The philosophy behind the basis of herbal medicine...
 Polypharmacy is the use of more than one ingredient in a
medicine. Modern medicine does not in the main use polypharmacy as most drugs contain a single
active ingredient. Herbalists will maintain that it is this single element philosophy which is
responsible for many of the side effects and adverse reactions common in modern medicine.
Polypharmacy by contrast is the very essence of herbal medicine philosophy where combinations
of plants are used, each having different compounds as well as individual properties. It is
this combination of complex compounds within each plant which complement and balance the
effects of another. Mary Boughton of Dorwest Herbs explains.
Herbal medicine throughout the world has almost without
exception meant the combining of two or more herbs, with some formulations containing more than
a dozen different plants. However, even single plant medicines are considered by herbalists to
be polypharmacy. The basis for this is that a single plant may contain hundreds of different
chemical compounds, no plant or other living thing could survive if it were composed of a
single chemical entity.
Modern medicine by contrast is either produced by
development of a synthetic chemical ingredient or by identifying and extracting a specific
active compound from a plant and then producing it synthetically to obtain a 'pure' form of the
entity which has the desired pharmacological effect. In herbal medicine it is accepted that,
even if a specific compound is identified and its action understood, it is the effect of the
other supporting or modifying compounds present in the whole plant which complement the
therapeutic action and minimise side effects and adverse reactions in herbal medicines.
Therefore an isolated chemical compound would never be considered herbal medicine.
The British Herbal Pharmacopeia contains monographs of
medicinal herbs in modern use in medicines today and we can see that many of these have similar
pharmacological effects, indications and uses, so why is it necessary to include several in one
product?
Polypharmacy again is the answer
Although several plants will have similar therapeutic effects the chemical compounds
in each one will be different and it is this diversity that is the very strength of herbal
medicine. In simple terms, one compound has an effect and another, either within the same or a
different plant, will have a supporting effect which might for example balance any side effects
or increase absorbtion into the system.
There is, of course, a correlation between polypharmacy
and food. Every food that is consumed consists of many and complex chemical compounds and no-on
would put forward a sound argument in support of foods being taken as single chemical entities.
Complex foods are nutritious, health giving and totally beneficial. Nutritionists advocate a
varied balanced diet for good health both in animals and people. A comparable situation exists
with herbal medicine and it is this very use of combination products which are not at variance
with nature that explains why herbal medicines maintain all round health and are effective safe
treatment for many problems.
This comparison with food is very relevant as the other
important factor in herbal medicines is that like foods they are based on organic plant
materials, which are more readily assimilated into the system than inorganic compounds. It is
for this reason that although the individual quantities of elements, such as minerals, in an
organically based product may be very small, they are more readily absorbed and able to be used
by the body than a much larger quantity of the same mineral that has been derived
inorganically. An example of this is calcium - nearly all of the calcium obtained from milk or
cheese is able to be used by the body whereas only a fraction of an inorganic calcium, such as
the commonly available calcium carbonate is absorbed with the remainder being excreted. Calcium
is also only absorbed efficiently when Vitamin D is present which is the reason for most
supplements having this added to the product. Thus it is
irrelevant to make a direct correlation between the
quantities of any particular ingredient in an inorganic
form and the quantity occuring naturally from an organic base.
It is the amount that is able to be used that is important.
Polypharmacy is therefore the basis of herbal medicine
philosophy and explains why this form of medicine depends on complex chemical compounds that
naturally occur and perhaps why it is this very combination that makes it a safe form of
treatment for animals and people alike.
If it is natural it must be good?
In these days of green consumerism and
environmental awareness, anything natural has come to be perceived as good and by implication
safe for people, animals and the environment.
But how many times does one hear someone make the mistake
of assuming that because something is natural it must be good and also be safe ? It is of
course a common fallacy but one which is widely held. Many of the most toxic and dangerous
substances known to man are natural but most would agree that they are not what we would
generally accept as safe. Arsenic and lead from the mineral kingdom and yew berries, death cap
mushrooms and foxgloves from the plant world are all natural but also all good examples of
this. However, many more common substances are very toxic when taken to excess; alcohol, coffee
and even water will kill if large enough quantities are consumed.
So are all herbs and herbal
medicine safe?
The correct definition of a herb is a plant whose leaves are more aromatic than its
flowers, although nowadays all plants which are used medicinally are commonly referred to as
herbs and the general supposition is that they are all safe. Certainly those available for
general sale are accepted as having a low toxicity whereas others such as digitalis or opium
poppy are very strictly controlled under the poisons regulations. Every medicine is evaluated
in reference to its "risk/benefit" ratio, thus those drugs with a high risk of toxicity or side
effects must also have proved evidence of an expected high benefit to the user in order for the
risk to be acceptable. All herbal medicines licensed for
general sale for animal treatment are generally used for chronic or non-life threatening
conditions. They will have a low risk of side effects or
adverse reactions, but they will be just as effective although their benefits are generally
more moderate in effect as they work in harmony with the whole system.
Nevertheless it is important that any medication given to
an animal, natural or otherwise, is appropriate for it and this usually means that it must have
been formulated for that specific animal and have withstood the test of time - a very long time
in the case of herbal medicine which has been used for centuries by all civilizations. Some
people will unthinkingly give their animals medicines or supplements that were formulated,
manufactured and tested for treating people without giving proper thought to the possible
consequences. They believe that "if it's pure enough for me it must be the best possible for my
dog or cat". This of course is a totally false and potentially dangerous belief and one that
can have dire consequences. The commonest and most widely used human medicine, aspirin, is
fatal for example if given to a cat. Yet many people continue to give human medicines and
supplements to their animals convinced that they are giving them the best, when commonsense
should tell them that people have a much bigger body mass and longer life span than most
domestic animals and that their digestive systems and metabolism are entirely different.
Unfortunately some manufacturers who are inexperienced in canine nutrition and treatments
actually perpetuate this myth by using this 'human quality' tag to endorse their products.
To return to the 'natural' theme, it is definitely true
to say that the herbal medicines that you can buy for your dog are safe to use, have minimal
side effects and are effective in their actions. The product would not have obtained a licence
if the data supporting it was unable to prove all of these things. Nevertheless, it is worth
bearing in mind that anything that you give to your dog or cat should have been formulated
especially for them, manufactured by a reputable company, and given in the recommended
quantities. Of course some human medicines and supplements can be given to other species but
this should only be done on veterinary advice or under veterinary supervision.
There are under 30 licensed herbal veterinary medicines
in the UK and these are manufactured by just a few companies, who have been specialising in
herbal medicines for many years. The major manufacturers have advisory services either by
telephone or through their stands at major Championship shows so that product information,
assistance and advice on the use of these medicines is always available from trained and
experienced personnel.
To sum up - not everything that is natural is by
definition safe, but the herbal medicines available in this country for dogs and cats are
extremely safe with almost no recorded side effects and most can be given in conjunction with
orthodox treatment if necessary. Many herbal medicines use quite common herbs and plants, often
using extracts of the individual herbs in order to obtain the correct strength for a small
animal in a single tablet. The majority of herbal supplements which are available will have
been carefully formulated and produced for dogs by experienced manufacturers and these are also
excellent to maintain general health when they are given in the correct quantities.
So by using your commonsense and being discerning in your
choice, you can safely use all the herbal medicines available for dogs today. These together
with quality supplements will make an important contribution to your dog's condition and
well-being. They give the benefit of the oldest form of treatment, and one upon which all
modern medicine has been based. It may be natural but in this case it is also safe !
How do herbal medicines work?
Should they be called alternative?
As with many seemingly straightforward questions, there is more than just a simple
answer to this often asked question. The easy response is that herbal medicines work in exactly
the same way as modern medicines, but rather than being regarded as an alternative form of
treatment they are complementary and can and should be used alongside the advances made in
modern drug therapies. To understand why they still have relevant use today requires a longer
explanation as well as a little history and background information.
For some reason many people confuse herbal with
homeopathic medicine and some presume that they are the same, so we should start with an
explanation of the difference. Homeopathic medicines are derived from a much wider range of
ingredients than herbal medicines - using material of animal, vegetable and mineral origin.
Minute dilutions of the active ingredient are used, which if they were introduced into the
system at their full strength would actually cause symptoms similar to that from which the
patient is suffering. However, when administered in these infinitesimal amounts they actually
work in the opposite way and relieve the symptoms. This is where the homeopathic philosopy of
'like cures like' originates.
By contrast herbal medicine works in the same way as
modern medicines, that is that herbs contain elements which have a direct psyiological effects
on the body. Virtually all medicines were originally based on herbs and plants. Herbal
medicine has a long and well documented history. Until about the turn of the century these were
almost the only medicines available, with the birth of 'modern' medicine being generally
accepted with the discovery of modern antibiotics.
Nowadays, a great many of the medicines used by doctors
and vets are still derived from plant material or are a synthetic copy of them. The plant is
either purified to obtain a standard dose or more commonly the element in the plant that causes
the active effect is isolated and then produced in a laboratory. The best example of this is
aspirin which was originally derived from White Willow Bark but is now produced artificially to
ensure a standardised strength and to satisfy the enormous demand. There are many similar
examples of drugs from plant origins now being produced synthetically.
However, the effectiveness and administration of
medicines made directly from plant material depends on many factors - it is obviously essential
to be able to correctly identify the correct species of plant not only while it is growing but
also in its dried form before it is incorporated into a medicine. Many herbs have a similar
appearance when dried and therefore reliable ways of identifying them have had to be developed.
The country in which the plant was grown, the soil and fertilisers used as well as the way it
was harvested, dried and stored will all effect the final medicine in which it is used.
Therefore, when technology was able to produce drugs
artificially by copying or mimicking the elements found in plants, it became unfashionable to
use the raw plant material which was considered unreliable. The advantages of using a
synthetically produced drug are obvious - firstly it eliminates any variation that may be in
different batches of plants, it removes the possibility of contamination during the harvesting
and drying processes, enables accurate administration of the dose and is extremely cheap to
produce. During this century continued and expensive research continues to produce the single
element drugs which are now as commonplace as the plant derived drugs.
Unfortunately, with the advent of these artificially
produced drugs came the increased incidences of adverse reactions and side-effects, something
which had hitherto been relatively rare. Nevertheless because many of these drugs are used for
acute life-threatening conditions the 'risk-benefit' ratio makes them acceptable to the medical
profession, whereas for the less critical and chronic problems these risks are not always so
acceptable.
It is here that the difference between herbal and
allopathic medicine really lies. The whole philosophy of herbal medicine is that by using the
whole plant, and often a combination of plants, the patient is taking a mixture of thousands of
naturally occurring complex elements which are contained in each plant. It is the presence of
all these elements which complement and balance the effect of each other, and this results in
the extremely low incidence of adverse reactions and side-effects in herbal medicines compared
with single element drug therapies. As the actions of the individual herbs has been well
documented over hundreds and sometimes thousands of years they risk of long-term side effects
are also negligible.
The action of herbs may sometimes be slower than the
modern drugs that we have all become accustomed to using, but the advantage of fewer
side-effects and of using a holistic medicine which works in a more natural way with the body
makes this form of medicine very useful and the increasingly the preferred one for the
treatment of many conditions, particularly the chronic and non-life threatening diseases.
There is a misconception among both the medical
profession and the public that those who advocate the wider use of herbal medicine completely
disregard the advances in modern medicine and will use herbal medicines as an alternative form
of treatment regardless of the disease or condition. This is obviously a nonsense - nobody
would presume to ignore the need for sugical operations when required or to dismiss the
plethora of modern drugs that are regularly and effectively used for conditions where no
botanically produced alternative is available. However, herbal medicine has its place alongside
modern medicine for the treatment and prevention of many chronic conditions. Many doctors and
vets are now recognising this and are becoming more and more reluctant to prescribe drugs for
problems where a more gentle but just as effective treatment is available and the risk of
side-effects therefore reduced.
It is also sometimes said that the results obtained from
herbal medicines are psychosomatic, another misconception - herbs are widely used for treating
animals all over the world and no psychosomatic effect can be responsible for the results,
making the treatment of animals a particularly valuable source of clinical data and information
on herbal treatments.
Of course, it is because the side-effects are minimal and
instances of adverse reactions are few that herbal medicines are also regarded by some as
always being safe to take. While this is broadly true for most commonly available herbs, it
must be remembered that they are proper medicines and as such should be treated with respect.
Anything taken to excess or inappropriately can be detrimental and therefore it is sensible to
use the same precautions when using herbal medicines as any other form of medical treatment by
always using medicines manufactured to the highest standards and wherever possible those
licensed by the appropriate government regulatory authority.
Because herbal medicine is still regarded as being
old-fashioned it is wrongly assumed that no advances have been made. However, in the same way
that modern medicine has progressed over the years, herbal medicines too have been the subject
of much on-going research. More is known about how they work, methods of accurate testing have
been standardised and the quality and safety of modern herbal medicine is now greater than it
has ever been in its long and illustrious history. The licensing system for all medicines
ensures that the same standards of quality and safety are applied to herbal medicines as any
other medicine, with the important exception that herbal medicine manufacturers are not
required to undertake any animal testing procedures on their products and this is something
that is reassuring for the many people who are concerned about the animal testing methods used
to establish safety standards for modern drugs.
With the advent of the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia for
identification purposes and the strict quality and safety procedures used today herbal
medicines are more than ever appropriate for use alongside modern medicine and in the future
will be more widely available as a first choice for the treatment of a whole range of common
conditions.
Most clients nowadays appreciate the limitations but are
willing to use a gentler form of medicine if it is appropriate and available. The veterinary
practice is surely the place to regain the wealth of natural medicines which have been ignored
to general practice in the last fifty years. There may only be a small number of these licensed
herbal medicines but they have a relevant place and provide an additional method of treatment
for both the client and the professional alike.
Many more veterinary surgeons now refer animals with
chronic conditions for treatment with herbal medicines and although the results achieved are
often slower than with stronger drugs, they are effective, rarely cause adverse reactions or
show any recorded long term side-effects. Perhaps it is time that the veterinary profession
considered becoming more knowledgeable about botanic medicines and use them in practice where
appropriate ?
Herbal medicines are mainly used for chronic and non life
threatening conditions whereas many drugs are developed specifically to treat critical and/or
serious diseases. To make this direct comparison therefore is similar to trying to make a
comparison between surgery and physiotherapy - surgery would be essential for appendicitis for
example, whereas physiotherapy would be totally ineffective. It therefore depends on the
condition and the severity of it as to which form of medicine is appropriate to be used to
treat any given condition.
The subject of herbal medicine, particularly that used
for animals, is a very complex one and I do not know how much you already know about it, but
perhaps the following general information will be helpful to you.
There are no veterinary surgeons in the UK who use herbal
medicines exclusively, although many homeopathic veterinary surgeons also use herbal
treatments. Nowadays there are a growing number of the more orthodox veterinary practitioners
using herbal medicines in conjunction with other treatments. This seems the most acceptable and
sensible way for herbal medicine to be used - as another form of treatment to be used when
appropriate for the condition presented. Veterinary herbal medicines are licensed in the UK by
the VMD (Veterinary Medicines Directorate) which is a government agency associated with MAFF.
There are only 26 herbal veterinary medicines which are licensed in the UK, the remainder of
'herbal' products being sold as food supplements and not to treat medical conditions.
We manufacture and supply a veterinary herbal medicine
which contains both Damiana and Kola and we can therefore give you the following answers to
your questions regarding this particular medicine.
- The species of the two herbs used are: Damiana [dried
leaves and stems] (Turnera diffusa), Kola [dried cotyledons] (Cola nitida or Cola acuminata).
- The indications for this medicine are - "A traditional
herbal remedy for the symptomatic relief of problems associated with lack of alertness and
stamina in dogs and cats. An aid to vitality for stud males and also racing and working
dogs."
- It is not common practice to assess one medicine's
efficacy by comparison to another so we are unable to answer this question. Clinical trials
are not required to be carried out on herbal medicines as the efficacy of the product in
proved by traditional use supported by bibliographic evidence.
- The most common advantage of herbal medicine over
conventional medicines is the very low (usually neglible) incidence of adverse reactions
(side-effects). However, they also generally have a slower or less dramatic effect than drug
based therapies.
- There is no such thing as an 'animal herbalist'. Only
veterinary surgeons may treat animals that are not their own. Many veterinary surgeons use
herbal medicines in conjunction with, or as an alternative to, orthodox treatments. However,
most herbal medicines are sold to individual animal owners as 'over the counter' (OTC)
medicines.
by Mary Boughton of Dorwest Herbs
Member of NOAH’s Companion Animal Sub-group
and the British Herbal Medicine Association's Veterinary
Committee
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