No.1 Herbal Medicine Expert: This Over The Counter Drug Is Quietly Killing You!

Mills also reflects on how urbanization and modernization have distanced us from traditional plant-based remedies, once managed locally by community healers. This shift to pharmaceutical "stronger stuff" sidelined herbal medicine, relegating it mostly to distant cultures or the elderly. He highlights that while modern pills dominate, the foundational relationship humans have with plants remains deeply embedded in our biology and history, underscoring a pressing need to rediscover this connection.

The Dangers of Overused Pharmaceuticals

Central to the conversation is Mills's concern about the overprescription of certain medications, particularly proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole, widely prescribed for acid reflux. He stresses that these drugs, while effective at suppressing stomach acid, disrupt crucial digestive processes: acid is not only vital for digestion but also sterilizes food and prevents infections. Long-term use has been linked to serious downstream health issues such as cancers, dementia, and is notoriously difficult to withdraw from due to rebound acid secretion.

Antibiotic overuse is another urgent problem emphasized by Mills. The rampant and often unnecessary prescription of antibiotics, especially for viral infections where they are ineffective, is accelerating antimicrobial resistance—a global health crisis recognized by the World Health Organization. He warns that this resistance already leads to a rising number of deaths worldwide, and new antibiotic development is stagnating due to economic factors. The damage extends beyond resistance, as antibiotics also devastate the gut microbiome, further compromising health and healing capacity.

Understanding the Gut Microbiome's Role in Health

Exploring the gut as the foundation of health was a pivotal topic, with Mills explaining how the gut's 20-foot length is a dynamic, semi-autonomous organ teeming with billions of microbes. Far from being mere passengers, the microbiome possesses a genetic capacity 100 times greater than human cells and directly influences immune function, metabolism, and even brain health via the gut-brain axis.

Mills elaborates on how the microbiome orchestrates complex chemical signaling and hormone production that the body depends on, making it essential for navigating health and disease. Disruptions, whether from antibiotics or poor diet, impair these processes, exacerbating chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease, and cancers, especially colorectal cancers. He advocates for dietary diversity and polyphenol-rich plant-based foods that nourish the microbiome, stressing its critical role in the efficacy of herbal and dietary interventions.

Natural Alternatives to Antibiotics and Medicines

While recognizing that antibiotics are indispensable in serious infections, Mills strongly encourages alternatives for viral and milder respiratory illnesses where antibiotics provide no benefit and cause harm. Among these alternatives, raw garlic receives considerable attention. Known historically as "Russian penicillin," garlic's potent prebiotic and antimicrobial properties selectively support beneficial gut microbes while suppressing pathogens. His recommended "garlic intensive" involves consuming several cloves over a weekend to manage infections naturally, with advice about timing and side effects like odor.

Ginger and cinnamon, often used as warming teas, enable symptom relief during colds and respiratory infections by promoting circulation and mucus clearance. These natural "heating" remedies stimulate pain fibers and blood flow, helping the body clear infections and ease symptoms without suppressing defensive inflammation. Combined with proper rest and immune support, such botanical approaches present viable first-line options before resorting to pharmaceuticals.

Inflammation and Managing Chronic Pain

Mills challenges the common misunderstanding that inflammation is universally harmful by explaining its adaptive role as the body's frontline defense and cleanup response. Acute inflammation is protective, essential for healing injuries and fighting infections, whereas chronic inflammation signals unresolved problems and tissue stress, often rooted in lifestyle and digestive dysfunction.

In managing chronic pain, particularly arthritis, Mills advocates approaches that support circulation and removal of metabolic waste from joints rather than blunt suppression with NSAIDs like ibuprofen. He highlights traditional remedies such as cayenne pepper and mustard plasters, which warm and increase blood flow to joints, helping reduce inflammation more naturally and effectively. This perspective urges patients to explore upstream causes and supportive measures rather than rely solely on anti-inflammatory drugs that may hinder healing.

The Healing Power of Spices and Herbal Teas

Spices like ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom, and fennel are presented not just as flavorings but as potent medicines with immediate physiological impacts. These substances typically fall into two broad categories: warming remedies that stimulate circulation and "cooling" bitter herbs that enhance digestion and appetite. For example, bitters like wormwood, dandelion, and coffee stimulate digestive secretions and support gut health, which is crucial given that many chronic challenges originate in digestive imbalance.

Tea forms of these herbs provide gentle doses that allow individuals to self-assess their responses and gradually select what best suits their constitution. The warming teas stimulate circulation and defense mechanisms, whereas cooling remedies help manage conditions like fever or digestive discomfort by modulating metabolic processes. This herbal wisdom, once intuitive and commonplace, now returns with scientific validation.

Dietary Diversity and the Concept of 'Eating the Rainbow'

Mills emphasizes that optimal health, especially gut and brain health, depends on a wide variety of plant colors and types, encapsulated in the advice to "eat the rainbow." Different colors correspond to distinct polyphenols and antioxidants, which support microbiome diversity and supply essential nutrients for vascular, brain, and metabolic health.

Fruits and vegetables high in purple and red pigments, such as berries, beetroot, and red grapes, offer anthocyanins with markedly positive effects on circulation and cognitive function. Root vegetables and brassicas (cabbage family) further contribute fiber and prebiotics that nurture beneficial microbes. Mills notes that a varied, mostly plant-based diet—even when affordable and simple, as seen in many Asian cuisines—is foundational to prevent chronic illnesses and promote longevity.

The Role of Supplementation

While advocating for whole-food and herbal approaches, Mills concedes that certain supplements like vitamin D, vitamin C, and zinc may have roles in supporting immune resilience, particularly for populations at risk of deficiencies. He points out that vitamin D deficiency is common even in temperate climates, accentuated in people with darker skin or limited sun exposure, and supplementation during winter months is widely recommended.

However, he expresses caution with broad, casual supplementation, stressing that most people do not require routine supplements and that personalized assessment is superior. The preference remains for food-based sources and herbal tonics, which are holistic and carry fewer risks. Supplements can be useful adjuncts in specific, well-justified cases, but they are no substitute for the comprehensive dietary patterns he recommends.

Women's Health

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on how herbal medicine supports women's reproductive health, including regulation of menstrual cycles, alleviation of hormonal imbalances, and assistance with fertility challenges such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Mills explains the crucial interplay between metabolic health—especially insulin resistance—and reproductive function. Women with PCOS often experience erratic cycles and fertility issues linked to elevated insulin, and dietary interventions including low-carb or ketogenic diets can significantly improve outcomes.

Herbs used in women's medicine often contain phytohormones or hormone-modulating compounds that help "retime" cycles and support hormonal balance. Plant extracts like milk thistle, artichoke, fennel, and specific North American botanical preparations have demonstrated clinical effectiveness. Rather than suppressing symptoms, Mills aims to restore the underlying metabolic and digestive functions critical for reproductive wellness.

Cardiovascular and Brain Health through Plant Medicine

The conversation surfaces the evolving recognition that cardiovascular disease is heavily influenced by chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, not merely cholesterol levels or isolated risk factors. Plants like hawthorn, turmeric, and various spices provide vascular benefits that support blood flow, reduce low-grade inflammation, and improve heart health.

Brain health is an emerging focus area, especially regarding dementia and cognitive decline. Ingredients in green tea, rosemary, and ginkgo biloba demonstrate neuroprotective and circulation-enhancing properties. Rosemary's volatile oils, inhaled through aroma, may facilitate brain oxygenation and memory support, while green tea's polyphenols correlate with slower cognitive decline in population studies. Mills positions these plants as accessible and research-backed measures to complement conventional approaches to brain aging.

Dark Chocolate: A Dual Role as Food and Medicine

Contrary to popular perception of chocolate as indulgence, Mills highlights dark chocolate—rich in cacao and with minimal sugar—as a potent medicinal food. Dark chocolate is linked to improved blood flow, cardiovascular health, and even brain function. Studies show measurable benefits within an hour of consumption, reinforcing its role beyond mere treat to that of a vascular tonic.

Its antioxidant polyphenols and stimulating compounds mimic some pharmacological effects in a natural, balanced way. Mills encourages consuming 50 to 100 grams of high-percentage (75% or more) dark chocolate daily as a delicious, enjoyable, and beneficial component of a healthful diet, aligning with the broader theme of food as medicine.

The Ethical and Environmental Considerations of Medicinal Plants

Finally, the conversation touches on the modern challenges facing herbal medicine, including the production of medicinal plants in monocultures, widespread pesticide use, and the loss of biodiversity. Mills stresses that organically grown or wild-harvested plants contain higher levels of protective polyphenols and represent a purer, more effective source of medicine.

He notes the importance of reconnecting not only with the plants themselves but with the ecosystems from which they come, acknowledging the role of sustainable foraging and organic farming in preserving this natural pharmacy. This ecological awareness is critical for maintaining the potency, safety, and future accessibility of botanical medicines.