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Kava Forte
#11
(01-15-2018, 03:06 AM)Richardg8092 Wrote:
(01-12-2018, 06:03 AM)invisiblejungle Wrote: Hi Richard, thank you for the excellent post. You say that this is based on your experience "using and prescribing" the MediHerb product. May I ask if you're an herbalist or other kind of health practitioner? Just curious, as herbalism is one of my favorite topics of study.

Hi invisiblejungle, well this is the story.
In Australia, we're usually all lumped together as 'Naturopaths'.  The qualification is 'Bachelor Of Health Science - Naturopathy' regardless of whether we practice evidence based herbal medicine, nutritional medicine or homeopathy. 
This leads to a lot of eye-rolling among us, as practitioners want to believe that their chosen modality is the best / the original / the only truly effective / deepest acting one.  Big Grin 
I qualified in 1986 and practiced for a couple of decades - before deciding that clients were just too needy.
Good Grief, it was always about them them them - and never about me  Big Grin Big Grin 
I moved out of private practice decades ago, but am still connected to the industry via my current NFP administrative role.

Herbal Medicine was my modality of choice, even though there wasn't a huge amount of scientific 'validation' back then, there was a long standing tradition. 
We had a pretty good idea of what worked and what didn't. 
Back then we'd say "St.Mary's Thistle works because it is a Liver herb" nowadays we say "St.Mary's Thistle works because of the silybin flavanolignans".

I'm more than happy to chat herbs with you at length (maybe via the Private Messages system in 25 posts time?) although I'm sure there are general herbal interest topics (like this Kava Forte one) which are considered perfectly suitable for the Open Forums.

If I may ask, invisiblejungle, do you have any favorite herbs?
Not meaning ones that you personally utilize, but rather the herbs that make you shake your head in disbelief and go "Wow! Amazing!"
I'll admit I've got that kind of thing going for both St.John's Wort and Kava.  
Any herb that gets the thumbs-up in the ultra-conservative Cochrane Library has got to be worth knowing about!

R

Ah, so you were once a practicing naturopath! I've actually wondered what the legal environment for naturopathy was like in Australia. You probably know that here in the US, there are 2 separate "movements" for naturopaths. There are the "naturopathic physicians" who have graduated from one of the accredited naturopathy colleges, and in certain states, they have legal licensing, are allowed to take health insurance, etc. Then there are the more traditional "naturopathic doctors" who don't have any sort of legal licensing; some of them feel that the "naturopathic physicians" are "selling out" and not practicing true naturopathy.

There is some quality literature coming out of Australia. Kerry Bone has great stuff on herbalism, and Dr. Leah Hechtman's book on clinical naturopathic medicine is on my list. I'm a layman myself; I only became interested because I'm disabled due to chronic health issues that aren't amenable to conventional medicine. So I've been forced to learn on my own.

Regarding favorite herbs, my main focus has been on Chinese herbalism. Although I was born in America, I'm of Asian descent, and the Chinese system makes sense to me, compared to Ayurveda, western herbalism, etc. (Although I study those systems as well.)
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#12
I see similarities in the situation you describe between Naturopathic Physicians and Naturpathic Doctors with what is happening in Western Herbalism at present. 
Modern western herbal medicine has identified and raided traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs - and prescribes them out of context, dismissing their traditional systems.

Withania (Ashwagandha) has been 'borrowed' from Ayurvedic medicine - it is fascinating because it simultaneously Tonifies AND Sedates
Siberian Ginseng (eleutherococcus) was extensively studied by the Russians for decades before the West 'discovered' it..
Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) is borrowed from Chinese medicine - and produces amazing results regulating liver function and adaptation to stress. 
If we're going to add anything to our water supply, let it be those three herbs - they'd just do so many people so much good!   Smile
Some people would want to include Rhodiola rosea and Panax ginseng (Korean Ginseng) too.
But for mine they are far too strong and far too stimulating for general use.
(The very last thing I want to take is  a product that keeps me lying awake in bed, staring up at the ceiling all night! Sad )

Naturopaths are concerned that the next step is that BigParma will synthesize the actives from herbs and manufacture and market them as drugs - effectively removing them from the Naturopath's dispensary altogether.
We are already seeing moves in this direction with some German products like Remotiv, Legalon, Keenmind, GincoSan etc - although they are still herbal in origin, they are purified and adjusted and standardized almost beyond recognition. 
That said, these products produce reliable clinical results - which makes both patients and practitioners happy.

Like you, invisiblejungle, I'm a huge fan of Kerry Bone - we are lucky that he regularly hosts teleconferences in Australia each year.
You cannot go wrong with the 2nd edition of his book (or ebook) 'Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy'.

These are interesting times in which we live.
Much of what's old has been re-appropriated and made new again!
R
There's a difference between having an opinion and having an informed opinion.
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#13
(01-17-2018, 09:37 AM)Richardg8092 Wrote: I see similarities in the situation you describe between Naturopathic Physicians and Naturpathic Doctors with what is happening in Western Herbalism at present. 
Modern western herbal medicine has identified and raided traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs - and prescribes them out of context, dismissing their traditional systems.

Withania (Ashwagandha) has been 'borrowed' from Ayurvedic medicine - it is fascinating because it simultaneously Tonifies AND Sedates
Siberian Ginseng (eleutherococcus) was extensively studied by the Russians for decades before the West 'discovered' it..
Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) is borrowed from Chinese medicine - and produces amazing results regulating liver function and adaptation to stress. 
If we're going to add anything to our water supply, let it be those three herbs - they'd just do so many people so much good!   Smile
Some people would want to include Rhodiola rosea and Panax ginseng (Korean Ginseng) too.
But for mine they are far too strong and far too stimulating for general use.
(The very last thing I want to take is  a product that keeps me lying awake in bed, staring up at the ceiling all night! Sad )

Naturopaths are concerned that the next step is that BigParma will synthesize the actives from herbs and manufacture and market them as drugs - effectively removing them from the Naturopath's dispensary altogether.
We are already seeing moves in this direction with some German products like Remotiv, Legalon, Keenmind, GincoSan etc - although they are still herbal in origin, they are purified and adjusted and standardized almost beyond recognition. 
That said, these products produce reliable clinical results - which makes both patients and practitioners happy.

Like you, invisiblejungle, I'm a huge fan of Kerry Bone - we are lucky that he regularly hosts teleconferences in Australia each year.
You cannot go wrong with the 2nd edition of his book (or ebook) 'Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy'.

These are interesting times in which we live.
Much of what's old has been re-appropriated and made new again!
R

I like how you say that modern western herbal medicine has "raided" traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs. It's a funny way of putting it, but I definitely agree.

The situation in Germany is quite unique. They've sort of created a new branch of herbalism with "modern phytomedicine," and it's interesting how many herbal products are only available there with a doctor's prescription. I do understand the cautiousness with which more traditional-minded herbalists view the standardized phytomedicines that are used for symptomatic relief, but I think they can play a valuable role.

I do have Kerry Bone's excellent book! Some of my other favorite western herbalists are David Hoffmann, Matthew Wood, and David Winston.
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#14
interesting post.
Have looked into Kava for a moment but not really tried.
Passiflora edulis grows wild in several areas. Similar type of response.
Might be worth a look into as well.
Thanks for posting this
W
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#15
I agree on the importance of high quality Kava (high amount of kavalactones) sp.  I have never tried the capsules but have tried the powder. The powder was fresh and from Hawaii. There is an actually ritual for the preparation of the drink. (May partially lead to its increased effects) . My preparation lasted about an hour. The drink was peppery" and numbing for sure. Results were mild but noticable for sure.  Like a very relaxing cup of tea . I originally researched because of its potential mild benzo effect. Unfortunately none to be had for me but could help with  mild anxiety. I wish that's all I needed for my anxiety. I  am vibrating right now. Man I can't wait for some relief . Peace and love to all.  I wish I could remember the name of the vendor, sorry
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