Why Traditional Medicine is stronger than Modern Herbalism and Naturopathy
By Adam Tate, 2012To the Lay person, Traditional Medicine, Modern Herbal Medicine and Naturopathy may all be very similar. However, there are fundamental differences that make Traditional Medicine more effective and more holistic than its modern counterparts.
1. Philosophy vs Pseudo-science
All traditional medicine is based upon ancient philosophy. This philosophy was formed based on the long observation of nature, and man within nature.
When we see a body has excess heat, a number of different medicines can be applied, as long as they are cool, and appropriated to the part of the body over-heated.
Modern Naturopathy and Herbalism is more based on scientific reasoning much of which is ‘pseudo-science’. The aim is to identify an inflammation, for example, then to apply a proven anti-inflammatory herb. This reasoning all too often resembles modern western medical thinking, which makes the application of herbs far less effective. In this scientific form of medicine, herbs cannot compete when compared with the effects of modern medicine.
‘Oh, but herbs are safer’ … yes, in general, they are. But without understanding the nature of a person, and of the medicine, conflict still ensues. For example, many people are treated for Stress or Insomnia using Valerian, but if the person is hot-natured, Valerian is likely to aggravated their condition. I have seen numerous people who said ‘Valerian worked great for 3 nights, but then it kept me awake’. This is due to the heating nature of Valerian in a Hot constitution. A naturopath has applied a medicine with no consideration for the bodies individual constitution.
So modern western anti-inflammatories will be more effective than herbal anti-inflammatory medicines, and the use of herbs may still aggravate a body, even if it is non-toxic.
I therefore believe herbs and natural medicine to be far more effective if used according to natural philosophy, as is practiced in Traditional Medicine. Having said that, it is essential for practitioners of Traditional Medicine to have an understanding of western medical sciences when practiced in a modern western society.
2. Body orientated rather than Disease orientated
Based on the above, Traditional Medicine is based purely on what the body tells us. So a diagnosis of Lung-Heat could be an acute Cough, or chronic Asthma or even Lung Cancer, and the same basic medicines could be used with benefit. In this case, Boyles Syrup (a compound of Plantain and Comfrey) which clears Lung Heat, could be applied (with other treatment) to each of these Lung-heat conditions.
In the modern understanding, a medicine such as Garlic can be recognised as a broad-spectrum anti-bacterial, but when applied to a Heat-type person, is liable to cause restlessness, insomnia, Headache and Dizziness, as noted in Traditional texts in several separate traditions.
3. Qi and Spirit
All Traditional Medicine systems have the concept of Qi, and in basically all systems, this is closely equated with ‘breath’. Pneuma, Prana, Mana, Qi, Bioenergy are all terms for the same basic concept: life-energy.
Likewise all Traditional Medicine systems and all religions believe in Spirit; that non-physical part of us that is associated with our mental function, and the seat of our emotions and individual character.
It goes without saying anything further that any comprehensive medical system would have to understand and treat these two concepts. Modern Natural Medicine and modern Western Medicine disregard these essential parts of the human being.
4. The concept of Cleansing
Cleansing in the ancient systems was an elaborate art. In Ayurveda, for example, a separate area of medical science known as Panchakarma deals with cleansing the body. Five distinct categories of cleansing are used: Oleation, Enemas, Vomiting, Purging and either Nasal Therapies or Bloodletting, depending on the text.
These are used in specific order and using a specific regimen depending on the constitution and disease being treated.
Specifically, Vomiting purges Phlegm humor, Purging purges both Bile humors, and Enemas settle Wind. But before any of these are applied, it is common for Oleation (oiling the body) to be applied. This is the application of oil to the skin, and often simultaneously taking oil internally. This softens the body, and lubricates the finest capillaries and enables various toxins to be carried to the eliminative organs to be cleansed. Once the body is ‘oiled’, purgatives, vomits or enemas are used, depending on the condition.
By comparison, modern approaches to ‘cleansing’ revolve around drinking copious amounts of water (often 2 liters of cold water daily), taking vitamins and anti-oxidant supplements, the intake of raw fruit and vegetables, and avoiding meat, alcohol, sugars fats etc.
This appears rational, but is incorrect from all traditional medicine systems. Excess intake of cold water depletes the kidneys which eventually weakens them, causing the body to hold on to fluid and toxins that should be eliminated by the Kidneys. Many overweight people in the west are simply holding on to excess fluid caused by drinking excess cold drinks for years, often under the guidance of Health Magazines or their well-paid but ignorant Naturopath.
Many of the worst toxins that accumulate in our body are fat soluble and will not be carried off by drinking water. Also, toxic residues which build up in the finest capillaries, tissues and organs will not be relieved by drinking water. However, oiling the body will slowly soften, lubricate and allow expulsion of toxic residues.
The use of vitamin supplements and anti-oxidants is also flawed. Having foods and medicines appropriated to the part of the body or condition is always better. That’s why it is common for grains, fruits, nuts and seeds to be used in various traditional compounds: because these medicines are supplying nutrition and other compounds which are effective to the intended purpose. Vitamins and highly refined extracts are dead: they contain no ‘Qi’ (see number 3 above). Hippocrates said ‘Let you Food be your Medicine and your Medicine be your Food’, not ‘Let you Medicine be Vitamin supplements and your Vitamin supplements be your Food!’.
Likewise the raw food myth. The stomach likes warm, cooked, fragrant and appealing foods. All traditional medicine systems agree on this point. The protection and stimulation of digestive Heat is of paramount importance in Traditional Medicine. But over the past century or so, the discovery of vitamins and the basic understandings of digestion, it was realised that cooking lessens certain vitamins and enzymes within our food. Hence the development of the idea of living on raw foods.
Traditional Medicine recogises the importance of digestion. That’s why virtually every culture in the world have embraced herbs and spices to enhance the digestibility of our food. So, for example, if food is cooked, we lose some of the nutrition, but the nutrition left is much more bioavailable, due to the use of condiments. That is also why Salt is so prized; because it enhances the digestion.
I have many times noticed very Hot or Yang-type individuals (usually men) who have gone vegetarian and eaten large amounts of raw foods, saying ‘how good they feel’. Such people will retain their natural heat and strong digestion until middle age, but them succumb to damp and cold diseases. I have seen these types who, perhaps in their 50’s, have developed severe rheumatism, quite rapidly, although looking fresh and healthy for their age. This is clearly because of the gradual decline of digestive heat, along with the accumulation of Dampness within the body. This may take decades, but it will happen.
The use of lightly cooked, seasoned food, with fresh herbs and spices is the best solution for the large majority of people.
5. The concept of Tonic
One of the clearest examples of a lack of understanding of nature of energetics of our body and our medicines is when we look at the concept of ‘Tonic’, tonic meaning a medicine given to increase health and well-being and strengthen the body.
Modern herbals refer to Dandelion as a Liver tonic. Dandelion is agreed in all Traditional Medicine systems to be cold and dry. The nature of our body is warm and moist, especially our Liver. So the concept of giving a medicine which is against the nature of our body as a tonic is misguided.
What the intention is here is that Dandelion is a tonic for ‘Liverish’ people; people with Heat or Heat and Dampness of the Liver.
But this typifies one of the biggest problems with modern western herbalism: most of the best tonic medicines are no longer used.
Traditional tonic medicines that are no longer commonly used in modern herbal medicine include Orchid (Satyrion), Asparagus root, Peony root, Saffron, the Myrobalans, Scorzonera, Tragacanth, Mastic, and Licorice juice among others. And fruits and nuts were often used in tonic formulas.
The most important classes of medicine in Chinese Medicine, the medicines upon which the majority of commonly used formulas contain, are the Tonic medicines; Qi, Blood, Yin and Yang Tonics. Likewise Ayurveda has their Rasayanas, medicines which increase the 7 Bodily Tissues including Essence. These medicines are most important in chronic and debilitating diseases, and in old age and rejuvenative formulas.
In all systems, but especially in TCM, some of the most highly prized and expensive medicines are tonic medicines, used both for food and medicine, and used to promote Health. Cordyceps, Deer horn, Ginseng, Ganoderma and various other of the tonic herbs can be very expensive, but are used for food and medicine to maintain health. Such medicines are no longer used in the West, either in western culture or modern western Herbal Medicine.
6. Animal and Mineral Medicines
All medicine traditions use medicines derived from the vegetable, animal and mineral kingdoms. As with modern western medicine, in traditional medicine about 10% of the materia medica used is derived from animal and mineral sources.
Certain animal substances are used by naturopaths and modern herbalists, including Liver extract, Green-lipped Muscle extract and animal derivatives such as glucosamine. However, a large number of very useful animal medicines are no longer used in modern western practice that are still used in other traditions, and some of these may be reintroduced. In particular, a large number of important medicines are derived from insects, and these are generally either widely available or easily farmed.
Traditional Medicine commonly uses horns, shells, various organs, bile, and a number of dried insects. Some of these are now available as refined extracts which makes their use and application easier and more acceptable to modern western society.
Of course, as has been stated elsewhere, it is not the policy of medicinetraditions to support animal cruelty or use of endangered animals. Medicines such as Bear Bile can and are substituted with Bile of other animals, even in Chinese and Tibetan Medicine (Tibetan Medicine uses Bear Bile in Traditional formula far more commonly than Chinese Medicine). Likewise Rhino horn is now substituted with extract of Water Buffalo horn, and synthetic Musk regularly substitutes the genuine product.
In the case of Minerals, their widest and safest application is in external preparations. However, various minerals and metals are used internally as well. Some typically used are toxic and may not be suitable for modern internal use; this includes Cinnabar, Lead and Arsenic.
Various Mineral Salts such as Saltpeter, Alum, and Borax still have some useful internal applications.
There are many ‘special’ preparations of minerals and especially metals. This includes the ‘Bhasmas’ (ashes) of various minerals and metals widely used in Indian and Tibetan Traditions. The Bhasma of Iron, for example, has been found to be far more bioavailable than modern Iron supplements. Some of the Metal and Mineral preparations prepared by Alchemists (the early chemists) certainly deserve modern investigation.
Under the class of Minerals is also included Gems. These have been used in all Traditions and some of the most revered medicines in Tibetan Medicine are the ‘Rin Chen’ or ‘Precious Jewel Pills’ of Tibetan Medicine which contain various gems. The most easily applicable gems are Pearl, Coral and Amber, primarily because of their softness. Hard gems may be chemically safe, but can be dangerous if not powdered very finely.
7. FormulaThe formula is the pinnacle of traditional medicine knowledge, the condensation of all the knowledge of physiology, pathology, medical theory and Materia Medica prepared into a single compound to effect an intended outcome.
All systems have compounds that have been used for centuries, in some cases, thousands of years. Traditional Medicine systems of India, Tibet, China and Unani all study from ancient medical texts and use ancient formula. Modern colleges of these systems still rely heavily on their traditional texts in their teachings.
All systems have famous Physicians and writings, often 1000–2000 or more years old, upon which treatment is still based. That is because certain Physicians were so experienced and knowledgeable that their formulas were known to be certain and effective. Mesue, for example, was said by Culpeper to be ‘the Physicians Evangelist’ because everything he wrote, and all his formulas were so certain and effective. For that reason, his formulas have been used continuously for over 1000 years. Likewise with other systems, certain sources have been long realised as being effective and reliable.
It is perhaps the greatest pity that there are basically no classical formula commonly used in modern western herbal medicine.
Western Herbalists should certainly study and use Traditional formulas, or formulas based on Traditional formulas, and tap into the vast, age-old tradition that is their own. Even if studying Traditional formulas is used as a foundation to write their own formulas, their formulas are undoubtably going to be more effective.
In summary
Before you start … of course, not all the above is true of all Naturopaths, Herbalists and Colleges teaching these disciplines. The point is, in general, in the past 100–150 years, we have lost the footings of our own Traditional Medicine system, while all other traditional medicine systems have actually been embracing and developing them for modern times.
It has been my experience when giving lectures at Colleges of Naturopathy and Herbalism that students come to me after and ask ‘where can I study that?’ … ‘are you teaching this? I will leave this college today if you are …’. Many people actually believe they are going to learn the traditional way of healing when they begin a Naturopathic or Herbalism degree, only to be disillusioned after starting and finding it’s really the modern way that constitutes ‘Natural Medicine’ in modern times.
Whatever your training and background, you can gain greatly from expanding your horizons. If you trained in TCM, as I did, so much can be gained by studying and comparing other traditional medical systems. In fact, I believe it is better to study Traditional Medicine in conjunction with Western Medical Sciences as is commonly done in China where TCM practitioners regularly study Western Medicine simultaneously.
Therefore, this website is offered as a tool, a source of inspiration, and a basis upon which information can be shared, collected together and used to increase clinical understanding and efficacy.