What is now referred to as "alternative medicine" is, in truth, the most ancient form of medicine used throughout history. Herbal medicine, also known as botanical medicine or herbalism, is the use of plants for their therapeutic value to heal disease states or maximize health. The leaves, flowers, roots, bark, or berries of medicinal herb plants contain active chemicals that enhance the body's natural healing capacity. Many current pharmaceutical preparations have been extracted from botanicals or are synthesized to mimic the natural plant compounds.
The knowledge of medicinal plants and methods used for healing has been historically handed down through generations of healers observing wild animals and trial and error efforts. Ancient civilizations worldwide have recorded descriptions of medicinal plants and developed medical systems using herbal therapies. From Egypt, China, Europe, and Africa, to Native North, Central, and South American cultures, herbs have been successfully used to heal, with research showing that there is a common thread of similar plants being used for similar purposes.
It is currently estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) that 80% of the world's population, or 4 billion people, employ herbal medicine as a part of primary health care. 74% of plant-derived pharmaceutical preparations are used to treat the same conditions as native cultures have used the herbs traditionally. Plant derivatives continue to be the primary basis for a large number of the pharmaceutical medications used today for the treatment of high blood pressure, heart disease, pain, asthma, and other conditions.
With the current reliance on chemically manufactured drugs by modern physicians, the use of medicinal herbs has been essentially discarded. However, along with the therapeutic descriptions of the thousands of drugs listed in the relied-upon Physician's Desk Reference, it is important to note the accompanying lists of side effects and contraindications. In manufactured drugs, only isolated components of plants, specifically identified as active, are used to treat symptoms of disease, rarely addressing the cause of disease. This eliminates all other substances contained such as vitamins, minerals, volatile oils, and many more that support a plant's medicinal properties.
Herbalists and alternative practitioners recognize that the efficacy of medicinal plants is the culmination of all of the plant's components, not simply isolated ingredients. It is the synergistic interactions of the total components of the plant working together that result in a beneficial outcome free of unnecessary and negative side effects. This holistic approach to healing addresses the idea that drugs don't heal, the body heals itself when provided the nutrients and materials it needs.
Without question, many herbal remedies that have been used for hundreds or even thousands of years are quite effective and can offer a superior choice to manufactured drugs. Used wisely, they can facilitate healing of many illnesses plaguing modern day civilization as well as enhance overall health, just as they have from the beginning of history.
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