Helen has been practising from her clinic in Marino, Dublin 3 since graduating in 1994. She is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.

In addition to her herbal background, Helen has a background in Health Promotion and Stress Management, both of which complement her clinical work. She works with patients to give a greater understanding of their condition, see how certain patterns may play a part in their illness and explore how they can make effective lifestyle changes. She also teaches short herbal courses in the community so that people can use herbs most effectively for minor ailments. Helen also enjoys taking small groups for walks to identify our native wild herbs in their habitat.

Her clinical workload includes digestive, respiratory, gynaecological, menopausal, joint problems and stress/anxiety related disorders.

To make an appointment or enquire about course dates contact:
01 8368965
Mobile: 087 2455519
Email: helenmack@eircom.net
Saturday appointments available.

M.B.S., B.Sc.(Hons), M.N.I.M.H, M.C.P.P., M.I.M.H.O Founder of Veriditas Hibernica

Nikki is a plants woman, botanist, medical herbalist and aromatherapist who has spent over 30 years researching and working with plants and their connection with people, especially as medicines and foods.

She works as a practitioner of herbal medicine, aromatherapy, aromatic medicine and incorporates CranioSacral therapy, Sacred plant medicine and some shamanic techniques into her clinical work. She lectures for various 3rd level institutions, including the School of Nursing and the School of Pharmacy at University College Cork and the College of Naturopathic Medicine in Dublin. She has recently set up a 2 year Apprenticeship course in Herbal and Botanical Medicine for people who wish to learn community herbalism and also runs short introductory courses about herbs and their uses. She is also planning to run workshops on Sacred Plant Medicine and Earth Wisdom. She is chair of the Irish Medical Herbalists Organisation. She is a campaigner and writer and spends as much time as possible in her garden and walking in nature.

Her website can be viewed at www.veriditashibernica.org. She practices at the Evergreen Clinic in Cork City (021) 496 6209 and in Coachford Co.Cork (021) 733 4762.

Modern herbalists are highly trained, having completed a minimum of three years training usually culminating in a degree in Phytotherapy.  The extensive clinical training that medical herbalists undertake enables them to offer an holistic approach to modern medicine that incorporates evaluating symptoms, the underlying condition and understanding the emotions and lifestyle of a patient.

Often patients ask whether herbal medicine can be used while they’re on prescription medicines from their doctor.  The answer is yes. Herbal medicine is used in a supportive and beneficial role to the body, as well as being an effective part of treatment.

Finding a practitioner to suit your needs and concerns can be daunting, but we hope that once you have browsed our website you will feel confident to choose a practitioner from our organisation.

If you would like to learn more about herbal medicine, please click onto our events listing as we have courses running throughout the year to cater for all levels of knowledge.

If you are unsure whether herbal medicine can be of benefit to you and your family please feel free to contact us.

First lets look at PMS and menstrual problems:

For some women this condition can lower life quality for a few days before menstruation and for others it can be a condition that really dominates their lives, as symptoms are present for 2 weeks every month.

Symptoms can include water retention and/or abdominal bloating (up to 7 lbs may be gained), mood swings, irritability, low moods or energy, panic attacks, constipation, lower back pain, headaches or migraine or a variety of others.

These symptoms may be extremely debilitating.

Regular exercise can benefit by helping to regulate hormone levels and reduce stress.

A proper fluid intake is important, especially to reduce water retention and headaches. Caffeine intake should be kept to a minimum – no more than 3 caffeine containing drinks per day. Make sure that you are eating enough fruit and vegetables – fibre helps the body regulate hormone levels, particularly the fibre in linseed and in pulse and beans which have phyto oestrgens present. Whole grains also contain phyto oestrogens and should be chosen in preference to refined carbohydrates. Keep sugar intake to a minimum and eat regularly during the day, this helps to ensure that blood sugar levels are stable, which helps to reduce mood swings. Make sure that you are getting enough essential fatty acids in your diet – these are present in nuts and seeds and oily fish, or can be taken in the form of a supplement.

Make sure that your diet is not full of xeno-oestrogens (synthetic hormones or substances which mimic them – these include pesticide residues, hormones used to fatten intensively reared meat, plastic breakdown products which particularly leech into fatty foods from wrappings and packaging). Make sure that you are not drinking too much alcohol, as this can also raise oestrogen levels in the body – for women this means 14 units or less per week (a unit is a glass of beer, a measure of spirits but a glass of wine may actually contain as much as 1.5 or 2 units). Get enough sleep and relaxation.

Now let’s consider menopause:

Although some women sail through the menopause many experience symptoms of the changes occurring in their bodies. These may be mild or severe and can include: hot flushes, night sweats, disturbed sleep patterns, irritability, anxiety, depression, low energy, mood swings, panic attacks, abdominal bloating, effects on the memory or concentration, dry skin and hair, vaginal dryness, loss of libido, joint pains and stiffness.
HRT is one alternative, but many have concerns about taking this medication.

All of the lifestyle and dietary advice for PMS also applies for menopausal symptoms. If essential fatty acids and phyto oestrogen rich foods are included regularly in the diet before menopause then symptoms are less likely to occur, so even if you are only in your twenties consider starting this now

The other good news is that herbs have been shown to be very effective in the relief of most, and probably all of these symptoms effectively and without side effect.

Here are some examples:

Vitex agnus castus is possibly the best known herb for helping with PMS and works on the pituitary gland to regulate hormone production, which means it can help with a wide variety of symptoms. It can also help with the symptoms of menopause.

Stress can make both PMS and menopausal symptoms worse, and anxiety can also be a syptom in both cases. If this is so then using valerian can greatly reduce stress and anxiety, helping you to function and cope better.

Black Cohosh has received a lot of attention in recent times as a treatment for menopausal symptoms, including hot flushes, night sweats, low mood, and joint pain associated with menopause. It can also help to reduce high blood pressure which develops in some women at this time. In addition, it can be helpful in the treatment of headaches and migraine both associated with PMS and at menopause and with menstrual problems associated with excess progesterone.

Dandelion leaf can be used for water retention associated with PMS and menopause, but remember to drink plenty of water when taking it!

Milk thistle is a good liver tonic so that it can help the liver break down horomens in the body, so that circulating hormones are kept at a healthy level. It is also a tonic to the digestive system so it can help with symptoms of abdominal bloating and wind. If the se are occurring do consider the possibility of a food intolerance.

Barleygrass helps to alkalise the system which can benefit hte digestive system and reduce fatigue.

Chlorella contains useful amounts of B vitamins which can be helpful for PMS and is also a good source of dietary iron, which is useful for replenishing iron lost at menstruation.

Panax, Ginseng is particularly useful for symptoms of insomnia, decreased libido, lack of stamina or concentration, anxiety and other psychological symptoms of menopause – it also can benefit men going through the andropause!

Red Clover has recently been shown to contain a phyto oestrogen which may benefit menopausal symptoms. It can also be a useful tonic if the skin becomes dry and irritable around menstuation or at menopause.

Ginger is a valuable circulatory tonic and analgesic which can be very useful for period pain due to pelvic congestion, or if there are painful periods associated with bad circulation.

Bilberry is mainly thought of as a remedy for eye problems and for strengthening the capillaries, but it is also an excellent remedy for primary dysmennorrhoea – period pain withoug any known physical cause.

Hawthorn is well known as a treatment for circulatory disoders and blood pressure problems. However, it helps improve the circulation to the brain so can benefit memory function and concentration if these become an issue around menopause, and it also helps to relieve mild anxiety.

Be aware that it is always important to inform your practitioner about any medicines of supplements that you are taking and other treatments you are receiving. You should always consult a practitioner if symptoms do not improve, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or if you have any other concerns before taking herbal remedies or food supplements.

If you consult a herbal practitioner make sure that they are an member of the IMHO or are on the Nation Register of Herbalists

What can be done to decrease the risk of developing the condition or to treat it if it starts to develop?

First of all look at the diet. Make sure that you include plenty of fruit and vegetables every day – in Ireland at least 5 portions a day are recommended, whereas in France they recommend at least 10. Try to include some pulses (beans and lentils) a couple of times a week. Make sure that the fats you use come from plant sources, or from oily fish. Include fish in your diet and reduce the intake of red meat. And of course, cut out salt, use herbs and spices and lemon juice or cider vinegar to add flavour, as well as good quality cold pressed unrefined vegetable oils.

Drink plenty of water – we need at least 1.5 litres a day. If you find it hard to drink cold water try hot water with a slice of lemon, or herbal teas. Keep caffeine intake down- caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands, which automatically raises blood pressure.

Take regular exercise, try to leave the car at home whenever possible and walk instead, or cycle. Consider taking up some aerobic exercise such as cycling, swimming, dancing, canoeing or walking. Or take up a stress reducing form of exercise such as yoga, tai chi or chi gong.

If you know that you are feeling stressed consider having some massage, aromatherapy or reflexology, or take some soothing baths with essential oils.

Make sure you get enough sleep – research shows that sleep deprivation can lead to cardiovascular disease.

You could also consider using herbal supplements to improve the health of your cardiovascular system (the heart and circulation).

Hawthorn has long been used to improve the health of the heart and circulation, it’s benefits in this area were discovered in the 19th century by an Irish physician! As well as balancing the blood pressure, it also contains antioxidants which protect the blood vessels and can help relieve mild anxiety, which also helps reduce blood pressure.

If stress is a big factor in the condition then Valerian can be useful. Valerian is thought of as a remedy which helps improve sleep quality, and we have already mentioned the importance of sleep in maintaining a healthy blood pressure. However, Valerian can also help reduce anxiety and stress responses without making you drowsy during the day. It is most beneficial for these two properties if taken 3 times daily, rather than just taking before bed time. In addition, valerian is an antispasmodic which helps to relax smooth muscles; this includes relaxing the muscles in the walls of the blood vessels which helps to reduce blood pressure, and the skeletal muscles so that we hold less tension in our bodies.

Dandelion leaf can be beneficial for treating water retention associated with high blood pressure. Conventional medicine often uses thiazide diuretics as a treatment for high blood pressure; dandelion leaf contains a natural diuretic to help with water retention, but it also contains plenty of potassium so that the problem of potassium depletion which can occur with pharmaceutical diuretics does not occur. If using dandelion leaf do ensure that the fluid intake is adequate, about 1.5 litres of water per day.

Milk thistle is another herb which can be beneficial, it does not directly treat the blood pressure but it does help reduce blood fats, which can help prevent the development of plaques on the walls of the arteries, thereby reducing the risk of developing high blood pressure.

Black Cohosh is mainly thought of as a treatment for menopausal symptoms but has a tradition of use for high blood pressure too, so it can be particularly useful for treating this condition if it develops around menopause.

Garlic can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and blood pressure and also helps prevent circulatory problems and stroke by keeping the blood thin.

Be aware that it is always important to inform your practitioner about any medicines of supplements that you are taking and other treatments you are receiving. You should always consult a practitioner if symptoms do not improve, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or if you have any other concerns before taking herbal remedies or food supplements.

The first thing to realize is that we actually need some cholesterol – our bodies manufacture it and use it to make certain hormones and other things that our bodies need, so it is not all bad. What is a problem is if we have the wrong balance of the different types of cholesterol, or if we have too much.

We can reduce the amount of cholesterol we take in, but how do we make sure that our bodies are making and maintaining a healthy level?

Stress has been shown to contribute to high cholesterol (often accompanied by high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes) so cut down your stress, find ways to relax. Exercise is a good way to relax and also helps to maintain a healthy circulation. Guess what, drinking water actually helps too so take in at least 1.5 .litres a day.

Modify your diet – not just cutting down on red meat and other sources of saturated fat and cholesterol. Fibre helps the body deal better with cholesterol, one study in France showed that eating 4 apples a day can significantly reduce cholesterol, as can other forms of fibre founds in beans and pulse and whole grains (oat bran has received particular attention in this regard). Taking in the right types of fats also helps – olive oil is one of the best, as is the oil found in almonds (just 4 or 5 a day can help) and walnuts (again all you need is 4 or 5 a day) and oily fish. So try to have oily fish a couple of times a week, or include nuts and seeds in your diet and only use olive oil or other cold pressed, unrefined plant oils in your cooking.

Also, make sure that the diet is not too acidic – you can always use a barleygrass supplement to maintain a healthy acid/alkali balance in the body.

Alongside these measures you could also use a herbal supplement to help reduce cholesterol: Red yeast ric has traditionally be used for centuries as a heart remedy in China. Recent research shows that it benefits the heart and circulation by reducing cholesterol production in the body as it contains a natural statin.  This means that it works best if taken alongside Co-enzyme Q 10, and that it should not be used alongside pharmaceutical statins or with grapefruit juice.

Milk thistle helps be acting as a liver tonic, helping to detoxify the liver and regenerate it’s tissues. It also helps with the digestion of fats and in this way helps to lower blood lipid levels, so it works on the fats we take in. Garlic is often thought of as a ‘natural antibiotic’ but has also been shown to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

There are many other herbs and spices which can be used in the diet to benefit in this area for example, turmeric, cumin, rosemary and fenugreek, so start to experiment with a bigger range of seasonings too.

Be aware that it is always important to inform your practitioner about any medicines of supplements that you are taking and other treatments you are receiving. You should always consult a practitioner if symptoms do not improve, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or if you have any other concerns before taking herbal remedies or food supplements.

When herbs are harvested from the wild, it is important that this is done in an ethical and sustainable manner to ensure that the ecosystem is nurtured and stewarded, rather than exploited and destroyed.  Ethical wild harvesting helps protect the environment and provides an income for local people which allows them to do so. When herbs are cultivated organically this also protects the environment.

When the soil is managed organically long term soil fertility is improved, particularly as regards levels of minerals and micro-nutrients in the soil, and therefore in the plant.  In some cases, levels of minerals in conventionally grown plants can be 50% or less than those grown organically.  The mineral content of herbs is important as a  dietary source of these and because minerals enhance metabolic function and the absorption of active constituents.

Organic farming is sustainable farming, which helps to create healthy soil. Because organic farming restricts the use of herbicides and pesticides it maintains and increases genetic diversity in plant, insect and animal populations, by providing unpolluted habitats.

When plants are grown under conventional methods, with the application of chemical fertilisers they often produce a profusion of lush growth.  However, the active constituent levels and mineral levels are often lower than those grown organically. The reason for lower mineral levels has already been discussed.

The reason that plants grown with excessive amounts of fertiliser produce less active constituents is that the therapeutically important compounds are secondary metabolites produced in response to moderate stresses.  So basically, if the plant has it too easy as regards nutrition, lack of insects and too much water it does not produce the full range of constituents.

Plants need to be stewarded in a sustainable manner in accordance to their specific cultivation needs.

We are working with our growers to ensure that all the herbs produced are done so in accordance with the best cultivation practice for each species.

Why whole herb?

What is the advantage of using the whole herb, rather than isolated constituents or standardised extracts?

Not only is it a generally held belief of herbalists that the most effective therapeutic agent is the whole herb, but there is evidence to support this as well.

Due to the lack of processing, they also have less environmental impact than medicines which are highly processed.

Philosophically, the whole plant is seen as having co-evolved with the animals and humans.  Plants produce various secondary metabolites which do not have a direct effect on their own metabolism, but which have significant effects on animals and humans.

It is felt that the whole herb has a more harmonious therapeutic effect on the human organism, balancing the system rather than suppressing disease processes.  They can be used to bring the organism into a better state of health, and to strengthen parts of the constitution which are either congenitally weak , or weakened by disease or stress.

These components act together on the organism, so that the action of the whole is greater than that of the individual components (synergy), and in many cases may increase the bioavailability of the compounds present in the whole herb for example:

Hypericum perforatum contains hypericin and pseudohypericin, which have been demonstrated to have an antidepressant activity.  It also contains procyanidins, and it has been demonstrated that the antidepressant activity is more effective when both classes of compounds are present.

Daidzin, an isoflavone glycoside present in Pueraria lobata, achieves much higher plasma concentrations when a crude whole herb extract is given rather than equivalent doses of pure daidzin.

Ascorbic acid in a crude citrus extract is more effective than ascorbic acid administered in isolation.

In other cases the whole plant appears to contain substances which act as buffers or quenchers of undesirable effects.

For example: Dandelion leaf is commonly used as a diuretic.  With many pharmaceutical diuretics it is necessary to take potassium concomitantly to prevent potassium depletion.  However, dandelion leaf contains so much potassium that it will give a net gain in potassium, even whilst acting as a diuretic.

Meadowsweet is one of the plants from which aspirin precursors were originally extracted (the name aspirin means from Spirea the former botanical genus name for meadowsweet). As is well known one side effect that can occur with aspirin is gastric irritation/hyperacidity and bleeding.  However, due to the other constituents in meadowsweet, it not only has an anti-inflammatory action but is used to reduce over secretion of acid it the stomach and to treat ulcers.

Whole herb extracts also contain significant amounts of vitamins and minerals which assists the human metabolic processes, and in some cases are present insignificant enough levels to act as vegetable sources of supplementation.

In many cases,  all the constituents of the herb have not been identified, or the action of the constituents (individually and synergistically) elucidated.  For example, the valepotriates present in Valerian are known to be sedative, but it is also known that there are other constituents  that contribute to the action of valerian which have not yet been identified.  By using the whole herb, it is ensured that all the unidentified constituents are also included.

In Germany, St. John’s Wort preparations are now given as whole herb rather than standardised extracts, since it has been recognised that the researched active constituents are only part of the therapeutic components of the plant.

When standardised extracts are used which contain the whole herb, but have what is seen as the principal active constituent corrected to a higher level, problems can occur.  With such products there tends to be a higher incidence of adverse events, including side effects and undesirable interactions with pharmaceutical drugs.  This has been seen with herbs such as Kava Kava, St. John’s Wort and Gingko Biloba.

It is beginning to be reconised that many modern diseases are as a result of taking in substances that are over refined.  It makes sense to take medicines that are in a whole and natural form to redress these imbalances.

The argument for using standardised extracts is that it is only the identified active constituents that are important in the therapeutic action of the herb, but actually it is the complex nature of the whole herb that gives the most rounded action.   There will be slight variations from one harvest to the next, but these are in response to the same environmental factors that the consumer is subject to and does not present a problem.

When herbs are properly harvested, dried and processed the full range of constituents that are present in the living plant are preserved in the herbal preparation. The minimal processing invloved in producing encapsulated whole herbs gives a high level of therapeutic potency and reduces environmental impact.

As Sharma says:
“the active ingredient model does not stem from a strength of the scientific method, as often supposed: rather it stems from a weakness – from the inability of the reductionist methods to deal with complex systems.”

Over thousands of years herbal medicine has been the primary form of medicine used by mankind – even in the present day the World Health Organisation estimates that up to 80% of the world’s population still uses herbal medicine.

In the present day up to 70% of pharmaceutical drugs are based on substances that were originally isolated from plants and 25% of medicines are still synthesized from plant material.  In their search for new products many pharmaceutical companies are turning to old herbals and traditional healers for ideas.

Herbal medicine has been used as domestic folk medicine by rural communities and also formed the main bulk of the pharmacopeia of orthodox medicine until relatively recent times. In Western Europe herbal medicinal knowledge included learning from classical Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Arabic texts, as well as knowledge from local healers. In the Dark Age some of the most respected centres for learning were based in the Celtic world, particularly Myddfai, in Wales and in Ireland.

From the 11th century medical schools were founded in Europe, along with botanical gardens to instruct students in the recognition, cultivation and use of plants.  The first was in Salerno, in Italy.  Again, it is only in recent times that botany was dropped from the curriculum of medical schools.

Now there is a resurgence in interest in the use of herbs for medicine as people seek more natural remedies with less side effects.

• Chevallier A. ‘The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants’, p. 16, London 1996. Dorling Kindersley