Page 76 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2020

HEALTHY LIVING
MEDICINAL Plants
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster
P rior to the rise of modern medicine, natural remedies were used to treat anything from minor aches and pains to bronchitis and respiratory infections. Before Tylenol there was Butterbur, and for colds, Echinacea. How do these medicinal plants stand up to today’s engineered drugs?
According to Dr. Jim Fox of Doctor’s Nutrition in Gulfport, natural remedies have stood the test of time. “Some
of the oldest remedies date back to
the Sumerian civilizations of what is now Iraq. They used plants in various formulas to aid in their medicine.” That was over 7,000 years ago, and many of these natural remedies are still used today.
So if medicinal plants are still helpful for addressing health concerns, how do they align with the use of modern engineered medicines? Dr. Fox says
it depends on the severity of the situation.
“Our modern methods of medicine are incredible in the ability to intervene in a crisis situation, and in those cases the natural medicines using herbs, etc. are not able to deal with the crisis that has developed in
the patient,” he says. “Natural methods are best when employed in the early stages of dysfunction.”
Doctor’s Nutrition specializes in functional medicine, using laboratory tests to determine which lifestyle changes and supplement could best improve the quality of life for their patients. Natural remedies are often employed in this approach. “Our rst step in achieving health and wellness should be the diet,” says Dr. Fox. “As Hippocrates said, ‘Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.’ From there you need a quali ed physician, one that is trained in what is now termed ‘functional medicine,’ to help monitor and guide you in that quest.”
Dr. Fox says that medicinal plants in the form of herbs can
be used in the preparation of our daily foods, adding avor as well as preventative qualities for our health. Some plants, due to their adverse tastes, can be taken in the form of pills or supplements.
“Just to name a few, items like mushroom compounds are used to stimulate the immune system and help prevent infections,” he says. “Another common herb is cinnamon extract, which helps with sugar handling and the ravages of the modern, highly processed diet.”
Doctor’s Nutrition
721 Cowan Rd., Gulfport 228.897.0070 ww.doctorsnutrition.com
76 | March 2020 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
BUTTERBUR – General pain, headaches and migraines
CINNAMON EXTRACT – Assists in sugar handling, addresses the concerns of a highly processed diet
ECHNIACEA – Colds, immunity, bronchitis and respiratory infections
ELDERBERRY – Reduces strength and severity of u symptoms
MUSHROOM COMPOUNDS – Stimulate the immune system and prevent infections
EVENING PRIMROSE OIL – PMS, breast pain, menopause and in ammation