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by Mary Shomon

Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, known as K.P. Khalsa, is one of the world's premier herbalists. As a member of the American Herbalists Guild, with more than 25 years of experience with medicinal herbs and natural healing, he represents one of the most astute and innovative experts on the subject of herbal medicine in America. Khalsa, in addition to being an accomplished master of Kundalini yoga and natural healing, focuses his herbal studies on Ayurvedic medicine, and also teaches and writes about Chinese and North American herbalism. After years in patient practice, Khalsa now concentrates his efforts on writing, speaking at conferences, providing in-person and web training for other professional herbalists around the nation, and consulting for Herb Technology, a company that provides herbal medicines for practitioners.

Khalsa is widely known as author of an immensely respected book that everyone should have as part of his/her health library, "Herbal Defense." I consider "Herbal Defense" one of the truly essential works for anyone who takes herbs, and in particular, for those with chronic health conditions and an interest in long-term wellness. Herbal Defense offers a comprehensive approach to understanding health through herbs and food. The book integrates herbal information from a variety of traditions, including Ayurveda (the medical system of India), Chinese medicine, and Native American herbalism. The book offers information on both preventing and treating conditions using herbal medicine, and a special focus on the immune system and how to support it.

I had the honor of exploring Khalsa's view of thyroid disease, and to learn of his perspectives on using herbs to treat thyroid and autoimmune disease, in a phone interview earlier this summer.

First, Khalsa believes one must identify what some of the general health triggers are that are allowing for the thyroid condition to take place. Says Khalsa, "as people begin to degenerate and experience imbalance, they begin to develop inflammation in various places. Why does one person get arthritis, another thyroiditis? Because they have a particular familiar tendency, or ate a lot of something that triggers an allergic sensitivity, or for some reason, the immune system didn't have the resources it needed to support appropriate vigilance. Ultimately what works very well is to get healthy. The way to treat this disease and many of these other slipperier, obscure inflammatory and autoimmune diseases is to treat what ails them."

Next, Khalsa believes that the objective for any chronic disease such as thyroid disease is to provide overall support for the immune system herbally, and then provide support to the targeted organ -- in this case, the thyroid -- using herbal medicine.

At the same time, with thyroid disease, Khalsa also recommends that yoga shoulderstands, and exercises that use neck rotation and neck extension are all classic help for the thyroid. "Anything that puts blood into and out of the thyroid can be a help," says Khalsa.

What types of herbal remedies should be taken?

That's a question that can't really be answered in an article. Trying to pick your own herbs and self-treat autoimmune disease is tricky, says Khalsa. "The most common story is that people are interested in herbal medicine, enthusiastic, they go to Walmart and buy a particular remedy, try it, and it doesn't work. Practitioners will suggest things that are more potent, effective and really do the job."

Khalsa feels that there's not a "one-size fits all" formula for thyroid disease. "You probably can't really self-treat an autoimmune disease in general," says Khalsa, " as you have to take a whole body point of view to get better results."

In fact, he doesn't even feel that an herbal approach focused on the thyroid is always even called for, when there is a thyroid condition. Says Khalsa, "I don't think that the approach always needs to be specially focused on the thyroid. What people almost always have is generalized chaos in the endocrine system, a chronic endocrine dysregulation. You can see thyroid disease, or adrenal disease, or even female hormone imbalance. It depends on the lens the practitioner is looking through."

Solving the problems are doable, says Khalsa, but it points up the need for assessment and treatment by an expert. Khalsa describes the interplay of hormones as a "symphony," and "by working on the whole system, an expert can get all the glands come into play."

Says Khalsa, "I always encourage people to see a practitioner at least once or twice."

Even in the most expert of hands, Khalsa counsels patience. "Hypothyroidism responds very slowly to natural therapies." According to Khalsa, he has found that autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's and Graves' disease are "some of the slowest responding conditions." His advice was, "expect a year for complete recovery and transition to a maintenance protocol."

To find a world-class herbalist like Khalsa Contact the American Herbalists Guild and see their Herbalist Referral page. Enter your state in the search box and hit submit, and you'll see AHG herbalists in your area.

For more informtion about Khalsa

• Read his book, Herbal Defense.
  
• Visit his website: www.kpkhalsa.com
  
• For Professionals: Herbal, medical or healthcare professionals interested in training, herbal consulting, or specialized herbal products and formulationscan call 800-659-2077 or email info@kpkhalsa.com