ACNE

A common misconception about the use of 'natural' products / herbs in general, is that 'natural' equals safe. A lot of herbal and plant products contain toxic substances that can be quite harmful for people and pets.

Herbs can also have undesirable side-effects just as pharmaceutical medications as they do contain potent substances. These problems are exacerbated by lack of control over dosage and purity, especially when taken without proper medical or naturopathic advisement or when the herbs are not standardized.

Furthermore, if given in conjunction with drugs, there is danger of 'summation', where the herb and the drug have similar actions and add together to make an 'overdose'.

This is where your naturopath would be most helpful as they would not only have the knowledge of the right herbs and doses to use, but they would also be aware of contraindications of the herbs chosen, with other medicines and the best times to take them.

Naturopathic doctors generally prescribe specific single herbs or combinations of herbs to be taken in the forms described above along with other natural modalities if need be.*

Most naturopaths use parts of plants, such as the roots or leaves but do not isolate particular phytochemicals as the synergy of the combined substances enhances the efficacy of the phytochemicals and dilutes the toxicity if there is any, for example – Vitamin C from a freshly cut orange is more complete and balanced for the body than the Vitamin C supplement purchased off the shelf, which is generally an isolated compound in a pill form.

Our Toronto Naturopath, Dr. Sushma Shah, firmly believes that supplementation should be through nutrition, and supplementation only when vitamin intake through nutrition is not sufficient, based on the client’s assessment.

Plant-based pharmaceuticals which are synthesized in laboratories generally comprise of single isolated compounds or ingredients allowing the dosage of the compound to be more easily quantified and manipulated.

HERBAL INTERACTIONS WITH PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS

If you are using any herbal medicines, please make sure you let your physician aware of what you are using and the dosages. Some herbal remedies have the potential to cause adverse drug interactions when used in combination with various prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals.

For example, dangerously low blood pressure may result from the combination of an herbal remedy that lowers blood pressure together with prescription medicine that has the same effect. In particular, most herbs should be avoided during pregnancy unless stated otherwise.

Please ask your doctor or naturopath before starting on any vitamins or herbal supplements. It is better to first identify the root cause of your symptoms and then treat the root with the right remedies and guidance, even though they may have minimal side effects. If you are interested to start taking some herbs, and not sure where to start, start with a naturopathic consultation with our Toronto Naturopath, Dr. Sushma Shah for the right approach and guidance.

* DISCLAIMER: The information on this page is the property of Dr. Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, and is not intended to treat, diagnose or cure any diseases or promote any services or products mentioned on the website.

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