Archive for the ‘Herbs’ Category

Lyme & Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Connection

https://rawlsmd.com/health-articles/chronic-immune-dysfunction-lyme-disease?

Boiling Point: The Lyme + Fibromyalgia + Chronic Fatigue Connection

Boiling Point: The Lyme + Fibromyalgia + Chronic Fatigue Connection

by Dr. Bill Rawls
Updated 6/11/21

The misery of chronic illness is very real. But if you’re the one who’s suffering, you know that those around you typically can’t see it or understand it — not family, friends, or even medical providers.

They don’t know what it’s like:

…to push through oppressive fatigue day after day.
…to be tired beyond exhaustion but unable to sleep.
…to ache all over so badly that all you want to do is curl up in a ball inside a dark closet.
…to feel like you have the flu every day of your life but still have to go to work.
…to be isolated, both socially and professionally.
…to have bizarre symptoms that no one can put a finger on.
…to be told that all your lab tests are normal, even though something is obviously wrong.
…to become dependent on symptom-suppressing drugs prescribed by well-meaning doctors who didn’t know enough to know better.

I can relate better than most doctors because I’ve lived it. I am part of a growing epidemic of people suffering from chronic ailments that the modern medical system is at a loss to help.

An unexpected twist during my late 40s changed my life and career path forever. Unrelenting stress from a too-busy medical practice combined with an entanglement of unpredicted life stressors plunged me into chronic misery that took me 10 years to escape.

After countless hours sitting in doctors’ offices and a myriad of tests that provided no answers, my only available choices for diagnoses were fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) — neither being diagnoses that anyone really wants.

For one, they carry a stigma. Many Americans believe fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue are made-up excuses for getting out of work and other life obligations. This would help explain why people with fibromyalgia suffer for nearly a year on average before seeking treatment.

Close up of patient and doctor in doctor's office

What’s worse, both of these conditions are considered disorders and not true diseases. Why is that significant? Because a disease is considered treatable, whereas a disorder is a label given to a collection of symptoms for which there is no known cause or treatment.

Doctors prefer treating illnesses that are easy to define and have known solutions. If you have something that’s difficult to define and has no known treatment, they don’t want to mess with it. I admit, I know the feeling: I’ve been confronted with patients who have a long list of seemingly unrelated symptoms, and when no tests pointed to a specific diagnosis, it was frustrating.

Then, I became the patient — I could almost sense my doctors roll their eyes the minute I came through the door.

To be honest, I didn’t completely fit the strict criteria for either fibromyalgia or ME/CFS — I had more muscular pain than you’re supposed to have for chronic fatigue, but I also didn’t have all the specific trigger points of fibromyalgia. I now know that’s the norm. Studies have shown that greater than 70% of people given the label of fibromyalgia don’t fit the strict criteria for the diagnosis, and similar for ME/CFS.

Diagnosis Break Down

The concept of “diagnosis” is artificial by nature — it’s simply a way to categorize an illness to define a treatment plan. It works well for acute illnesses, such as a broken leg, acute appendicitis, heart attack, stroke, acute pneumonia, or kidney stones, where the cause is well defined, and interventions exist specifically to address it.

However, the concept of diagnosis is often less functional when applied to chronic illnesses. The signs and symptoms of many chronic illnesses overlap, and the underlying causes are not straightforward. All too often, patients are left endlessly searching for the “right” diagnosis or end up with a diagnosis like fibromyalgia or ME/CFS.

Unfortunately, for most chronic illnesses, medical therapies are designed to artificially block symptoms or the progression of the condition. Patients end up in a state of managed illness and never get well. This is true not only for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue but also for a range of other chronic illnesses, including autoimmune diseases, chronic Lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS.

Close up of unrecognizable scientist holding test tube with blood sample while working on research in laboratory, copy space

Dissatisfied with symptom management alone, I decided to aggressively pursue healing. Along the way, I discovered I was carrying the bacteria associated with Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi. At first, I was relieved. Finally, a “real” diagnosis! But after several rounds of antibiotics left me sicker than when I started, my presumptive diagnosis of Lyme disease generated more questions than answers. If I had Lyme, why didn’t antibiotics help?

The reason: Once the bacteria are buried deeply in tissues, testing is often inaccurate, and the bacteria are extremely resistant to antibiotic therapy. What’s more, there are many other bacteria that can cause Lyme disease-like symptoms, equally as resistant to antibiotics. And like me, many patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS often end up finding out they are carrying the bacteria associated with Lyme disease.

After antibiotics failed and otherwise getting nowhere with the medical system, I decided to take things into my own hands. Somehow I knew that I was destined to figure this thing out — and if I was successful, I could help others who were suffering like I was.

But first, I had to rethink the concept of chronic illness as I was taught in medical school. Instead of studying how to label and inhibit disease (mostly with drugs), I was searching for answers as to why chronic illness happens in the first place. Deep down, I felt that chronic Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, and ME/CFS were somehow related, and these and many other chronic illnesses shared common root causes.

It wasn’t an overnight revelation; it took years of intense research and deep introspection. My search began with an extensive review of human biochemistry, physiology, and pathology.

“Many patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia and ME/CFS often end up finding out they are carrying the bacteria associated with Lyme disease.”My conclusion?

Wellness boils down to one thing: the health of the cells of your body.

Healthy Cells Equal a Healthy Body

The human body is a complex collection of living cells. When all the cells in the body are healthy and working in unison, you feel well. Symptoms occur when cells are stressed. Sometimes the symptom points to the source of stress: for example, joint pain indicates that cells in the joints have been taxed or injured. Symptoms like fatigue, however, suggest that cells throughout the body are overburdened, and communications that unify cellular functions have been compromised.

Fortunately, cells can recover from being stressed; it’s what healing is all about. Cells can repair internal damage, and even when they’re injured beyond repair, other cells in the body can divide to make replacements (some cells do this better than others: skin cells have the highest potential in the body to regenerate and nerve cells have the lowest potential). That is, if the stress resolves or is relieved.

Chronic illness occurs when stress never resolves, and our cells don’t get a chance to recover from being overworked. There are many different chronic illnesses because different cells in the body can become chronically stressed in different ways.

The immune system plays an enormous role in the healing process. It’s responsible for removing old and abnormal cells, cleaning up cellular debris and dead microbes, clearing foreign substances from the bloodstream, and purging toxins from the body. During chronic illness, cellular turnover is increased to the point that the immune system becomes overtaxed. When the immune system can’t do its job, all cells in the body suffer.

It becomes a vicious cycle that increases cellular stress throughout the body and intensifies the process of chronic illness.

So, What Stresses Cells?

The factors that stress or threaten cells are intimately tied to the fact that we must interact with the surrounding environment to survive. The nutrients, water, and oxygen that cells need to thrive must come from outside the body. This mandatory interaction with the outside environment poses a variety of different risks to cells of the body.

All totaled, there are five categories of factors that can stress cells of the body and lead to chronic illness.

5 Cellular Stress Factors

#1 Unnatural diet: To function properly, cells require carbohydrates and fats to generate energy, amino acids to make proteins, and a wide spectrum of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, all of which must be extracted from food by the intestinal tract. Though humans can tolerate a wide variety of foods, if the right balance of nutrients isn’t present, then cells suffer. It’s not just deficiencies of nutrients that cause problems; the gross excess of carbohydrates and refined fats that have become signatures of the modern diet is extremely damaging to cells.

The type of food you eat also influences how well the digestive system works; the intestinal tract requires dietary fiber and a healthy balance of bacteria to function properly. Carb-loaded processed food causes overgrowth of bacteria, which compromises the intestine’s protective barrier. This allows foreign proteins and bacteria to leak across the gut-blood barrier, which sends the immune system into overdrive, causing fatigue, brain fog, flu-like symptoms, and other symptoms.

#2 Toxic environment: Though toxic substances have always been present in the earth’s atmosphere, our modern environment has become inundated with unnatural chemicals that are toxic to all lifeforms. Toxic substances in water, food, and air, or those that come in contact with skin, have the potential to disrupt biological processes of cells directly or impede communications (hormones, neurotransmitters), which interferes with all cells in the body.

Beyond toxic chemicals, the modern sea of artificial radiation generated by cell phones, computers, microwave transmission towers, and hundreds of other sources can disrupt cellular functions.

#3 Chronic mental stress: The complexities of 21st-century life cause a certain level of pervasive, low-grade tension. Continually remaining in high-alert mode hampers all communication systems in the body. Eventually, the body and cells begin to break down. Chronic stress also disrupts normal sleep — a necessity if cells are to have downtime to recover from being stressed. Normal health is not possible without adequate sleep.

#4 Sedentary lifestyle: Until about 100 years ago, physical stress would have been characterized by excessive physical labor. Today, the opposite is true. Modern life, however, requires little in the way of physical effort. Increased blood flow associated with physical activity flushes debris and metabolic waste that has collected around cells. It’s such an integral part of cellular health that being sedentary is extremely detrimental. Without regular movement, everything in the body stagnates, toxic substances accumulate, muscles turn to mush, arteries become clogged, and cell loss is increased.

#5 Microbes: We share our bodies with trillions of microorganisms known as the microbiome; by numbers alone, they outnumber our cells 10:1. The list includes 20-40 thousand different species of bacteria but also protozoa, fungi, multicellular parasites, and an untold number of different viruses. Though we have a mutually beneficial relationship with most of our microbes, some aren’t so friendly. Beyond that, foreign microbes from the outside are constantly trying to get inside the body.

They all want food — the carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals that make up our cells provide everything that microbes need to make more microbes. Therefore, infection is simply microbes trying to get inside your body to consume your cells.

Microbes: A Key to Chronic Illness

The vast majority of microbes that inhabit the body are confined to the gut, skin, and body openings. Technically, however, these microbes are outside the tissues of the body. Because all microbes have the potential to consume our cells, the body maintains barriers to keep them out. The primary barriers include:

  • Skin
  • Mucous membranes lining the mouth and nasal passages
  • Bronchial passageways in the lungs
  • Linings of the stomach and intestinal tract

In other words, even though our microbes are part of us, they are kept apart from the cells that make up our tissues because of the potential to do us harm. Of course, certain microbes have a higher potential to cause harm than others.

The microbes with the lowest potential for harm are defined as normal flora. Normal flora are microbes that your immune system knows better than any others — it’s a relationship that has been honed over millions of years. Because the immune system is able to keep these microbes completely in check, the partnership is mutually beneficial.

We depend on our normal flora to keep other, more aggressive microbes in the gut and on the skin suppressed. Intestinal and skin diseases result when the balance of normal flora is disrupted by poor diet, chronic stress, or antibiotic therapy.

Because the barriers of the body aren’t nearly as secure as you might hope, you rely on your immune system to protect your cells from pathogens that get through. Without protection from the immune system, your cells are defenseless.

Studies over the past decade, however, have shown that microbes regularly trickle across barriers. This means the immune system must constantly stay on guard to protect cells. Beyond that, microbes from the outside are constantly trying to cross barriers to get inside the body.

Case in point: Every time you get bitten by a tick, mosquito, or flea, are nipped or scratched by a dog or cat, scrape or cut your skin, put your fingers in your mouth or your nose, hug or kiss another person, have sex, use a public toilet just after someone else has been there, take a breath just after someone sneezes, swim in a natural pond, lake, or river, or consume any food or beverage — foreign microbes enter your body.

A microbe that can do us harm is called a pathogen. The potential of a pathogen to do harm is more about the relationship our immune system has with a particular microbe than the microbe itself.

Of course, there are varying degrees of pathogens; some are more threatening than others. A microbe like the Ebola virus is so dangerous because humans have rarely been exposed to it. Therefore, we don’t have built-in immunity to it. When Ebola crosses barriers into tissues, it’s able to ravage cells of the body.

Fortunately, most of the foreign microbes you will be exposed to during your lifetime are low-grade pathogens. They are well known to your immune system, and, if your immune system is healthy, they have a low potential to cause you harm.

Borrelia infection in the blood. Borrelia bacteria cause borreliose, transmitted by ticks and by lice.

But if your immune system becomes compromised, low-grade pathogens can also be problematic to you. Certain microbes have adopted stealth as a primary strategy for evading immune functions. First, they enter your bloodstream. Then, they hitch a ride inside white blood cells to all tissues throughout the body — muscles, joints, heart, organs, intestines, and even the brain and nervous system. Termed intracellular microbes, they’ve adopted the ability to live inside cells by cannibalizing them for nutrients to survive and make new microbes. When that cell is used up, they emerge to infect other cells.

Beyond borrelia, there are many known microbes that fit the description of being intracellular, and many more yet to be discovered. Mycoplasma, bartonella, chlamydia, and babesia are a few well-known examples, and coinfections with these microbes are common in people with Lyme, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and other chronic illnesses.

Despite intracellular microbes’ manipulative ways, your immune system is well versed in all of their tricks. It evolved over millions of years from repetitive exposure to many thousands of microbes, and each encounter was recorded in your genes for future reference. The better your immune system “knows” a microbe, the better it is able to slow its growth rate and maintain ultra-low concentrations in tissues.

Notice I didn’t say the microbes are eradicated. They are very good at persisting. A much more common outcome is a stalemate in which the stealth microbes are marginalized, and their potential for harm is minimized (their natural aggressiveness is kept in check). But they can stay alive and dormant deep in tissues for a lifetime without you ever knowing they are there.

Though science is just starting to understand the role that stealth microbes and other opportunistic pathogens play in the microbiome, one fact is quite clear: Everyone, even the healthiest of us, harbors a variety of intracellular microbes that are low-grade pathogens. As long as your immune system is healthy, you’ll never hear from them.

But cells overwhelmed by poor nutrition, toxic environment, chronic mental stress, and sedentary lifestyle become more vulnerable to invasion by intracellular pathogens. Increased cellular turnover and increased microbe activity overtaxes the immune system. At a certain point, a threshold is crossed, such that symptoms occur.

Impaired immune function allows the microbiome to shift off balance and pathogens in your tissues and gut to flourish. It’s not just one microbe that becomes activated, but all the questionable suspects — stealth microbes that have been dormant in tissues, pathogens in the gut and on the skin, and viruses in tissues such as Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV), setting the stage for chronic illness. The associated symptoms result from the immune system’s reaction to the microbes and the damage the microbes inflict upon the cells directly.

text overlay of boiling pot, listing the causes of chronic immune dysfunction: microbes, weak immune system, poor diet, toxins, stress, and sedentary life

When Symptoms Boil Up

You can think of it as a pot of water on the stove that starts out over a low simmer. As the simmer increases, minor discomforts start showing up — general body aches and joint stiffness; bloating, gas, and digestive issues; lack of energy; and simply not feeling well. Often, these kinds of changes become accepted as part of aging or life in general.

It’s not until the pot is fully boiling over that things become noticeably uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s a specific event that causes the pot to bubble over — severe emotional stress, an accident or trauma, an acute viral illness, or even a tick bite. But most often, it’s a perfect storm of cellular stress factors accumulating over time until a tipping point is reached.

At that point, the immune system can no longer keep a lid on things, and life becomes miserable. I refer to this as Chronic Immune Dysfunction.

What Chronic Immune Dysfunction Looks Like

Typical Chronic Immune Dysfunction (CID) symptoms include fatigue, decreased stamina, stress intolerance, feeling flu-like, muscle pain, joint pain, and sleep disturbances. Also common are temperature fluctuations, digestive dysfunction, mood changes, brain fog, skin rashes, a range of neurologic symptoms, and allergic-type reactions.

flow chart showing the cycle of chronic immune dysfunction, containing cellular stress factors, imbalance microbiome, inflammation, gut problems, neurological problems, and more

If you hadn’t already guessed, the default diagnosis for this morass of symptoms is fibromyalgia, when pain is the primary symptom. Or, if fatigue predominates, it’s labeled myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Both are conditions, not diseases, and thus, are considered to have no known cause or treatment by the conventional medical community.

If a patient presenting with CID symptoms has any history of tick exposure, some providers may consider the possibility of Lyme disease. On the surface, this might seem like a much more attractive diagnosis than fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue because it has a recognized cause (infection with a microbe), which implies a condition is treatable with antibiotics.

Unfortunately, this only applies to acute Lyme infection. Chronic Lyme disease is actually another consequence of CID, in which immune reaction is dysfunctional, and the entire microbiome is disrupted. Concentrations of borrelia are low and embedded deep in tissues where antibiotics can’t reach them. As a result, treating chronic Lyme isn’t much different from treating fibromyalgia or ME/CFS.

When you consider the cause of all three of these chronic illnesses, the concept of diagnosis becomes practically irrelevant. Instead of being entirely separate illnesses, they are all very likely just different variations of the pot boiling over.

Indeed, all chronic illnesses — fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, chronic Lyme disease, and even more definitive diagnoses such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS, and autoimmune diseases — share an association with Chronic Immune Dysfunction.

overlapping circle chart of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and lyme disease. Related disease being alzheimers, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, Parkinsons, and ALS

What types of illness you end up with during your life is dependent on three factors:

  • Genetics: Your genes define your risk of different illnesses, but not whether you will actually get those illnesses.
  • How cellular stress factors come together to disrupt immune system functions.
  • Which intracellular microbes you pick up through life. Because intracellular microbes have a preference for certain cells of the body, the various combinations of these microbes give rise to different chronic illnesses. In other words, when it comes to defining the spectrum of chronic illnesses, microbes are the wild card.

When chronic illness is considered as a “pot boiling over” problem, the best solutions are directed toward decreasing cellular stress factors to restore normal immune system functions and balance in the microbiome, instead of treating symptoms alone. Take this route, and wellness becomes a reachable endpoint, as opposed to living in a chronic state of managed illness. Here’s how to get from here to there.

Real Solutions for Chronic Immune Dysfunction

I divide options for overcoming illnesses associated with Chronic Immune Dysfunction and stealth microbes into two categories: Heroic Therapies and Restorative Therapies.

A third category of solutions, Symptomatic Therapies, is best reserved for acute relief. Specifically directed at controlling symptoms, Symptomatic Therapies come mostly in the form of prescription drugs and contribute only minimally to healing and wellness.

three level pyramid, from top: heroic, symptomatic, restorative therapies

Heroic Therapies

Heroic Therapies have significant limitations. They include single-agent chemical warfare (antibiotics), oxidative therapies (ozone, hyperbaric oxygen), rife machines, and any other therapies directed specifically at killing pathogens. But stealth microbes hide in protected niches in the body, occur in low concentrations, and typically grow very slowly, so they are extremely hard to eradicate with antibiotics.

In fact, keeping stealth microbes at bay is just about impossible without restoring normal immune function. When people do get better with heroic therapies, it’s only because microbes are suppressed enough to allow rebound of immune function to get a handle on things, not because the heroic therapy eradicated the microbes completely. And sometimes, heroic therapies can suppress immune function further and actually make the person more ill.

Ultimately, where you want to be is with a healthy immune system keeping all stealth microbes well marginalized, so harm is minimized and you can enjoy a normal, vibrant life. Restorative Therapies are the best way to get you there. They focus on minimizing Cellular Stress Factors to optimize immune function and restore homeostasis (natural balance in hormone and healing systems in the body), as well as killing or suppressing microbes.

Restorative Therapies

With Restorative Therapies, the ability of the body to heal itself is restored, along with the ability of the immune system to control any threatening microbes in the margins. This approach takes time and patience, but because it has such low potential for harm, it can be followed for a lifetime.

A comprehensive restorative program includes the following essential components:

Balance your microbiome with herbal therapy. Take synergistic herbal therapy to suppress microbes, promote microbiome balance, and help counter the other cellular stress factors.

Herbal therapy is the cornerstone of any restorative approach. Over millions of years of evolution, plants have developed an impressive array of phytochemicals that offer very sophisticated biochemical solutions to the same stress factors that threaten our health, including every variety of microbe, free radicals, toxins, radiation, physical stress, and maybe even emotional stress.

Medicinal herbs are plants that mesh particularly well with human biochemistry. Evidence supporting herbal therapy includes historical information from traditional use by every culture on earth, population studies of current use, lab-based studies, animal studies, and human studies. All totaled, we know more about medicinal herbs than any other therapy currently available, including all drugs.

Here are just some of the benefits of natural herbal therapy for overcoming all sorts of chronic illness:

  • Balances the microbiome by suppressing intracellular microbes and supporting normal flora
  • Supports normal immune function
  • Reduces immune messengers stimulated by stealth microbes that cause inflammation
  • Restores homeostasis (balances hormones and supports healing systems in the body)

Nourish your body. A healthy diet for immune system support should focus on whole foods, ample vegetables that are rich in phytochemicals (beneficial plant chemicals that support your body’s systems and functions), and healthy fats. Keep processed foods, grain-fed meats, excess carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats to a minimum, and fill at least 50% of your plate with veggies.

Purify your environment. Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins whenever you can. Opt for organic foods when feasible, filter your water and air, and choose non-toxic cleaning supplies and beauty products.

Calm your mind. Adopt some daily stress reduction and management techniques such as practicing meditation, doing yoga, walking outdoors, or even napping.

Activate your body. Doing gentle, restorative exercise every day helps keep the body moving and counters the modern-day pitfall of being too sedentary.

The Bottom Line

Natural herbal therapy combined with the other Restorative Therapies — healthy diet, detox, stress management, and regular exercise — is the best countermeasure for the cellular stress factors that impair immune function and make us vulnerable to chronic illness. It wasn’t until I embraced them that I was able to begin crawling out of the deep dark well of chronic illness.

Since then, I’ve used everything I learned on my journey back to health to create a holistic and herbal protocol that simplifies the process of reversing Chronic Immune Dysfunction. I also chronicled the exact steps I took to recover in my book, Unlocking Lyme.

I hope these resources can serve as a guiding light to those who need them. But none of it works unless you remember this: Your body is naturally powerful. It possesses the inherent ability to overcome chronic illness and fend off future illness. Clear the path of obstacles, and you will empower your body to find its own way to optimal wellness.

Dr. Rawls is a physician who overcame Lyme disease through natural herbal therapy. You can learn more about Lyme disease in Dr. Rawls’ new best selling book, Unlocking Lyme.

You can also learn about Dr. Rawls’ personal journey in overcoming Lyme disease and fibromyalgia in his popular blog post, My Chronic Lyme Journey.

Learn About Dr. Rawls’ Herbal Protocol »
REFERENCES
1. Potgieter M, Bester J, Kell DB, Pretorius E. The dormant blood microbiome in chronic, inflammatory diseases. FEMS Microbiol Rev. 2015;39(4):567-591. doi: 10.1093/femsre/fuv013
2. Walitt B, Katz RS, Bergman MJ, Wolfe F. Three-Quarters of Persons in the US Population Reporting a Clinical Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia Do Not Satisfy Fibromyalgia Criteria: The 2012 National Health Interview Survey. PLoS One. 2016;11(6):e0157235. Published 2016 Jun 9. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157235

Category:

Activism, diet and nutrition, Herbs, Lyme, Testing

Clinical Considerations of Clostridia Bacterial Concerns

https://biocidin.wistia.com/medias/wxusy0cfns Go here for presentation (Approx 22 Min)

Part 1: Clinical Considerations of Clostridia Bacterial Concerns – Pathogenicity Mechanisms

Biocidin Education Series

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Category:

C-diff, Candida, diet and nutrition, Gut Health, Herbs, Supplements

Do You Really Need a Multivitamin?

https://vitalplan.com/blog/do-you-really-need-a-multivitamin?Do You REALLY Need a Multivitamin?

Do You REALLY Need a Multivitamin?

By Dr. Bill Rawls Posted 05-07-2021

I’ve been on the fence as to whether or not to take multivitamins for my whole life. Growing up in the 60s and 70s, there was always a bottle of multivitamins on the breakfast table. Every morning, each person at the table would take their turn. The basic “One A Day” was popular at the time, but chewable products were also making their debut. Flintstones were my favorite — they tasted like candy.

The idea of taking a multivitamin came with America’s shift toward processed food products in the mid-20 century. Fast food was a radical change from freshly prepared meals that had been the norm, but ready-made foods seemed to be a better fit for the fast pace of American life. Not only that, processed foods were specifically designed to appeal to our preferential tastes for carbohydrates and fats. I don’t think anyone thought that these new foods were nearly as nutritious as the freshly prepared foods people had been eating before, but that was okay; multivitamins were there to fill the void.

Both fast foods and multivitamins became the standard that is still with us today. Currently, half of all Americans and 70% of those over 65 take a multivitamin product.

The big question is: does taking a multivitamin really do anything?

white plastic bottle, tablets arranged into a question mark, blue background

Most average “once-daily” multivitamin products contain synthetic forms of vitamins and minerals. These aren’t the same as the forms of vitamins and minerals found in natural whole foods. When someone takes a standard multivitamin, the body has to expend energy to convert these synthetic substances into a form the body can actually use, which seems to defeat the whole purpose.

On top of that, numerous clinical studies failed to show a clear benefit of taking multivitamins for improving health or reducing the incidence of chronic illness and cancer. As recent as 2018, research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reviewed data from 179 individual trials and concluded that multivitamin supplements did not help prevent or improve cardiovascular disease. Another study examined data from more than 30,000 people over six years. It likewise found that people who took multis and other nutrient supplements had about the same risk of dying as those who didn’t take a multivitamin.

That being said, some people still feel more comfortable taking multivitamins just for peace of mind. They believe by taking extra vitamins and minerals, their bases are covered if they don’t always eat healthily or are stressed.

And who isn’t stressed sometimes? Maybe when people are under stress or even as we age, we do need a little extra support.

At different points in my life, I’ve gone back and forth between taking and not taking multivitamins regularly. Growing up, I took them every day. After becoming an adult and shifting to a healthier diet, I felt that multivitamins weren’t as necessary, and I gave them up. Later in middle age, a health crisis precipitated by Lyme disease caused me to rethink a lot of things, including whether to take multivitamins.

two types of Homeopathic supplements on wooden spoon

I read opinions from experts who felt that the reason why studies consistently failed to show benefit was that they were all using unnatural synthetic forms of vitamins and minerals. They reasoned that if the natural forms of the vitamins, termed bioavailable, were used, the outcomes could have been different.

There’s no doubt that our body burns up a lot more vitamins and minerals when we’re stressed, and I was definitely stressed. Though I was particular about following a healthy diet, I wanted to give my body any advantage it could get. I again decided to take a multivitamin, but this time, not just any multivitamin off the grocery store shelf.

I found a top-quality product that exclusively provided bioavailable forms of essential vitamins and minerals and started taking it regularly. Did I notice any difference? Maybe a little. I certainly couldn’t say it was more than embracing a healthy diet, but it did give me peace of mind. Though I was confident that it wasn’t doing any harm with the doses I was using, it certainly wasn’t a total solution to my ongoing health issues either. Perhaps I needed more than just a multivitamin.

Nourishment vs. Protection

Multivitamin products and herbal products often get lumped together under the category of natural supplements, but they couldn’t be more different. They both have value, but that value is as different as apples and oranges.

To understand the difference, you have to think about the body as a complex collection of living cells. The body contains several trillion cells of about 200 different types. A person’s health is a reflection of the health of the cells that make up that person’s body. If a person’s cells are all healthy and all the cells in the body are functioning in harmony, then that person is the definition of good health.

To function properly, a cell must receive a steady supply of pure water, oxygen, and nutrients. Nutrients, including carbohydrates and fats to generate energy, amino acids to synthesize new proteins, and vitamins and minerals for enzymatic functions, must all be absorbed through the intestinal tract.

Everything that happens inside a cell is a function of enzymes. We need vitamins and minerals because they are key components of enzymes. To function properly, cells need an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals, but having more than the cell can use at one time doesn’t add any benefit. In fact, saturating a cell with excessive vitamins and minerals could even be harmful.

Healthy green salad with avocado, mangold leaves, red beans and cherry tomatoes. Vegan snack, vitamins, vegetarian food and diet concept

No doubt, the best source of vitamins and minerals is a healthy diet. Still, if a healthy diet isn’t consistent, logic would suggest that supplementing with essential vitamins and minerals could be beneficial. That being said, supplemental vitamins and minerals must be supplied in the form that the body can easily use — dumping unnatural synthetic forms of vitamins in the body is like putting cheap gas into your car; it works, but it’s not the best thing for the engine.

The key takeaway is that bioavailable vitamins and minerals are necessary for normal cellular functions and that greater quantities of vitamins and minerals are required when cells are stressed, but that vitamins and minerals alone do nothing to protect cells from being stressed.

This is where a group of plant chemicals, called phytochemicals, goes above and beyond the benefits offered by multivitamins. Plants produce a spectrum of different types of phytochemicals to protect cells against a wide range of physical, chemical, and biological (insects and microbes) stress factors. When we consume phytochemicals, either from foods or supplements, all those benefits are transferred. When our cells are protected from stress, they function better, burn out slower, and require less in the way of vitamins and minerals.

A few protective phytochemicals have become household words. Resveratrol, a phytochemical found in grapes and wine, is a potent antioxidant known for slowing aging. Resveratrol has also been found to protect mitochondria, the source of energy for cells. Less well known, pterostilbene is a phytochemical with similar properties found in blueberries. Phytochemicals called catechins, found in green tea, slow aging and prevent chronic illness by protecting cells from damaging antioxidants.

Though fruits and vegetables are an important source of protective phytochemicals, our food plants have been cultivated primarily to provide high yields of nutrients, especially carbohydrates. That has come at the expense of protective phytochemicals. This where the plants we define as herbs have a clear advantage.

Mushrooms growing on tree trunk, surrounded by greenery

Herbs are wild plants. Their value isn’t supplying nutrients. If you had to depend on eating herbs as a sole food source, you’d go hungry. Herbs, however, are an excellent source of protective phytochemicals — their true value is protecting cells. The wild plants defined as herbs are plants that humans have selectively been using for thousands of years for both culinary and medicinal purposes.

Adding Herbs for Organ and Cellular Protection

Adding herbs into your life provides a level of protection to your cells unmatched by any food source or multivitamin product. A good place to start is taking a few herbal ingredients along with your multivitamin. Some possible choices that provide exceptional protection for cells of the body against every type of possible stress include:

green leaves with white flowers

Trans-resveratrol from Japanese knotweed

Trans-resveratrol, the most bioavailable form of resveratrol, is well-known for offering cardiovascular support and antioxidant properties.

brown pine bark pieces

Pine Bark Extract

Potent antioxidants and other chemical compounds in Pine Bark Extract help the body maintain vascular tissue and support the integrity of blood vessels. PBE is also supportive to the immune system.

purple milk thistle flower

Milk Thistle Extract

Silymarin, the primary chemical component of milk thistle, offers potent support for the liver; it increases natural antioxidants found in liver cells. It is the most widely researched of all liver-related herbs and is well known for low toxicity and safety.

red hawthorn berries

Hawthorn Leaf Extract

Supports the cardiovascular system, blood flow to the heart, oxygen delivery to tissues, and healthy blood vessels.

purple powder

Maqui Berry

Maqui Berry is a Patagonian berry that is wild-harvested by the Mapuche people of Chile and Argentina. Their traditional Maqui Berry beverage is credited for contributing to their extraordinary strength and stamina.

orange flowers

Lutein & Zeaxanthin

These twin carotenoid compounds account for the yellow color in vegetables. They build up in the retina of the eye and maintain a healthy retina during normal exposure to sunlight. They also accumulate in the skin to support its health. Prevention Plus contains the same amount of these substances as compared to ocular supplements recommended by ophthalmologists.

Adding Herbs for Stress and Optimal Health

If you’re under stress or want to gain even more protection for your cells, consider adding on some herbs with adaptogenic properties. All herbal traditions recognize herbs with nonspecific properties that can be used daily to invigorate the body and promote longevity. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, they’re called tonics. In Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional medicine of India, they’re referred to as rasayanas. In the second half of the twentieth century, Western science began categorizing these and other herbs as adaptogens.

Herbs that fit the definition of adaptogen have been defined by science to:

  • Assist the body in resisting a wide range of physical, chemical, and biological stress factors.
  • Have nonspecific actions in the body that do not cause drug-like effects.
  • Are non-toxic and do not harm or disrupt normal functions in the body

collage of nine herb photos, mixture of leaves, mushrooms, powders, and bark

There are many herbs defined as adaptogens or herbs that complement adaptogens that can be taken daily to protect cells from stress and support optimal health. A few to consider are:

  • Rhodiola
  • Reishi
  • Cordyceps
  • Ashwagandha
  • Gotu kola
  • Turmeric
  • Japanese knotweed
  • Chinese skullcap
  • Shilajit

The Bottom Line

Your cells must have vitamins and minerals to function. A healthy diet is the best source, but admittedly, eating healthy all the time can be challenging. A multivitamin can help fill the void, but bioavailable forms are always the best choice. The limitation of multivitamins must be respected, however; multivitamins have little capacity to protect cells from stress and therefore shouldn’t be expected to reduce risks of chronic illness and cancer.

Herbs have a clear advantage for protecting cells against stress — the spectrum of phytochemicals in herbs protect cells against all types of stress. When cells aren’t stressed, they don’t have to work as hard, use fewer nutrients, and burn out slower.

Why not take both? Why not ensure your cells have a ready supply of bioavailable vitamins and minerals and protect your cells with herbal phytochemicals at the same time? Combining a daily herbal product with bioavailable vitamins and minerals may be the best of all possibilities!

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References
1. Jenkins, DJA et al. “Supplemental Vitamins and Minerals for CVD Prevention and Treatment.” J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018 Jun 5;71(22):2570-2584.
2. Chen, Fan et al. “Association Between Dietary Supplement Use, Nutrient Intake, and Mortality Among US Adults: A Cohort Study.” Ann Intern Med. 2019 May 7; 170(9): 604–613.
3. Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. “Vitamins and your heart.” Healthbeat. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/vitamins-and-your-heart
4. Tapsell, Linda C. et al. “Foods, Nutrients, and Dietary Patterns: Interconnections and Implications for Dietary Guidelines.” Adv Nutr. 2016 May; 7(3): 445–454.
5. Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. “Reduction in the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes with Lifestyle Intervention or Metformin.” New England Journal of Medicine. 2002 Feb 7; 346(6): 393–403.
6. Dehghan, Mahshid et al. “Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study.” Lancet. 2017 Nov 4; 390(10107): 2050-2062
7. National Center of Complementary and Integrative Health. “Rhodiola.” Retrieved from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/rhodiola
8. Hewlings, Susan J. and Kalman, Douglas S. “Curcumin: A Review of Its’ Effects on Human Health.” Foods. 2017 Oct; 6(10): 92.
9. Ratan ZA, Youn SH, Kwak YS, et al. Adaptogenic effects of Panax ginseng on modulation of immune functions. J Ginseng Res. 2021;45(1):32-40. doi:10.1016/j.jgr.2020.09.004
10. Liao LY, He YF, Li L, et al. A preliminary review of studies on adaptogens: comparison of their bioactivity in TCM with that of ginseng-like herbs used worldwide. Chin Med. 2018;13:57. Published 2018 Nov 16. doi:10.1186/s13020-018-0214-9
11. Panossian AG, Efferth T, Shikov AN, et al. Evolution of the adaptogenic concept from traditional use to medical systems: Pharmacology of stress- and aging-related diseases. Med Res Rev. 2021;41(1):630-703. doi:10.1002/med.21743

Category:

diet and nutrition, Herbs, research, Supplements

How Long Does It Take For Herbal Supplements to Work?

https://vitalplan.com/blog/how-long-does-it-take-for-herbal-supplements-to-work?

How Long Does It Take for Herbal Supplements to Work?

By Vital Plan Posted 01-25-2021

Reviewed by Bill Rawls, MD
Medical Director of Vital Plan

Questions Answered

Herbs have been used for thousands of years all over the world to address every imaginable health concern, and the amount of research supporting their powers grows every day. And yet their role in modern medicine is still minimized: Herbal therapy isn’t part of the curriculum in traditional medical school, and so most doctors don’t have the training to answer even the most common questions about herbs.

And if you’re new to herbs, or even if you’ve been taking them for a while but have a new health concern or circumstance like a new drug prescription, questions are bound to come up. “Hardly a day goes by that someone doesn’t ask me how long it takes to get results from a certain herb, or if they need to worry about taking a too-high dose,” says Dr. Bill Rawls, medical director of Vital Plan.

So, we’ve asked Dr. Rawls to tackle these and other top herbal questions here to get you the intel you need to put herbs to work for you.

How Long Does It Take for Herbal Supplements to Work?

Hour glass on calendar concept for time slipping away for important appointment date, schedule and deadline

Herbs have some amazing capabilities — but they aren’t magic pills. “The amount of time it takes to see results is somewhat variable, but typically it’s much slower than a pharmaceutical,” says Dr. Rawls.

That’s because pharmaceutical drugs are generally designed to activate or block a dysfunctional process in the body that is triggering symptoms or illness, whereas herbal supplements work to resolve the dysfunctional problem itself. For instance, heartburn medications work by blocking the natural process of producing the stomach acids that are making you uncomfortable — they’re a stopgap, but not a true solution.

By comparison, herbs like slippery elm bark, berberine, and dandelion extract help stop the underlying causes of reflux by nourishing the lining of the GI tract, balancing the gut microbiome, and restoring normal communications between gastrointestinal cells. “With herbs, there’s more of a process of healing involved, and that takes time,” Dr. Rawls explains.

That said, some herbs — called effectors — have a specific targeted action, and alleviate symptoms within an hour or so, says Dr. Rawls. One example is lily of the valley; it’s often used for cardiovascular problems like heart failure or irregular heartbeat. (Note that lily of the valley should only be used under physician supervision to avoid toxic doses.)

Still, for the most part, herbs are restorative, which means patience and persistence is key to seeing significant and lasting results. “Restorative herbs may have a small immediate effect, but can take weeks or months to build up in your system enough for you to really notice that long-term healing process and longer-lasting benefits,” says Dr. Rawls.

Can I Take Herbal Supplements With Prescription Drugs?

Antibiotics and medication on a dark background

The short answer: Probably — with the caveat that you should always consult with your healthcare practitioner before taking any new herb or treatment. “But the potential for a bad interaction is pretty small,” says Dr. Rawls. That’s because most herbs and drugs function very differently and affect different parts of the body, so they’re not typically interacting at all.

On the contrary, herbs can sometimes be an effective complement to medications. Consider berberine, andrographis, garlic, and reishi mushroom, for example: They all help promote a balanced gut microbiome, making them a nice complement to antibiotics, which can throw the gut microbiome out of whack.

But as always, there are exceptions to the rule, and taking certain herbal supplements with prescription drugs can have some dangerous side effects, as well as impact the efficacy of the drugs, according to a small study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. “The biggest concern is if you’re on blood thinners, because most herbs are blood thinners as well,” says Dr. Rawls.

Other medications that might interact with herbs include SSRI antidepressants, prescription sedatives, sleep aids, anti-anxiety medicines, thyroid hormones, and diabetes medications. If you’re taking one of these — or any prescription drug — do your research carefully and consult with your doc before adding herbs to your regimen.

Which Is Better: Whole Herbs or Extracts?

Turmeric powder and fresh turmeric on wooden background

There’s nothing wrong with whole herbs, but you’re going to get more bang for your buck with herbal extracts.

“What we’re interested in with herbs is their phytochemistry, the natural chemical substances called phytochemicals that have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant powers, among others,” says Dr. Rawls. “We’re less interested in the stems, roots, and leaves. When they’re dried out and ground up into a fine whole-herb powder, a high percentage of what you’re getting is fiber, not phytochemicals.” That makes whole herbs less expensive, but also less potent.

With extracts, you’re removing the phytochemicals from the plant and leaving behind what’s unnecessary, says Dr. Rawls. Liquid extracts (aka tinctures) are made by soaking the whole herb in a solution of water and alcohol or another liquid like vegetable glycerine or apple cider vinegar; they’re taken orally and absorbed in the intestines. Powdered extracts are the most potent: They’re made by soaking the herb in a solvent that’s later evaporated and then packed into a super-concentrated capsule or tablet.

Can Herbs Cure My Illness?

Professional doctor writing a prescription for a female patient, medicine and healthcare concept

Federal regulations do not allow herbal supplement companies to make any medical claims. As such, herbs can’t be marketed as a treatment, cure, or any other kind of disease prevention.

But herbs’ actions can promote homeostasis, a healthy, stable internal environment within the body that allows for proper functioning, which may help an illness to be resolved, says Dr. Rawls. He explains that herbs do three big things that contribute to wellness:

  • Suppress microbes like bacteria, fungi, and viruses that are present in our tissues and compete with our cells for vital resources
  • Protect cells from damaging and inflammation-causing free radicals
  • Promote communication between our cells

“All three actions boost cellular function, and when your cells are functioning optimally, you’re more likely to avoid things like inflammation and bacterial overgrowth that contribute to a number of illnesses and diseases,” says Dr. Rawls.

Since Herbs Are Natural, Does That Mean Herbal Supplements Are Safe?

cruciferous vegetables capsules, dietary supplements for healthy eating

Yes, herbs are natural, and because they’re more like food, their potential for toxicity is extraordinarily low. That’s especially true when compared to synthetic pharmaceutical drugs, which have a higher potential for toxicity and side effects. (Note that plant-based supplements are very different from sports or performance-enhancing supplements, some of which have been found to contain banned or harmful substances.)

Even so, there are a few exceptions to be aware of. Effector herbs like kava kava and cannabis in the form of marijuana have more drug-like qualities, and so they can become toxic with chronic and heavy use.

Remember, too, that some herbs do interact with medications and cause unwanted side effects. St. Johns’ wort, for instance, which has been shown to be effective for easing mild to moderate depression and menopausal symptoms, can also reduce the effects of antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications.

And some herbal supplement labels worn against taking the contents if you’re pregnant or nursing. That’s not because herbs are unsafe, but there are a few that should be avoided by certain populations because of the way they are processed by the body..

Ultimately, according to federal regulations, supplement companies are responsible for providing evidence that their dietary supplements are safe and for ensuring that product labels are not misleading. So do your research to find a company you trust, read the label so you know what’s inside the bottle, and ask your healthcare provider how it may react with any other supplements and medications you take.

Is It Possible To Take Too Many Herbs?

Alternative medicine tablets on a wooden spoon, green leaf.

Not usually. Even in large doses, few herbal substances can actually kill you. “Plants produce phytochemicals to protect their own cells, and the phytochemicals in herbs mesh particularly well with our own biochemistry,” says Dr. Rawls. “When we consume the herbal phytochemicals, our cells benefit from those protective mechanisms.”

The toxic dose for most herbs is very high, says Dr. Rawls — especially compared to pharmaceuticals, which can be lethal even in small amounts. However, you do want to be careful with certain effector herbs like St. John’s wort, which has more potential to cause issues such as agitation, anxiety, and insomnia in high doses.

If you do take too much of a restorative herb, though, you’re likely to get a stomach ache or feel a little nauseous, but it won’t otherwise hurt you, Dr. Rawls adds.

Are Herbal Supplements Regulated by the FDA?

front entrance of government building with roman columns

Yes, herbal supplements are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, but not in the same way drugs are. Instead, they’re considered dietary supplements — that means manufacturers don’t have to seek FDA approval before selling dietary supplements.

Companies can claim that their herbal supplements address a nutrient deficiency, support health, or are linked to body functions — if they have supporting research and they include a disclaimer that the FDA hasn’t evaluated the claim. But they aren’t allowed to make a specific medical claim such as that the herb “treats” or “cures” a medical condition.

The manufacturers themselves are responsible for following safety and quality standards, but the FDA does monitor dietary supplements that are currently on the market. If it finds a product to be unsafe, it can take legal action.

How Can I Tell if a Supplement Is Good Quality?

two hands in blue rubber gloves holding a petri dish with a small sprout of a leafy plant emerging from a clump of dirt, against a white background

Supplements require way less information on their labels than drugs do, and for good reason — they’re way less toxic. But the more information a company puts on the label, the better, says Dr. Rawls.

“Transparency is key to earning your trust. The label should clearly state which ingredients are in the supplement and the quantity of each, so you know what you’re putting into your body,” he says.

Ideally, you also want to know where those ingredients came from and how they were produced, Dr. Rawls says. That information should be on the label and/or the company’s website, along with their standards for ingredient quality, potency, and purity.

A few more ways to suss out reputable companies: Look to see whether a supplement carries the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) seal, indicating it was made in a facility that follows FDA regulations. And check whether it has been sent to a third-party lab, like U.S. Pharmacopeia, ConsumerLab.com, or NSF International, for independent verification of ingredient purity and label claims.

Does Insurance Cover Alternative Medicine?

Doctor taking medical insurance card from patient in office during scheduled checkup

Yes and no. Certain insurance companies are starting to cover some alternative treatments, like acupuncture, chiropractic therapy, and massage. But since there’s no across-the-board coverage, you should contact your insurance company directly to find out what your plan covers.

There are a few other ways to save on herbal therapy. If your employee offers a flexible spending account, you can use that to set aside pre-tax dollars (generally, each pay period) for health-related expenses; that money can then be used for herbal supplements and other alternative treatments. Similarly, a health savings account lets you set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses, but you would set this kind of account up yourself, not your employer.

We hope the list above addressed all of your questions about herbal therapy, but if not, don’t stop here! Keep doing your research: explore the VitalPlan.com blog or other trusted resources, or take your questions to an integrative health practitioner — just don’t let a lack of information stop you from gaining the many impressive health benefits of herbs.

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References
1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-st-johns-wort/art-20362212

_______________________

**Comment**

As always, I appreciate information provided by experienced doctors on any and all treatments for tick-borne illness, that said, please remember Dr. Rawls is in the business of selling an herbal treatment for Lyme/MSIDS.

Also, herbalists have differing opinions on what type of herb form is best.  From what I’ve read and gathered, Master Herbalist Stephen Buhner, a highly respected herbalist who has helped countless patients, believes the whole herb is best due to the way it works synergistically.  I’ve heard other herbalists state the same thing.

Tinctures and extracts can be very expensive.  One of the cheapest herbal treatments is getting the whole, ground herb.  Buhner’s books give excellent suggestions for dosage, sources, and many other details.  I highly recommend his books.

My husband and I have used everything under the sun for treatment, with variable results.  To be honest, we rarely if ever herxed on herbs – although we took plenty.  We always herxed on antibiotics and had near immediate results. This was my standard if a treatment was working or not.  Often out of desperation we did both herbs and antibiotics.  I’m not saying herbs didn’t help or play a role – only that I didn’t physically notice any effects, and when you are forking out thousands of dollars on treatment, we have to make tough choices.  It seems logical to me to choose the ones that are actively making a difference.

Anyone with this understands the desire to get well and the subsequent willingness to stick a needle in your eye if you thought for a second it might work!  This desperation leaves patients vulnerable to quackery and ineffective treatments.  This is why I believe it’s extremely important to have a Lyme-literate doctor helping you sift through fact vs fiction. Sometimes you need numerous doctors!  After all, it’s impossible to know everything and each patient presents completely differently.

On a final note: I rejoice with all patients who have success with treatments – even if I wouldn’t use them myself or question their effectiveness.  There’s much that is unknown about the effect of treatments upon the human body – as well as the synergistic effects of various treatments.  On the other hand, I commiserate with patients who are struggling with treatments.  Antibiotics, although effective for many, are extremely harsh on the body.  This is a fact, and I understand patients’ fears and reluctance to use them.  Personally, I hadn’t used antibiotics in over 20 years before I become infected with Lyme/MSIDS.  I would try ANYTHING before taking antibiotics and it usually worked – or my body handled it on its own.  But, getting tick-borne illness changed everything for us, forcing me to rethink my thoughts on them.

Healing is a powerful, complicated process.  One that I don’t claim to understand in its entirety.  We must remain open-minded but vigilant, making sure we are making forward progress (which sometimes means going backwards to go forwards!).  In the end we must all make tough choices.  I want to stand with you regardless of what treatment you choose.  I will never vilify someone’s treatment – I may respectfully question it out of concern, but in the end it’s your choice and your healing.  I’m here for everyone.

Category:

Herbs, Lyme, Treatment

John Hopkins Study: 5 Herbs That Can Kill Babesia

https://rawlsmd.com/health-articles/real-talk-new-johns-hopkins-study-5-herbs-that-can-kill-babesia

[Real Talk] New Johns Hopkins Study: 5 Herbs that Can Kill Babesia

[Real Talk] New Johns Hopkins In Vitro Study: 5 Herbs that Can Kill Babesia

by Dr. Bill Rawls
Posted 4/25/21

Babesia, a malaria-like parasite and protozoan, is spread primarily to humans through tick bites. Studies indicate up to 40% of people infected with Lyme disease are also infected with babesia, making it a relatively common coinfection. Though there are more than 100 different species of babesia, the ones most likely to pose a human health threat are Babesia microti, Babesia divergens, and Babesia duncani (WA-1).

Babesia lives and reproduces inside your red blood cells — a term known as intracellular. The tick-borne infection has a distinct ability to change its genetic presentation, allowing it to alter its physical form and function to adapt to disruptions in its environment, including antibiotics. Therefore, treatments for babesia may be suboptimal, unsuccessful, and cause several undesirable side effects, which underscores the need to find additional therapeutic interventions to address the persistent nature of the infection.

In March 2021, researchers from the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, evaluated the ability of 46 herbal remedies to combat babesia. The study included such herbs as cryptolepis, artemisia, alchornea, and more. And the results may surprise you.

In this video, Dr. Rawls explains which herbs proved most effective and discusses the importance of the study for treating babesia when conventional drug interventions fail to ease symptoms for many people. Discover more about babesia treatment here.

Video Transcript

Hello everybody. Dr. Rawls here. I have an update on Lyme disease for you. So, last year, a group of researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, led by Dr. Zang, released a study showing that herbs worked as well as antibiotics for killing borrelia. So they found that a group of herbs, which included some of our top herbs that we’ve been using for years, including Japanese knotweed, cat’s claw, Chinese skullcap, and among others, artemisia, clove, actually did as well as antibiotics for killing borrelia.

Well, they’re at it again; they just released a study on babesia, and they actually took some of these same herbs and others and compared them to antibiotics. Now, babesia is a protozoan; it’s a distant relative of malaria. And so, they had to grow the babesia in hamster, red blood cells, and then they used it — it was a test tube study, an in vitro study.

So they looked at the ability of both herbs and antibiotics to kill babesia. And they found that some of the commonly used antibiotics actually worked pretty well for babesia. But we know that these antibiotics had a lot of side effects. So they also tested a number of different kinds of herbs — a list of about 50. It was a long list, and they found that some of the same herbs that were effective for borrelia were also effective for killing babesia.

So top of the list? Cryptolepis. That wasn’t on the borrelia study, but we know that it is good for protozoa, and it has a pretty good range as an antimicrobial. So cryptolepis was one that we’ve been using more and more in our protocols, and it had very good activity — better than the antibiotics — against babesia. Other ones? Japanese knotweed. It’s really nice to see some of these same herbs on the same list doing well against different kinds of microbes, so Japanese knotweed was on the list. It had good activity.

Chinese skullcap had good activity. Artemisia, which was also on the babesia study, had good activity against babesia. And also alchornea. Now, there were other things on the list that didn’t perform quite as well, but they were still significant, like garlic and andrographis, which are some of our primary herbs that we use in chronic Lyme disease. So it was really nice to see this kind of result with the herbs and that the herbs perform as well as antibiotics.

Now, so, a couple of these, like artemesia, we don’t typically put in our primary protocol, or clove, because they have some toxicity. But seeing this type of benefit in some of these other herbs that are really commonly used and have very, very low toxicity. So the advantage of using herbs over any of the antibiotics is that herbs don’t typically kill normal flora so that you can use them for a long time.

And that’s what it takes. You really have to wear these things down over a long period of time. They have broad coverage. So it was really interesting to see that some of the herbs that worked for borrelia work just as well for babesia. And what that says is, herbs, in general, have really broad coverage because it’s not one chemical; it is a spectrum of hundreds of chemicals in the herb that have activity and have antimicrobial activity. So the fact that these same herbs are covering a bacteria and a protozoa says that they’ll probably cover a lot of other possibilities that can come with chronic Lyme disease.

And, so, when you put all that together: low toxicity, the fact that you can use them a long time, the fact that they have really broad coverage to kill a lot of microbes, and they don’t kill normal flora, which is really important, these things can be used as a primary arsenal against chronic Lyme disease in these bacteria that we’re, that we’re working with.

And it’s because it takes a long time. You know these bacteria are all intracellular. They live inside cells, and nothing really gets to them in the cells. It’s only when they use up a cell, when they cannibalize all the nutrients from the cell and emerge to infect other cells, that you have an opportunity to kill these things. So you have to keep the pressure on for a very long time, months, even years. And you can do that safely with herbs, where the toxicity that comes with a lot of the conventional antibiotics really prohibits that from happening.

So this is really valuable information to us. Now, we had a pretty good feel that herbs had some really nice antimicrobial coverage. This has been proven over time, but to see it specifically targeted toward the microbes that we’re dealing with with chronic Lyme disease is really, really exceptional information. So, that is all I have for you right now. And, so, go and take your herbs, and stay well. Take care.

Dr. Rawls is a physician who overcame Lyme disease through natural herbal therapy. You can learn more about Lyme disease in Dr. Rawls’ new best selling book, Unlocking Lyme.
You can also learn about Dr. Rawls’ personal journey in overcoming Lyme disease and fibromyalgia in his popular blog post, My Chronic Lyme Journey.

REFERENCES
1. Diuk-Wasser MA, Vannier E, Krause PJ. Coinfection by Ixodes Tick-Borne Pathogens: Ecological, Epidemiological, and Clinical Consequences. Trends Parasitol. 2016 Jan;32(1):30-42. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.09.008
2. Zhang Y, Alvarez-Manzo H, Leone J, Schweig S, Zhang Y. Botanical Medicines Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, Artemisia annua, Scutellaria baicalensis, Polygonum cuspidatum, and Alchornea cordifolia Demonstrate Inhibitory Activity Against Babesia duncani. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2021;11:624745. Published 2021 Mar 8. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.624745
_________________________
**Comment**
I’m always about informed choice.  
A few points for consideration:
  • In vitro studies are helpful but do not necessarily equate out the same in the human body. They need to now study these herbs in the human body or in vivo.
  • They did a similar in vitro study with stevia and headlines essentially read, “Stevia cures Lyme,” which is not true at all.  While some doctors have found it helps break up biofilm, it certainly isn’t curative.
  • I’ve taken every single herb mentioned in this article with ZERO effect.  I never herxed on any of them and that was my test to whether something worked or not.  I realize that may NOT be an accurate litmus test but I needed a goal-post to make informed decisions as money is always an issue and I needed a benchmark.
  • I write about Babesia treatment here, and include what my husband and I successfully used which so far has worked beautifully.  We do not have ANY remaining Babesia symptoms.  I fully realize these organisms can sequester in tissues and remain dormant, but in the case of Babesia, Dr. Horowitz has stated he believes it can be cured, and has seen this occur clinically, but that it’s one of the most tenacious co-infections he sees and requires 9-12 months of persistent treatment.
  • Lastly, while I appreciate Dr. Rawl’s information, please remember he’s in the business of selling an herbal treatment for Lyme/MSIDS.  Food for thought.

For more:  

Category:

Babesia, Herbs, research, Treatment