Thank you, Alison. This genuinely means a lot. Holding both the science and the heart of plant medicine together is something I care deeply about, so hearing that it comes through in the writing is the best kind of feedback.
This article lands JUST RIGHT. I’m a clinical herbalist working in a primary care setting and combatting misinformation is my primary job. I appreciate your work so damn much and it’s fabulous to see level headed herbalists out here working for all of our reputations and better outcomes for folks looking to herbs for their health.
Oof I have been guilty of not digging in harder and just trusting papers like that 🫣😣 I don’t consider this friendly fire, I consider this a loving exhortation and education, which I and my clients will appreciate and gain from. I don’t recall any of my classes teaching me to pick these papers apart and my guess is that some of my instructors were guilty as well. We can (and must) do better. Subscribed (paid) 🌿
This post did indeed resonate with me. As a chemist and a gardener with a large herbal garden, I am constantly searching for information about the medicinal uses of herbs and occasionally running across studies such as you illustrated here and becoming very frustrated with the "loose science". If you don't mind, I have two students who are beginning studies (and gardens) that explore the connection between health and herbs. I would like to share your post with them. As they begin their scientific careers, your post will serve as a reminder that strong, well thought out and structured studies are key to good science that advances our knowledge.
Absolutely loved reading this! As a student Naturopath I spend a lot of time as part of my degree unpacking (and picking part) the research about the herbal medicines we use. You quickly discover how often research is cherry picked, not read in full, details left out, and bold claims used without clear accurate referencing. This is not evidence-based practice. Not every herbalist wants to practice from an evidence-based philosophy, I know many that love a more traditional/historical approach. However, if you want to quote the research, as you have said, it needs to say what you're saying it is!
Excellent analysis. It is so refreshing to read a herbalist who has strong scientific literacy and a passionate integrity about plant medicine.
Thank you, Alison. This genuinely means a lot. Holding both the science and the heart of plant medicine together is something I care deeply about, so hearing that it comes through in the writing is the best kind of feedback.
This article lands JUST RIGHT. I’m a clinical herbalist working in a primary care setting and combatting misinformation is my primary job. I appreciate your work so damn much and it’s fabulous to see level headed herbalists out here working for all of our reputations and better outcomes for folks looking to herbs for their health.
Thank you 🫶
Oof I have been guilty of not digging in harder and just trusting papers like that 🫣😣 I don’t consider this friendly fire, I consider this a loving exhortation and education, which I and my clients will appreciate and gain from. I don’t recall any of my classes teaching me to pick these papers apart and my guess is that some of my instructors were guilty as well. We can (and must) do better. Subscribed (paid) 🌿
This post did indeed resonate with me. As a chemist and a gardener with a large herbal garden, I am constantly searching for information about the medicinal uses of herbs and occasionally running across studies such as you illustrated here and becoming very frustrated with the "loose science". If you don't mind, I have two students who are beginning studies (and gardens) that explore the connection between health and herbs. I would like to share your post with them. As they begin their scientific careers, your post will serve as a reminder that strong, well thought out and structured studies are key to good science that advances our knowledge.
Absolutely loved reading this! As a student Naturopath I spend a lot of time as part of my degree unpacking (and picking part) the research about the herbal medicines we use. You quickly discover how often research is cherry picked, not read in full, details left out, and bold claims used without clear accurate referencing. This is not evidence-based practice. Not every herbalist wants to practice from an evidence-based philosophy, I know many that love a more traditional/historical approach. However, if you want to quote the research, as you have said, it needs to say what you're saying it is!
This is not an exceptional analysis, but also gives me a good framework for thinking more critically through studies I read.
Thank you for doing such a wonderful job of helping people understand how research works and how it should be published.
As an herbal student, I deeply appreciate that you wrote this! It gave me quite a bit to think about when reading herbal research. Thank you <3