Mention herbs to many people and they instantly think of what they use in cooking - parsley being a popular herb to mix in sources and to be cooked with vegetables. Many keep to what they know and what they can buy off the supermarket shelves.
There are now known to be many uses for herbs, besides cooking - they can be used as teas, as first aid helpers, and as beauty products.
Herbs were once kept on a small shelf at the back of the shop - if asked for, the bottle would be given to you with a thick layer of dust on top for good measure. Now however, with the increased awareness of what herbs can do and the numerous health food shops popping up, it has been said that herbs currently account for some 25% of all sales in the natural food stores.
It is not just these natural food stores which retail herbs, they are sold in conventional pharmacies, discount stores, supermarkets. Aspirin and other painkillers now stand shoulder to shoulder with Echinacea, goldenseal, kava, valerian, ginseng, and St Johns Wort capsules as well as there being a range of herbal teas suitable for most taste buds and pallets.
It is worth pointing out that we might have been taking drugs that are derived from plant compounds for some time and not even realised it. Here are some examples:
Digitalis - used as a potent cardio-tonic - derived from the foxglove plant.
Aspirin - general painkiller for many and is a chemical immolation of salium - found in the bark of the white willow tree.
Reserpine - a blood pressure medicine - an ancient Indian remedy derived from an Asian shrub.
Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine - found in many cold remedies sold over the counter - derived from the ephedra plant which was used in China to treat colds and flu for more that 5000 years.
Vincristine and Vinblastine - two of our most successful cancer treatments - derived from the rosy periwinkle tree. Medicine derived from this plant has saved numerous victims of childhood leukaemia.
Penicillin - a well known and established antibiotic - actually made from a mould , an organism which is produced by a fungus which is a primitive plant.
Even though herbs have been known to be used for thousands of years it was not the herbs inefficiency that caused its decline but, as with so many things, it was the economics. Herbs were seen to be not as profitable as drugs. Another reason was that natural substances cannot be patented. If a pharmaceutical company creates a new drug, the company is given a twenty year exclusive right to market that product so that the company can recoup its costs. If a herb was packaged, the company would not have any such market protection.
In today’s world the interest in herbs has been taken up by physicians - both alternative and medical practitioners. One main reason is the recognition that although synthetic drugs have their place, they have not turned out to be the complete medical cure that they had been hoped to be. Most of these synthetic drugs have side-effects ranging from mild to severe and in some cases they have not been effective. A good example of this is antibiotics. Viruses mutate so rapidly in the body that they quickly develop immunity to these drugs. Due to the overuse of antibiotics we are now putting ourselves in a position where we cannot fight the new and even deadlier strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria. As so many of the diseases we encounter are virus based, such as Aids and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, this is a major problem.
Herbalism offer an alternative, not by replacing usual medical practices but by supplementing them. For example, in the case of Cancer, you would not forego the chemotherapy treatment but take the herbal remedy as well.
Herbs can be used preventatively. They can help us to help our body to correct its functions and become more efficient. Herbalism can be seen as preventative medicinal use, therefore in some cases the use of prescribed mass produced drugs can be decreased. The ‘pendulum of science’ is on its return swing and we know that lifestyle and nutrition play big roles in averting disease. Unlike drugs, a lot of herbs can be taken as a tonic, that is, like many vitamins, they can be used in the first instance to maintain good health.
It has been shown that some herbs can reduce cholesterol, prevent cancer, and improve circulation as well as showing to improve the immune system therefore helping the body to fight any diseases.
Examples of herbs which treat certain conditions are:
Saw Palmetto - can be used to treat enlarged prostrate
St Johns Wort - can be taken to treat depression.
Valerian - for mild cases of anxiety (valium may be taken as well if cases are severe). This example shows that herbal and modern medicine can be used hand in hand. |
How do herbs work?
The living cells of plants take in raw materials such as sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide which they then convert into useful nutrients. Oxygen is a by product of this process.
Herbs are a rich source of phytochemicals, which means that they can have a profound effect on certain animal organs and tissues. This means that they can be used as drugs in curing, treating or preventing disease.
A plant can consist of several components, these include stems, roots, leaves, bark, flowers, fruit or seeds and it is any of these which can contain active ingredients that give the plant its medicinal properties. There are herbs that can be used as general tonics to promote overall health and those that can take specific organ systems, there are also herbs that can soothe inflammation and pain and others that help to reduce muscle spasm. Some are known to kill bacteria, others can improve and activate the body’s own immune system so that it can ward off any invasive organisms.
Many herbs contain antioxidants which fight against free radicals which are produced in our body as a natural by-product of energy production. If these free radicals are not controlled then they can destroy the body’s healthy cells and tissues - they are known to be a factor in many diseases from Alzheimer's disease to cancer to heart disease, as well as being a major factor in our ageing process. Our body does produce its own antioxidants such as glutathione and coenzyme Q 10. Vitamins C and E are very well known antioxidant vitamins but there are probably hundreds of lesser known but important antioxidants found in herbs.
We have moved on since our ancestors, thousands of years ago, first used herbs. We now have a better idea of how they work. All they knew was that a certain plant had a desired result.
Examples of this include:
Foxglove - they used this plant to treat heart problems but didn’t know that it contained molecules called glycosides which are known to stimulate heart cells.
Comfrey - they used the leaf to soothe scraped knees not knowing that the astringent tannins formed a protective surface over the wound therefore promoting the healing.
Liquorice - prescribed by Chinese healers for arthritis flare ups, not knowing that it contained saponins which are anti-inflammatory compounds similar to natural steroid hormones.
Garlic - Ancient Egyptians fed this to their slaves to keep them healthy but did not know that it contained volatile oils that fight infection.
It is only in modern times, through modern laboratory techniques, that we have come to understand how many of these herbs function. Through these techniques, scientists are able to break down each plant into its basic molecular structure and are then able to analyse its extracts.
We might know a great deal more detail than did our ancestors but we have lost a lot of their ancient knowledge too. Although we can fall back on a certain amount of information that comes from folklore, antique herbals, and word of mouth, there must be many herbs that we no longer remember at all.. It is somewhat ironic that we are only just discovering the scientific basis for many herbs that have been used successfully for thousands of years. |
Buying Herbs
Buying herbs has never been easier, if you don’t want to cultivate your own and then go through drying processes etc, then it is nice to know that herbs are packaged in an easy to use form, therefore omitting the hard work.
Companies that have been making and selling vitamins for years now sell their own range of herbal products which are a standardised and guaranteed potency product. These products are certified by an outside laboratory.
A word on warning - it is important that you buy standardised herbal extracts from reputable companies, and also to look for products that have safety seals and are packaged in tamperproof bottles or boxes.
There are numerous ways in which herbs are packaged and sold. These are some examples:
Capsules and Tablets - the usual dose, depending on the herb, is 2 to 3 tablets/capsules, taken 2 - 3 times a day. All instructions must be followed carefully.
Extracts and Tinctures - liquid herbal products. Usual dosage is 10 - 30 drops, 2 to 3 times a day.
Powders - required dose may be mixed with water or juice.
Dried Herbs - sold in bulk, usually in large glass bottles. Usually brewed into teas - 1tsp to 1 cup boiling water, leave to steep for 10 to 15 minutes and drink while warm.
Prepared teas - sold in teabag form. Please note that the teas purchased from health food stores are more potent than those from supermarkets.
Combination herbal products - a combination of herbs available in tea, capsule, or extract form. Always use as directed.
Creams and ointments - have potent ingredients so must be used only as directed.
Essential oils - used for bath oils, perfumes, massage oils, and for aromatherapy. External use only,
Personal Care - shampoos and cosmetic lines. |
