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The definition of the herb includes any plant that has stems and leaves different from a tree or a shrub, which die in winter, every year herbs grow after seeds are planted or dispersed in natural ways. So Herbal medicine is the study of medical plants uses, that herbal medicine can be sold as tablets, capsules, powder, teas, extracts, and dried or fresh plants.
Nature gave us medicines from plants, these have been used for recovery by our ancestors, long time age before vaccines, surgery techniques, the development of antibiotics, antidepressants, or disinfectants. Some examples of our grandparent’s exploration and the effectiveness of plant to cure of illness and disease, they bring us miracle drugs like aspirin is derived from willow bark, digoxin found in foxglove, codeine from poppies, and the antitumor drug Taxol from the Pacific yew (Junhua Zhang). (Lennihan) (Reeves)
History of Herbal Medicine
By developing the ways of record knowledge of herbal medicine which also called Herbalism or Herbology.
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Egyptian and Chinese writing about herbs is back to 2800BCE. Ancient Egyptians have access to advanced herbal medicines The Papyrus Ebers (is an Egyptian medical papyrus of herbal knowledge) contains descriptions of ophthalmology medicines, dermal diseases, urinary tract infections, and digestive ailments and more.
In 400BCE herbal medicine become popular in Greek extensively on diagnosis and curing common illnesses. Many people begin cultivating herbs for medicinal use as the Roman Empire grows in 50CE.
From 900 to 1199 Arab healers gain renown, influencing medical practices. Around the same time physician Avicenna pens the canon of Medicine, which mentions many effective herbal remedies.
In 2000 to present In Europe, herbal medicine enjoys increased popularity and is widely used. (Lennihan)
Herbal Medicine Today
The herbal remedies have been used for 5000 years. While some herbal medicine is no longer used because scientist found that some of herbals are toxic, Studies done by The World Health Organization (WHO) show that 80 percent of the population of poorest Asian and African countries use herbal medicine as primary health care because most of the herbal medicine is cheaper.
And nowadays Courses in herbal medicine are being taught in an increasing number of pharmacy and medical schools also more profession are learning about using herbal medicine to treat common cases. (Lennihan)
Some Uses of Herbal Medicine
Chamomile: Many people love to drink a cup of chamomile tea, it’s a member of the Asteraceae family, which is cultivated in German, it can be used as anti-inflammatory action in eczema, rashes and allergies also, it can help to promote sleep, calm a nervous stomach, reduces fever and act as mild diuretics, also it helps in treating cold and relieve mild pain. Safe for elderly, children and people who are sick. (Thibodeau)
St. John’s wort: it is a member of the Hypericaceae family, which is growing in many places such as Europe and Asia, main components active are hypericin and hyperforin, which act on chemical messenger in regulating mood, it can stop emotional and physical pain, including calming other nervous system, relief of mild, moderate depression and anxiety, St. John’s wort should only be taken internally after telling your health care provider, it can cause serotonin syndrome which leads to seizures or death if you take with is antidepressant drugs it also can cause sensitivity in some people. (Thibodeau)
Yellow Dock: is one of the most iron dense plants on the Earth, it’s a member of the Polydonaceae family which is growing in many places such Europe and Western Asia. As for skin problems works by eliminating toxins from the blood in support of the skin, it can detoxify the skin from the inside out and decrease eczema symptoms. The Health Scientists’ advice not use raw or uncooked yellow dock, because it may causes sever reaction, and it should not use by people who have kidney or liver diseases. (Thibodeau)
Melissa (Lemon Balm):is an aromatic herb and it’s a member of the mint family, which is growing in many places such as the United States and Europe. It uses for cold sores and herpes simplex and it has many medical uses, relieve anxiety, and stress, digestive ailments and fever.
Here are a few of many properties included in lemon Balm:
- Eugenl: this antibacterial component can use to reduce secondary infection.
- Terpenes: found in essential oil of Melissa helping to reduce the pain and discomfort of the sores and ulcer.
- Tannins inhibit the herpes virus’s ability to be absorbed by non-affected cell that making Melissa antiviral.
Melissa is one of most safe plants, almost everyone can use it. (Thibodeau)
Ginger: it is a member of the Zingiberaceae family, grow throughout the world. Ginger is useful to fight colds, powerful as anti-inflammatory, also it uses too Treat nausea caused by chemotherapy, nausea caused by HIV treatment, It’s safe to use even for baby and young children also for pregnant women ,but better not to use more than 1g per a day, if the patient takes anticoagulation, he should avoid high dose of Ginger. (Reeves) (Thibodeau)
Top Ten Reasons for Using Herbal Medicine
- Herbal remedies are effective: herbal remedies work as well as pharmaceuticals.
- Herbs are absorbed easily by the body.
- Herbal remedies often complement corresponding therapies.
- Herbal medicine has less side effects.
- People have been treated by herbal medicine for thousands of years.
- Herbal medicine coast less than other pharmaceuticals.
- Herbs contain no added chemical ingredients
- Herbs medicine provides you with a deeper connection to nature
- Herbs medicine treats more than one single symptom
- 1Herbs are sustainable: The herbs you grow in your own garden are the most sustainable of all. (Lennihan).
Risk related to herbal medicine:
- Today a lot of medicines were derived from plants, this statement by itself is misleading, many herbal medicines contains hundreds or even thousands of chemicals some of these turns to be good but others are toxic.
- Herbal medicine is a drug, not food even if it is coming from nature and belong to plant, we can’t take it in a long time. We should realise that herbal medicinal products are considered lower risk compared to drugs, but they are not totally free toxicity or side effects such as (hypersensitivity reactions, hepatotoxic reaction, renal damage, arrhythmias. Therefore, if we need to be in safe side herbal medicine products must be managed as drugs.
- Weak research on the safety of herbal medicine. Sheng Nong’s Herbal, is the first of Chinese material medical, have 365 herbs, which spilt to three levels (high grade, moderate, and interior) according to toxin level of each herb. According to Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2010, there are 83 kinds of Chinese herbs recorded as toxic and they organised into three levels (high toxicity, medium toxicity, low toxicity). Activity and toxicity rely on traditional knowledge and clinical test.
- Contain higher or lower amount of the active component one study of ginseng products found that it has the half amount that listed on the label. Therefore, the scientific study of preparing herbal medicine must be pedantic deeply. (Junhua Zhang)
Works Cited
- Junhua Zhang, Igho J. Onakpoya, Paul Posadzki, Mohamed Eddouks. National Center for Biotechnology Information. 9 March 2015. 30 March 2020. .
- Lennihan, Burke. The Practical Herbal Medicine. california: Althea Press, 2014.
- PRESS, ALTHEA. The Practical Herbal Medicine. california: ALTHEA PRESS, 2014.
- Reeves, Carmen. Homemade HERBAL MEDICINE. Carma Books, November 22,2015.
- Thibodeau, Mary. Ten Wild Herbs For Ten Modern Problems. Boondocks Botanicals, October 12, 2015.
