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Herbal
Medicine - An Ounce of Prevention
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by:
Priya Shah
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In
recent years the issue of Alternative Healing has taken the medical
world by storm.
A 2004 government survey concluded that more than one third of adults
use some form of alternative medicine and healing. Many of those using
alternative therapies do not even discuss them with their traditional
healthcare practitioners.
One facet of this burgeoning interest is Herbal Medicine. While it may
seem "trendy" to some, Herbal Medicine has been around for thousands of
years.
In fact, many of the familiar pharmaceutical medications we use today
were originally created from "natural" ingredients. Drugs like opium
(from poppies), aspirin
(from willow bark), digitalis (from foxglove) and quinine (from the
cinchona tree.)
What is Herbal Medicine?
Herbal Medicine is the use of botanicals (plants) either singularly or
in combination to prevent and treat certain ailments and illnesses.
People native to different geographical locations have long used plants
and plant extracts to cure specific maladies.
Sometimes referred to as "folk" medicine, it is generally recognized
that there are three schools of research one can follow with regard to
the history of these treatments.
There is the study of medicines based on Greek, Roman and medieval
sources, which is largely used by Western schools of thought, Ayurveda
which comes from
India, and the Eastern tradition of Chinese Herbal Medicine. Rather
than separation, these different schools of thought provide more
commonality than division.
It stands to reason that most ancient peoples used plants that were
native to their geographical location, which provides sound reasoning
as to why different schools of thought exist.
All three of these modalities at one time included both philosophical
and spiritual aspects along with the scientific knowledge that existed
within a specific time frame.
In the study that determined one third of Americans used alternative
therapies, the same number surveyed showed a dramatic increase in
positive results to more than
60% when "prayer" was included in the mix.
Ayurveda, loosely translated to "knowledge of life," is the ancient
Indian system of medicine. Dating back to more than 6,000 years ago,
Ayurvedic Medicine practiced not just Herbal Medicine, but some of the
earliest surgical procedures as well as inoculation.
Over the years Ayurvedic Medicine became increasingly symptomatic as
opposed to treating the root cause of disease, which originally was
steeped in strengthening the immune system.
With all our so-called advancements in the medical field, it’s
interesting that physicians are still treating "effect" rather than
"cause."
The old adage that, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"
could not be more true. This is especially true when it comes to
natural remedies.
Nothing in the makeup of a plant tells us in what way it would be used
the best. There are over a half million known herbs that could be used
as possible remedies.
Chinese Herbalist practitioners have over 2,000 herbs that are readily
available in their pharmacies.
Herbal remedies around the globe very in strength from the very mild
and gentle remedies that are use even as food, to those that are
potential poisons when taken at the wrong dose.
Folk use of herbal remedies is familiar to all of us in some form or
another. This is because herbal remedies are learned by being passed
down from generation to generation.
Unfortunately this hearsay is what fuels the ire of the scientific
community and their disdain.
But by dismissing generations of experience and observation, it is
really the traditional scientific community which is losing out on this
wisdom.
In recent times, attitudes toward traditional and herbal remedies have
changed for the better. Many medical schools now offer studies in
complementary medicine alongside traditional medical courses.
It’s only a matter of time before herbal medicine becomes part of a
more holistic practice of healthcare.
About the Author
Priya Shah is the editor of The Glutathione
Report and Health
Naturale. Get a comprehensive report on 47
Easy Herbal RemediesThis article may be reprinted as long as
the resource box is left intact and all links are hyperlinked.
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