Medicinal herbs

The early Greeks and Egyptians recognized the medicinal benefits of plants and herbs. They weren’t alone. The ancient Chinese have long known that certain plants possess curative extracts and have maintained a medical folk tradition that has withstood the test of time. Herbalism or herbal medicine has been the staple of folk medical practice for centuries. It would not have lasted so long if its efficacies were in doubt. But it did.

Once considered as quackery, arboreal doctors who use plants to cure have redeemed themselves in the eyes of the medical profession. It was only during the late 20th century that herbal medicine has earned respect as an alternative healing practice. Pharmacological research over the years has vastly improved medical understanding of the healing properties of many plants and herbs. It is now a fact that much of the pills and tablets used by pharmacists and doctors have chemical compounds extracted from certain plant species used by arboreal doctors for centuries. Nature does heal.

Herbal medicine goes by a variety of names, such as botanical medicine, herbology, medicinal botany and phytotherapy. So what is it in plants that cure? Well there are many chemical compounds produced by plants as a normal part of their metabolic processes. Called phytochemicals, these are metabolites or metabolic enzymes that give off medicinal effects on man.

Alkaloids
Caffeine is an alkaloid that works on the nervous system and we all know its effect on humans. Opiates like Morphine and Codeine likewise are alkaloids extracted from plants.

Phenolics
Tannins from tea and grapes that we find in juice drinks and wines have astringent properties.

Glycocides
These are glucose compounds that are known to defer the action of toxins or chemical processes. Green tea is said to break down fat cells that inhibit cancer cell growth.

Acids
The salicylic acids in the willow bark have lead to the development of aspirin. And we all know what the acids in citrus fruits can give – vitamin C.

It is ironic that herbal medicine, long recognized for its efficacies for centuries, is still in its infancy in terms of being accepted in the medical profession as a serious healing alternative with a solid basis in science. The accumulated knowledge of the centuries requires just a little modern scientific tests to certify their efficacies. It was only in 2004 that the US National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine began funding clinical studies on herbal medicine. The issue of regulation that is the bedrock of the medical profession remains to be settled, though. But it’s a start. At least the modern man now knows what our forefathers have known all along - some plants can cure.