The Art and Science of Herbalism

Recently, there is growing interest in combining herbalism with daily wellness practices. As misinformation runs rampant, we need more herbalism spaces that can provide easy-to-understand, accessible, and accurate information about herbal practices, supplements and remedies.

So let’s start by defining herbalism. According to Merriam-Webster, herbalism, or herbal medicine, is the “the art or practice of using herbs and herbal preparations to maintain health and to prevent, alleviate, or cure disease'.’ Considering the legal restrictions on herbalism in this country (herbalism is a defined profession in other countries like England, Canada, and Ghana, but not here in the U.S.), let’s make this definition context specific and revise it to “the art or practice of using herbs and herbal preparations to maintain health and to possibly alleviate health concerns”. This means if you learned about plant preparations and make or grow them for yourself, your family, your community, or clients, then you’re an herbalist. Welcome to the club! But when I say “learn about plant preparations”, what exactly do I mean?

The Science of Herbalism

There is a lot of science involved with herbalism, whether you’re aware of the nitty gritty details or not. Because of science, we know how some plant constituents affect the body. Because of science, we know that water is the best way to access the minerals and vitamins in most plants, while alcohol is better when you want to extract resins from a plant. While we can visibly see the reaction between alkaloids and tannins in a jar (a cloudy substance at the bottom of the jar or bottle), science helps us describe the process that is happening when alkaloids and tannins bond in the presence of alcohol and precipitate out of the solution. Having a good foundation and understanding of biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and botany, go a long way with understanding how plants can work in the body. Familiarizing yourself with research methods, data interpretation, and things like where to find reliable and current scientific information also helps to make sure that you understand what you see when you look up scientific evidence to explain or back up the efficacy of herbal formulas and preparations.

The Art of Herbalism

To me, this comes into play when you consider “how” you practice herbalism. What do you feel drawn to? Are you drawn to the plants around you? Maybe you use plants for spiritual purposes and not just for physical health. Do you prefer to work with only a handful of plants? Are there 1-2 herbal preparations you swear by for most health or spiritual concerns? Do you prefer teas, tinctures, glycerites? Maybe you’re like me and want to eat as much of the herb as you can before considering an herbal preparation. These questions have several answers that all affect how you practice herbalism.

Another “how” relates to systems of herbal medicine. Do you feel called to diving into your ancestral and cultures practices? Is there a system of herbalism that maybe isn’t your own culture but you want to learn more about and incorporate into your practice? Many cultures, like China, India, Mexico, Africa, West Asia, and other Indigenous cultures, have traditional systems of plant medicine that have been around for thousands of years. Other cultures that are often an amalgamation of systems, such as Eclectic, African-American, and Caribbean, have their own blended systems of herbal medicine that are hundreds of years old.

Lastly, how do you get plants out to the people? Are you growing and selling herbs to increase community access to fresh plants? Are you seeing clients 1:1 to help them with their specific concerns? Do you research and write about plants? Or do you prefer to make or share information about herbal medicine for people in your community based on what you see as common concerns in your area?

The Art and Science

Traditional systems of knowledge are just as valid as scientific knowledge. In fact, there are many cases of science confirming the method and reasoning behind traditional herbalism practices, further validating traditional knowledge. For example, Caribbean people have been using leaves from the soursop (Annona muricata) plant, also known as graviola or guanabana, as an anti-parasitic and immune system support for generations. It’s common for people across Caribbean cultures to have memories of drinking soursop tea to “wash out” any parasites and strengthen the immune system before the school year started. And now, recentstudies have confirmed the anti-parasitic and antimicrobial properties of soursop.

Using myself as an example, my degrees in Biology and Public Health, plus certifications in Health and Wellness Coaching and Nutrition have primed me for understanding the scientific aspects of herbalism. My “style” of herbalism? I’m lucky to have lived in places that are warm enough for me to still have access to plants that are commonly used in Caribbean herbalism, so I’m able to be inspired by both Caribbean practices of my ancestors and bioregional (mostly or solely incorporating local plants into your herbalism practice) herbalism practices.I make tinctures for studying purposes and for other people but at the end of the day, I prefer to eat my herbs, make herbal teas, and use herbal infusions to make skincare products. I don’t often see clients 1:1; I prefer working in community so I call myself a community herbalist. For me, that means giving herbal preparations to family, friends, coworkers, and colleagues for free while working with herbalists in community to educate, deliver medicine, and serve community (volunteering with a local clinic, helping with a local garden, etc).

So next time you have a moment to yourself, ask yourself. What does practicing herbalism mean to you?

With Love,

Rebecca