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Did you know that many modern medicines have their origins in plants? Digoxin, originally found in foxgloves, was one of the first medications used to treat heart arrhythmias, while galantamine, originally found in snowdrops, is used to treat early-stage dementia.
While you shouldn’t go out and harvest foxgloves (they’re actually poisonous if not handled correctly), there are plenty of local native plants that are medicinal without the dose of toxins.
What is the history of plant-based medicines?
Go back just a hundred years, before pharmacies mass-produced drugs, and you’d find that most of the medicines people used came from plants.
Plus, medicinal plants have long been vital to many Indigenous communities in the United States and abroad.
“It’s profoundly culturally aligned for a lot of us and how many of us were raised; reclaiming traditional plant medicine is a type of cultural restoration, and I see it every day working with Native people,” says Terry Maresca, MD, Mohawk/Kahnawake Band, a family medicine physician and a clinical professor of family medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
That’s not to say that Western science isn’t valuable — inventions like vaccines, insulin shots and antidepressants have saved countless lives, and sometimes taking an antibiotic or getting that MRI is the only way to go. But Western medicine isn’t all-knowing, and sometimes medicines from plants may help meet needs that aren’t being met by prescriptions or doctor’s office visits.
Western medicine and Indigenous medicine are often pitted against each other, but they can coexist, and both play beneficial roles in people’s health.
What are the benefits of plant-based medicines?
Medicinal plants — also often called herbal medicine — may help with all sorts of medical issues and symptoms. They can also provide extra vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. If you’re having trouble sleeping, for example, there are plant medicines that can give you extra magnesium. If your potassium is low, there are plants that can help with that, too.
Sometimes, people decide to use plant medicines to supplement their prescription medications, especially if the prescriptions cause unpleasant side effects or if someone wants to be able to take less of those medications, Maresca says.
Plant medicines can be used for prevention, too. Another benefit is that they may be more accessible or affordable for some people.
Purchasing plant medicines from a local (hopefully Indigenous) supplier, or harvesting the medicine yourself, is also a profoundly different experience than taking a pill.
“Knowledge of medicinal plants helps you learn about where you live and increases respect for and protection of the natural world,” says Maresca.
8 PNW plants with medicinal properties to know
Here are just a few examples of native PNW plants and some of their health benefits:
Blue elderberry: Tea made from the cooked fruit might ease cold symptoms.
Bladderwrack: You’ve probably seen these algae on the Washington or Oregon coast without even realizing. When eaten, they may help reduce dental plaque.
Oregon grape: The berries are edible (though bitter) and full of antioxidants. The taproot contains berberine, which may reduce blood sugar, protect gut health, help treat ulcers caused by H. pylori, and help ease psoriasis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Nootka rose: The rosehips can be turned into jellies, syrups and teas that are a good source of vitamin C.
Salal: The berries are edible and may lessen inflammation, and the new leaves are astringent and can be used for wound care.
Stinging nettle: Maybe you learned to avoid touching this plant on hikes (with good reason — it really does sting), but underneath that prickly exterior is a powerful healer. Nettle contains lots of electrolytes and iron, plus it may help treat high blood pressure, urinary symptoms, high blood sugar, allergies and painful periods. It might also increase milk production in people who are lactating. (Plus, it makes a really tasty pesto sauce.)
Western red cedar: Among the many medicinal properties of this tree is that tea made from the leaves may help respiratory infections.
Yarrow: The leaves can be made into a tea that may help clear the lungs and relieve pain, and a poultice of the leaves may help stop bleeding.
Are plant-based medicines safe?
Medicine that comes from plants is no more or less dangerous than medicine from pharmacies — it all depends on the quality of the medication (where it was sourced from) and how it interacts with your body specifically.
But just like how supplements aren’t regulated by the federal government, neither are herbal and plant-based remedies. This means you don’t always know how much of the medicine you’re getting (or how highly concentrated it is) when you purchase it.
“There have been issues with contamination in commercial products, which is why I always advise people to look for safer brands that follow National Science Foundation product and ingredient certifications,” says Maresca.
Drug-plant interactions can happen, too, if you’re taking prescription medications. And people who have liver or kidney disease or plant allergies, as well as kids and people who are pregnant or lactating, might not be good candidates for many plant-based medicines.
Should you try plant-based medicines?
Before you delve deeper into the world of medicinal plants, ask yourself what your goals are and what you hope the plant medicines will do that Western medicines can’t or don’t.
“Taking plant medicines can look different than taking Western medicines,” Maresca says. “For example, you may have to take something multiple times a day. Or you may have an opportunity to grow it yourself.”
It may also be helpful to work with an Indigenous plant expert, naturopath, herbalist or someone else with expertise who can make sure you’re harvesting or procuring safe, high-quality plants. (Especially if you’re not knowledgeable about or comfortable foraging on your own.)
“A lot of Western medical people are poorly trained about this, even pharmacists,” Maresca says. “You may not be able to get information from Western medical sources and instead will have to consult with people in the community who are well-known and do this work.”
And always make sure you talk with your doctor before trying any new medicines, including plant-based medicines.
How can you forage and harvest safely and sustainably?
If you’re one of the many Washingtonians who loves spending time outside, you’ve probably noticed the uptick in people spending time in public parks, trails and national forests in recent years. And while it’s great to get outside — being in nature has many health benefits — it also puts stress on the land when people don’t recreate responsibly.
Harvesting and foraging are no different. Both must be done responsibly and with respect for the land and for Indigenous people who have long sustained mutually beneficial relationships with nature.
“Gain some knowledge of which tribes are in your area, because they will be gathering plants and they have treaty rights to do so,” Maresca says. “Recognize that this is what tribal members actively do; it’s not just something of the past.”
Foraging is allowed on public lands in Washington state, with restrictions, and sometimes permits are needed. Do your research to determine if and how you can legally gather plants — remember that different areas (such as national versus state-managed lands) will have different rules.
It might take a little work to get started on plant-based medicines, but you may find them helpful, and you may just deepen your connection with nature along the way.
