Herbal medicine is the practice of an alternative or non-Western form of medicine that is based around the use of herbs in the forms of raw herbs, herbal tinctures, herbal extracts, herbal supplements as well as teas, ointments, capsules and tablets. The ingredients for these herbal remedies come from plant materials.
Herbal medicine has been practiced for centuries in many parts of the world but is a fairly recent introduction into Western societies. It continues to become more and more popular as more people are looking for alternatives that are based on natural ingredients instead of the pharmaceutical and chemical based solutions offered by traditional Western medicine.
The practice of herbal medicine uses plants to help treat a wide variety of disease and health conditions. Although it is considered alternative in traditional medicine circles, herbal medicine or herbology has a long established history and tradition. Herbalists make use of all parts of plants including the leaves, stems, flowers and roots. The herbal remedies can come in the form of teas, tinctures, capsules, tablets and other forms.
Herbal medicine has been practice since the beginning of humankind. Plants have been used for food, shelter, clothing and medicine from the beginning of our history. Over time, through experimentation and observation herbal medicine evolved. Much of the knowledge that was acquired by primitive cultures are still used in herbal medicine today.
There are many, many herbal products available today. They can be purchased in health food stores, through herbalists and even in some conventional retail outlets. Herbal medicines can be bought and used in the form of teas, tinctures, extracts, ointments, lozenges, salves, tablets, capsules and others. It is the herbs that are the important part and not the form they come in.
Are herbal medicines safe? Herbal remedies are made of natural ingredients and do tend to be safer than many pharmaceutical drugs or medicines proscribed by Western medicine. However, there are a few things that need to be kept in mind. One of the biggest potential dangers is combining the use of herbal medicines with prescriptions of Western medicines. The combination could cause potentially harmful reactions. Before using herbal medicines in conjunction with more traditional medications you will need to consult with your health care provider and possibly a trained herbalist.
Another thing to keep in mind is that many herbal medicines are not subject to the oversight of the FDA and have not been rigorously tested. So some claims made by herbal product manufacturers may not have been substantiated.
Herbal medicine does offer a natural alternative to traditional Western medicine. It has been successfully used for centuries. Just be sure to consult with your health care providers before using them, particularly in conjunction with other forms of medicine.
Wed, Oct 14, 2009
Herbal Treatments, Home