Therapeutic Herbology

Please read my disclaimer before proceeding!

The health of the Earth and the health of our bodies are aligned – if Earth is sick, we cannot be entirely healthy.  Pollution in many forms occurs alone, upon, and within our planet and in every person’s body.  Staying Healthy with Nutrition, Elson M. Haas, M.D.

In order to understand the effects of environmental pollution and its effects on the physical body, one only needs to look at the effect environmental pollution has on Mother Earth.  As the rain forests are being diminished, so is the quality of the air we take into our physical body.  The rain forests that are being diminished are the lungs of the Earth and we as physical beings are experiencing more lung- related diseases as a result.  We spray our food supplies with chemical toxins to kill the bugs and as we ingest these chemical toxins, we upset and destroy our own natural defense and physical filtration systems via the liver and kidneys.  Cancer has become a major concern for everyone, and yet we ignore the root cause of this disease and many others. 

The chemicals from prescription antibiotics pass through the body and ends up in the liver.  As more of these chemicals and toxins enter the body, the liver is unable to eliminate them as quickly; and therefore, the other organs of the body become “at risk” to disease.

One of the greatest benefits a person can do to detoxify the physical body is to set up a regular detoxification program and to monitor the intake of chemically “enhanced” foods, beverages and antibiotics.   More and more people in today’s hectic society rely on fast food restaurants, which are high in fats, red meat and refined-flour.  This type of diet should be replaced with a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season and fats that come from vegetables and grains.  A change in one’s diet alone will decrease the amount of toxins stored in the body through the natural eliminative properties of these fibrous foods.

The first step in any detoxification program is the use of eliminative herbs that act as laxatives, diuretics, diaphoretics and blood purifiers.

The following herbal formula is recommended as a detoxification program.

The herbs are listed in the order from primary to secondary.   There are no known contraindications with the exception of Licorice root, which should not be given to people who tend to retain water in their bodily tissues.

Although Licorice root has received bad press, used properly and in combination with other herbs, the effectiveness of the herbs is enhanced.

Dandelion root – 3 parts

Dandelion root is an alterative, cholagogue, diuretic, stomachic, aperient and tonic.  It is used for liver problems, urinary tract infections, skin eruptions, stomach pains, breat cancer, and as a beverage.

Dandelion acts primarily by purifying the blood, i.e., by straining and filtering toxins and waste from the bloodstream.

It improves kidney functions, especially the ability to cleanse the blood and reabsorb nutrients, stimulates bile production and helps the body get rid of excess water produced by the diseased liver.  Dandelion causes contraction of the gallbladder thereby promoting the flow of bile.

Dandelion cools (detoxifies) the liver and decongests the gallbladder by increasing bile flow.  It is an effective diuretic and a source of potassium, which avoids the potassium depletion common in the use of other diuretics.

Dandelion has the capacity to clear obstructions and stimulate and aid the liver to eliminate toxins from the blood.  In this way dandelion root is particularly used as a blood-purifying herb.

Echinacea – 3 parts

Echinacea is an immune stimulant, assisting the body in resisting infection more efficiently; it is anti-mocrobial and increases cellular resistance to virus and activates the macrophages that destroy both cancerous cells and pathogens.  It is also anti-catarrhal and alterative.

Echinacea increases the ability of white blood cells to fight, destroy and eat toxic organisms that invade the body, increases and stabilizes the red blood cell count and stimulates the elimination of waste products.

Sarsaparilla – 2 parts

Sarsaparilla is an alterative, heat clearing, anti-inflammatory, anti-pruritic, diaphoretic and tonic.  Sarsaparilla actually attacks microbial substances in the blood stream, neutralizing them.  It is a strong diuretic and thereby contributes to the blending by stimulating the excretion of wastes such as uric acid and excess chloride.  To a lesser degree the plant is a diaphoretic – by promoting sweating still more toxins are removed from the lymph and circulatory systems.

Licorice root – 2 parts

Licorice root is a nutritive, digestive, nervine and tonic that acts in an extremely complex manner to adjust the concentrations of vital blood salts, thereby stimulating and sustaining proper adrenal function.  It protects the blood supply and enhances its purity by protecting the body’s blood detoxification plant – the liver – from serious diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis.

The following herbs are indicated in this formula to enhance and build the body’s immune system by boosting nutrients and trace minerals.

Yellow Dock – 2 parts

Yellow dock is a cholagogue, alterative, mild laxative and blood tonic.  It is used for anemia, skin diseases and liver congestion.  Yellow dock is used for symptoms of iron deficiency in the blood and can also be used for most inflammatory liver and gallbladder disorders.

Its combination of liver-cleansing properties and laxative effect seems to assist the body in dealing with the metabolic wastes often associated with a low-fiber, high-fat, meat diet.  And, it helps remove metabolic waste from the blood.   Yellow dock also has antibacterial properties.

Kelp – 2 parts

Kelp is an algae that is a rich source of natural vitamins and minerals, including essential trace minerals. Kelp is a general nutritive tonic to the blood, supplying essential vitamins and mineral salts.  Kelp is an important addition to any cleansing program since it can bind radioactive strontium, barium, cadmium and zinc, some of our most dangerous pollutants in the gastrointestinal tract, thus preventing their absorption into the body.  It has been postulated that kelp may activate the body’s immune system.

Red Clover – 1 part

Red Clover is an alterative, antispasmodic, expectorant and anti-tumor and affects the blood, liver, heart and lungs.  It is used for cancer and tumors, skin diseases, fevers, colds and coughs.  As an alternative, kelp helps restore health and vitality to the body by helping the body assimilate nutrients, eliminate waste, and restore proper function.