Herbs, Balance, and the Risk of Overstandardization: Rethinking Natural Medicine

There’s a common misconception that herbs are too weak to be effective compared to pharmaceutical drugs. While that may be true in some cases, in others, it’s not. Consider this: if you accidentally ingested the wrong herb in the wild, it could be powerful enough to cause serious harm—even death.

Herbs don’t typically act like isolated chemicals. Their strength lies in the totality of their chemical constituents. This holistic synergy works to bring balance to the body—often in a way that’s subtle and gradual. Because of this balancing effect, many underestimate how potent herbs really are.

Today, the herbal industry is booming. Standardized extracts have made herbal supplements more consistent and accessible, but also more concentrated. This pharmaceutical-style approach delivers drug-like dosages of herbs—sometimes without users even realizing it.

Herbal manufacturers want to sell product, and one of the ways they do that is by promoting strength and potency. A common strategy is to increase dosage per serving, often boasting labels like “You get X milligrams in every dose.” While this sounds impressive, it can be misleading—and even harmful—when applied to herbs that were never intended for high or prolonged use.

In my work with herbal clients, one of the major problems I see is liver and kidney damage due to misuse of concentrated supplements. To help protect these vital organs, it’s important to be mindful of how herbal products are used. If you’re working with extracts or isolated compounds, consider rotating your usage—one week on and one week off, or two weeks on followed by one week off. This gives your liver and kidneys time to rest and recover. Also, avoid over-blending your herbs to the point where their natural variation is lost. Think of it like marbling a mixture—leaving it gently varied rather than homogenized helps maintain the protective diversity of plant compounds.

My focus is on phytomedicines—herbal products that retain the full spectrum of plant constituents rather than isolating a single compound. Modern research, especially in Europe, has validated the benefits of this approach. In Germany, phytotherapy is so well regarded that over 70% of physicians prescribe herbal products, and medical students are required to study phytomedicine as part of their training.

There’s value in the natural “irregularity” of whole herbs. This variability helps the body process the remedy more safely and prevents the buildup of any one compound. With each dose slightly different, the body avoids the overwhelm that can come from consistent, high concentrations of isolated extracts.

Herbs are not inherently weak. They are complex, dynamic, and powerful when used as nature intended—whole, balanced, and with respect for their full chemistry.