Herbalishous Owner Advocates Holistic Remedies

Herbs can be used for more than culinary purposes, as herbalist Mark Stearns would advocate.

A former cancer research scientist of 37 years, Stearns became interested in herbalism after experiencing five different medical problems untreatable by traditional methods. After several courses and training programs on herbal remedies, he opened Herbalishous, an herbal store located on Lancaster Avenue in Wayne, as a retirement project. On Wednesday, Stearns will visit the Radnor Memorial Library at 7:30 p.m to deliver his lecture “Herbal Supplements: A Crucial Component for Alleviating Stress and Improving Digestive Health."

“My mission is to find and provide herbal remedies for people who are in need,” he said. “And I’ve been reasonably successful.”

After a year and a half in business, Stearns has assisted in several gratifying cases. One case included two women who suffered from long-term constipation, unable to use the bathroom for “months at a time,” Stearns said. He treated them with aloe vera juice, which he said alleviated the problem within a week.

Another woman came into the store with a chronic bladder infection after unsuccessfully taking antibiotics. Stearns said he cured the problem with herbs of marshmallow root and uva ursi.

Herbalishous customers visit the store for a variety of reasons beyond blatant medical problems, seeking to ease headaches, reduce stress, clear the skin or increase libido.

“There’s some people who come in and know exactly what they’re doing in this, some who want instruction, and others who are skeptical,” he said. “There tends to be a mix.”

Skepticism toward herbal remedies is rooted in the variability among herbal companies and the nonstandard form of treatment, according to Stearns. He explained that herbal supplements are not FDA-approved because they do not fall within the bounds of a “pure entity,” or being composed of strictly one substance. Rather, a singular herbal supplement could consist of several different herbs.

Although herbal supplements do not undergo extensive, expensive clinical trials like many prescription medications, the FDA does regulate their manufacturing process. Herbal manufacturers must comply with the FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, and then are able to sell their products over-the-counter.

“Skepticism has been fueled by the growing pharmaceutical industry,” Stearns said. “Companies are negative towards herbal treatments and develop a bias for FDA- approved products.”

Stearns noted that the prevalence of herbal medications on other continents, predominantly Europe, exceeds the United States. Additionally, their usage is nothing new, for they have existed for the past six centuries.

“They’ve been used by a whole breath of cultures to treat conditions,” he said. “Only within the last 70 years, we’ve given up on [herbal treatments] in North America.”

The business owner relies on several sources in his approach to herbal remedies— primarily crediting David Winston, the founder of Herbalists and Alchemists in Washington, NJ, for his wealth of knowledge. He also declared Phyllis A. Balch “the godmother of herbal medicine” for her book Prescription for Herbal Hearing, and follows websites livestrong.com and mayoclinic.com.

Stearns participates in a Drexel Hill-based meetup group, Taking Charge of Your Health, which meets at his store bimonthly. Led by herbalist and nutritionist Birgit Lueders, the group meets to collaborate on holistic health regimens. Additionally, Stearns assists local doctors with advice and products for patients suffering from various issues, including weight loss, menopause and stress.

Stearns recommends the following three products for healthy daily living:

• Aloe vera gel, for general skin maintenance and issues including acne, rashes, eczema and liver spots.
• Ginkgo biloba, for improved circulation, heart function and mental capacity.
  
• Solgar No. 7 vegetable capsules, for improved joint function.