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Herbal medicine

Herbal medicine makes use of the medicinal properties of plants. The practice has been around for centuries and was once the only form of medicine available. Put simply herbal medicine is the art of using plants or plant parts to treat medical conditions. Some plants possess extremely potent constituents that when used correctly can help heal and treat sickness. But just because a medicine is plant based and natural doesn’t mean it’s completely safe. Some plants such as Foxglove can affect the rhythm of the heart and can cause death. Cascara Sagrada can affect the potassium balance of the body and increase blood pressure as can liquorice. That’s why it’s important to get your advice from a fully trained herbalist.

Our herbalist Sam is a fully qualified herbalist and has him master’s in pharmacy. Sam has a keen interest in natural medicine and has been practising in the field for the past 6 years. He was trained by Dennis Stewart who basically wrote the book on herbal medicine here in Australia and is one of the most respected herbalists in the country.

Herbs can be used to successfully treat many medical conditions and some of the success we have had over the years has been with treating depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety can be very debilitating conditions that can basically ruin lives, that’s why it’s so important that they are treated correctly. There’s a lot of evidence that shows that commonly prescribed anti-depressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor drugs like Lexapro and Lovan don’t do anything and can cause more harm than good. This is an area where herbs can help.

The herb St John’s Wort has been used for centuries to help lift the mood and treat depression, when mixed with other herbs such as Withania, Siberian Ginseng, passionflower etc we have a very safe and effective treatment for this condition that can be taken in a liquid form. It’s important you talk to a herbalist before starting any natural medicine, especially if you are already taking another medication.

Menopause is another condition where herbs can help a great deal. One of the more debilitating symptoms of menopause is hot flushes, which often occur at night making it impossible to get comfortable and get a good night’s sleep. Red Sage as a fluid extract is amazing at relieving hot flushes. When taken as a fluid extract, a simple dose of this herb can relieve hot flushes and make life a lot easier. Red Sage can be mixed with other herbs such as Vitex to help balance progesterone levels, Black Cohosh to balance out the estrogen or St Mary’s Thistle to increase the livers ability to conjugate and remove unwanted hormones from the body.

Some of the other conditions we have successfully treated with herbal medicine are: 

  • Eczema/psoriasis  
  • Insomnia
  • Gout
  • Fatty liver
  •  Sinusitis
  • Pain
  • Inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis 
  • Parasite infections
  • Candida