Seeing a herbalist is quite the norm for some, but a mystical black hole for others. Herbalist Simon Garrod explains the ins and outs.

So, why should I take herbs?
You can take herbs to promote healing during times of illness; if you’re going through a change process in your body; if there’s a discomfort; to help correct underlying imbalances and to try and bring the system back into balance. Herbal medicine is a tried and tested method of healthcare, it’s the oldest form of healthcare and has survived in many cultures. It still exists in China, India and a lot of South American countries. I see a lot of people who’ve come from the West Indies whose mothers or grandmothers gave them herbs when they were a child – they knew which bushes in the back garden to grab a handful of and stick in the teapot to cure a digestive problem.

Is taking herbs easy to do?
Yes. It’s a very small part of your day to have to take a dose of herbs with your breakfast. No radical restructuring is needed. A radical shake-up of your diet is going to be more time-consuming than taking your herbal medicine prescription. And if you have the desire to get better it’s usually very easy to find the motivation to take the herbs.

How do they work?
It’s a gradual process but you achieve results that are long-lasting. When you’re trying to achieve a permanent result it needs to be at a slow steady pace. We’re trying to deal with the underlying imbalances in the system, for example, the digestive system as a whole. At a constitutional level we’re trying to understand the person as a whole entity. You can get quick results with digestive discomfort, but other things take a bit more time. We only partially understand how herbs work. Independent scientific herbal research has not got too far. There are thousands and thousands of different chemicals in a plant, while there’s only one chemical in a drug. Also there are variable quantities of chemicals in a herb, so it’s hard to understand what components in the plant are doing the job, it’s probably the interplay of the whole spectrum of components. We know they work because for years they have worked, and because patients tell us they work, which is empirical knowledge as opposed to randomised, double-control scientific type knowledge. Some herbs have proven themselves scientifically as well – St John’s Wort, echinacea and gingko being prime examples. In Germany St John’s Wort is given as a matter of course to treat mild depression, instead of antidepressants.

What can herbs help with?
Herbs are good for skin conditions and digestive complaints. Living in London and working in the City can contribute to stress which can affect digestion. I often see people with Immune depletion, or an over-reactive immune system, which is when people suffer from allergies such as hay fever. With muscular-skeletal complaints I’ll work alongside a physiotherapist as well. I might recommend an oesteopathic treatment, or a Bowen treatment. I’ll work with the practitioner to balance out the two treatments together. This approach is good for arthritis, muscles aches and strains and repetitive strain injury – a common complaint for people who sit at their computers all day. We can treat respiratory and cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I also see a lot of people with PMS, menopause, depression and chronic fatigue.

Simon Garrod is available for consultations at the following locations:
Triyoga in Kingly Court just off Carnaby Street in Soho.
Call 0207 4833344 and check www.triyoga.co.uk

Wednesdays at Moving Arts Base on Liverpool Road, all day clinic.
Nearest tube Angel or Highbury & Islington. Email solanum@imap.cc for bookings.

Thursdays 11.30am - 7.00 pm at Culpeper on Fulham Road. Nearest tube Fulham Broadway or South Kensington and 14 bus.
Call 0207 352 5603 for information and bookings.

This information is reproduced at www.solanum.cc