Herbal medicine uses preparations made from plants and plant-derived materials as part of healthcare. At Riverside Natural Health Centre in Nottingham, our approach is individualised, evidence-aware and safety-led. That means looking at the whole person, but it also means being clear about uncertainty, possible interactions and when conventional medical assessment matters.
Herbal medicine is not one single remedy or one single tradition. Different systems use different plants, preparations and prescribing approaches. Modern practice can draw on traditional knowledge, pharmacology, contemporary research, safety data and recognised herbal monographs without pretending those sources all provide the same level of evidence.
Looking for practical safety information? Start with our new Herbal Medicine Safety and Interactions guide.
What is herbal medicine?
Herbal medicines may be prepared as tinctures, teas and infusions, decoctions, extracts, powders, capsules or external preparations. The plant species, plant part, extraction method and dose can all change the chemical profile of a preparation, so two products with the same plant name are not automatically equivalent.
This is one reason we do not treat “natural” as a synonym for “safe”, “gentle” or “effective”. Plants contain biologically active compounds. Those compounds may be useful, inactive at a given dose, cause side effects, or interact with medicines. Good herbal practice starts by accepting all four possibilities.
For a broader introduction, see What is herbal medicine?. To learn how different preparations are made and used, visit Types and preparations of herbal medicine.
Traditional use, pharmacology and clinical evidence are different things
Herbal medicine has a long history, but historical use alone does not prove that a treatment works for a modern clinical indication. Equally, identifying a pharmacologically active compound in a laboratory does not automatically show that a whole herb will produce the same effect in a person.
When we discuss evidence, we try to separate several different questions:
- Traditional use: how a plant has historically been prepared and used.
- Pharmacology: what is known about constituents and biological mechanisms.
- Clinical evidence: what human studies suggest about benefits, risks and limitations.
- Safety evidence: adverse reactions, contraindications and herb–drug interactions.
- Regulatory evidence: whether a product meets relevant standards for quality, safety and traditional use.
The answer is not always neat. Some herbs have substantial human evidence; some have promising but incomplete research; others are supported mainly by traditional use. A responsible consultation should make those distinctions visible rather than flattening everything into “herbs work”.
Safety and herb–drug interactions
Herbal medicines can interact with prescription and over-the-counter medicines. The NHS specifically advises people to check before taking herbal medicines when they use other medicines, and highlights extra caution in pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, and people with kidney or liver problems.
Read the NHS guidance on herbal medicines and complementary therapies.
At Riverside, medication and supplement use forms part of the consultation. If a potential interaction is relevant, the appropriate response may be to choose a different herb, change the preparation, seek further information, ask you to discuss something with your pharmacist or GP, or decide that herbal treatment is not appropriate.
For a detailed explanation, including THR regulation and adverse-reaction reporting, read Herbal Medicine Safety and Interactions.
What happens in a herbal medicine consultation?
A consultation is a structured conversation about your health rather than a quick route to a bottle of herbs. We may discuss your current concerns, medical history, medicines and supplements, diet, sleep, stress, digestion, allergies, previous reactions and any relevant investigations or diagnoses.
The purpose is to understand enough context to decide whether herbal medicine is appropriate and, if so, what kind of preparation makes sense. Current appointment lengths, prices and availability can change, so the booking system is the best place to see up-to-date practical details.
View Herbal Medicine appointments and current booking information.
What kinds of herbal preparations are used?
Different preparations suit different plants and different practical needs. A tincture is not simply a “strong tea”, and an extract or capsule cannot be assumed to behave identically to a traditional infusion. Preparation affects concentration, stability, convenience and sometimes safety.
Our Herbal Medicine Types page introduces tinctures, infusions, decoctions, extracts and external preparations. That page is part of this developing knowledge hub and will continue to be expanded with clearer information on preparation, quality, dosing principles and limitations.
How are herbal products regulated in the UK?
Some traditional herbal medicinal products sold directly to the public are registered through the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Traditional Herbal Registration scheme. The scheme considers areas including quality, safety and evidence of traditional use. A Traditional Herbal Registration should not be read as proof that clinical effectiveness has been demonstrated through trials.
The MHRA also sets out separate provisions relevant to certain herbal medicines supplied by a practitioner following a one-to-one consultation. Regulation depends on how a product is prepared, supplied and marketed.
Read the MHRA guidance on Traditional Herbal Registration.
Explore the Herbal Medicine knowledge hub
- What is herbal medicine? — the foundations, terminology and how plant medicines are understood.
- Types and preparations of herbal medicine — tinctures, infusions, decoctions and other forms.
- Herbal Medicine Safety and Interactions — medicines, contraindications, THR regulation and Yellow Card reporting.
- Naturopathy — how herbal medicine can sit within a broader lifestyle-focused consultation.
- Psychotherapeutic Herbal Medicine — information about Riverside’s separate psychotherapy-integrated service.
- About Martin — practitioner background and approach.
Herbal Monograph Library
For deeper study, our Herbal Monograph Library provides fully referenced A–Z profiles of individual medicinal plants. Each monograph covers botanical identity, medicinal parts, key constituent groups, preparations, traditional use, human evidence, regulatory conclusions, adverse effects, interactions and a numbered reference list.
The library is designed to work at two levels: an accessible overview for the public and enough technical detail for students to follow the references into regulatory documents, systematic reviews and primary literature.
Frequently asked questions
Can herbal medicine be taken with prescription medicine?
Sometimes, but not automatically. Interactions depend on the specific herb, medicine, dose and individual. Bring a current medicines list to your consultation and do not stop prescribed medication unless the clinician responsible for it advises you to do so.
Does natural mean safer?
No. Natural origin tells you where something came from; it does not establish safety, dose, quality or compatibility with other medicines.
Is traditional use the same as clinical proof?
No. Traditional use can be valuable evidence about historical practice and may inform modern research, but it is not equivalent to demonstrating effectiveness in well-designed clinical trials.
Do I need to tell my GP or pharmacist?
If you take prescribed medicines, have a significant medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have concerns about an interaction, involving your pharmacist or medical team may be appropriate. Herbal medicine should complement safe healthcare rather than create a parallel system that ignores it.
Can I buy herbs without a consultation?
Many herbal products are available commercially, but availability is not the same as suitability. A consultation becomes particularly valuable when medicines, long-term conditions, multiple symptoms, previous reactions or complex supplement use are involved.
Herbal medicine without the mythology
There is plenty about herbal medicine that is fascinating without pretending every plant is a cure or every traditional claim is scientifically settled. The aim of this section is to build a resource that explains what we know, what we do not know, how herbal medicines are prepared, where safety problems arise, and how evidence should be interpreted.
That is the standard we are building the Riverside Herbal Medicine library around.
Considering a herbal medicine consultation?
See current appointment availability, consultation options and booking information through Riverside’s booking system.
Book or view Herbal Medicine appointments
Educational information on this site is not a substitute for diagnosis, emergency care or advice from your GP, pharmacist or another appropriate healthcare professional.