Discover The Many Benefits Of Herbal Medicine

Today, it is no surprise to see everything labeled as natural or herbal. In just about any store you go in, all you see are millions of all herbal or all natural products including dietary supplements and herbal medicine products.

When did this tidal wave of herbal products start? One answer is that it all started when the media began to report widely on how important it is to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Knowledge of the benefits of herbal medicines and natural tonics goes back to our ancestors thousands of years in the past. All the way back to 2800 B.C., scientists and storytellers have reported on humans experiencing the amazing healing and health benefits of natural herbal remedies. And now it is your chance!

In fact, herbal medicine has been a big part of human history for the last 5,000 years according to archaeology and written records. All the way up to today, people have used herbal medicine and treatments to aid in a wide variety of ailments to improve their health and well being.

When NOT To Take Herbal Supplements And Herbal Medicine

Many herbs have a long history of beneficial use and practically guaranteed health benefits. An herb, or botanical, is either a plant or part of a plant (like the stem only) that is used for its scent, flavor, or therapeutic abilities. Although they are found in natural, herbal products are not guaranteed to be safe or without negative side effects. While they may come from plants, some plants (like certain mushrooms) are dangerous and can be damaging or poisonous to your health, instead of restoring it.

Unlike prescription drugs, herbal products are not clinically tested and proven to work for any particular ailment before they are marketed or sold to customers in health food stores like GNC (General Nutrition Center).

Also, the active ingredients in many herbal supplements and treatments remain unknown. Some supplements have been found some to contain metals, prescription drugs mixed in without any mention on the label, microorganisms or other substances.

Since most herbal products are not tested and certified by the FDA or other health authority, they may in actual fact cause health problems or complications. All of this is extremely rare as most companies do their own testing, and only use the beneficial types of herbs in their herbal products. Still, it may not be smart to try herbal products, at least before talking about it with your doctor, if you have any of these medical problems:

- High blood pressure
- Thyroid condition
- Parkinson’s disease
- Blood-clotting problems
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Epilepsy
- Depression or psychiatric problems
- Liver problems
- Enlarged prostrate gland
- Glaucoma
- History of stroke or organ transplant

If you are pregnant or nursing, then you should take special care about using herbal products, as well as if you are about to have surgery. Some herbal products such as for weight loss or skin care are much less expensive than surgical procedures like liposuction or hiring a dermatologist, respectively. This is one other reason for the massive popularity of herbal treatments. So to always be on the sage side of things, make sure you always check with your healthcare provider before trying any herbal products you have a concern about.

It is also a good idea to talk to your doctor before using an herbal product if you are now taking any medications for a health problem. Often, an herbal supplement will not interfere with a prescription medication or even an over-the-counter product but it is always best to check with your doctor first. Some active ingredients in herbal medicines are known to interact with medications in ways that may be able to cause risks to your health.

Some benefits from herbal treatments and alternatives available on the market include but are not limited to:

1. Cost-effectiveness: Prescription drugs cost much more money than herbal medicines.

2. Lower Side Effects: Herbal medicines are generally a far healthier solution than prescription drugs due to potential harmful side effects caused by unpredicted body chemistry interactions. However as mentioned above, its important to remember that just because the word natural is included herbal medicines does not guarantee safety.

However, herbal medicines appear to have many advantages over traditional drugs, including a lower occurrence of side effects.

3. Effectiveness and Potency: Poor results with traditional drug treatments often makes people search for alternative treatments. Keep in mind, however, the potential of herbal medicines is different for everybody.

Genetics change from person to person, which affects how the ingredients work over time. Also a factor in the potency of an herb is the process and timing of harvest, as well as exposure to air and light

Ultimately, herbal medicine and herbal treatments have both weak and strong points. Keep in mind that herbal medicines are not a guaranteed and final solution to any health problem, but instead are generally effective at healing a health problem as well as being a wallet friendly solution.

FORMS OF HERBS - BOTANICALS USED

Healing herbs can be used in various forms such as teas, tisane /baths/ pills, tinctures, infusions, extracts, poultices, ointments, oils, compresses, salves and creams.

Herbal Teas

There are two methods of making herbal teas, infusion and decoction. Naturopaths may prescribe healing teas for the purpose of
Infusions:
Infusions are hot water extracts made from herbs with medicinal constituents in their flowers, leaves and stems such as chamomile, mint, green and black tea among others.
Decoction
Decoction is boiling tougher parts, such as roots or bark for a longer period of time such as ginger or cinnamon tea.

Herbal tinctures

Tinctures are extracts that are made with alcohol instead of water. Alcohol extracts of various medicinal herbs and plants usually remain potent longer and are more stronger than teas. Herbalists/ naturopaths may mix several herbal tinctures to form an individualized prescription for each patient. Homeopaths use very dilute tinctures as their basic medicinal preparations.

Fluid Extracts

Fluid extracts are stronger than herbal tinctures, and can be made with alcohol or glycerin. Various types of extracts are available such as solid extracts of licorice and hawthorne. Cold extracts are made with cold water to effectively preserve the most volatile ingredients and extract only minor amounts of mineral salts and bitter principles.

Juices

Fresh juices of plants/ herbs are simply prepared by juicing them. This is an excellent way of getting vitamins and minerals from the plant; but the juice must be taken within a short time after being pressing since the vitamin content declines rapidly and fermentation sets in.

Herbal poultices

Poultices are used externally to treat affected skin areas. They are generally prepared fresh for each use by crushing the medicinal parts of the plants to a pulpy mass. If dried herbs are used, they are generally mixed in with a substance such as water, vegetable fat before they it is applied to the skin. They have the shortest life span of any herbal remedy. A fomentation/ compress has the same application, however generally a decoction or infusion is used with a compress.

Powdered Herbs and Capsules

Dried powdered herbs can be packed into tablets and gelatine capsules. Capsules are a convenient way to carry herbs and also to take herbs that are unpleasant. Syrups are another way to take herbs, especially for administering medicines to children.

Herbal ointments

An ointment or salve is a semi-solid preparation made to be applied to the skin. Depending on the purpose for which it is designed and its method of preparation, the texture can vary from very greasy to a thick paste. The simplest ointments use petroleum jelly /beeswax, olive oil or vegetable oil as a base.

Essential Oils

Most people are familiar with essential oils used to relaxation such as lavender and lemon and eucalyptus for colds. Essential oils are extractions of volatile liquid plant materials and other aromatic compounds from plants. These plant oils may be used internally in some forms of herbal medicine as well as in aromatherapy.
In naturopathic treatment (alternative medicine) essential oils have proved to be highly efficacious in the treatment of headaches and muscle soreness, joint pain and certain skin diseases. Herbal baths are another way of using herbs and plants to cover a larger part of the body – for example – using oatmeal/Aveeno for babies in their baths or using lavender or chamomile flowers for a relaxing bath.