The Safe Use of Herbs and Aromatics for a Healthy Lifestyle with Ellen Kamhi PhD, RN, AHN-BC, RH(AHG), The Natural Nurse® (Ep. 384)

(Listen to the full episode here.)

The therapeutic use of plants for medicinal purposes is known as herbal medicine. These ancient, natural remedies were man’s original solutions for their ailments, preceding conventional medical interventions.

Recently, herbal medicine has experienced a resurge in popularity. In 2021, the global herbal medicine market size was valued at about $152 million and it is projected to grow to approximately $347 billion by 2029. Furthermore, it is estimated that nearly one-third of Americans use herbs.

Importantly, approximately 70% of people who use botanicals are reluctant to tell their doctors about it. This can have safety risks due to potential interactions and quality issues.

Herbal supplements are classified as dietary supplements. This means that although they must follow Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), they are not necessarily tested for efficacy and purity by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) prior to their release. Still, they are regulated for safety post-marketing. Furthermore, many reputable companies go through excessive quality control measures and third-party testing to produce standardized, safe, and effective therapeutic herbals.

Those who are familiar with essential oils and herbs have come to know how these measures for quality and knowledge of the plant is paramount to obtain the desired results without unintended effects.

This is why I was excited to interview Ellen Kamhi, affectionally known and trademarked as the Natural Nurse, on the Essential Oil Revolution podcast. She has been studying natural medicine since 1964.

Ellen has gained her profound knowledge through traveling the world and learning from both conventional educational settings and through immersing herself in ancient traditions with masters and shamans. She is a passionate teacher, professor, sought-after speaker, radio show host, author, and traditional healer.

In this interview, Ellen empowers us with information on how to safely integrate herbs and essential oils to enhance our health. We also explore why natural therapeutics aren’t integrated more freely into conventional medicine. Additionally, Ellen provides us with many wonderful tools and tips on how we can become more educated to further form a deeper understanding and appreciation for the power of plants.

Here’s an overview of what you’ll learn from the show:

1. How a severe injury from a horseback riding incident got the Natural Nurse into natural medicine and what holistic therapies she utilized to recover.
2. The use of homeopathy for supporting health and keeping it available to consumers.
3. What entails becoming board certified in holistic nursing.
4. A review of how herbs, aromatics, and essential oils differ in their preparation, extraction, and manufacturing and how these aspects impact their mechanisms of actions.
5. Why you don’t have to choose between essential oils and herbs.
6. An example of how to combine herbs, homeopathy, and essential oils for respiratory challenges.
7. The importance of recognizing herbal-drug interactions.
8. The safety of natural therapeutics vs. pharmaceuticals and how there is often an overhype of the dangers of natural approaches.
9. Why there isn’t more public and medical awareness of the efficacy of herbal medicine.
10. How to access natural medicine research.
11. Our DIY: Using essential oils to help mitigate EMF dangers, two mentioned were rose and lavender oils.
12. Closing questions: What Ellen does for self-care daily and what she feels we should ditch and switch out with for better health.

Click here to empower yourself with more information by listening to the full episode.

Click here to access a show summary and additional resources.

Please support the show by providing a rating and feedback on your favorite podcast player. This is a no-cost way to spread the word and to help us stay in alignment with what you, the listeners, want.