Why then use the whole plant instead of the isolated, purified medicine?
The first reason is that the whole is often greater than the sum of the individual parts. Removing an “active ingredient” for exclusive use denies the existence of a positive interplay, or synergy, between the multiple components within an herb. The second is the broader and gentler action of the herb compared to the isolated chemical drug, whether that drug is plant based or synthesized. When the exact mechanism of the disease has not, or cannot, be elucidated, the multiple actions of the many integral parts of the plant give a greater chance of successful therapy than when a narrowly focused therapeutic strategy (such as using a single chemical compound) is employed. The third advantage of using the whole plant, in balanced extract form, is the nutritional benefits that accrue from adding almost anything plant-based to the typical pet (or human, for that matter) diet, which tends to be over processed and lacking many trace nutrients.
