Picture this: It is finals week and you have a huge economics exam tomorrow. You wake up with a stuffy nose, a pounding headache and a scratchy throat. On top of that, now you have to take time out of studying to stand in the long line at Walgreens for cold medicine, when you would rather just stay in bed trying to get better.
Most students would jump at the chance to prevent this scenario altogether. According to some doctors and herbalists, medicine from ordinary plants can do just that.
Joseph Blustein, an assistant professor at UW-Madison who has studied plant medicine for almost 40 years and is now an independent consultant for pharmaceutical companies, said mainstream medicine, which includes pharmaceuticals such as cold medicine, differs from herbal medicine in the way illnesses are treated.
What is important in herbal medicine is matching the person to the herb,"" he said. ""For example, a person with a headache with conventional medicine may take an aspirin for relief. This does not address the root cause and the headache most likely would reoccur.""
Jackie Nikolaus, an herbalist with Community Pharmacy, at 341 State St., said holistic medicine, which includes herbs, is about treating the whole system rather than one specific area.
""In holistic medicine, we believe the body is connected physically and energetically, and to treat one aspect doesn't address imbalances in the whole system,"" she said. ""The goal is balance.""
Blustein said herbs have thousands of compounds that work together like the musical instruments in an orchestra, and a couple of drops of an herbal tincture can make a person feel better, ""much like the way a symphony will alter a person's mood.""
Others have a more skeptical outlook on herbal medicine.
Government Involvement
Dr. John Folts, professor of medicine and nutritional science at UW-Madison, said he believes in herbal medicine as a part of holistic healing, but is wary of putting too much faith in herbs because they are not regulated like pharmaceuticals.
The Food and Drug Administration can regulate over-the-counter drugs and prescriptions, he said, but there is no government agency that oversees the production and labeling of herbal supplements. He said anyone can purchase herbal supplements in health food stores or pharmacies without any knowledge of what is actually in the herbs.
""Studies have shown that some [herbal supplements] have no herbs at all,"" Folts said. ""They are not regulated, so companies don't have to know the expiration date, dose or indication.""
Folts, who considers himself a believer in herbal medicine, also said that while some herbs have clear medicinal benefits, many have not yet been tested, and therefore some herbs have no proven health advantages.
The national government, Folts said, has an office of alternative medicine to examine the effectiveness of holistic treatments. While it does not regulate herbs, it does test supplements and treatments so the government can learn if herbs, as well as acupuncture and aromatherapy, are helpful, worthless or harmful.
Vanessa Mardones, another herbalist at Community Pharmacy, said it is a good idea to buy herbs from companies that do controlled testing, but thinks it is better for consumers that the FDA is not involved.
""The FDA doesn't regulate herbs, but if it did, this would drive up the prices of herbs,"" she said.
A rise in herb prices could make herbal medicine unrealistic for the average consumer, especially college students who may enjoy using holistic remedies on a daily basis.
Experimenting students
UW-Madison junior Katie Strain said she uses many different types of holistic medicine, including aromatherapy and some herbs. She uses lavender for relaxation and eucalyptus for nasal congestion.
Strain said it is important to make sure herbs are safe, but she thinks many chemical pharmaceuticals are not necessarily healthy either. She believes things that come from the earth are better than chemicals made in a laboratory.
""I think most of the chronic diseases currently present are due to all the unnatural things we surround ourselves with and put into our bodies,"" she said.
UW-Madison sophomore Jonathan Wiese said he would consider giving herbal medicine a try if it could help prevent colds, but said he would rather see a doctor for an ailment because he trusts them over herbalists. He thinks doctors seem to have more schooling and seem more credible.
Wiese also said he is wary of herbal medicine because of the connotation it sometimes carries.
""I think it's the whole image that comes to mind when you hear 'herbal medicine.' You know, the old woman giving you some shrooms she picked out in the forest,"" he said.
While some prefer to stick with conventional medicine over herbal medicine, the two treatments share the same ultimate goal of healing the body.
Nikolaus said she used to look down on people who use mainstream medicine for everything. After working as an herbalist for five years, her opinion has changed.
""Now I feel like everybody has a healing method that rings true for them, and I have no judgment anymore,"" Nikolaus said.
Alternative choice
Strain said many people, especially students, do not know about herbs and the possible benefits of taking them medicinally because they do not get the publicity they deserve.
""You always see commercials for new drugs the government is trying to push to make money for health services, but you never see natural healing agents advertised on television,"" she said.
UW-Madison junior Carla Fischer said it is easy to become familiar with herbal remedies, especially in a city like Madison that has places like Nature's Way, at 711 N. High Point Rd., and Community Pharmacy to go to with questions.
Mardones said herbs can be especially good for students because they can use the extra immune system support even more than the average person.
""Students' immune systems are incredibly taxed because they are studying weird hours, in contact with a lot of sick people, and they need to take care of their immune systems,"" she said.
While doctors and herbalists do not always agree on the safety or effectiveness of herbal medicine, some herbs may be able to help prevent and treat the common cold, something students can be happy about during the upcoming flu season.
Nikolaus recommends many herbs for various ailments but said there are three herbs in particular that students might be interested in. Echinacea, elderberry and astragalus are all herbs that are used to enhance the immune system.
