What happens when we stop isolating single compounds and start listening to the plant as a whole?
When I was in medical school, pharmacology fascinated me. We were taught how a single isolated compound can be introduced into the body and set off a cascade of events that eventually leads to a very specific action, lowering blood pressure, calming inflammation, stopping pain. At first I was amazed by this precision, and I still am. I am a believer in, and a supporter of, science and the incredible advances of modern medicine.
When you zoom out and look at the bigger picture, though, that sense of awe becomes more complicated. The cascade triggered by a drug doesn’t just move in one direction. It achieves the intended action while also setting off other cascades in other pathways, creating side effects and sometimes introducing entirely new health challenges.
I want to be clear that I am not anti-medication. As an herbalist with a background in medicine, I would never tell anyone to stop ta…
