5. The power of plants in autoimmunity

Herbal remedies can help relieve symptoms of autoimmune disease, though need care and thought. Our suggestions combine modern discoveries with experience from my practice.

Autoimmune disorders are complex and the treatment is not a simple one plant solution, nor is it speedy. Instead, the role of treatment is to find and modify the underlying provocations to autoimmunity. This can be challenging without professional experience, but anyone can start out following their own leads with some of the safe remedies below. These can all be done alongside conventional prescriptions..

[Simon says. It may look daunting but take a deep breath and carefully work through the options for yourself. If you are finding it difficult seek professional help – or get back in touch with us!]

Previous articles have highlighted how almost all autoimmune problems have become linked to barrier disruption and microbiome dysbiosis. These are good places for anyone to start!

The approach adopted by a practitioner would often be to work on functions that can be easily and safely helped first (like ‘peeling the layers of an onion’) to avoid exacerbating symptoms. This often starts with the digestive system and bowel functions.

Then it may be possible to investigate any infection, past or current, as possible signs of the initial tissue damage described in the first article of this series. These may be too late to fix, but focusing on them and their complications can sometimes reduce ongoing provocation.

The view in other medical traditions was that deep seated chronic inflammatory conditions are deeply rooted toxic conditions. This notion is easily dismissed as primitive humbug, but given what we have seen of the impact of viral and other infections it makes sense again to do some cleaning up! 

Let us take each of these strategic objectives in turn.

[Simon says: Consider whether each step is applicable to you and then look carefully at the suggested remedy descriptions to see which best fits your situation. This will all take time. You can take one step at a time, allowing weeks for each to see if anything is happening.]

Gut barrier protection could be improved by using any of the following:

Aloe vera, boswellia, calendula flowers, licorice, meadowsweet, slippery elm, witch hazel.

Correcting dysbiosis (a safe assumption as being a factor) is a reason to add probiotics, prebiotics and fermented food to plant-rich diets, and avoiding sugars and processed foods. Closely observed eliminations of potential trouble makers like gluten foods, (see also the article on food allergies) could be considered. Adding plant remedies means starting upstream of the gut microbiome, to create a better environment for healthy microbes. Some of these plants have already been found to have prebiotic effects. Depending on constitutional types key remedies could include

Bitter (‘cooling’) digestives like andrographis, barberry, gentian, or wormwood.

Aromatic (‘warming’) digestives like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and turmeric

Hepatobiliary remedies to modify the important bile component: these include the bitters plus remedies like globe artichoke, dandelion root, milk thistle and rosemary.

Clearing infective damage could involve a wide range of remedies traditionally classified as ‘blood cleansers’ or ‘eliminatives’. More active versions could used if there is a flare-up in an underlying infection, such as fever, a coughing bout, a urinary tract infection, sore throat or swollen lymph glands. Experience is that benefits can be clearer and speedier when the body is already mobilising its innate immune system into battle!

So picking up any of these opportunities might involve some of the following:

• • Andrographis: a bitter that also supports defence against upper respiratory infections.
  • Barberry: a bitter suitable for gut upsets.
  • Boswellia: in gut infections.
  • Calendula: a high alcoholic extract will mobilise throat and upper gut defences.
  • Echinacea: when the throat and airways get involved.
  • Garlic: use raw and in larger quantities for short term correction of dysbiosis.
  • Wormwood: in gut infections.

Other more gentle eliminatives have been used to scale down symptoms in complex immune conditions. These could include:

Burdock root, celery seed, cleavers, dandelion root, nettle leaf, yellow dock root

Finally, there are a group of remedies that can gently complement direct anti-inflammatory treatments without getting in the way. Some of them do show such properties themselves; others bring novel approaches to reducing inflammation and even pain. These include:

Boswellia, devil’s claw, feverfew, ginger, turmeric, willow bark.