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Medicinal Herbs
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» Herbal
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» Medicinal
Herb Reference Guide
From Plant to Pill: Scientific Verification of Herbal
Medicine
Anyone questioning the value of herbal medicine need only
note the powerful medications that were derived,
then synthesized for modem use based upon the compounds
discovered in plants.
Morphine
Morphine comes from the opium poppy (Papaver rhoeas).
Tubocurarine
The most powerful muscle relaxant in existence, tubocurarine
is derived from the plant curare (Chondrondendron tomestosum).
Aboriginal tribes in the Amazon used curare on arrow-points
to paralyze animals when hunting.
Mexican Yam
Mexican yam (Dioscorea genus) yields diosgenin
- an integral com- ponent in the synthesis of human sex
hormones and the original chemical map for synthesized
oral contraception.
Aspirin
Aspirin was derived from saliate discovered in 1827 and
derived from the leaves of the meadowsweet plant (Filipendula
ulmaria).
Anesthetics
Many come from the coca plant (Erythroxylum coca).
Dioxin
"The heart remedy" dioxin is derived from the
common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea).
Quinine
An antimalarial medication, quinine is derived from various
species of cinchona or Peruvian bark.
Of course, there are many more examples of synthetic
medication resulting from chemicals found in plant life.
In fact, nearly 75 percent of our bioengineered medications
have originated within the curative properties of plants.
In the new millennium, the medical industry is closer
than ever to integrating naturalistic medicine with the
technological advantages of traditional heath care.
Nearly 65 percent of medical schools in the United States
offer some course work in alternative medicine, and this
figure rises every year. "Alternative" medicine
is becoming less an "alternative" and more a
complement to medical treatment.
In the way that diet, exercise, and stress management
are recognized as crucial components in the treatment
and prevention of ailments and the preservation of overall
health, so too is herbal medicine becom- ing a routine
corollary to traditional health avocations.
Physicians in Europe and Asia routinely incorporate herbal
remedies into their repertoire of prescriptions.
The United States has been slower to embrace herbal remedies.
This is, at least in part, due to the fact that the U.S.
is significantly hampered by government restrictions that
make it difficult for herbal substances to be commercially
funded, tested, and distributed. In general, however,
the trend in health care is definitely toward the recognition
and incorporation of herbal medicine in standard medical
practice. This is where we are today.
Let's take a look back at herbalism throughout the ages.
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**The products and the claims made about specific
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by the United States Food and Drug Administration and are not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
The information provided on this site is
for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute
for advice from your physician or other health care professional
or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging.
You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis
or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any
medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare
professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation
program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect
you might have a health problem.
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What is An Herb?
It seems like a simple question, but defining
an herb is complicated.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines an herb as "a
term applied to plants where the leaves, or stems
and leaves, are used for food or medicine, or in some
way for their scent or flavor."
This may seem inclusive, but this definition omits
integral plants such as ginger, fennel, and
ginseng. Obviously the roots, rhizome, seeds,
and bark may be equally beneficial and designate
an herb.
If we broaden this definition beyond "leaves
or stems and leaves" to include any part of a
plant "used for food or medicine or in some way
for its scent or flavor", the definition
remains imprecise. Consider lettuce, for example.
Is lettuce an herb? when consumed for lunch in
a sandwich, no. However, wild lettuce, Laduca virosa,
is a mild sedative, analgesic, and a useful
remedy against irritating cough.
This would, in common consideration, designate it
an herb. An appropriate herbal definition will
distinguish food as sustenance from a substance consumed
for psychological or physiological effect.
If we examine the botanical definition of
an herb, we will see this definition lacks comprehensiveness
as well: "A plant with a fleshy not a woody
stem, which, after the plant has bloomed and set
seed, dies down to the ground."
This definition excludes plants such as barberry,
cat's claw, and thyme. The barks of many plants
are valuable medicinally and we, therefore,
consider them herbs.
An herb, sometimes known as a medicinal plant,
is a plant from which may be derived beneficial
non-nutritive psychological or physiological
effects, whether from ingestion, inhalation, or
topical application.
Today, tens of millions of people across
the globe benefit from the active constituents
in herbs. From health to culture to religion, plants
play a part in our everyday life.
Incense is often used as a spiritual symbol
in churches and temples. With the development of
Western medicine in the past century, herbalism
declined in popularity, partially due to
its association with archaic ritual and affiliation
with magical beliefs.
This is especially true in the United States.
However, the past few decades have seen an
upsurge of a naturalistic approach to health.
Several reasons may account for this return to herbal
practice.
Scientific advancements have been able to
verify and document the effects and active constituents
of many herbs.
The dangers and side effects of synthetic
medications are better known. Certain bioorganisms
have begun to resist particular synthetic medications.
Herbalism affords the patient a greater independence
and autonomy over traditional health care.
Most medical professionals place patients
in a passive role, and naturalistic medicine
tends to encourage an active approach with collaborative
treatment decisions, and patients' self-monitorization
of results.
Alternative medicine offers a wider array
of treatment options, which may fuel optimism and
be emotionally attractive to the patient.
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