Are Your Herbal Medicines People and Planet Friendly?
“In our focus on how plants heal us, we may have missed seeing how these plants also connect us to people whose lives the economy has rendered invisible. Having met these people on the far side of the supply chain, I came to see that it is important to ask not only how a product might serve me, but how my purchase might help people involved in its production. ”
Over the past several years, there has been a sharp rise in the use of nutritional supplements and herbal medicines in the United States. Many people take herbal supplements because they see them as a natural alternative to many pharmaceutical medications. They see herbal preparations as working in ways that support their body’s natural physiologic processes and as more aligned with their ethics of sustainability.
Even considering the sustainability of herbal medicines is a relatively new perspective for many. But sustainable how? Sustainability has many facets - cultural, ecological, and economic. Until now, most of the emphasis (at least among the medical profession) when counseling patients about herbal supplements has been ensuring their quality and safety via “good” manufacturing processes and comparing their effectiveness to drug therapy. Seeing these concerns mainly through the lens of manufacturing processes and comparisons to pharmaceutical treatments highlights how herbs and herbal supplements have been seen as just an extension of the pharmaceutical industry - a ‘green’ alternative to drugs. There is something to this, as we see that many large pharmaceutical companies are buying up supplement companies.
But let’s get back to the topic of sustainability. None of the choices we make can be seen as isolated. The choices we make and the choices we have access to reflect the interconnected ecological and social systems to which we belong.
Herbal medicine availability and sustainability is an issue that impacts most of us. It is estimated that 80% of the world’s population uses some form of plant medicine as primary care. There are over 30,000 plant species that are used for medicinal purposes, with approximately 4000-6000 of these being traded internationally. A significant but unknown percentage of these may be endangered. Large-scale cultivation or wild harvesting of medicinal plants can lead to overharvesting and the decimation of ecosystems (ecological impacts). It also shifts local economies from self-sufficiency as commodity herb crops are grown instead of food crops. This creates more boom and bust cycles as producers speculate on planting crops for the latest trendy herbal supplement. We see global markets co-opting the traditional local medical practices and expanding the demand for associated plant medicines. There are cultural costs when traditional plant medicines are no longer available or affordable to those people in those places where they have been traditionally used. In addition, there is worker exploitation. Finished herbal supplement products command high prices in the marketplace but are sourced from places where workers live in squalid conditions and are paid subsistence wages. When we purchase herbal medicines (or any other products), we are co-signing the practices that go into making the product we buy.
So what can you do to support sustainability and ensure the quality of what you choose to take? What actions can we take as individuals and community members to support the more just and sustainable use of plant medicines?
Be conscious and intentional about your herbal supplement use. Are you clear why you are choosing to start taking specific herbal medicine preparations? What are the changes or benefits that you are seeking? Was it recommended to you by someone else? If so, why? What is the plan for reassessing the benefit or continued need for the herb/supplement? (Read my previous blog on the pros and cons of nutritional supplements here). Intentions matter, and being clear on your intentions before you start may heighten the potential for healing benefits.
How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with the herbal medicine? Tablet and capsule herbal formulations are very popular because they are convenient but also remove us from the sensory experience and relationship with the plants. What does the plant look like? What does it taste like? This is part of the medicine. Is there an option to use another formulation that might place you into a closer relationship with some of the herbs you are choosing to take - perhaps a tincture or a tea?
For instance, not uncommonly, I may recommend digestive supports such as enzymes for patients I work with. These can be very helpful as we work together to restore their body’s innate capacity to digest food effectively. Enzymes generally come in capsule form, and people take them before or with their meals. While not quite the same in their action, digestive bitters - liquid herbal tinctures supporting digestive function, can also be quite helpful. Often people will take a dropperful in a small amount of water before a meal. So the administration is a little more involved (than just taking a capsule), but it can also provide opportunities that are not there when you take enzyme capsules. The chance to taste the herbs, pause, and bring awareness and mindfulness to the meal that one is about to eat, also supports the process of digestion.
Similarly, a cup of herbal tea in mid-afternoon or the evening can be part of a calming ritual that has elements of potential benefit that extend beyond taking a capsule of ‘calming’ herbs. It is not about one always being better than the other. Sometimes, the best option is the one you can take - and if that is the digestive enzyme capsule or the calming herbal preparation in pill form, that might be it for now. But recognizing that there are other options and that these come with other potential benefits (including in some instances that they are more cost-effective)
Increasing your personal and community capacity to work with plants. Learning to make your own simple herbal preparations can be a way to deepen your relationship with plants. This can run the spectrum from purchasing loose (ideally organic herbs) that you use to brew your own teas - a pot of chamomile or lavender tea in the evening before bed can be a delightful calming ritual. It can run the spectrum to potentially growing your own small pot of herbs you use for medicinal purposes. There are so many resources available to support you in learning more about herbs. Also, build relationships with herbalists who can introduce you to local plant allies and help you learn how to make simple preparations. Social media has made it easier for many herbalists to offer options for online education.
In the marketplace, seek fair trade, organic, and locally produced or wild-crafted options when possible and ask your retailers to carry them. Yes, these options cost more. There is generally no way around this. But, if we choose to be more limited and intentional in our use of herbal medicines, this may free up resources to purchase fewer, higher-quality herbs. Also, if others in your circle are working with similar concerns and are interested in working with herbal supports, consider getting together and purchasing herbs together, which can often save money and shipping costs. Also, inquire about stocking organic and fair trade herbs with your local herb or supplement store.
Thanks for reading. I would love your thoughts on how sustainability informs your choices around herbal medicine and nutritional supplements.
The Sustainable Herbs Program of the American Botanical Council has many resources to learn more about this topic.
Yours in healing and solidarity,
Nicole Winbush, M.D.
Dr. Winbush founded Sankofa Healing Arts & Functional Medicine, an interdisciplinary healing practice based in North Carolina. Through this practice and aligned partnerships, Dr. Winbush seeks to support others in their goals for their health and well-being and doing so in ways that are easeful, ecological, and enduring. You can follow her at @sankofahealing on Instagram.
