What
is Herbal Medicine?
Herbal
medicine is the use of
plant remedies in the
treatment of disease.
It is the oldest form
of medicine known. Our
ancestors by trial and
error, found the most
effective local plants
to heal there illnesses.
Now, with the advancement
of science enabling us
to identify the chemical
constituents within these
plants, we can better
understand their healing
powers. Herbalism in this
country is still classed
as a ‘complementary’
medicine but it is still
the most widely practised
form of medicine worldwide
with over 80% of the world’s
population relying on
herbs for health.
How
do herbs work?
People
have always relied on
plants for food to nourish
and sustain the body.
Herbal medicine can be
seen in the same way.
Plants with a particular
affinity for certain organs
or systems of the body
are used to ‘feed’
and restore to health
those parts that have
become weakened. As the
body is strengthened so
is its power to fight
off disease and when balance
and harmony are restored,
health will be regained.
What
are the differences between
Pharmaceutical and Herbal
drugs?
Many
of the pharmaceutical
drugs used today are based
on plant constituents
and, even now, when scientists
are seeking new ‘cures’
for disease it is to the
plant world that they
turn. They find, extract
and then synthesize in
a laboratory a single
active constituent from
the plant (the active
constituent is the part
of the plant that has
a therapeutic value),
this can then be manufactured
on a large scale.
Herbal
drugs, however, are extracts
from a part of the whole
plant (e.g. leaves, roots,
berries etc.) and contain
hundreds, perhaps thousands
of plant constituents.
Herbalists believe that
the active constituents
are balanced within the
plant and are made more
(or less) powerful by
the numerous other substances
present. A good examples
is that of the herb Ephedra
sinica, it is the source
of a powerful alkaloid
ephedrine which is used
in orthodox medicine,
to treat asthma and nasal
congestion but it has
the side effect of raising
blood pressure. Within
the whole plant used by
herbalists such as myself
are six other alkaloids
one of which prevents
a rise in blood pressure.
Synthetic diuretics (drugs
that increase the flow
of urine) seriously reduce
the potassium level in
the body, this has to
be restored using potassium
supplements. The Herbalist
uses dandelion leaves
which are a potent diuretic
but contain potassium
to naturally replace that
which is lost.
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