The use of herbal and nutritional medicines are key features in the Naturopathic toolkit. In Naturopathy, the objective is to treat the person, not the disease1. As such, a condition does not have a specific herbal or nutritional protocol. Rather, the Naturopath’s skill is in thorough case taking and developing a holistic understanding of their patient. Then, the Naturopath uses their knowledge, expertise and research skills to formulate a unique herbal and / or nutritional protocol for each individual patient.
Herbal Medicine
Herbs that are used in medicine contain an array of active constituents that have a known physiological effect on the body. The active constituents of the herbs are extracted and stabilised in powder, tablet, capsule or liquid form. These medicines are highly concentrated and often standardised.
Naturopaths love prescribing liquid herbs! Liquid herbs can be easily blended, thus allowing a Naturopath to create a custom blend of herbs to address the nuances of each individual’s presentation.
Not all herbal supplements are created equally! A qualified Naturopath has access to practitioner only extracts that are exceptionally potent and rigorously tested for safety and quality.
Herbal medicines can interact with pharmaceutical drugs2. Where appropriate, a Naturopath can select herbs that are safe to co-prescribe with your medications.
There are hundreds of herbal medicines in a Naturopathic dispensary. A skilled Naturopath utilises both traditional knowledge and scientific research to determine which herb(s) will be best for you.
Nutritional Medicine
Modern Naturopathic nutrition includes the use of a whole foods, therapeutic diets, high dose nutrients, modified nutrients (i.e. liposomes), nutraceuticals (amino acids, molecular compounds) and probiotic therapy3. Simply put, nutritional medicine can be classified as dietary or supplemental.
Dietary
Generally, the Naturopathic diet includes whole foods, with a focus on fresh and seasonal ingredients3. However, as with all elements of Naturopathic treatment, there is no ‘one size fits all’. Dietary advice is tailored to each individual’s history, background and genetics.
Supplemental
Nutrients may be prescribed to correct nutritional deficiencies, which are usually identified through laboratory testing. Nutrients may also be used therapeutically. This requires dosage at a therapeutic level that is often far higher than the recommended daily intake. Over the counter multi-vitamins generally don’t contain a sufficient dose to have a therapeutic effect.
Correct form is just as important as correct dosage. There is a difference between Magnesium citrate and Magnesium glycinate, for example. Citrate may be most useful in cases of muscular spasm, whereas glycinate is more likely to reduce nervous tension. Moreover, the form of the nutrient also determines its absorbability4.
There has been significant research into the use of nutraceuticals over the last decade. You may have heard of compounds like DIM, N-acetyl-cysteine, or PEA. The targeted use of such supplements is increasingly backed by scientific research5,6,7. Additionally, specific amino acids can be used to support the synthesis of certain neurotransmitters and hormones8, and pre- and probiotics can be used to support gut health, which in turn improves immunity and mental health9,10. The scope is truly endless.
Naturopaths use practitioner only, high quality nutrients and nutraceuticals to ensure that you receive the sufficient dose in correct form to match your individual needs. To ensure safety and efficacy, these supplements need to be prescribed by a qualified Naturopath.
Information overload complete…
Herbal and nutritional medicines are just part of the Naturopathic toolkit. A skilled Naturopath has a deep understanding of human physiology and pathophysiology, so as to use these amazing medicines effectively and efficiently.
I’d love to use my obsession with herbal and nutritional medicine to help you optimise your health or fast track your recovery. Book a consultation and let’s get started!
References
1. Broderick K. Naturopathic philosophy. In: Naturopathic Medicine; 2019.
2. Wills RBH, Bone K, Morgan M. Herbal products: active constituents, modes of action and quality control. Nutrition Research Reviews. 2000;13(1):47-77. doi:10.1079/095442200108729007
3. Hechtman L. Clinical Naturopathic Medicine. Elsevier; 2020.
4. O’Dwyer DD. Navigating the maze of dietary supplements quality and efficacy. Topics in Clinical Nutrition. 2020;35(4):309-319. doi:10.1097/TIN.0000000000000214
5. Thomson CA, Chow HHS, Wertheim BC, et al. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of diindolylmethane for breast cancer biomarker modulation in patients taking tamoxifen. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 2017;165(1):97-107. doi:10.1007/s10549-017-4292-7
6. Artukoglu BB, Beyer C, Zuloff-Shani A, Brener E, Bloch MH. Efficacy of palmitoylethanolamide for pain: A meta-analysis. Pain Physician. 2017;20(5):353-362. https://europepmc.org/article/med/28727699
7. Shi Z, Puyo CA. N-acetylcysteine to combat COVID-19: An evidence review. Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management. 2020;16:1047-1055. doi:10.2147/TCRM.S273700
8. Sutanto CN, Loh WW, Kim JE. The impact of tryptophan supplementation on sleep quality: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression. Nutr Rev. 2022;80(2):306-316. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuab027
9. Lehtoranta L, Latvala S, Lehtinen MJ. Role of probiotics in stimulating the immune system in viral respiratory tract infections: A narrative review. Nutrients. 2020;12(10):1-19. doi:10.3390/nu12103163
10. Johnson D, Thurairajasingam S, Letchumanan V, Chan KG, Lee LH. Exploring the role and potential of probiotics in the field of mental health: Major depressive disorder. Nutrients. 2021;13(5):1728. doi:10.3390/nu13051728
1 Comment on The Naturopathic Toolkit: Herbal and Nutritional Medicine
Comments are closed.