Honey, Herbs and Hemp-can “Natural” substances Promote better Health-especially for older adults?

Spending on prescription drugs in the US is on the rise and is projected to far outpace growth in other parts of the health care sector in 2020. Average individual spending, both privately and through insurance co-pays is around $450 a year but it is over $650 a year for the 50 + population. To add to this, as a government we spend a huge 10% of total healthcare spending on drugs or what is an estimated $340 billion each year. Apart from the fact that waste in the prescription drugs industry is enormous (and estimated 35% of drugs dispensed are never taken!) as much as 60% of drugs dispensed are deemed to be of low and no value -meaning that they have no medical impact (antibiotics for as chronic bronchitis, for example) or it has an almost unmeasurable impact (but may just be prescribed and taken out of habit and/or for simple mental comfort purposes for the patient). Despite these problems, there are clearly many areas where prescription drugs are necessary and critical to the health and the long-term survival of the recipient. My point here is not to doubt this, but to suggest that for many older adults there are a number of ‘natural’ substances that can and should be considered and many of these may be as good if not better than the prescribed drugs alternatives. 

‘Natural substances’ come in many forms and often have other collective category names such as “Botanicals” or “Nutraceuticals”. However, for the purposes of this article, I want to specifically look at 3-Honey, Herbs, and Hemp.

Honey

Honey has been used for a variety of medical purposes by humans for thousands of years (there are cave paintings from 8,000 years ago!). Made by honeybees from nectar, the highest quality honey (which, by the way, excludes many of the ones sold in grocery stores which are often ‘cut’ with considerable amounts of corn syrup). Honey has many benefits including being:

• Rich in Antioxidants.
• Effective in Reducing the duration of diarrhea
• Helpful in Preventing acid reflux
• Better than Sugar for Diabetics.
• Helpful in Lowering Blood Pressure (because of high antioxidants).
• Good for lowering Cholesterol.
• Often effective in lowering Triglycerides.

Honey also has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Modern medical science has also managed to find uses for honey in chronic wound management and combating infection. What all this means is that used in moderation, (it is still high in sugar!) honey can be a very useful natural substance that we ingest more often in its pure form.

Herbs

Herbs are a whole class of substances that come from the leaves of plants (unlike spices that come from the roots typically). Some of the herbs commonly associated with health are Anise, Basil, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Cayenne Pepper, Cinnamon, Cumin, Fenugreek, Garlic, Ginger, Oregano, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage, Turmeric, and others. Like virtually all leafy green plants, herbs are nutritious. But ounce for ounce, fresh herbs like oregano, rosemary, and basil are among the most nutritious greens you can find. Compared with the same amount of lettuce, raw basil gives you three times as much vitamin A, four times as much calcium, five times as much iron, 15 times as much vitamin K, and 25 times as much vitamin C. Similarly, the total antioxidant capacity of fresh oregano is eight times higher than spinach. But beyond their benefits in vitamins and minerals (from which the body benefits greatly) these herbs have considerable credible research to show that they have wider medicinal benefits as well. For example:

·     Basil: can help regulate blood pressure.

·     Garlic: reduces cholesterol and triglycerides.

·     Oregano: contains potent anti-microbial compounds that can protect against dysentery.

·     Peppermint:  can soothe nausea and indigestion.

·     Rosemary: increases circulation to the brain.

·     Turmeric: is effective at reducing pain and swelling in people with arthritis.

The point here then is that paying attention to particular herbs, depending upon a person’s condition, (and whether it is used in preparing food or taken as a dietary supplement or in herbal tea drinking, for example) can have a potentially significant beneficial impact.

Hemp

Hemp seeds are the seeds of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. They are from the same species as cannabis (marijuana) but a different variety, but contain only trace amounts of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana. In 2018 the US Government made Hemp-derived CBD a class 5 drug and the resulting explosion in growing, manufacture, and distribution has soared. And so too have the medicinal benefit claims for literally hundreds of conditions. Unfortunately, rigorous double-blind scientific testing at scale lags far behind and issues of accurate dosages and efficacy are yet to be well validated in most of these cases. However, there are some benefits for which there is reasonable evidence on a more limited basis and CBD has several safe and effective applications.

Like Herbs, Hemp seeds are extremely nutritious and rich in healthy fats, protein, and various minerals. However, in addition, they have been shown to:

·     Aid sleep

·     Reduce Risk of Heart Disease

·     Benefit Skin Disorders

·     Reduce Symptoms of PMS and Menopause

·     Reduce inflammation

·     Off natural pain relief

·     Relax muscles and reduce stress

Summary

The purpose of this article is not to advocate for Honey, Herbs or Hemp as individual categories of plant-based material, even though they are all already widely ingested or used on and in the body across the world (in many cases for hundreds if not thousands of years) but to use them as examples of natural substances that have widespread attestation as having beneficial properties for human health, if used carefully and in targeted ways. Furthermore, with solid and educated advice and oversight, these natural substances may have the capacity to do as much, if not more good, than a high proportion of the prescription drugs that are dispensed today in increasing number and at dramatically increasing costs-especially to older adults. At the minimum, we may save 10’s if not 100’s of millions of personal and taxpayer dollars. Food for thought at least!

Jon Warner is CEO of Silver Moonshots-www.SilverMoonshots.org, a research and mentoring organization for enterprises interested in the 50+ older adult markets with its own aging focused virtual accelerator. He is also Chapter Ambassador for Aging 2.0 and Co-chair of the SBSS “Aging in the Future” conference, in Los Angeles