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What Is
Herbal Medicine? Is It Safe?
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by:
Charlene J. Nuble
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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.
Herbal medicine is defined by three schools of thought: Ayurvedic
Herbalism, Traditional Chinese Herbalism and Western Herbal Medicine.
While both Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal medicine have moved on to
advanced forms, western herbal medicine remains a part of folk
treatments. Herbal medicine is, first and foremost, holistic. It aims
to address not just a particular symptom, but also to help the whole
body rejuventate strengthen itself. And while there is no scientific
evidence that all herbal medicines claiming to have healing powers are
actually effective, the number the herbal medicines that have been
placed under clinical testing have proved their worth. The list of
known kinds includes echinacea, which is used to temper colds, St
John's wort, used to treat mild depression (without using Prozac), and
hawthorne berries, which help in the recovery process from mild heart
failures.
Is herbal medicine a direct substitute to modern medication? It
depends. While herbal medicines are extracted naturally from plants,
not all are safe to use; particularly if they are taken with other
types of treatments that may not be complementary. Also, herbal
medicine is often used only for mild ailments. If the symptoms are more
serious, it is best to consult a trained practitioner of herbal
medicine who can tell you which ones are appropriate and recommend
dosage levels and frequency. Presently, most of the recommended herbal
medicines fall outside of standard drug regulations, thus, not all of
their claims to fame are guaranteed and true. And even as common sense
tells us that herbal medicine has been around for thousand of years,
giving an impression that it is quite an authority, it is not
recommended to self-diagnose.
Always keep in mind that herbal medicines are still medicines and,
therefore, share the likelihood of having side effects as regular
commercial drugs. Some of us have this misconception that because
herbal medicines are natural, they are 100% safe. This is not true all
the time. The best defense against the possible side effects herbal
medicines might give is to educate ourselves with the basics on the
herbal medicine in question and to use it with caution.
About the author:
Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about
herbal medicines, please go to: http://herbal.besthealthlink.net/or
for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/
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