How Herbs Work, And Why Sometimes They Don’t

We’ve all been there before. You’ve worked with an herb successfully many times and it has always worked for you. Then one day it doesn’t, or perhaps you’ve recommended an herb to someone to help them with what ever it is they’re needing help with at the time, and they report back saying it didn’t work for them. You sit there scratching your head questioning yourself and all of your herbal knowledge. You know that herb works, but why didn’t it work for them? So, you frantically start researching that herb in your herbal library and yep, you were right, it should have worked. But why didn’t it?

There can be many different reasons why that herb didn’t work for that person. Maybe the herb was old or of poor quality, or maybe that tincture wasn’t prepared right. Could it be the dosage was wrong? They could have needed more or maybe less. Perhaps they just needed a different herb. Maybe they weren’t taking it long enough. Maybe the moon wasn’t at the right place in the sky and the sun was in the wrong zodiac sign. Really though, all jokes aside, I hear all too often from people that herbs just don’t work. But I’m here to tell you that they do! And why sometimes they don’t.

Many people treat herbs as a substitute for medications. That they can just swap out their medications with good ol’ natural herbs and it should do the trick. They look in an herb book, find their ailment and see a long list of herbs that “treat” their condition. Then go to their local pharmacy or grocery store and find one of those magical herbs that were listed in their book. Bring it home and start taking it only to find that it doesn’t do what they expected it to. And that’s when they decide herbs just don’t work.

There is so much wrong with all of that. But to make things simple, herbs don’t work… in that way. Herbs do work by this thing herbalists call Herbal Energetics. Now before I lose you, we’re not talking about the woo-woo energy thing, although that has its place. I’m talking about real Energetics of a plant. Like how cayenne is very hot and fiery, and can increase blood flow, many people feel that instantly when it hits their tongue. Or how peppermint is very cooling and makes a wonderful drink in the summer to help cool and dispel heat from the body by opening the pores of the skin. Or that tightening astringent feeling on your tongue that is associated with tea steeping for far too long or a dry wine. These are all Herbal Energetics.

Herbal Energetics is a way of matching an herb to a person or what is referred to as their constitution, not an herb to a condition. Take ginger for instance, ginger is a well-known herb for treating nausea, but if that person’s constitution tends to be hot an dry and the Herbal Energetics of ginger is hot, pungent and drying. Do you think ginger would be a good fit for that person? When we look at herbs in this way, ginger probably wouldn’t help this person, it could actually make them worse. But peppermint, another wonderful herb for nausea, could. Peppermint, like described above, is a very cooling herb,

Another example of Herbal Energetics is when someone is experiencing a cough. Not all herbs are created equal when dealing with a cough. Is the person having a dry hacking spasmodic cough or a moist sporadic cough? These are both coughs but very different Energetics, and we would treat them with different herbs and possibly create an herbal formula depending on the type.

Getting Into The Energetics Of Herbs

Some things to consider when looking at Herbal Energetics is first looking at the qualities that each plant possesses as well as the characteristics, constitution, or symptoms someone is experiencing. You can then match these specific qualities to the actions that the herb has on the body. It is very important to fully understand and know the herbal actions when deciding what herb to work with.

The Tissue States:

The six tissue states go hand in hand with the Energetics of the plants and can also be matched with the herbal actions as specified above. There can be one or more tissue states present at a given time.

The six tissue states are:

The Constitution:

In Ayurveda the constitution (Prakruti) of a person is attributed to whether a person tends to be on the hot and wet side (Pitta), the cold and damp side (Kapha) or the cold and dry side (Vata). Our constitution is usually determined at birth but changes throughout life depending on environmental conditions, stress, illness etc. In Ayurvedic medicine these constitutions are categorized into what’s called a Dosha. There are three Doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These Doshas are then broken down into the Elements, and in Ayurveda the elements are Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Ether.

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Vata

Elements: Air and Ether

Vata rules the motion or movement within the body. This constitution is usually mentally quick, creative and spontaneous.

Someone who has Vata out of balance can suffer from anxiety, insecurity, gas, dehydration, mental confusion, and insomnia.

The seat of Vata is the Colon and many ailments within this area can be attributed to Vata

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Pitta

Elements: Fire and Water

Pitta rules digestion and the chemical reaction within the body. This constitution has a lot of energy, passion, and creative fire, usually has a strong metabolism and is quick tempered. Most Pitta dominant types are leaders.

When Pitta is out of balance there will be anger, frustration, jealousy, inflammation, excess urination and sweating, rashes, and heat within the body.

The seat of Pitta is the small intestine and many aliments within this area can be attributed to Pitta.

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Kapha

Elements: Water and Earth

Kapha rules the structure of the body. This constitution is strong, patient, and calm.

When out of balance Kapha types can be greedy, slow, obese, and easily fatigued.

The seat of Kapha is the chest and stomach and many aliments in these areas can be attributed to Kapha.

Any individual can be have one Dosha, two Doshas, or all three Doshas; Tridoshic, typically has all three Doshas equally balanced.

The Nine Tastes Of Herbs:

To get a deeper understand of the different tastes of herbs you can try a small piece of the herb either fresh or dried. Alternatively, you can make a small cup of tea with each of the herbs, both a strong cup of herbal tea and a weak cup of herbal tea to see the difference in taste and affect it has in the mouth.

You can see there are many different variables when it comes to deciding what herb(s) to match to a person. If you think about herbs in an Energetic way there can be much more success when treating someone. There is a greater and deeper understanding of the herbs and the person when approaching it in this way. Just remember when someone says “Herbs don’t work” you can confidently say “Herbs DO work!”.

There is so much more to learn about Herbal Energetics than what was shared here. The Four Humors of Western Medicine, The Five Phases of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Four Directions of Native American Medicine and Working within the Seasons of the year.

Further Reading:

I highly recommend if you’re interested in learning more about Herbal Energetics that you check out some of these wonderful herbalist and their very in depth books.

Energetic Herbalism by Kat Maier

Evolutionary Herbalism by Sajah Popham

The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism: Basic Doctrine, Energetics, and Classification by Matthew Wood

Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods and Remedies That Heal by Rosalee De La Foret

The Energetics of Western Herbs by Peter Holmes

Planetary Herbology by Michael Tierra

Check out some of our other posts to learn more!

• Herbal Energetics And The Way Herbs Really Work
• Create Your Own Herbal Apothecary
• Best Herb Books For Beginners
• Elderberry Syrup Double Decoction
• The Art of Making Herbal Tea