Blog Roll Spotlight: Yuba Botanicals

Each month I highlight a blog post from one of the blogs on the Complete Herbal Blog Roll that I find particularly delightful. 


This month's Spotlight comes from a relatively new blogger. I recently found out about Holly's blog and although she only has a handful of posts I love every one of them. 


Her post on Juniper Smoked Hemlock Cheese is a shining example of modern wild food cuisine. What impresses me the most is her enthusiasm for hands on experimentation. She learns a new wild plant from a friend and then promptly begins using that plant in a creative way. 


This blog post isn't filled with "so and so says", but instead is a fresh and contemporary reflection of her personal experience using wild and local foods. I appreciate her ability to break from the mold which is something I hope to cultivate more in my own herbal meanderings. 


For the Blog Roll Spotlight I generally only highlight one post in a blog (which leaves me more posts to highlight in the future!), but you also have to see her recipe for Hair Mud as well. I am looking forward to trying that myself. 


I hope you all enjoy Yuba Botanicals as much as I do! 

Yellow Dock: A pesky weed as food, medicine and fairy furniture

Scientific Name: Rumex spp.

Family: Polygonacea or buckwheat family

Parts used: young leaves, seeds, roots

Plant Properties: cooling/drying, alterative, slight laxative, astringent, iron enhancer

Plant preparations: food, tincture, vinegar, molasses syrup, decoction

This pesky weed that is despised by so many offers us so many uses whether it be nutritious food, potent medicine, or even beauty in the way of a brilliant yellow dye or a unique flower arrangement. 

Many of you are probably already familiar with the Dock species even if you haven’t met on a first name basis. The flower stalks of this hearty weed turn to a brown rusty color that jump out against the landscape in the late summer and many stalks are still visible in spring. Its leaves are lance shaped growing out from the base of the flower stalk. Sometimes the leaves are curly at the edges, giving it its popular name “Curly Dock.” There are about 25 species of Dock in the North American continent – some have been imported from Europe.

In the early spring dock leaves are some of the first wild edibles to appear, sometimes even poking out of the snow. At this young stage these leaves and tender and delicious! Besides being high in iron the leaves also contain significant levels of calcium, potassium, beta carotene. They have a slight lemony twang to them, which indicates the presence of oxalic acid. (Which is also found in beets, spinach, and rhubarb leaves.) Because of the oxalic acid found in dock leaves it’s not recommended to eat large amounts of raw greens.

Leaves as food and Medicine

The young leaves are a wonderful spring green. You can eat small amounts raw in salads, or cook them in soups or quiche. Because the leaves contain oxalic acid it’s best not to overeat them raw, and avoid them completely if you have a history of oxalate kidney stones. The leaves are slightly sour when young, becoming increasingly so as they get older.

The cooling and astringent leaves can be used topically to reduce swelling from irritations. I’ve used them on cold sores with varying results as well as stinging nettle rashes with better results.

Yellow Dock Frittata

This breakfast can be made with any wild greens, but yellow dock gives it a nice lemony taste.

1 cup yellow dock leaves, steamed and well drained

6 eggs

2 Tbsp. Raw cream

salt and pepper to taste

1 medium potato

½ minced onion or leek

2 tbsp. butter

1 cup grated goat cheese

1 tsp. dried basil

1 T mustard

Peel and finely chop the potato. Sauté onion in butter until tender in a cast iron skillet. Add the potato and sauté for about 5 minutes. Whisk eggs, cream, basil, cheese, mustard, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Add the yellow dock greens.

Preheat the broiler in your over.

Add the egg mixture on top of the potatoes and onions. Cook on low heat on the stove top for about 10 minutes until the bottom of frittata is set, but top is still runny.

Put skillet under the broiler for about five minutes or until the top portion is nicely browned.

Seeds as food and decoration

During the spring and summer, long green flower stalks spring up from among the leaves. By June they are fully formed and by July or August they are abundant rust colored seeds. These are easily recognized in fields and growing alongside the roads. They seem to beckon me each year to harvest the bounty.

To harvest the seeds I cut down the seed stalks and place them in a paper bag. I then keep this bag on its side and leave it outside overnight. You’d be amazed at all the creatures that make their home in the yellow docks seeds. I encourage them to leave peaceably in this way.

The next day I pick through the seeds removing any debris and old leaves. These seeds can then be ground with a mortar and pestle or in food processor.

Why go to all this trouble you ask? Why dock seed crackers of course. My mentor Karen Sherwood taught me this recipe and years later it’s still a favorite in our house.

Photo by Sunny Savage

Dock Seed Crackers

Ingredients:

one cup of dock seed flour

one teaspoon of salt

and one cup flour of your choice. (My favorites are whole-wheat pastry flour and rye flour.)

1. Mix in enough water to make pliable, but not sticky dough.

2. On a well-floured surface, roll dough as thin as possible. Cut into desired shapes or transfer it whole to a well-oiled cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 10 -12 minutes at 350 or until crisp.

4. I love these hearty crackers with goat cheese.

The flower stalks also make a fabulous addition to flower arrangements. You can use them when they are green, or later when they are fully mature. I’ve seen them placed with other flowers or even as decoration on their own.

Roots as medicine, dye and fairy tables

As far as medicine goes, the root is the most commonly used portion of yellow dock. I harvest the roots in the late summer and early fall. They like to grow in hard rocky soil. (Or maybe we just have an abundance of hard rocky soil and it happens to grow there.) In either case I have found that a digging stick is oftentimes more helpful than a shovel in getting the roots up.

The root is a long taproot that has a brown outer covering. Underneath this brown sheath is a brilliant yellow that will knock your socks off. It’s no surprise that this was traditionally used as a dye. When you slice the root you will find growth rings similar to a tree. By counting the rings you’ll discover how old the plant is.

These brilliant yellow slices with beautiful rings rippling out make fabulous fairy furniture. You can create your own designs with a young friend. Although the color will fade as they dry, these slices can also be used as temporarily colorful earrings and necklaces.

Dock fairy table and chairs

Yellow dock root is bitter, astringent and cooling making it a great choice for clearing liver heat with signs of slow digestion that can include a lump or heavy feeling in the abdominals along with constipation. Generally described as an alterative, yellow dock (as are most alteratives) is indicated for clearing damp heat conditions.

Yellow dock root contains small amounts of anthraquinone glycosides, that are believed to stimulate the bowels as a laxative. Also being a bitter herb it helps to stimulate various digestive juices which in turn stimulates the peristaltic action of the bowels. Whether yellow dock acts directly on the bowels, or supports healthy digestion through its bitter properties, the result is a gentle effect to clear food stagnation and get those bowels moving.

It is also appropriate for damp heat signs in the blood that surface on the skin such as oozy, wet, red (hot), irritated rashes. I’ve read several accounts of it being used topically as a wash for ringworm.

It is commonly thought that yellow dock contains high amounts of iron and is frequently used for anemia especially anemia associated with pregnancy. There is a growing consensus however, that yellow dock does not actually contain large amounts of iron, but rather it helps the body to better utilize iron. When we view yellow dock in this fashion it makes sense to combine it with nettle leaf or to make a concoction of the root with an equal part of black strap molasses added.

Here's a video about making this type of preparation: 

Rich in minerals yellow dock infuses well in apple cider vinegar. This can be used as a base for salad dressings, or simply taken before meals to aid digestion. Additionally it can be taken to relieve food stagnation and constipation following a meal.

King's American Dispensatory lists the following specific indications for Rumex: 

Specific Indications and Uses.—Bad blood with chronic skin diseases; bubonic swellings; low deposits in glands and cellular tissues, and tendency to indolent ulcers; feeble recuperative power; irritative, dry laryngo-tracheal cough; stubborn, dry, summer cough; chronic sore throat, with glandular enlargements and hypersecretion; nervous dyspepsia, with epigastric fullness and pain extending through left half of chest; cough with dyspnoea and sense of praecordial fullness.

I love to love yellow dock. It is abundant, easy to harvest, and has such a rich history of use for practically every portion of the plant.


This post is part of the Wild Things Round Up. Visit this link for a lot of really scrumptious and creative recipes for dock! 

Attention Seattleites! Two class opportunities in April

This April I will be teaching two different courses at Dandelion Botanical Company in Seattle, WA. I hope to see some of you there!

Holistic Perspectives on the Immune System

Friday, April 20th from 6:30 - 8:30

Do you have frequent colds or the flu? Seasonal allergies? Autoimmunity concerns? In this class we’ll begin by learning basic anatomy and physiology of the immune system and then move on to learning how to address particular pathologies. We’ll cover a wide range of herbal materia medica and other holistic approaches. Class tuition includes extensive digital handouts. 

This class costs $30. You must register in advance by visiting this link. 

Professional Herbalist Certificate Course
April 21st and 22nd


I am honored and thrilled to announce that I will be teaching for Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa's school, the Integrative Education Institute in Seattle, WA. 


This is a multi-year program for those wanting to become clinical herbalists. The first year is divided into three modules and you can take each module in whatever order that is convenient for you. 


April 21st will start the beginning of module three and enrollment is open to everyone (even if you have not taken the earlier modules). 


You can learn more about the program here. 




If you are in the Seattle area and would like to be notified of future classes, please sign up on the newsletter form below. 


This list will only receive occasional emails about future classes. 

"Man the Fat Hunter" Paper Defines Paleo Diet As Meat-Based, Plant-Poor

I continue to read comments on my blog, and around the web, suggesting that anyone who believes that paleo diet is meat-based and low in carbohydrates is at least misinformed and at worst stupid.  Supposedly, by the time I had written Farewell To Paleo [which I have updated with references supporting my supposedly subjective evaluation of meat-based diets], some panel of experts had already decided that paleo diet is not necessarily meat-based, nor high in fat, nor low in carbohydrates, and I was well behind the learning curve.  Paleo 3.0 had arrived without my knowing it.

Or so some would like to think.

Perhaps unbeknownst to some people, "paleo diet" is short for "paleolithic diet,"  referring to the diet that humans evolved to eat during the so-called stone age.   The people who originally promoted paleolithic diet as a modern method for supporting health and preventing disease conceived of a modern paleo diet as an attempt to replicate the salient nutritional features of the diet that supported human evolution using foods from the food groups believed to constitute prehistoric paleolithic diets.

Anthropologists, biochemists, and biologists who study the evolution of humans and human nutrition and the recent diets of hunter-gatherers have produced the evidence for the model of paleolithic diet that informs Loren Cordain's works.  Among these people it seems there is a general agreement that prehistoric human diets were meat-based, high in animal protein and fat, and low in plants and carbohydrates.  There are dissenters who have attempted to argue against this notion, such as Richard Wrangham and Katherine Milton, and, in the medical community, perhaps David Jenkins, but these individuals are in the minority.  The majority adheres to some form of the Man The Hunter hypothesis, i.e. that increased carnivory separated the human line from our closest primate relatives; that increased meat-eating coupled with decreased plant-eating drove human evolution.

On February 21, 2012, after several people commenting on this blog had repeatedly tried to convince me that paleo diet is not necessarily meat-based, high in fat, or low in carbohydrates, Paul Jaminet posted the following message on the Facebook page for the Journal of Evolution and Health:

In case you have trouble reading it, it says:

"I'd like to welcome Miki Ben Dor to the journal effort. Miki was the lead author on the excellent recent paper "Man the Fat Hunter" http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3235142/" [Jaminet forgot to hyphenate Ben-Dor's name.]

Does this paper depart from the hypothesis that prehistoric paleo diet was meat-based and assert that humans evolved on random combinations of meat, vegetables, fruits and nuts, so that any combination thereof constitutes a paleo diet?

No.  Here is part of the abstract:

"We show that rather than a matter of preference, H. erectus in the Levant was dependent on both elephants and fat for his survival. The disappearance of elephants from the Levant some 400 kyr ago coincides with the appearance of a new and innovative local cultural complex – the Levantine Acheulo-Yabrudian and, as is evident from teeth recently found in the Acheulo-Yabrudian 400-200 kyr site of Qesem Cave, the replacement of H. erectus by a new hominin. We employ a bio-energetic model to present a hypothesis that the disappearance of the elephants, which created a need to hunt an increased number of smaller and faster animals while maintaining an adequate fat content in the diet, was the evolutionary drive behind the emergence of the lighter, more agile, and cognitively capable hominins."

They believe that H. erectus in the Levant was so dependent on dietary fat (and meat, particularly of elephants) for survival,  that the disappearance of the elephants drove them to hunt smaller animals, and this need to hunt smaller, faster, more agile animals coupled with a presumed physiological need for dietary animal fat provided a selective pressure that favored survival of a lighter, more agile, and smarter hominin, namely H. sapiens.

They expressly argue against the idea that human evolutionary diets could have been plant-based.  For example, they state that human ancestors needed to consume animal fat because they couldn't eat enough plants to meet nutrient requirements:

"The need to consume animal fat is the result of the physiological ceiling on the consumption of protein and plant foods."

Under the heading "The Obligatory Animal Fat Dietary Model" they use the standard argument for an animal fat-based based paleolithic diet using the expensive tissue hypothesis; they think our supposedly small gut coupled with our large brain provide evidence that meat-eating fueled human brain evolution:

"The more compact, the human gut is less efficient at extracting sufficient energy and nutrition from fibrous foods and considerably more dependent on higher-density, higher bio-available foods that require less energy for their digestion per unit of energy/nutrition released. It would therefore appear that it was the human carnivorousness rather than herbivorous nature that most probably energized the process of encephalization throughout most of human history."  [Emphasis added]

(Ben-Dor et al incorrectly state that encephalization took place during human history, when presumably it actually took place in prehistory, i.e. before written records.)

Under the heading "The physiological ceiling on plant food intake" they argue that plant foods could not have been a significant part of prehistoric diets for all the time-worn reasons given by previous paleo diet theorists:  takes too much time to gather plants, impossible to get adequate calories from raw plants, too many toxins and antinutrients in plants, no control of fire by H. erectus, lack of large cecum in human gut.  


You will find this passage in their paper:

"Similarly, modern hunter-gatherer (HG) groups, despite having access to fire and metal tools, also seem to have a strong preference for carnivorous foods over vegetal foods ([53]:682), a notion also supported by a recent study [75] that emphasizes limited consumption of carbohydrates by present day HG groups.

"Indeed, an analysis of nine HG groups for which detailed dietary information exists ([76]:166) shows that five groups, located in an area abundant in vegetation, consumed only a meager amount of plant foods (17% of calories on average)."[Emphasis added]

This paper also includes a line I think I might have read first in Paul Jaminet's book, The Perfect Health Diet:  "In fact, the natural diet of mammals is a high-fat diet." (Apparently they imagine that no mammal could break this supposed general rule, not even it it was peculiarly dependent on glucose to fuel its extraordinary brain.)

So, there you have it:  These archaeologists and anthropologists, like others before them, believe that humans probably evolved on (and presumably are presently adapted to) a diet consisting largely of meat and fat with "only a meager amount of plant foods" and "limited consumption of carbohydrates."  They apparently believe that because we are mammals, our natural diet is a high-fat diet.

Apparently Ben-Dor et al have not gotten the update on paleo diet from the blogosphere.  Anyone want to send them version 3.1?

Of course those internet experts know more about paleolithic diet than these anthropologists and archaeologists, right?

Just like Denise Minger, who admits having no formal training in statistics or medicine, knows more about statistics than Richard Peto, PhD, the Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology from Oxford University who was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London (for the introduction of meta-analyses) in 1989, and was knighted (for services to epidemiology and to cancer prevention) in 1999, and worked on the Cornell-Oxford-China Project, right?

The same way that Anthony Colpo, who has no medical training and has never published any peer-reviewed cardiovascular disease research,  knows more about atherosclerosis than WC Roberts, who has authored several books on cardiovascular disease, has spoken at more than 1,300 medical meetings, serves as editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Cardiology, and with colleagues published more than 1,150 peer-reviewed articles on cardiovascular disease in medical journals, right?

And Gary Taubes, a science writer with no experience in bench obesity or medical research, and no peer-reviewed publications in the field of obesity research, knows more about nutrition and obesity, than, say, George Bray, Ph.D., Boyd Professor and Chief of the Division of Clinical Obesity and Metabolism at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, who over his 40 year career has authored or coauthored more than 1,700 publications, ranging from peer-reviewed articles to reviews, books, book chapters and abstracts, primarily in the field of obesity research.

If you think I am falling for a fallacious argument from authority, you don't understand that fallacy.   As explained at FallacyFiles.org, an argument relying on authority is fallacious only if in the question under consideration, 1) no expertise is necessary or possible, 2) the cited authority is not a recognized expert in the field, 3) the authority is expert, but not disinterested, or 4) the authority is an expert, but his opinion varies markedly from the consensus of experts in his field.  Fallacy Files recommends this procedure for determining whether an argument from authority is fallacious or not:

To sum up these points in a positive manner, before relying upon expert opinion, go through the following checklist:

• Is this a matter which I can decide without appeal to expert opinion? If the answer is "yes", then do so. If "no", go to the next question:
• Is this a matter upon which expert opinion is available? If not, then your opinion will be as good as anyone else's. If so, proceed to the next question:
• Is the authority an expert on the matter? If not, then why listen? If so, go on:
• Is the authority biased towards one side? If so, the authority may be untrustworthy. At the very least, before accepting the authority's word seek a second, unbiased opinion. That is, go to the last question:
• Is the authority's opinion representative of expert opinion? If not, then find out what the expert consensus is and rely on that. If so, then you may rationally rely upon the authority's opinion.

If an argument to authority cannot pass these five tests, then it commits the fallacy of appeal to misleading authority.

If you apply these five tests to Denise Minger's authority on the Cornell-Oxford-China Project, or Anthony Colpo's authority on diet and cardiovascular disease, or Gary Taube's authority on diet and obesity (or diet-related diseases), you will see who commits the fallacious appeal to authority. 

Of course, the consensus could be wrong.  But, when 50 or more years of research has produced enough evidence in support of a particular hypothesis to produce a wide consensus in a field, such as the lipid hypothesis, then you need really extraordinary evidence to overturn that hypothesis.

I highly doubt that Ben-Dor et al are going to change their view of paleolithic diet because some bloggers have decided that "paleo" includes plant-based diets with only meager amounts of meat and fat.

Just to be clear, I am not in this post agreeing, nor disagreeing, with any of the hypotheses of the Ben-Dor et al paper, so far as they apply to defining paleolithic diet or explaining the emergence of H. sapiens from H. erectus.   Even if their hypothesis about how modern humans emerged is strongly supported by evidence I do not believe that it in any way establishes or strongly supports the idea that a meat-based, high-fat diet with a meager amount of plant foods and limited amount of carbohydrates best supports human health in a modern context.  The direct way to discover the effects of foods on health of modern people in modern nations is to study the effects of various foods on modern people in modern nations, not speculate about how H. sapiens emerged.

In fact, if you believe that Ben-Dor et al have shown that a fat-based carnivorous diet is the best to support human health, I suggest you first subject them to the five tests to see if they are qualified authorities.  I submit that anyone who asserts that a fat-based carnivorous diet is the best to support human health fails the last test, at least, and that anthropologists and archaeologists are not appropriately qualified authorities on diet, nutrition, or health care (test 3). 

A strong theory of evolution of human diet would be able to explain why vegetarian diets are associated with a lower risk of heart disease than omnivorous diets (as another of many possible examples see this), why vegetarians have a lower body mass index than omnivores, why an essentially vegan soy- and gluten-rich diet reduces cholesterol as effectively as a statin drug, and why eating red meat increases the risk of all cause mortality.  Instead of providing an explanation for these painstakingly established scientific findings, some supporters of the hypothesis that humans evolved as carnivores spend their time trying to explain them away because they don't fit their hypothesis. This is not science, it is anti-science.  A scientist molds his hypotheses to accommodate the facts, not the other way around.

By the way, I wonder if Ben-Dor et al have any idea what hunting elephants entails.  The video below shows primitive spear hunting, including hunting of elephants and hippos.  Knowing the high level of intelligence and sensitivity of elephants (and the other animals as well), I find it appalling.

Thankfully we have evolved and found other ways to sustain ourselves in good health. 

Lustig Proposes Regulating Sugar Like Alcohol

 Robert Lustig, M.D., thinks sugar is so dangerous, he wants to use guns to prevent certain people from eating it.  In an editorial in Nature, Lustig and colleagues have expressed their belief that sugar is as toxic as alcohol and argue for regulating sugar consumption by use laws, i.e. guns.

They suggest establishing taxes on sweetened fizzy drinks (soda), other sugar-sweetened beverages (for example, juice, sports drinks and chocolate milk) and sugared cereal, use zoning to control distribution of fast-food outlets and convenience stores, and establish what I will call a 'legal sugar age' at which you can purchase sweetened foods and beverages.  From the editorial:

"States could apply zoning ordinances to control the number of fast-food outlets and convenience stores in low-income communities, and especially around schools, while providing incentives for the establishment of grocery stores and farmer's markets. Another option would be to limit sales during school operation, or to designate an age limit (such as 17) for the purchase of drinks with added sugar, particularly soda. Indeed, parents in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, recently took this upon themselves by lining up outside convenience stores and blocking children from entering them after school. Why couldn't a public-health directive do the same?"

Imagine this:

When you go to purchase a soft drink, ice cream, doughnut, or candy bar, you have to produce an I.D..

Juvenile detention centers filled with kids convicted of  buying a soft drink before the age of 17.  (Like our jails filled with people convicted of buying hashish.)

Gangs creating a black market for candies and sodas around grade and secondary schools.  (A predictable effect of market suppression.)

When you want to serve sweets to 'minors' at a birthday party held in a public place (say, a park), you need to get a special license from city hall, and have government "monitors" (i.e. police) present.

How about a SWAT team invading your grandmother's kitchen while she and her friends make Christmas cookies, charging them with endangering minors?

Hold It Granny!  Put that sugar down slowly and hands up!

I probably would have considered this last proposition hyperbole 10 years ago, but since then an organic food buying club and a raw milk dairy have been raided by SWAT teams looking for raw milk products.  Raids on sugar warehouses and baking clubs might not be that far off.

Nothing would please these people more, I guess.

Apparently Lustig et al don't see the crucial difference between parents taking it upon themselves to influence their children's behavior through action based on love, and using laws, backed by the force of police and guns, to regulate everyone's behavior.

If you don't think anyone would create an armed sugar or food police, keep in mind the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF), which sets the precedent. 

I just loathe this fascist mentality.  I think eating too much sugar can cause harm, but it is definitely not as toxic as alcohol, and I will defend to the death the right of individuals to choose to eat as much as they want, and to feed it to their children.

Conspicuously missing from the reports I have seen of their recommendations is any mention of stopping subsidies of the agricultural enterprises that make cheap corn, cane, and beets available for sugar production.  Instead of cutting off support of production, they propose regulating the individual users of sugar.  This is a bit like swatting mosquitos one by one while rewarding the people who create the swamps in which they breed.

In 2010 corn subsidies amounted to more than $3.5 billion, and between 1995 and 2010 they amounted to about $81 billion. [Environmental Working Group]

U.S. cane sugar subsidies amount to about $2 billion annually, and cause economic and environmental damage as well as supporting sugar consumption.  "Large areas of the Florida Everglades have been converted to cane sugar production as a result of sugar protection. That has caused damage from the related land drainage, runoff of chemical fertilizers, and the destruction of natural habitat."  [Cato Institute]

The sugar beet producers received $242 million in subsidies between 2000 and 2005. [Environmental Working Group]

Sugar subsidies cause considerable economic havoc. [The Great Sugar Shaft at the Future of Freedom Foundation]

How about looking for the causes of imbalances, instead of focusing on regulating symptoms?  Here, imbalanced consumption of sugar is largely a result of imbalanced production of sugar, and this is due to subsidies.

Removal of subsidies for corn, cane, and beets would increase the cost of these raw materials, which would increase the cost of sugar, which would lead to a voluntary reduction in use.   It would lead to a reduction of farmland devoted to overproduction of these commodities, and thus a reduction of environmental damage caused by that overproduction.  It would reduce the cost of 'government' and make unnecessary any 'sugar police' or 'sugar czar.'  

Instead Lustig et al propose creating another level of police state, another bureaucracy, another pile of laws.

I would hope that no-one takes him seriously, but unfortunately, some politicians like nothing more than any proposal that gives them another reason to create another law and take more control of more territory, even if it reaches into your kitchen.

Your favorite food could be the next candidate for regulations.  First, they came for the raw milk, and I said nothing.  Then, they came for the sugar, and I said nothing.  Then, they came for the starch, and I said nothing.....

I just say "No!" to sugar regulation and sugar subsidies.

Everybody Hurts Sometimes: Relieving Pain with Herbs

The following article was originally published in the Plant Healer Magazine. This quarterly digital publication delivers some of the best contemporary herbalist content. 






Pain, The Great Motivator

The sensation of pain is a great motivator for people to seek help. Whether you practice herbalism for your friends and family or are a clinician, pain is one of the most common complaints we hear. 

Most of us were raised to take over-the-counter (OTC) medicine when we experienced pain. These pills are usually cheap, easy to acquire and take, and are often effective in the short term. The obvious problems associated with OTCs are habitual use due to recurring pain (since they never address the real problem), which gives rise to a myriad of undesirable side effects ranging from digestive problems to death¹. 

It is common in western culture to view pain as an inconvenience. Many people I see want a safe herbal equivalent to OTCs so they can get back to their normal lives. It often takes a lot of coaching on my part to change their ideas and approaches to pain. 

Sometimes this is entirely unsuccessful. I have had clients who don’t want to change how they eat or who don’t want to pay for multiple sessions in manual therapy.  Instead they just want something to take the pain away. I believe people are free to make their own health choices. If they don’t want to address the underlying problem for their pain but are seeking safer alternative to over the counter pharmaceuticals, I help them find this solution.

Many times people have sought me out because they want a more holistic approach to their pain and are open to more drastic changes in their lives. I often work on a two pronged approach, doing what I can to stop the pain now as well as working on the underlying issue.

Many people new to herbalism are simply looking for the safe herbal equivalent to Tylenol and they will have a difficult time finding it. This difficulty gives rise to the erroneous idea that herbs are not effective for pain. As far as I know there isn’t that one (legally available and safe) herb that will stop all pain. Instead, herbs are highly specific to the type of pain. Herbalists will be much more successful in treating pain if they can differentiate the type of pain and the cause of the pain. 

This article is going to examine how we look at pain using traditional humoral and energetic markers. Having been trained as a planetary herbalist with a basic understanding of humoral western herbalism, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, the following draws on my own hodgepodge understanding of all these traditions. I will strive to present it in a common language for general understanding.  

Before we can suggest herbs for pain we must know a lot more about the quality of the pain, the onset and severity of the pain, and the location of the pain. Please keep in mind there are a lot of different kinds of pain. Questions asked for chronic pain will differ significantly from questions regarding an acute injury. I trust the reader can draw these apart depending on the situation. 

Although I will highlight some of my favorite plants for pain, this article will be more about understanding the energetic qualities of pain, rather than a general review of the materia medica used for pain. However, I won’t stray too far into the philosophical mechanisms of pain and it is my hope that the reader will leave with practical applications for pain. 

Determining the quality of pain

For many laypeople pain is pain. 

For the traditional herbalist “pain” is a general word that needs to be explored more fully. To better understand the quality of pain we can look for insights into the thermal energetics (cold vs. hot), the humidity (damp vs. dry), whether the pain is from excess or deficiency, and whether there is an influence of spasms (wind) or of stagnancy. 

Cold vs Hot

Understanding whether the pain is influenced by hot or cold can be an important distinction in differentiating pain. Pain being influenced by cold or hot is not a woo-woo or ethereal concept. People with arthritic pain will tell you it’s worse in the winter when it’s cold. Or someone may know they tend to get pounding headaches in the heat of the summer.  Sometimes pain induced by an imbalance of temperature can be even more obvious, like pain from a sunburn, which typically feels hot.  

Aloe is a wonderful plant to sooth
the pain of sunburns, ulcers and herpes sores,
all are considered hot conditions. 

Here are some general questions one may ask to determine the temperature of the pain. 

Do you prefer cold/warm temperatures? Is your pain increased with coldness/warmth? Is pain ameliorated with cold/warmth? Do you notice more discomfort in the winter/summer? Palpating the specific area of pain, does it feel cold? Does it feel warm? If pain is systemic, does the person tend to feel cold or warm?

Of course answers are seldom black and white. The person may feel cold in their extremities, while the area of pain is hot or vice versa. In general we want to address acute situations before more chronic or constitutional considerations. 

For pain associated with coldness. 

The person who has systemic pain associated with coldness generally has a pale complexion and may be cool to the touch. They may have a dislike or even fear of the cold. I often hear from these people that they have trouble sleeping at night because they are so cold. They typically are wearing more clothes than anyone else in the room. Their tongue may be pale in color. If they have a coating on the tongue it will tend to be white. Their pulse may be slow. Pain associated with coldness tends to be chronic like arthritis or pain from fibromyalgia. The pain may be be dull or achy and constant. 

Plan of action

Generally these people can benefit from warming herbs. Warm teas, cooked whole foods with lots of spices and warm baths may all be helpful. Circulatory stimulants are commonly used for this type of pain and include ginger (Zingiber officinale), turmeric (Curcuma longa), cayenne (Capsicum spp.), bee balm (Monarda spp.). 

For Pain associated with heat

Signs of constitutional or systemic heat may include a completely red face, loud voice, fast pulse, red tongue with possible yellow coating. They may thrive in cooler temperatures and complain of wilting in higher temperatures. Other heat signs in the body may include ulcers on the lips, mouth, stomach or intestines. 

St. John's Wort eases nerve pain and pain caused by herpes lesions. 

Pain associated with heat might be radiating, throbbing, hot to the touch, and intense. Acute injuries often have some element of heat to them. Sprains or burns will often be warm to the touch. 

Plan of action

For systemic pain, bitter and heat-clearing herbs may be of benefit here. Herbs containing salicylic acid such as willow (Salix spp.) and meadowsweet (Fillipendula ulmaria) fall into this category nicely. Nerve pain often falls into this category and herbs like St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perfoliatum) and Cow Parsnip (Heracleum spp.) can be of great benefit. 

Pain associated with heat often has some element of inflammation present. We have amazing anti-inflammatory herbs such as turmeric (Curcuma longa), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), St John’s Wort (Hypericum perfoliatum), licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), and on and on and on. Usually diet and lifestyle will need to be reviewed as well.

Acute injuries (sprain, strains, bruises) benefit from the topical application of herbs such as liniments, poultices, fomentations etc. Hydrotherapy, which has a long history of traditional use, and herbal baths/soaks can be of great benefit as well. Blood-moving herbs can both relieve pain and reduce swelling. I often reach for a blend of arnica-infused oil and arnica liniment for acute pain in closed skin traumas. 

Arnica cordifolia

For visibly hot traumas like burns, cooling herbs work exceptionally well. Even someone who couldn’t identify a dandelion correctly can tell you that aloe relieves the pain of burns. I also use aloe for herpes sores as it can stop a blister from forming, can relieve the pain and help to heal the blister. 

Ice is often recommended in western science for acute injury. Ice is topically anesthetic and will temporarily numb pain. It constricts the tissue, slows circulation to the site of the injury and may lessen swelling. 

Traditional Chinese Medicine historically does not recommend ice.  I also do not recommend ice even in acute injury. Ice congeals the blood and creates stagnation. A recent study demonstrated that icing an injury stopped the growth hormone, which is essential to healing². 

Discussing the topic of icing an injury among modern day herbalists raises a lot of controversy from all sides of the issue. The best we can do is research the issue from different perspectives and then rely on our own experience from personal application.


Dampness

Pain associated with dampness is pain increased with humidity (humid environments, rain) and a feeling of heaviness, especially in the lower limbs. Dampness can often be a component of arthritic pain. The area affected may feel damp and appear swollen. Pushing on the tissues may leave an indentation for an extended period of time. 

Plan of action

Dampness usually presents with a hot or cold component that also needs to be addressed for the individual. Dampness can accumulate through environmental factors, such as living in a damp environment, or as a result of cold digestion. Herbs that drain dampness (diuretics) or transform dampness. Dietary intake can also be an important part of controlling dampness. 

Dampness may be involving the lymphatic system and in these cases herbs that move the lymph are helpful. Sweating therapies can also be of great benefit. 

Dryness

Dryness can also manifest with arthritic pain or joint pain. Joints may crack and have a sensation of friction. The person will also most likely have other signs of dryness such as dry hair, dry skin or dry mucosal membranes. 

Plan of action

Demulcent herbs or yin tonics and an increased intake of healthy fats and essential fatty acids are indicated. 

Excess

Chronic excessive pain will most likely be paired with someone who tends toward an excessive constitution. The pain may be increased after eating and be aggravated by pressure or touch. Eliminating herbs such as those found under the alterative classification can be helpful in treating constitutionally. 

Acute injuries such as sprains will fall under this category as well. 

Cottonwood buds can be made into a liniment or salve and are great for
painful bruises, sprains and strains. 

Deficiency 

Pain associated with deficiency may be dull, chronic, relieved by pressure, better after eating and accompanied with fatigue. These people can use building and tonifying therapies such as adaptogens, wholesome foods, blood builders etc. 

Wind

Pain associated with wind is pain caused by spasming or constricted tissues. Pain that moves around may be due to wind. 

Plan of action

Herbs excel at relieving pain associated with constriction and spasming whether it is muscle spasms in the back or neck, menstrual cramping, or even pain associated with the passing of kidney stones. From a modern perspective we know that many people are deficient in magnesium and symptoms of this include muscle spasms. 

Valerian - wonderful for spasmodic or "wind" pain.

Applying heat and herbs topically and taking antispasmodic herbs internally can work wonders on relieving pain. When indicated magnesium supplements can help relieve pain and the underlying cause of the pain. Antispasmodic herbs I use frequently include valerian (Valeriana officinalis), lobelia (Lobelia inflata) and cramp bark (Viburnum opulus.) 

Stagnancy

Stagnant pain is usually fixed and throbbing. The person can point with their finger to the exact location that is a problem. The area may feel hot or cold. 

Plan of action

Move the stagnancy with a category of herbs called blood movers in Traditional Chinese Medicine and that often fall under the category of emmenagogues in western herbalism. Stagnancy is usually accompanied by a deficiency or an excess as well as a thermal imbalance and all need to be addressed as well. 

Onset of Pain

Knowing the onset of pain can help determine the underlying cause. It can also help the practitioner understand the severity of the situation. 

One of the most powerful gifts we can give our clients is the gift of awareness. Helping a person to be conscious of their body, knowing how the pain starts to manifest, what triggers it and what makes it better can go a long way in empowering them to get out of pain.

Red flags for pain include sudden pain down the left arm accompanied with nausea (possible heart involvement), sudden vomiting followed by pain (possible appendix troubles), severe lower back pain that is constant and accompanied by a fever (possible kidney infection), sudden pain accompanied by any other persistent symptoms such as vomiting, extreme fever, constant diarrhea, bladder dysfunction etc. All of these should be handled by someone with the appropriate experience, most likely a medical physician.

 Lobelia - relieves muscle tension and spasms. 

Severity of Pain

The subjective experience of pain is often measured on a 1-10 pain scale. Here’s how I like to break this down. 

1 - 3 pain scale: Pain is noticeable but the person is able to ignore it for the most part and perform regular functions of daily life. Not normally a big concern for them. 

4 - 7 pain scale: Pain encroaches on their ability to perform daily life activities. Oftentimes they need some sort of pain management in order to function or else they must limit offending activities. 

8 - 10 pain scale: Life is becoming intolerable. Pain inhibits their normal daily life activities. Bed rest or large doses of pain medications are necessary. 

This pain scale can fluctuate tremendously and apply to constant pain or intermittent pain. Pain may be worse in the morning, worse at night, worse with a specific activity, worse at a particular time of the month in a particular season and so on. 

Getting a subjective record of pain is important not only for understanding the current situation but also for recording improvement or digression. It’s very common for people to report “no change” in their pain, although they show significant improvement when asked to quantify their pain on a scale.  Being able to demonstrate this to a client will help them to be optimistic about their path to wellness and keep them on track. 

Location of Pain

The location of pain can give us an obvious understanding of whether we are dealing with a headache or an ulcer. Very helpful! 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine the location of pain can help point to the underlying problem. Studying acupuncture meridians can be a helpful field of study. Some herbs are specific for particular areas of pain and specific types of pain. Studying simples and herbalism through the eyes of an eclectic physician can also be a useful guide to relieving pain. 

Reality Check

These energetic considerations are presented in a black and white format for an introductory understanding. People seldom present with one manifestation and are more commonly seen with a multitude of influences. An herbal formula created specifically for a particular person is often the most powerful means to stopping pain. 

Instead of a dogmatic truth to follow, I offer the above guidelines as something to refer to as a general understanding when understanding a particular person’s pain. These basic guidelines may provide additional assistance when a pain protocol is not working. 

For example, if someone consistently relied on willow bark as a general pain reliever but found that it wasn’t working in a particular instance, a further look into to the energetics of the situation as well as the person,  will hopefully guide them towards greater success. 

I want to acknowledge that there are also low dose botanicals that can be used to relieve severe pain. The application of these potentially toxic plants are beyond the scope of this article. 

The Underlying Cause

When someone’s major complaint is pain I am ideally applying a two pronged approach. Of course I want to relieve their pain soon, but I also want to address the underlying cause of the pain. The reasons for pain are as varied as the people you’ll see so I will cover only a few reasons that I see regularly. 

Sometimes by addressing the pain energetically we can also address the underlying cause. For example, if a person is experiencing pain because they have excessive coldness then applying warming and nourishing/building therapies may relieve their pain as well as the cause of their pain. 

Insulin resistance is rampant in this society and is an inflammatory disease by nature. It can be a factor in a number of pain problems such as gout, kidney stones and even arthritis. 

Food intolerances can also lead to a variety of painful conditions including arthritis, debilitating bowel problems and headaches. 

Structural imbalances can play a large role in pain symptoms. Referring people to trusted specialists in this area can be very useful. This may include structural integration, yoga, pilates, network spinal analysis, feldenkrais etc. 

Stress and emotional challenges can play a huge role in pain and should never be overlooked.

Conclusion

Acute or chronic pain can be a vulnerable experience. The more we know about the pain the better we can help to both relieve a person’s current symptoms and prevent the pain from reoccurring. 

1. http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/v100/n8/full/ajg2005305a.html

2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8087777/Putting-ice-on-injuries-could-slow-healing.html