Science of Herbs & Researching the Studies

The Science of Herbs:
Unlocking & Demystifying Plant Research

with Maria Noël Groves, Clinical Herbalist & Author

Anyone who says herbs don't have science to back their use isn't paying attention. Thousands of clinical trials and high-quality review studies have been conducted on medicinal plants, forming the backbone of "evidenced-based herbal medicine." But for herbalists and herb students, the world of scientific studies can feel nebulous and beyond our reach. Not so! In this class, Maria will teach you the basics on finding, understanding, and assessing the quality of research on plants. Learn how to be a plant research detective and stretch your science skills! Modern science is only one way to understand plants - and we will discuss its pros and cons. Being able to do your own digging puts the power in your hands, can better inform your herbal decisions, and can help you bridge herbalism to mainstream and conventional medicine communities.

 We'll cover...

• pros and cons of plant science versus other methods of learning herbs and assessing their benefits
• different types of scientific studies, terminology, benefits, limitations
• good (and not-so-good) free and low-cost sources for getting an overview of the science on plants
• how to search for and read scientific studies (using PubMed and other resources) - including in-class demonstration and group/student practice activities
• how to access full text versions of studies (usually for free)
• tips for how to read, understand, and assess a scientific study 
• how to use studies and evidence-based summaries to sleuth out the information that actually helps us glean clinically relevant herbal information on how well an herb might work for a health concern, how likely it is to work, and who it might work best for, more effective dose or formats, how long you might need to take it for it to start to work, and likely potential cautions or side effects
• how to sleuth out quality, bias, and B.S 

Recorded Tuesday, February 22, 2022, 6-9 pm Eastern Time

This class is part of Maria's Advanced Herbalist Training Program and available for drop-in registrations. It is geared towards intermediate/advanced herb students who already have a basic understanding of common herbs and materia medica. Drop-in students for this on-demand online class will have access to the live stream webinar video recording, slides, and detailed class notes.

Maria Noël Groves, RH (AHG), clinical herbalist, runs Wintergreen Botanicals, nestled in the pine forests of New Hampshire. Her business is devoted to education and empowerment via classes, health consultations, and writing with the foundational belief that good health grows in nature. She is the author of the award-winning, best-selling Body into Balance: An Herbal Guide to Holistic Self Care and Grow Your Own Herbal Remedies. Learn more about Maria and herbs at WintergreenBotanicals.com.