detail. But I am heartened to see this trend in modern medicine (see the now mainstream asthma/reflux connection): perhaps there are linkages between different functional processes in the physiology... perhaps dietary influences on the GI tract can actually help issues elsewhere... maybe human beings need a more broad approach, one that encompasses their bellies, their spirits, and their individual constitutions. Or, at least, as the authors conclude:

"It is important to consider the total burden of discomfort in these patients in order to provide for the best treatment, and the prognosis as to overall function may be determined not only by headache, but also by the comorbid conditions".

So careful with high-dose NSAIDs for those chronic headaches - it might upset an already upset belly. Well, at least it's a start...

HerbMed Pro

Thank you to Larken for picking up on a new, free location for accessing HerbMed Pro. You can visit Gaia Herbs for the full list of over 200 referenced herbs, or enter a search below.
This database is a great place to start for contextualized research on the properties and applications of medicinal plants. Be wary of modern studies: please read Henriette's quick primer before delving into PubMed abstracts...

Search HerbMed Pro:

  

Herbal research often of 'higher quality'

A study published last year in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology looked at over 80 clinical trials in Western phytotherapy and compared them to similar trials (matched in size, power, scope, and results) in conventional medicine. It's often believed that trials focused on herbal medicine are of inferior quality, relying on poor methodology, and therefore less trustworthy. Of the studies analyzed in this review, over 20% of those focused on herbal medicine were deemed of 'higher quality', while only 5% of those for conventional medicine met the same standard.
While this is not conclusive proof that studies on herbal remedies always have better methodology (see this correspondence for an good opposing viewpoint), it does at least make us question the validity of the mainstream rhetoric that always portrays herbal science research as inferior and therefore unreliable.

Cordyceps video

Best wishes for a happy New Light and New Year to everyone!
I'd like to share an amazing video of the Cordyceps fungus (many different species are shown) parasitizing an ant. The time-lapse effect is incredible, and gave me a very visceral connection to these mushrooms I often use and recommend for their ability to enhance life, energy, and stamina in human beings. As always, many sides to every story and many strands in the ecological web.
Via the wonders of MetaFilter.

Cannabinoids may modulate the spread of cancer cells

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of enzymes that are involved in many physiological processes, helping to balance inflammatory signals; regulate cell growth, division, death, and cleanup; and model new tissues and blood vessels. They seem to play a central role in tumor metastasis and survival in many cases.
New research out of Germany looks at the role of anandamide and THC in reducing the invasiveness of cervical cancer cells, and seems to indicate that invasion is reduced through the cannabinoids' inhibitory effect on MMPs. The results look promising, even though they are still in vitro, and give us another insight into the immune- and inflammation-regulating power of Cannabis in the human physiology.

Chemically modified curcumin

Curcumin, one of the polyphenols present in Turmeric, has a long track record of positive research relating to its anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and liver-protective effects. It is a mild and generally well-tolerated addition to the diet, and even concentrated extracts of the Turmeric rhizome (like New Chapter's TurmericForce) work well without having to take multiple daily tablespoons of the spice (see here for my articles on this spice).
Now, Japanese researchers have gone in and chemically modified curcumin, which is already an isolated constituent of Turmeric and contains none of its beneficial mucilage and fewer aromatic constituents, and given these modified chemicals to rats with colorectal cancer. The results: the new chemicals seem to work better.
My main comment on this research, other than the fact that it was performed on rats, is that it continues the misguided trend of taking botanical substances, refining them, and modifying them for an 'enhanced' effect in the human physiology. Historically, my favorite example of this trend is the opium -> morphine -> heroin chain, which has certainly done wonders for the human race. The problem with this approach is that we have no understanding of, and therefore no way to predict, the effects of long-term supplementation with substances our physiology hasn't ever seen. This is in contrast with unaltered, whole-plant preparations, which are not only familiar to our metabolic pathways, but probably created those pathways to begin with.
In the long run, many modified chemicals, while potent in the short term, leave the body with unwanted side-effects and often further weaken the system. I am fully in support of ongoing research into the chemistry and effects of plant constituents, but please, let's wait a little until applying them to humans in refined, or modified, forms.

AHG Symposium - Part 3

This is the third and final post in a series reporting on this year's Herbalists' Guild convention. Part 1, Part 2.

Simon Mills, author of some of my favorite herb books such as Out of the Earth, lectured on his idea of acupharmacology. The basic concept is that part of herbal medicine's effects can be understood by observing their effects on the gastric mucosa, an internal second skin, and the reflex pathways between the gut wall and the rest of the physiology as modulated by the central nervous system. This is just one of the ways herbs do their thing - but if you've ever seen the effects of a demulcent on anxiety, you know what I mean.
Simon went on to discuss the relationship of gut tissue not only with neurons, but also with the immune cells and tissues embedded in the gastric lymphatic system. The endocrine / immune secretions from these tissues serve as another channel of systemic effect, modulating stimuli received from herbs. He continued with a fascinating exploration of the role of the immune system in many pathological states. Some highlights:
- Pierre Graber, old-school immunologist, described a different understanding of the immune system in a 1974 paper in the Lancet (not much info available online). Rather than a "police squad", he viewed the immune system as a clean-up crew to support digestive processes (by removing any antigenic protein chains left undigested) and to support tissue autolysis (help clean up old pieces of tissue to make way for the new). Additionally, antibodies seem, in Grabar's view, to be more like transport proteins than markers of certain doom. They attach to these incompletely digested proteins and pieces of old "self" to make sure they don't interfere with cell-to-cell signaling as they get escorted to phagocytosis.
- Protein sequences on bacterial cell walls can be very similar to sequences found on our own cells. This has led to the identification of initial "insults" by bacteria which activate the immune response and lead it to attack self: for instance, Kelibsella and ankylosing spondylitis; Proteus bacteria and Parvovirus in rheumatoid arthritis; Mycobacteria and E. coli in Crohn's disease. This is not only interesting in terms of understanding autoimmunity, but reinforces the idea that herbs can modulate these inflammatory processes by acting through the immune system (and thus across the whole physiology) without their metabolites ever needing to leave the gut.

Along these lines, Kevin Spellman went into a fascinating discussion, including the presentation of his original research, on the role of Echinacea and Dandelion roots in treating an allergic reaction. The details:
- three cases involving rashes, hives and anxiety following the ingestion of an unknown Chinese herbal formula (different in each case, I presume).
- treatment with high doses (1tsp every 30 minues, roughly) or Echinacea and Dandelion root tinctures, which helped almost immediately (after the second dose).
- Kevin proposed that Echinacea (and Dandelion, though differently -- perhaps through inulin and its acupharmacological effects) helped diminish the acute allergic Type-4 hypersensitivity in the three cases.
- Echinacea modulates the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines by acting on cannabinoid receptors on the surface of immune cells, and lessening the production of NF-kappaB and therefore the transcription and expression of inflammatory proteins.
- Kevin (and Nadja Cech, amongst others) showed that Echinacea alkylamides suppress IL-2 production, a pro-inflammatory cell-to-cell signaling molecule. This build on previous research showing similar results.
- Coupling these new results with Echinacea's history of use as an immune booster, we see a complex emerging picture of this plant as a true immunomodulator. Regardless, it gives us an interesting hypothesis for understanding how and why this plant might have helped in an allergic reaction! And, it continues to debunk the idea that Echinacea shouldn't be used in autoimmune conditions.

Robert Duggan, President of Tai Sophia, gave the keynote lecture at the banquet (love that Sheraton, guys!). He offered some beautifully iconoclastic pearls of wisdom:
- Don't let people off the hook by telling them you will "treat" their disease. Illness is an ally!
- Natural healing modalities function as ways to increase perception and consciousness, thereby allowing one to listen to and act upon the messages illness brings.
- Don't let herbalism become what acupuncture has - licensed, squabbling over recognition, standardizing treatment. And this from a man who, though he regrets it, spearheaded the original licensing push by acupuncturists.

Chris Hobbs talked about herbs for the respiratory tract. (His powerpoint for the lecture should be available soon). Some new info for me:
- Useful expectorants: young fresh tips of English ivy; Maidenhair ferns; Smilacina (False Solomon's seal) roots.
- Willow bark should be collected in the spring, well before leaves appear, and only from small, juicy branches. Its aromatic, wintergreen-like smell should be clear and strong. Higher elevation sources seem more potent.
- Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) for fevers - cooling and delicious!

There was an infectious disease round-table in which I participated. We talked about the emerging problem of antibiotic resistance (esp. MRSA in clinical herbal practice) and herbal approaches to treatment: Echinacea, Baptisia, Cryptolepsis, Artemisia, and topical preparations. We also discussed the threat of pandemic influenza, and divided its risk into two main categories: the pathogen itself, which can kill people with weak immunity (young and old, especially); and the inflammatory cytokine storm that accompanies the infection in those with strong immunities, basically liquefying their lungs. In the latter case, immunomodulants like Scutellaria baicalensis (and perhaps high doses of Echinacea alkylamides, see above) might be more useful than actual antivirals.

Finally, it was great to see old friends and make new ones. Mischa is getting a study together on the use of Wild Carrot seed in contraception. I got to meet Maria, of Dirt Under My Nails fame. Check out her symposium post for info on lectures I didn't attend. And many thanks to Jillian, who was kind enough to host us, join in some late-night music making, and expose us to some interesting Aguardiente combos from the Amazon. I came home inspired with new ideas, and excited about the new herb school we're starting in Montpelier.

AHG Symposium - Part 2

This is a continuation of the conference report for this year's gathering of the American Herbalists' Guild.
Pam Fischer, from Berkeley, CA, discussed the free clinics she's set up and been involved with for over 7 years. It was an interesting discussion, and I enjoyed looking at diverse models of herbal care accessibility, hearing 7Song talk about the Ithaca Free Clinic, and mentioning my own work. Pam had some interesting models to discuss, and some pearls of wisdom from her own experience:
- herbalists have been joining up with pot clubs in the Berkeley area to offer their help with medicinal herbs other than Cannabis. Great idea! Tough here in Vermont.
- echoing my own experience, Pam recommends hiring a paid administrator / staff person to prevent volunteer burnout. I highly recommend this.
- running a clinic that is completely "free" can be politically correct, but it can also shut out folks who might want to contribute financially. Pam's clinic is entirely by donation; she calls it a "community herbal clinic", and focuses on its role in supporting the herbal community rather than its "freeness". This is an interesting point; I'm still not sure where I stand on this issue (having generally seen good compliance rates, good followup, and plenty of donations even when advertising as "free").
- compensation for the herbalists is derived from a pool of funds. This pool is fed by individual private practice sessions, donations, apothecary sales, and student tuitions.

Paul Bergner, of Medical Herbalism fame, gave a nice introduction on energetic assessment and its importance in the herbal consultation and in formulating a treatment plan. After all, if we can't tailor our recommendations to individual constitutions, we're just treating disease! Generally, herbs work a heck of a lot better if they're matched to individual constitutions. This also is the basis of one of my complaints with the double blind, placebo-controlled trial: almost none have a way of dividing populations based on simple constitutional profiles: diaphoretics may help improve circulation in a 'hot' constitution with cold hands and feet, but will do little for a 'cold' constitution with the same issues. Some interesting points:
- Three polarities: vitality / deficiency; hot / cold; moist / dry. You can figure these out with just a little common sense and good observation!
- If there is low vitality, there are usually three potential reasons why: low rest, low digestive fire, or poor food. To this I'd add an assessment of exercise and movement, too.
- As vitality is restored and the physiology becomes more capable of producing an inflammatory reaction, it will. This is the 'healing crisis', and follows Hering's Law of Direction of Cure.
- Healing crises show up in personal relationships (plateau -> conflict -> higher level) and in society as a whole. If fact, Paul made the case that our society is very deficient in vitality, because it doesn't react violently anymore. There are few protests, and little activism, compared to 45 years ago. His assessment: an acute illness that flared in the 1960s was generally suppressed. Emotional symptoms followed, and were expressed in the 1980s with its greed, corruption, and societal stratification. This was also suppressed, and now in the 21st century our illness has become spiritual...
- The rest of the lecture was a review of pulse and tongue assessment and its role in determining relative degrees of heat and moisture. Paul was clear to say, and I agree, that pulse and tongue are merely corroborating signs, and not definitive diagnostic tools.

...more to come, including Simon Mills and acupharmacology; Robert Duggan and some amazing philosophy of healing; infectious disease clinical roundtable; some herbs for the respiratory tract as suggested by Chris Hobbs; and original research by Kevin Spellman on Echinacea, Dandelion, and autoimmune inflammation.

AHG Symposium - Part 1

Well, this year the American Herbalists' Guild conference is being held in Columbia, MD at a big Sheraton in the middle of a corporate office park. Certainly not my favorite setting -- but some excellent people nevertheless.
The session began on Friday morning with the annual meeting of guild members. It was led by Aviva and Tracy Romm, President and office manager for the Guild (Tracy also organizes the conference). Some highlights from the conversation:
- Aviva is interested in growing the Guild, recruiting more members, gathering more funds. She also lamented the fact that the grassroots, volunteer-based flavor that shaped the Guild ten to fifteen years ago has fallen away as full-time staff has taken on greater responsibility. My feeling is that putting money into a national organization might not be as effective as mobilizing the grassroots again. And, as K.P. Khalsa (herbalist and finance guy) pointed out in his report, the Guild makes between $2,000 and $5,000 a year in profit, which it's put in the bank and is just sitting on.
- We talked for a while about a national certification exam for clinical herbalists. The general consensus: not a good idea. This reassured me. Certification usually, historically, leads to assimilation. In the case of herbalism, this would not only hurt our discipline, but also cut off the potential for rebalancing the modern healthcare paradigm that herbalism offers.
- Lupo, a young herbalist currently living in Connecticut, was elected to the Guild Council as a general member. I think she will bring an excellent voice to the Council -- and those of you who may know her would probably agree.

Jonathan Treasure, whose personal philosophy I resonate with and whose writing I thoroughly enjoy, gave a talk later on Friday called "Herbs don't work". The point, of course, is that the inherent vitality of the physiology does most of the work, and that herbs and herbalists are catalysts and helpers for the process. Other interesting tidbits:
- Part of magic is the ability to manipulate human consciousness. Our current culture seems to be an expression of a massive 'spell' cast upon millions.
- When a magician comes to believe his/her own spells, a dangerous fanaticism can ensue. To me, this means that the wholesale acceptance of any model that describes reality is risky and leads to inflexibility, a lack of adaptive power, and a tendency to reject those who do not share your world-view. This seems to be what has happened to our modern medical paradigm - a seductive spell, to be sure, but the resultant fundamentalism is all too apparent when we look at obsessions like 'evidence-based medicine'.
- The idea of 'integrative medicine' can mean many different things. Today, some MDs and medical clinics practice what they call 'integration' - but in many cases, this simply means using meditation, biofeedback, and occasional standardized herbs as adjuncts to practice. There is no shift in philosophy, no shift in belief. This is simply co-opting, not integrating! JT recommended Ken Wilber for his work on defining true integration and holism. Check out Integral Psychology and Integral Spirituality for more.
- Once we accept magical flexibility and integrate ourselves into whole beings, the distinction between hero (healer / herbalist / doctor), villain (disease / doctor / herbalist), and innocent (patient / herb / drug) disappears as we see the trinity synthesize into oneness. Practically speaking: herbalists must talk to the modern medical community, with compassion, with friendship. It comes back to what I've always maintained: no personal philosophy should take precedence over client well-being!

Antibiotic resistance update

Bacteria are getting better at eluding technological medicine's open attacks. I've been following the mainstream media's reports on this subject for a while now, and especially in this last year things seem to have begun an exponential rise.
Of chief concern is a variety of Staph bacteria, known as MRSA, that is highly resistant to powerful antibiotics, as well as being way more virulent. And now some numbers are in: MRSA has killed an estimated 19,000 Americans in 2005 and made 94,000 seriously ill.
Additionally, a strain of bacteria sometimes involved in middle ear infections (Streptococcus pneumoniae) is evolving antibiotic resistance that may have come as a response to increased vaccination rates and the overuse of drugs for ear infections.
Folks around the country are getting worried as these bugs spread from the hospital to the community. Dallas, where a teenager died from MRSA in March, is monitoring local schools. Bedford, VA has shut down all its schools after a student died of MRSA today.
This is getting scarier, and it seems to me that a moratorium on antibiotic use (unthinkable to mention even 10 years ago) for all but the most dire emergencies is almost in order. But if we can't use antibiotics, what on earth can we use to treat ear, skin, and lung infections? We are powerless!

Coca-cola gets into Chinese herbs

"This collaboration will ultimately help us bring the insights and benefits of traditional Chinese medicine to consumers all over the world."

Thus spoke Coke, in reference to its collaboration with the China Academy of Chinese Medial Sciences. The company hopes to develop a line of drinks featuring Chinese herbs, and probably a whole range of health benefits. And corn syrup.
Does this mark a return, full-circle, to Coke's roots as a tonic herbal beverage? Or perhaps a new positioning scheme to be well-placed for production and distribution of herbal products once the FDA regs kick in? The prospects could be scary, especially if the multinational company (or companies) can claim patent rights for beverage "formulas".
Another successful step in the long road of corporate cultural appropriation.

Spilanthes and malaria

Research from India highlights this amazing plant, usually used as a carminative, immune stimulant, antifungal and "toothache plant". Members of the Spilanthes genus, but in particular S. acmella (my favorite garden variety) seem to kill the larvae of mosquitoes at concentrations of 9ppm (9/1000ths of 1%), which seems really low (about 3 drops of their extract for a full 5-gallon bucket). The researchers used hexane to extract pungent alkylamides from the flower heads, then removed the hexane to leave what was probably a very concentrated (up to 20:1) fraction. Still, a more reasonable 1:5 weigh-to-volume ratio would still mean that 10ml to 15ml of tincture (of high alcohol percentage!) could provide the adequate concentration to kill all mosquito larvae in a 5-gallon bucket.
This research is geared towards containing the spread of malaria and filaria, carried by mosquitos which then infect humans. Considering the increase in the incidence of mosquito-borne disease here in the US (West Nile, e.g.), and the toxic chemicals used to control them in places like New York City, we might all want to consider some Spilanthes extract instead...

Custom herbal formulas just don't work

There's new research out that attempts to answer the question of whether individualized herbal blends, as formulated by a practitioner, are better than single standardized herbs. I'll just skip right to the editorializing bit, because it's so well-reasoned and balanced:

This study sets a new benchmark for the tailored approach: not only must herbalists demonstrate that individualised treatment is superior to placebo, they must also
show, for reasons of cost and safety, that it is superior to standardised treatment. Claims by herbalists who use the individualised approach that their practice is evidence based are disingenuous; this is because evidence supporting the use of herbs for any indication has come almost entirely from the study of single, standardised herbal extracts, not from studies of individualised herbal medicine using combinations of several or many different herbs prepared from inherently variable raw plant materials. The paucity of data supporting the effectiveness of individualised herbal medicine, and the important safety concerns associated with this particular form of phytomedicine, should be taken into account by policymakers
concerned with the regulation of practitioners using this modality.

Overall, the results of the three studies included in this review do not provide support for the use of individualised herbal medicine in any indication.

So there you have it. Custom blending of herbal formulas just doesn't work.
This study is really just a research project where the authors selected 3 randomized, controlled trials from over 1,300 pubmed results. The trials covered Western herbs for osteoarthritis of the knee, Chinese herbs for irritable bowel, and Chinese herbs for chemotherapy support (this last one was terminated early due to difficulty recruiting subjects). With such limited results, why do the authors choose to call for increased regulation of herbal practitioners, rather than more, better, research?
Perhaps because Ed Ernst is at the helm. Jonathan Treasure has been following this man's career for the last little while, and the history is pretty interesting (his herblog reviews this latest study fully for your pleasure, although it comes with an 'adult language' warning). To me, it's just another fairly immature and certainly non-productive use of research time and money. In this climate of diversification, increased government worry and oversight, and the grassroots integration of effective, individualized herbalism into the modern medical system, Ernst's editorials may actually be irresponsible, too. I wish someone paid me a lot of cash to tool around pubmed with an agenda.

2007 Herbal Convergence report

The Northeast Radical Healthcare Network hosted its second annual Herbal Convergence at Seven Arrows farm this past weekend. This gathering has been amazing so far - low cost, community organized, non-hierarchical, inclusive, conscious, accessible. I can't say enough about the organizers and the people there.
Lots was going on. It is a tumultuous time in the herbal world, and I think the discussions reflected that.

Wendy gave us an update from the herbal care unit of the Common Ground Free Clinic in New Orleans. A non-profit, the Clinic's board of directors felt that unlicensed herbalists should not be practicing in the clinic the way they'd been doing since Katrina left most of the city's healthcare network crippled. While this might have seemed the end of an experiment in truly integrative free healthcare, the herbalists in New Orleans turned things around. They enlisted Phyllis Light, a professional AHG member, to supervise their work, and created defined protocols for herbal treatment in specific situations. Integrative practice continues!

Chris Monteiro of Providence, RI spoke about her acupuncture practice where low-cost and sliding-scale treatments are given to many people at once, reducing overhead and engendering a sense of 'peaceful community' for those relaxing in the treatment room.

I talked a little about the free clinics we run up here in Montpelier, now through the VCIH, and how coupling educational opportunities and community-grown medicines with the free clinic can help make it sustainable.

Rebecca Hartman talked live about her herbal philosophy, with a special focus on seeing the human physiology as an ecological system. She described insights for practice from a relational, ecological, and network-based vantage point (definitely good stuff, summarized here on her blog).

We heard reports from Just Food, where folks are organizing communities and local farmers in and around New York City to encourage community food production, fresh food availability, urban chicken and bee keeping, and networks of distribution and barter.

The Rhizome Collective in Austin, TX has been continuing with its urban sustainability work, organizing efforts, and ecological preservation. We heard about how they got a $200,000 grant to clean up and preserve a ten acre brownfield they now own. I was especially impressed by the construction of a floating island of plastic in a stormwater collection pond: anchored to this structure are wetland plants that help purify and control the water.

Mischa Schuler talked about her practice and work as a community herbalist in Cambridge, MA. I missed her class on herbal support for eating disorders, because my workshop on herbs and psych med use was at the same time, and was very disappointed about that. Mischa is a thoughtful herbalist who shared with us many of the practicalities of an herbal practice: making a comfortable space, finding the right place to work in and the right people to share space with, creating methods of recordkeeping, accessibility, and more. Living in Boston has strengths and weaknesses - but this place called the Fells sounds pretty awesome...

During and after my talk on the history of medicine in the US over the last 200 years, a lot of crucial issues were brought up. I feel that we are at a similar juncture in the history of herbal medicine to the one the Eclectics (and everyone else) faced in the mid-1800s: unregulated, diverse healthcare practices with a central government threatening (an imposing ) regulation. Onerous regs might create a two-tiered system: licensed and lay herbalists, 'professional' and 'kitchen' healers. How to avoid this split, avoid assimilation, and avoid 'banishment'? Some ideas, such as 'community-shared herbalism' where a collective group makes tinctures for itself, came out of the mix. This is something we want to try to build in Montpelier; I know others are working on it as well. But licensure will continue to be a hot debate!

I spoke with Kale (I believe that was the name) about research on the role of neuronal myelination in disorders such as bipolar depression and schizophrenia. This research seems to point at low mylelination levels for the former and higher levels for the latter, both in the brain's while matter and in the corpus callosum. Kale, if you can keep in touch about your research, I'd love to hear more!

Mary Blue, who is one of the organizers and a hostess for the gathering, also talked about her community living and farming project, called Farmacy, that involves urban sustainability, a farm and herb garden, composting toilets and graywater processing, and a kid's camp -- all from a small lot in Providence, RI. She makes tinctures and other medicines for local distribution. I commented to her how interesting, from a semantic and philosophical point of view, her choice of the name 'Farmacy' is: in the 70s, herbalists were moving out of the underground, and the tincture company was called 'Herb Pharm' (and still is - great company!). This name puts the 'Ph' into an earthy, farmlike concept: it injects science into nature's grounding force. Now, in the 21st century, herbalists create an organization like 'Farmacy'. This name puts the 'F' into a scientific concept: it injects nature's grounding force into science. I guess we've had a few years to think about it, but I do like the latter way of doing things quite a lot. And the Convergence is doing a good job of distilling this new, radical herbal instinct and bringing it into the light.

Wild Carrot seed

At last weekend's Convergence, Robin Rose Bennett gave an informative talk on wild carrot and its use as part of conscious birth control. She's made available a copy of her work on Daucus carota online.
This member of the parsley family has historical uses that range from abortifacient to diuretic. Here are some of my notes from Robin's discussion:

. the seed dose is approximately 1tsp. daily, varied for weight and constitution (sensitivity to inputs)
. the first dose should be taken 8-12 hours after sex, then repeated once or twice more with 12-24hrs between doses
. intermittency of dosage allows for most effective birth control action, and also fertility enhancing: take breaks at the right times!
. if there are hormonal imbalances (pharmaceuticals, cycle disturbances, post-partum if cycle hasn't returned, e.g.) it is less trustworthy
. if there are assimilation issues from dysbiosis, it is less trustworthy
. its volatile oil, and to a certain extent its fixed oil, are key to its action. Harvest not when bone-dry, not when old, first days of flowers, seedhead still greenish-brown
. it is extracted in 50% to 70% alcohol, 2:1 ratio of greenish-brown seed to brown seed, bruised
. tea can be made with 1TBS bruised seed, steeped covered for 20-30 min
. flowers can be used too, as a tea, at twice the doses of the seed
. only reported side effect has been vaginal irritation, relieved by switching from seed to tincture of the seed
. combination: ginger, pennyroyal, mugwort, wild carrot
. in a case of ectopic pregnancy, it helped eliminate the fetus without surgery (I heard this last part second-hand).

Robin's got 20+ years of experience working with wild carrot, both for herself and her clients.

Fungal mycorrhizae: ecosystem modulators

A nice article from Nature magazine shares some interesting research on the mycelia of mushrooms (the main growing part, usually underground, which produce the spore-bearing fruiting bodies we harvest and eat). We've known for a long time that mycelia are everywhere, almost saturating soil and contributing to the ecological balance of forest and field alike. We've even studied how some plants, like orchids for example, engage in a delicate balance with the root-like tendrils of fungal mycelia (known as mycorrhizae), benefiting in both nourishment and protection. Recent research has focused on how the web of fungal roots in the soil of the forest acts as a literal 'network', sharing and balancing resources between itself and different species of green plants. It seems quite likely, in fact, that many plants could not exist without their fungal symbiotes: but the story goes deeper than that.
Mushroom mycelia can take nutrients, especially sugars, from the roots of strong, green plants (like established trees) and "feed" them to weaker understory herbs and seedlings who have less access to light for photosynthesis. A neat example: in the spring, mycorrhizae shunt nutrients from the early trout lily to feed new maple seedlings, while the reverse occurs in the fall. Inter-species nutrient balance is maintained by these fungal networks!
This research continues to increase my respect for the Kingdom Fungi, and I am beginning to suspect that these organisms are the great modulators and networkers of the living world. It is no wonder to me that they are so effective in modulating the function of human physiologies as well, helping to balance immunity and inflammation so effectively. Hopefully more research on this subject will be forthcoming -- it is a field we know woefully little about.
In the meanwhile, Paul Stamets is the man.

Hyperactivity linked to food additives

A British study published in the Lancet has documented the effects of certain specific food coloring agents (sunset yellow coloring, also known as E110; carmoisine, or E122; tartrazine, or E102; ponceau 4R, or E124; the preservative sodium benzoate, or E211; and other colors) and preservatives (primarily sodium benzoate) in kid's drinks. Over 300 children, roughly split between three and eight year olds, underwent the blinded trial. The results were striking: the drinks with additives were linked with higher rates of impulsivity, inattention, and general hyperactivity.
Critics of the study were quick to point out that this is simply an association, not a "cause-and-effect" phenomenon. True enough, but many variables were controlled in this research: drinks, which were given to children in a double-blind fashion, were the only sources of additives. Assignment of the laced drinks was random. And this study builds on previous data gathered by the British government (which is why it awarded over $1 million for this recent research).
So, in my opinion, we are beginning to get scientific backing to the herbalist's idea that synthetic food additives are not only damaging to the liver and metabolism, but also interfere with the psyche. In fact, as many herbalists might tell you, the link between the liver and the spirit is a very real one, and the metabolism of toxic synthetics can lead to inflammatory processes all over the physiology, not just in the nervous system. Back to whole, local foods!

Herbal medicine commentary: are we 'chasing fairies'?

"By proper Herbalism, I mean the variety practiced by Herbalists who have devoted many years of study to the application of herbs for medical purposes, as opposed to the fairy chasing brigade who hijack any therapy that they can practice with minimal effort..."

This quote is part of an interesting piece I was reading on ProgressiveU.org. The author comes down pretty hard on therapeutic ideas like "hot stones placed on (the) body, or ... mystical energy massages from Maori tribesmen", attempting to differentiate more modern, unsubstantiated modalities from traditional Herbalism as a valid, ancient art.
Let me clarify two points at the outset:
-first off, I work with fairies everyday in my garden. They help me out a lot, and the spirits that inhabit plants have broad-ranging powers and may be responsible for much of nature's medicine. In making this statement I am being very grounded and scientific: in my experience, 'fairies' are real, and have observable and testable effects.
-secondly, I deeply value thought processes that transcend reason and rationality, and I believe these processes are a vital part of the herbal tradition. Nevertheless, they cannot function alone. Throughout history, human beings (and animals) have evolved systems for understanding nature and functioning more efficiently as part of her. These systems rely on rationality, at least on a temporary basis, and greatly facilitate learning. Herbalism employs many such systems (energetics, herbal actions, physiology, phytochemistry, direction of cure, doctrine of signatures, and many more) and I love them all. In my opinion, it is a balance between intuitive, acausal, non-linear feeling and creative, pattern-based, rational thinking that makes an effective human. Herbalism teaches both!

That said, the author of the piece has some very valid opinions that made me stop and think. For instance:

"When somebody introduces certain herbs and plants into the body they have a tangible and explainable effect. Herbalism does not rely on some magical explanation, despite the fluffiness of some of the people who practice the tradition and their assertions to the contrary".

Not all effects can be 'explainable'. Modern doctors will be the first to agree with this! Besides that, what does 'explainable' mean? You can provide meaning to any set of circumstances. I think the point here is that herbalism does have a grounded component to its therapy, and that phytochemistry and biochemistry have danced together a bit and come up with some nice stories to tell. But, just because the effect of Rose elixir taken on the tongue is best explained magically, doesn't mean there is no effect.

Where Herbalism gets the short end of the stick scientifically, is in the fact that many herbal preparations have not been scientifically tested in controlled clinical trials. As a result preparations which have a history of effectiveness in treating ailments don’t have official scientific verification, not because they have failed scientific testing, but because they haven’t received it. Quacks and other alternative therapists exploit this to make a case for their remedies.

Two important points: a long history of traditional use is somehow not seen as evidence of validity, while scientific trials are. Couple this with the inability to patent crude plant preparations, and you have and perennial inadequacy set up for herbal medicines. The answer isn't necessarily just more trials (though this is great, too). It's to change the system that defines validity.
I can't argue that some 'quacks' exploit my attitude. And I hadn't really thought about that so much until I read this article.

Personally, I believe that legitimate Herbalists need to take a stand and speak out against suspect therapies in an effort to protect consumers and distance their discipline from the quacks. Herbalists should make greater efforts to safe-guard their patients from exploitation rather than just fighting with Western doctors. As an advocate of integrated medicine, I see the constant bickering between much of the Herbalist and Western Medical community as just tiresome and regressive.

This, to me, makes a whole lot of sense. We just have to be really careful in defining a 'suspect therapy': I can see that issue becoming a slippery slope all the way back to 'evidence-based medicine' and its exclusive reliance on the double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

I feel, from a deep, non-rational place inside me, that these issues (and others) are going to come swiftly to the fore of herbalist's discussions as the community evolves and interfaces with the American culture in all its craziness. I only ask that we try to be aware of the forces and ideas that are shaping our philosophies and worldviews, and stop briefly to ponder them. And that's the rational place coming out, right where it belongs.

Sparkly Comfrey Powder

It's late August, the sun is still hot, the evening light is orange, and the Comfrey is still going crazy.
This unyieldingly generous plant keeps coming back, and spreading, no matter how often you harvest its leaves for improvised poultices, throw its long hollow stalks into the compost, or even dig away at its root. And regardless of what you think of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid content of this bristly Boraginacea, you can't deny that its topical use is very safe and effective.
I love chewing a Comfrey leaf to put on a bad scrape or superficial wound, you can feel its texture going from almost spiny to green to slimy. And the gel that is created is some of the best medicine for the skin, rich in allantoin, soothing and healing.
My problem was that, during the winter, it gets very difficult to recreate that smooth green gel without access to a fresh plant. The dry leaf approximates it, but isn't nearly as pleasant to chew and simply re-hydrating it doesn't come even close. So for this month's blog party, here's what I came up with for those bushels of Comfrey leaves you've got growing in some corner:

Sparkly Comfrey Powder:

You will need a good, strong blender. A Vitamix is good, but any commercial blender with a sturdy motor will do.
Harvest lots of Comfrey leaves.
Stuff the blender, not too tight, with coarsely chopped leaves.
Add 1 cup of water (for a half-gallon blender)

Blend, pulsing and stirring from time to time, until the mixture is a homogenous mass of green goo.

Press the mass through muslin, so that all the fiber is removed, saving the juice. This stuff should be very dark green and frothy.

Evaporate the moisture from the juice in a slow (150 degree) oven, or in strong sunlight. I use Pyrex pans for this purpose. Depending on how much juice you made, and the size of your pan, this could take all day (or more).

Using a metal spatula, knife, or spoon, scrape the dehydrated juice from the pan once all the water is gone.

Place the scrapings in a smaller container, and dry for another hour at 150 degrees.

Grind the dried Comfrey in a mortar and pestle.

Voila! You're done. This powder, which does seem to sparkle when in direct light, re-hydrates quickly to a slimy mass. Try 4-5 drops of water on a 1/4 tsp. dab of the powder. It also quickly colors pale oils, like sweet almond oil, a nice green color and makes a very good addition to salve recipes. Finally, I like to sprinkle it directly on bad scrapes I get during the winter months, where it quickly stops light bleeding and gets nice and mucilaginous, unlike the dry leaf.

Just remember: don't use Comfrey preparations on deeper wounds, puncture wounds, etc... as it will very likely cause an abscess to form.

The final product, infused for 15 minutes into sweet almond oil. On the right is a heaping spoonful of the re-hydrated powder, ready for use!

Antibiotic resistance update

Reuters brings news from China that many bacterial lung infections that cause pneumonia are resistant to antibiotics. We've been following the reports of drug-resistant pathogens, mostly bacteria, and the response that government and healthcare establishments are considering.
Resistance seems to spread from centers of antibiotic use, with hospitals acting as 'universities' for bacteria to swap information and reduce their sensitivity to drugs (by altering metabolic pathways, structures in their cell walls, or both). While 70% of pneumonia cases were resistant in the Chinese 'countryside', that number reached 90% at major hospitals in cities like Beijing.
What's troubling is that, unlike poor manufacturing processes that lead to product recalls, antibiotic resistance is much like carbon emission: it has global reach and impact. Pneumonia can indeed be deadly, especially in weakened constitutions; and we do have drugs that the bacteria still aren't resistant to. But the trend in the last ten years is undeniable: let's not wait until all modern antibiotics are ineffective, and start incorporating more crude botanical preparations into the treatment protocols, especially for stronger folks, especially in hospitals!

Some herbs for active, moist pulmonary infections:

Warming expectorants: elecampane, lobelia
Antibacterials: garlic, thyme, eucalyptus, usnea
Diaphoretics: boneset, elderflower, ginger, cayenne
Antiinfectives: echinacea, osha

...and for convalescence: astragalus, red reishi

Of course, the sooner you begin addressing any lung distress, the better the final outcome. Still, I see no reason why some of these plants couldn't be incorporated into hospital regimens -- and it will happen, probably sooner than we think.