PDF Summary:Back To Eden, by Jethro Kloss

Modern medicine often relies on synthetic drugs and invasive procedures, but what if the path to health was simpler? In Back To Eden, Jethro Kloss presents a natural approach to healing that emphasizes herbal remedies, proper nutrition, and lifestyle practices aligned with nature. He argues that the body can heal itself when supported by the right conditions—clean water, fresh air, plant-based foods, and medicinal herbs.

Kloss explains how to prepare herbal treatments like infusions and tinctures, details an alkaline-focused elimination diet to purify the body, and describes the therapeutic properties of plants like garlic. He also discusses agricultural methods that improve soil health and crop productivity. This guide covers Kloss's principles for maintaining wellness, preventing disease, and supporting the body's natural healing processes through simple, natural means.

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(Shortform note: If you follow this elimination diet as written, you may be at risk of protein–energy malnutrition (PEM), a condition that occurs when you don’t get enough protein and energy from your diet. PEM can lead to muscle wasting, weakened immune function, and impaired growth and development. While plant-based diets can be healthy, they require careful planning to ensure adequate protein intake. The elimination diet restricts many common protein sources, such as legumes, nuts, and seeds, which can make it challenging to meet your protein needs. Additionally, the diet's emphasis on raw fruits and vegetables may not provide enough calories to sustain your energy levels, especially if you have an active lifestyle. If you choose to follow this elimination diet, do so for a short period and consult with a healthcare professional to ensure you're meeting your nutritional needs.)

Lastly, it's crucial to maintain regular bowel movements. If they aren't emptied entirely at least once per day, it's a good idea to purify them with an enema containing herbs one or two times each week.

(Shortform note: While herbal enemas are often used for “purification,” they can disrupt your body’s fluid and electrolyte balance. In some cases, this can lead to serious illness that requires medical treatment.)

Natural Remedies & Therapeutic Techniques

Remedies & Modalities

Kloss describes various natural remedies and their applications. For example, he states that water serves as a highly effective yet easy treatment. Water, along with a healthy environment that includes things like clean air, sunlight, a nutritious diet, physical activity, sufficient sleep, enjoyable activities, and a pleasant setting, can bring about healing. Even though water isn't a precise treatment, it's highly valuable. A specific condition could have a unique remedy, though no single treatment can address every illness.

(Shortform note: Modern research supports the idea that a healthy environment can promote healing. In Healing Spaces, Dr. Esther Sternberg explains that the sights, sounds, and other sensory cues of a calm, supportive environment can turn down the brain’s stress-response circuits, lowering cortisol and other stress hormones, reducing inflammation, enhancing immune function, and in this way freeing the body’s own repair and regeneration systems to carry out healing more effectively.)

Herbal Actions & Preparations

Kloss explains that herbal preparations must be freshly made every day, except for salves, liniments, ointments, and tinctures. Herbs are milder than drugs and need to be consumed for several weeks or months to produce a lasting effect. The more time the disease has persisted, the more time the herbs will need to show a noticeable impact. Additionally, the dosage should be reduced for children, frail or debilitated individuals, and seniors. He warns that if you use some herbs carelessly or in excess, it can harm your well-being. Plants might have compounds and other elements that can be hazardous if not identified and handled correctly.

(Shortform note: Herbal teas and other extracts are made from whole plants, which contain a variety of molecules that can be unstable and degrade over time. This is why herbal preparations must be freshly made every day. Herbal remedies are milder than drugs because they contain lower concentrations of active compounds. However, they can still be harmful if used carelessly or in excess because the body can only process a certain amount of these compounds at a time. If you take too much, the body’s detoxification pathways can become overwhelmed, leading to toxicity.)

Kloss explains that remedies using herbs include infusions, decoctions, tinctures, and extracts. To create an infusion, pour hot water onto the herb and allow it to steep. A decoction is created by gently boiling the plant material in water for 3 to 5 minutes, or up to half an hour if the substance is very tough. A tincture is a liquid form of a highly concentrated herbal extract. An extract is a potent liquid made from herbs, around ten times stronger than a tincture. According to Kloss, infusions extract the plant's essence, nutrients, and fragrant and volatile components. Decoctions draw out the active components from the plant's tougher elements, like roots, the outer layer, and seeds.

(Shortform note: In modern herbalism, the term “volatile components” usually refers to a plant’s essential oils and other aromatic chemicals that easily evaporate into steam or air when heated. These compounds are responsible for the plant’s scent and flavor. When you make an infusion, the hot water helps release these volatile oils, allowing them to dissolve into the liquid. This process captures the plant’s aromatic qualities and some of its medicinal properties. For example, when you steep peppermint leaves in hot water, the menthol (a volatile compound) is released, giving the tea its characteristic minty aroma and soothing effects.)

Liquid extracts are helpful when other forms of the herb are unpalatable due to flavor or if they need to be consumed over an extended period. They’re applied topically as a liniment and are typically created from powerful herbs rarely used in teas. Extracts are widely used and easy to consume and store, offering faster effectiveness than teas, capsules, or powders.

(Shortform note: While liquid extracts are often considered the most effective form of herbal medicine, there are exceptions. In Medical Herbalism, David Hoffmann explains that some herbs, such as those containing mucilage or mineral salts, are better extracted with water than alcohol. For these herbs, a long-steeped infusion or decoction may be more effective and faster-acting than a liquid extract.)

Kloss provides the following instructions for preparing herbal treatments: - To make an infusion, use 1/2 to 1 ounce of herb in a pint of water, or a teaspoon of herb in a mug of water. Allow the infusion to steep for ten to twenty minutes. Don't let an infusion reach a boil. Strain carefully into a cup or other container and drink when it is cool or lukewarm. If you want to make it taste better, you can add honey. Drink the infusion hot to alleviate colds, flu, or coughs, or to induce sweating.

(Shortform note: Kloss’s instructions for making infusions are generally safe, but there are some exceptions. For example, the leaves of the foxglove plant contain cardiac glycosides, which can be used to treat heart failure. However, the margin between a helpful dose and a harmful dose is very small, so herbalists don’t recommend using it in the kitchen. Instead, they recommend using a standardized preparation under medical supervision.)

The majority of infusions are consumed in small, evenly distributed amounts throughout the day, totaling approximately one to three cups, based on the particular ailment and the type of herb. - To prepare a decoction, combine 5 ml of powdered herbs or a tablespoon of chopped herbs with 240 ml of water. If you intend to simmer the decoction for 30 minutes, be sure to begin with roughly 30 percent more liquid to account for evaporation. Strain carefully before using. Use the same dosage guidelines as for infusions. - To make a tincture, macerate the plant material in alcohol for 10–14 days, shaking daily. Transfer to a bottle for later. - For an extract, use elevated pressure, heat-based evaporation, or percolation without heat. Each herb is processed in a way that best releases its medicinal qualities. The standard dosage ranges between six and eight drops.

Modern Herbal Medicine Dosage

Modern herbal medicine texts still use infusions, decoctions, tinctures, and extracts, but they often provide more specific dosing guidelines based on standardized extract strengths and patient factors. For example, instead of generic “one to three cups” or “six to eight drops,” they might recommend “1-2 teaspoons of a 1:5 tincture three times daily.” This shift reflects a greater emphasis on safety and efficacy, as well as the availability of more concentrated herbal products. However, the basic preparation methods remain largely unchanged, showing the enduring value of traditional herbal knowledge.

Practical Applications of the Back To Eden System

Kloss's Edenic system emphasizes thorough soil cultivation and crop rotation to enhance soil fertility. Deep plowing brings up fresh soil and allows plant roots to grow deeper. Alternating crops, especially using legumes like soybeans, replenishes soil nutrients. These methods result in more robust, productive plants.

Modern Approaches to Soil Health

Modern soil science has evolved since Kloss’s time, and many experts now recommend minimizing soil disturbance to preserve soil structure and microbial life. While alternating crops with legumes remains a key strategy, deep plowing is often discouraged because it can disrupt soil ecosystems and lead to erosion. Instead, conservation agriculture practices like no-till farming and cover cropping are gaining popularity for their ability to build soil health over time. These methods keep living roots in the ground year-round, which helps maintain soil structure and supports beneficial soil organisms.

Next, we'll explore the dietary and lifestyle foundations of the Back to Eden approach, along with some therapeutic interventions.

Dietary & Lifestyle Foundations

Kloss contends that a diet abundant in alkaline foods and low in acid-forming foods promotes health. Alkaline-producing foods include most produce, whereas foods that create acid include meat, dairy, eggs, and processed items. He explains that alkaline foods help prevent illness and provide treatment, while foods that form acid cause disease. Therefore, Kloss recommends consuming 75-85% alkaline foods. If you're ill, eat 90% alkaline foods.

The Alkaline Diet: An Oversimplification

Many scientists and clinicians disagree with Kloss’s claim that alkaline foods prevent and treat illness while acid-forming foods cause disease. For example, researchers published a systematic review in 2016 that found no evidence that alkaline diets or alkaline water prevent or treat cancer. The authors explain that the body tightly regulates its pH levels, and diet has little impact on this balance. They argue that the idea of “alkaline” and “acidic” foods is an oversimplification and that there’s no scientific basis for the claim that alkaline diets can prevent or treat cancer.

Therapeutic Interventions

Kloss believes that garlic contains therapeutic properties. Garlic is a member of the lily family and is related to onions, leeks, scallions, and chives. He explains that it's among the top plants providing sulfur, and the healing properties primarily come from this herb's sulfur compounds. Kloss states that garlic has been employed for hundreds of years to treat hypertension. It's also considered a wide-ranging antibiotic, with allicin as the key component. Garlic has been employed to address amebic dysentery, cholera, and typhus. Juice from garlic has demonstrated effectiveness in combating many kinds of fungi, yeasts, and bacteria. It can also impede the proliferation of multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Additionally, research has examined garlic's potential as a cancer treatment. Garlic contains germanium and selenium, elements studied for their potential cancer-fighting benefits.

(Shortform note: The World Health Organization (WHO) has published monographs on garlic, which are comprehensive documents that provide detailed information on the medicinal uses, safety, efficacy, and quality control of garlic. These monographs are part of the WHO's efforts to promote the safe and effective use of medicinal plants worldwide. The inclusion of garlic in these monographs indicates that there is substantial evidence supporting its therapeutic properties. The process of developing a monograph involves a thorough review of scientific literature, including clinical studies, pharmacological research, and traditional uses. The fact that garlic has been the subject of such a monograph suggests that its medicinal properties are well-documented and recognized by the global health community.)

Garlic has been found to lower cholesterol and triglycerides. It has additionally been discovered to slow blood clotting. Garlic can increase physical stamina and lower hypertension.

(Shortform note: Garlic can be dangerous when taken in high doses with anticoagulant drugs, as it can increase the risk of bleeding. Garlic can also interact with certain medications, such as blood thinners, and may cause side effects such as stomach upset, bad breath, and body odor.)