Can Herbs and Other Natural Remedies Actually Cure?

The word “cure” has become the special property of the western medical-pharmaceutical industrial complex.

As a result, everyone who writes on these topics must post a disclaimer that says something to this effect (and the following is mine, by the way):

Nothing on this website is intended to claim to treat, diagnose, prevent or cure any disease or medical condition. Everything herein is offered for educational purposes only. Always consult your trusted healthcare professional about any medical conditions and before taking any herbs or other natural remedies. Also be sure to see Herb-Drug Interactions for some online resources that can help you avoid drug-herb interactions if you take pharmaceutical medications.

So even though the website is titled “Herbal-Cures,” that’s not really what is meant — for two reasons. The first, the legal reason, is explained above.

The second, the larger truth is this:  Herbs don’t cure anything. That’s right.

You see, your body knows how to heal itself — it just needs a little help at times in the form of  having (a) pathogens and other disruptive components or factors  eliminated or at least diminished, ( b) detoxification (usually) to eliminate that added burden or drag on the body’s ability to heal,  and (c) the raw materials your body needs to rebuild that health, in the form of nutritional support (proper diet and/or nutritional supplements) and/or herbs and perhaps other natural healing ingredients.
And herbs and other alternative healing substances can provide absolutely awesome support for the body — so awesome that they sure do seem like full-out cures.

Since it’s entirely IMpossible to get what nutrients we need from our food any more, all of us need nutritional supplements routinely, and all the more so if we’re experiencing health challenges. In that case we likely need therapeutic doses (i.e., doses a little or a lot higher than maintenance levels).

Assuming a successful-enough combination of inputs and successful-enough removal of barriers to health, the body will set about doing what it best knows how to do: restore the highest level of health possible, given whatever the existing parameters are.

The longer I study and use herbs and other natural healing substances, the more I become aware of how we individually and as a nation  undermine our own health, the more I see of “miracle ‘cures’ ” as a result of dietary and so-called “alternative” healthcare (especially herbs!), the more utterly and totally awed I am by the body’s design, and its incredible, innate ability to achieve health.

Most of our degenerative diseases — including some which contemporary western medicine fervently believes there is no cure for — are a direct result of  S.A.D. — the Standard American Diet. Miraculously, our incredible bodies can hold out for as long as 3, 4 and sometimes even the better part of 5 decades before succumbing, but it eventually becomes inevitable. The S.A.D. is, in fact, massive though slow-motion malnutrition with active added harm thrown in for good measure (e.g., sugar, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, dyes and other chemicals, etc.).

I really have to add one more thing:

IMPORTANT:

If you are taking any prescription medications, be aware that just as the otherwise utterly benign grapefruit can interfere with a number of drugs, some herbs can interact with drugs as well. If you are taking ANY pharmaceutical drugs, please check my drug-herb interactions page before taking any herbs.

ALSO IMPORTANT: If you are pregnant, wanting to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, it’s crucially important that you doublecheck that the herbs you are taking or plan to take are suitable for you. The vast majority of herbs will be just fine. But some herbs are not good for the fetus or breastfeeding infant, or can stimulate early labor, etc.