Immune modulation

by Stephen Harrod Buhner | Nov 26, 2011 | Autoimmune Disease, Columns, Healing Lyme, Symptoms | 5 comments

Dear Stephen,
I have noticed that a lot of herbs that are for “immune modulation” might actually mean immune “stimulation,” which causes me to launch into a lupus like syndrome with positive blood work for drug induced lupus. This goes away when I drop the offending drug/herb. In the description of your herbs, when it says “immune modulation,” what does that mean – “stimulating” or “regulating”?

Stephen’s response:
In general immune modulation means that if your immune function is low the herb will bring it up. If it is high the herb will bring it down. In general, when I say an herb is modulating that is what I mean by it.

Stephen

Author

Stephen Harrod Buhner

Stephen Harrod Buhner was an Earth poet and an award-winning author of twenty-four books on nature, indigenous cultures, the environment, and herbal medicine including the acclaimed book Healing Lyme: Natural Healing & Prevention of Lyme Borreliosis & Its Co-infections.

Stephen came from a long line of healers including Leroy Burney, Surgeon General of the United States under Eisenhower and Kennedy, and Elizabeth Lusterheide, a midwife and herbalist who worked in rural Indiana in the early nineteenth century. The greatest influence on his work, however, was his great-grandfather C.G. Harrod who primarily used botanical medicines, also in rural Indiana, when he began his work as a physician in 1911.

Stephen’s work has appeared or been profiled in publications throughout North America and Europe including Common Boundary, Apotheosis, Shaman’s Drum, The New York Times, CNN, and Good Morning America. Stephen lectured yearly throughout the United States on herbal medicine, the sacredness of plants, the intelligence of Nature, and the states of mind necessary for successful habitation of Earth.

He was a tireless advocate for the reincorporation of the exploratory artist, independent scholar, amateur naturalist, and citizen scientist in American society – especially as a counterweight to the influence of corporate science and technology.
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Stephen Buhner is no longer living and this Q + A column on Planet Thrive is closed to new questions. It will be kept on our website so readers can access vital information in the archives, communicate with each other in the comments section, and find herbs, books + lyme adjuncts in our directory. If you want to read more of Stephen’s writings, please see his website at: stephenharrodbuhner.com.

Steve Kaplan on May 3, 2017 at 6:49 pm

What Herb or Herbs are they referring to above?
Brad on November 16, 2017 at 10:42 am

I will throw you a quick response since there is nothing here.

You can purchase Stephen’s books for detailed lists. Im not sure if he agrees with my breakdown here, but here it is as best I understand it. This comes from years of experience and research.
Immune modulating:
Reishi, Green Tea, Ashwaghanda, Eleutherococcus, Chinese Skullcap, Turmeric, Ginger, Stephania etc. The big ones are the first 4-5.
Immune Stimulating: Vitamin D, Astragalus etc.

Now I believe he cites Cats Claw as a modulator, but I cannot take it because it tears up my body like astragulus or vitamin d. Thats only my reaction though.

Those who are chronically ill with autoimmunity ought not take immune stimulating substances until they can manage to clear out infection and rebalance immunity. Then they ought to stimulate to keep things at bay.
Taylor on December 1, 2017 at 7:09 pm

Brad, thanks for this info! Do you have any ideas on the best way to rebalance immunity after infections are cleared? Would it be to use immune modulating herbs?
Thanks!
Nomonde Ncume on May 15, 2018 at 12:20 pm

I also have autoimmune condition (lupus) therefore immmune stimulation is a killer to me.I request advice on herbs to assist in immune modulation to balance it back to healthy reactions thanks
Ncume Nomonde on May 15, 2018 at 12:26 pm

Thanks for response.will I get reply through email or I should remain on internet to get it now?