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Herbalism

Herbalism, or herbal medicine, involves the use of plants and plant extracts as healing agents. Herbalism is derived from the oldest forms of folk medicine. Evidence of the use of herbs for medicinal purposes extends far back into the pre-history of peoples on every continent of the earth. Herbalism has been incorporated into almost every system of medicine and approach to the healing arts. For example, the use of herbs as healing agents and dietary supplements plays a significant role in Ayurveda, Homeopathic, Naturopathic medicine. In the development of conventional, Western medicine, herbs and herbal remedies have played a significant role in the discovery of certain, effective pharmaceuticals (e.g., digitalis, quinine, etc).

Today, herbs are used by Western physicians primarily as a form of complementary therapy. However, herbalism continues to thrive as part of the holistic approach to health. Many individuals use herbs and herbal remedies without consulting a physician. Listed below are some of the more popular agents used as part of herbal medicine:

Black Cohosh - thought to reduce some of the symptoms of menopause.
Echinacea - thought to limit the length of colds.
Garlic - thought to lower total levels of cholesterol.
Ginko Biloba - thought to enhance memory processes and reduce losses associated with aging.
St. John's Wort - thought to be effective in combating mild to moderate forms of depression.

Short Articles of Interest

What is Herbal Medicine ? Is It Safe ?
Herbal medicine is the use of plant and herb extracts for their therapeutic value. Most plants contain and produce chemical substances that aid in healing and other physical treatments.

Herbal medicine is the oldest form of healthcare and constitutes a key role in the development of modern medicine as we know it today. Back when technology was still unheard of, primitive men utilised the vast flora around them to the fullest extent, observing both plant and animal life and their components, eventually giving birth to herbal medicine. In a study by the World Health Organization on herbal medicine use, about 80% of the world's populace still rely on herbal medicine to cure certain ailments and about 74% of the drugs we use today contain at least one botanical element. For instance, Chinese Herbal Medicine's use of ephedrine to cure respiratory conditions still exists in the present time. Ephedrine remains an active ingredient in most of the commercial drugs that are being prescribed to relieve asthma symptoms. Read More>

Herbs as Medicine
Herbs or medicinal plants have a long history in treating disease. In traditional Chinese medicine, for example, the written history of herbal medicine goes back over 2000 years and herbalists in the West have used “weeds” equally long to treat that which ails us. We are all familiar with the virtues of Garlic, Chamomile, Peppermint, Lavender, and other common herbs.

Interest in medicinal herbs is on the rise again and the interest is primarily from the pharmaceutical industry, which is always looking for ‘new drugs’ and more effective substances to treat diseases, for which there may be no or very few drugs available.

Considering the very long traditional use of herbal medicines and the large body of evidence of their effectiveness, why is it that we are not generally encouraged to use traditional herbal medicine, instead of synthetic, incomplete copies of herbs, called drugs, considering the millions of dollars being spent looking for these seemingly elusive substances? Read More >

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