HOW HERBS WORK

Everyone, in a sense, is an herbalist. Whether you are conscious of actively practicing it or not. These acts can include adding herbs to a meal, making teas, drinking herbal brews during the cold season, drinking coffee, etc. The power of herbs and plants is already in our lives on a daily basis. To really become an herbalist, you become conscious to the every day uses and benefits of said plants and herbs. Add turmeric or black pepper to your meal is a great way of incorporating herbalism to your culinary practices.

Whether you, or someone you know, drinks coffee on a daily basis shows how one already uses herbalism to start their morning routine. The chemicals in the coffee bean is a stimulant that has an effect on your nervous system. It’s considered a psychoactive plant and is one of the most widely distributed and consumed products in the world.

Plants create phytochemicals that can come in two categories - primary metabolites and secondary metabolites. These chemicals in plants have a variety of purposes. Whether they are healing themselves from disease, or attracting pollinators, or protecting themselves from destructive insects. These chemicals are an important part of the plant.

Primary Metabolites

These chemicals are part of the plants ability to maintain their growth. It’s what includes their proteins, starches, and lipids.

Secondary Metabolites

These chemicals are what allows the plant to intervene with forces outside of itself. This includes attracting pollinators, fighting bacteria and viruses, and how it deals with plant eating animals. These secondary metabolites are the primary elements that humans use for herbalism. However, although some can be beneficial, others can be certain plants and herbs toxic.

Alkaloids

Some commonly known forms of secondary metabolites are alkaloids. Nicotine is an alkaloid that comes from the tobacco leaf, morphine is a synthesized alkaloid derived from the opium poppy, or caffeine from the coffee bean.

Alkaloids can also be found in plants to provide insecticidal qualities - their bitterness is a deterrent from species that may attack or consume the plant.

Terpenoids & Phenolics

Terpenoids include plants that have insect-repelling menthols and chemicals. These plants can include mint or lemon balm, which are used as deterrents for mosquitoes or spiders. Phenolic compounds include salicin which is used to protect itself against fungi. When we ingest a plant that contains salicin, our digestive tract then turns it into salicylic acid. This acid then provides us with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that ease aches and pains.