The Truth About Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids
The Plant Path: Herbalism, Medical Astrology & Spagyric Alchemy
Sajah Popham
4.8 • 570 Ratings
🗓️ 22 May 2024
⏱️ 45 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are natural compounds found in certain herbs. Despite their long history of safe use in herbal traditions, they are often misunderstood and feared, discouraging people from working with these potent medicinal herbs.
By learning more about these compounds and how to safely use herbs containing them, you can confidently incorporate them into your herbal practice.
In today's episode, you'll discover:
-
What pyrrolizidine alkaloids are and why they're named this
-
The two types of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, distinguishing between toxic and non-toxic ones
-
Notable herbs containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids and safe usage guidelines for each
-
Safety precautions for utilizing any herb containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids
-
Considerations when preparing herbal medicines using these herbs
————————————
CONNECT WITH SAJAH AND WHITNEY
————————————
To get free in depth mini-courses and videos, visit our blog at:
http://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com
Get daily inspiration and plant wisdom on our Facebook and Instagram channels:
http://www.facebook.com/EvolutionaryHerbalism
https://www.instagram.com/evolutionary_herbalism/
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP63opAmcpIAQg1M9ShNSQ
Get a free 5-week course when you buy a copy of the book, Evolutionary Herbalism:
https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/evolutionary-herbalism-book/
————————————
ABOUT THE PLANT PATH
————————————
The Plant Path is a window into the world of herbal medicine. With perspectives gleaned from traditional Western herbalism, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Alchemy, Medical Astrology, and traditional cultures from around the world, The Plant Path provides unique insights, skills and strategies for the practice of true holistic herbalism. From clinical to spiritual perspectives, we don't just focus on what herbs are "good for," but rather who they are as intelligent beings, and how we can work with them to heal us physically and consciously evolve.
————————————
ABOUT SAJAH
————————————
Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism and the founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism, where he trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical Western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy.
His mission is to develop a comprehensive approach that balances the science and spirituality of plant medicine, focusing on using plants to heal and rejuvenate the body, clarify the mind, open the heart, and support the development of the soul. This is only achieved through understanding and working with the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of the plants. His teachings embody a heartfelt respect, honor and reverence for the vast intelligence of plants in a way that empowers us to look deeper into the nature of our medicines and ourselves.
He lives on a homestead in the foothills of Mt. Baker Washington with his wife Whitney where he teaches, consults clients, and prepares spagyric herbal medicines.
————————————
WANT TO FEATURE US ON YOUR PODCAST?
————————————
If you'd like to interview Sajah or Whitney to be on your podcast, click here to fill out an interview request form.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the plant path, your window into the world of herbal medicine, with Saja and Whitney Popham, founders of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism. |
| 0:23.7 | Hey there, everybody. |
| 0:25.0 | Saja Popham here, founder of the School of Evolutionary Herbalism. |
| 0:28.8 | And thanks so much for taking the time to check out our recent episode here of the Plant Path. |
| 0:34.6 | And today, I want to talk about the truth of pure elizodine alkaloids. |
| 0:41.8 | You know, these, what's like, what's the big deal, right? |
| 0:44.9 | Everyone's kind of freaked out about herbs that contain pure lisidine alkaloids. |
| 0:50.6 | And, you know, there's a lot of fearmongering out there, I feel like, in regards to plants that |
| 0:58.7 | contain pure Lysidine alkaloids, and it seems like people are scared to take highly useful |
| 1:03.8 | medicinal plants for fear that they're going to die from liver toxicity, from pure Lysidine |
| 1:10.6 | alkaloids, and there's just a lot of fear out there. |
| 1:13.8 | So is the fear warranted? Do we have to be concerned to what level do we need to be, you know, |
| 1:21.2 | cautious in terms of plants with PAs? So let's talk about these types of chemical compounds, get a sense for the different |
| 1:31.1 | types of pure Lysidine alkaloids, what plants contain them, and just some important factors |
| 1:38.1 | that I think are really worth considering when we're thinking about or considering using |
| 1:44.0 | plants that contain these type of compounds. |
| 1:48.8 | So let's just kind of start off. |
| 1:51.4 | What is a pure Lizzine alkaloids? |
| 1:53.2 | So for those of you that aren't aware of this term, this is a category of plant constituents |
| 1:59.5 | that are alkaloids, right? So alcoholoids is a very big category |
| 2:04.1 | of plant compounds. These are essentially molecules that contain nitrogen. There's over 650 |
| 2:13.1 | different types of these that have been classified, according to biochemical analysis of |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Sajah Popham, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Sajah Popham and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.