Simon Mills on modern medicine, plants – and the price we pay

After almost 50 years in clinical practice, I have seen the same pattern repeated over and over again.

People don't come because their body is broken.
They come because their body is trying to say something – and no one has taught them to listen.

Today, we live in a society where pills have become the obvious first choice. Pain? Take something. Inflammation? Suppress it. Upset stomach? Turn off the signal. It works quickly. It's convenient. And it fits a system built for efficiency.

But the question is not whether pills work.
The question is what they cost in the long run.

How we went from holistic to symptomatic

When I started clinical practice, herbal medicine was still a living tradition. Not romanticism. Not folklore. Practical medicine.

Plants were used to support function:

• digestion
• circulation
• liver and detoxification
• recovery

It was never about "shutting down" the body. On the contrary – the goal was to help it complete its own processes.

With the industrialisation of healthcare, everything changed. Pharmaceuticals could be:

• standardised
• precisely dosed
• tested in isolation
• patented and mass-produced

This made them perfect for a healthcare system that needed to scale quickly.

At the same time, the view of the body changed. From a dynamic system in balance – to a machine where parts can be adjusted, slowed down or turned off.

Inflammation is not the enemy

One of the biggest misunderstandings in modern medicine is the view of inflammation.

Inflammation is not a mistake.
It is a defense.

It's the body's way of increasing blood flow, mobilising immune cells, and promoting healing. When we reflexively suppress inflammation without asking why it occurred, we risk prolonging the problem.

I have seen it countless times:
The pain disappears – but the cause remains.

And the body responds by turning up the volume.

The downside of the pill

Medications are sometimes life-saving. I do not question that.

But prolonged, widespread use has consequences that are rarely openly discussed:

• antibiotics that destroy the microbiome
• acid-suppressing drugs that impair nutrient absorption
• painkillers that mask overload
• medications that require new medications to manage side effects

This is where I see the real cost.
Not in the acute effect – but in the slow weakening of the body's own systems.

Why herbs don't fit the system – but fit the body

Plants work differently.

They:

• act more mildly but broadly
• interact with several systems simultaneously
• support rather than block
• require time, continuity and context

This makes them difficult to fit into a system that wants quick, measurable results.

But that's also why they work.

Herbs work upstream.
They support digestion, circulation, liver and microbiome – the systems that determine whether inflammation becomes acute and transient or chronic and destructive.

When the body gets the right support

The most fascinating thing I've seen in my years as a clinician is this:

When fundamental functions are strengthened,
less symptom relief is often needed.

When the gut works,
inflammation decreases.

When circulation improves,
pain decreases.

When the body is allowed to work as intended,
we don't need to shut it down.

Final words

We didn't take the pill because the herbs stopped working.

We took the pill because it suited a society that wanted quick answers.

But the body doesn't work on quarterly reports.
It works in rhythms, relationships, and contexts.

My experience is simple:

When we stop seeing the body as a problem to control –
and start seeing it as a system to support –

everything changes.

Questions & Answers

1. Do you mean that inflammation is not dangerous?

No. Inflammation is the body's natural defense. The problem arises when it becomes chronic and never gets a chance to resolve. Then it is often a sign that something further upstream in the body needs support.

2. Why do you talk so much about the gut?

Because the gut affects much more than digestion. Immune system, hormones, inflammation, energy, and even brain health are strongly linked to gut function and the microbiome.

3. Are plants really "medicine"?

Plants have been used as medicine for thousands of years. Many contain bioactive substances that interact with the body's own systems. It's not about replacing healthcare – but about fundamental support.

4. Are antibiotics and medicines bad?

No. They are sometimes necessary and life-saving. The problem is overuse, especially when used for symptoms or conditions where they don't help, which can strain the body in the long run.

5. What does it mean to treat "upstream"?

It means not just focusing on the symptom, but on the cause. Pain, reflux, or fatigue can be the result of imbalances in digestion, liver, stress, or nutrient intake – not isolated problems.

6. What can I start with in my daily life?

Small things make a big difference: more variety of plants, bitter taste in the diet, less sugar, better meal routines, and listening to the body's signals instead of immediately silencing them.