Plant Medicine

What is Plant Medicine

Plant medicine is part of integrative medicine today and is a safe low-risk medicine that treats a range of everyday conditions such as respiratory, digestive and mental health issues. Its approach aims to treat the underlying cause of disease and it also encompasses nutrition and the substantial benefits of medicinal plants in disease prevention and everyday wellbeing.

Plant medicine is made from extracting the chemicals in medicinal plants to prepare medicine that is available in different medicinal forms. Several plant-based drugs are on the World Health Organization List of Essential Medicines and many plant-based treatments have been studied and incorporated into mainstream healthcare across the globe.

Did you know? The UK is undergoing a new era in medicine, using plant medicine as part of integrative healthcare. Animals and humans have evolved using medicinal plants, many medical drugs come from plant phytochemicals, and scientific evidence over the past 40 years extensively supports the efficacy of a range of plant medicines for a range of conditions. Though more studies are needed, some plant medicine has been shown to be as effective as the drug equivalent, but to carry few, if any side-effects such as addiction. Everyone deserves access to the safest and most effective healthcare options available.

How to Take Plant Medicine

As with any medicine, before taking any plant medicine always first read the product caution label and consult a NIMH medical herbalist or your healthcare provider before making changes to prescribed medication, if you are pregnant, have a medical condition, allergy or are taking any medication.

Qualified medical herbalists prescribe plant medicine alongside other medications, with many patients referred to medical herbalists by their GPs for complimentary care. Registered medical herbalists strive to offer qualified over-the-counter suggestions and personalised plant medicine, avoiding unnecessary expenses on inappropriate remedies. Prescribed plant medicine is designed to treat each individuals overall health needs and conditions, and prescriptions are adjusted over time according to outcomes and changing needs.

You can buy plant medicine off the shelf if you source the product from a reputable supplier. In today’s vast array of herbal products, this task can be challenging as not all products are regulated and may be of varying quality and even contain ingredients not noted on the packet.

The British Herbal Medicine Association (BHMA) is a regulatory body promoting the use of plant medicine products manufactured to pharmaceutical standards to ensure consistently high quality and effectiveness for the consumer. BHMA products are approved by the government agency the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) and these products have a THR (Traditional Herbal Registration) logo on the packet.

You can attend courses to learn how to grow and make your own plant medicine. It is important to identify, grow, harvest, prepare, store plant medicine correctly in order for it to be effective.

A New Era in Medicine: Harnessing the Power of Medicine Plants

Dr. Nicolette Perry PhD, pharmacognosist at Dilston Physic Garden, highlights the urgent need for the UK to embrace a new era of medicine — one that integrates the power of medicinal plants and a holistic approach to health, nutrition and wellbeing, empowering greater autonomy in healthcare. With bold action across government policies including regulatory and agricultural reforms and incentives and, crucially, in education, we have the potential to transform public health and our healthcare system within a generation.

Preventing Disease with Medicinal Plants
Incorporating edible medicinal plants into our daily diet is fundamental to long-term health. Humans used to consume a range of medicinal plants in our diet. Scientific research increasingly shows specific edible medicinal plants are linked to a significantly reduced risk of specific chronic diseases. Policy, education and healthcare institutions need to act now.

Medicinal plants offer such a potent array of protective chemicals including them in our diet and food products is vital for long-term health – from anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral agents, to chemicals that support immune, cardiovascular, respiratory, and circulatory health.

Epidemiological studies reveal striking trends: regular consumption of fruit juice, walnuts, and curry is associated with slower cognitive decline, and diets rich in fruits and vegetables are linked to lower all-cause mortality.

Beyond observational data, 100’s of clinical trials provide robust evidence of the benefits of a range of specific edible medicinal plants to support specific aspects of health. For example clinical research shows the powerful benefits of red apple – in supporting immunity, regulating blood sugar, benefiting heart health, and exhibiting anticancer properties.

Safer, More Affordable Medicine
Healthcare today offers choice. Scientific evidence highlights the effectiveness of plant-based interventions, and where studied plant medicine has been shown to match and in some cases surpass pharmaceuticals in efficacy. Plant medicine can be incorporated alongside pharmaceutical drugs, and in some cases may offer a safer alternative — with fewer or no side-effects, such as addiction, sexual dysfunction, or daytime sedation.

Medicinal plants can offer a more affordable option, while delivering the additional health benefits from their rich array of health promoting phytochemicals.

By referring patients to NIMH medical herbalists for common chronic conditions, GPs can help provide the vital holistic approach needed in modern healthcare — incorporating dietary and lifestyle changes, providing a monitored and adjusted medication that holistically treats the whole range of conditions an individual presents with, and helps address root cause of illness.

Vital for Drug Discovery
Traditional plant medicine remains a key driver of pharmaceutical innovation, providing the foundation for many modern medicines. Harnessing this wisdom alongside cutting-edge research is essential to shaping the future of healthcare.

Registered Medical Herbalists

Dilston Physic Garden is dedicated to providing easily accessible information about plant medicine that is firmly rooted in science in order to help bridge the gap that has grown between plant medicine and general medicine. Here are qualified medical herbalists affiliated with Dilston Physic Garden.

In the UK, medical herbalists can train with 3 main associations with members holding a BSc degree or equivalent. NIMH members are trained in the same diagnostic skills as GPs, while other associations encompass alternative diagnostic and treatment approaches:

In the UK the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), established in 1864, is a leading professional body for medical herbalists who use plants with traditional uses validated by modern scientific research and clinical trials, and study both orthodox and plant medicine. You can find a NIMH registered herbalist near you by searching their website.
The European Herbal and Traditional Practitioners Association (EHTPA) established in 1993, is the main professional practitioner association in the UK affiliated with Irish and Danish herbal associations. It represents professional associations of herbal/traditional medicine practitioners offering western herbal medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, ayurveda and traditional Tibetan medicine, and is dedicated to enhancing the legal basis of practice across EU Members States and promoting best practice.
The Association of Master Herbalists (AMH), established in 1995, uses an alternative naturopathic approach with a strong affinity to the North American eclectic school. Practitioner members are trained in modern plant medicine as well as assisting in corrective nutrition and appropriate exercise. Many members use alternative assessments such as the art of iridology and pulse diagnosis. You can find a AMH registered herbalist near you by searching their website.
The Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners (URHP) is an international register formed in 1997, embracing members trained in various herbal traditions across the world, including western herbal medicine, ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, Tibetan medicine, and unani tib or Perso-Arabic traditional medicine. Members utilise the modern, scientific understanding of plant medicine, as well as drawing on the traditional herbal usage, nutrition, acupuncture and various alternative modalities including energetics, naturopathy, reflexology and reiki.

Dilston Dispensary of Plant Medicine

You can have easy access to qualified information at the Dilston Dispensary of Herbal Medicine with NIMH medical herbalist Davina Hopkinson on Wednesdays 12.30-2.30 pm. Just contact Davina in advance davinaherbalist@gmail.com to make an appointment.

The dispensary is also available via phone or video call (normal consultation rates apply). Davina Hopkinson is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) and gained her degree in herbal medicine at Lincoln University.

Consultation, Medicine & Cost: £25 for thirty minutes. £45 for forty-five to sixty minutes. Plant medicine is purchased separately at approximately £8.50 per 100ml /weeks prescription.

About Davina

Davina has over 20 years experience in prescribing effective plant medicines to patients. Davina says, “One of my favourite plant medicines is verbena. Use of this herb has been recorded consistently since Egyptian times and it used to be revered as something of a cure all. These days one of its main uses is a relaxing nerve tonic. The English herbalist Culpepper described it as being useful for people who are “frantic” and I think this is an apt description, who these days is not frazzled and stressed out!”

Davina works from home and visits patients in their own homes around the North East and works with the physic garden in organising educational school visits for children, as well as running the NIMH Junior Medical Herbalist Club and her popular Children’s Potion Clubs.