HERBAL MEDICINE in Our daily life
HERBAL MEDICINE Herbal
Medicine, sometimes referred to as Herbalism or Botanical
Medicine, is the use of herbs for their therapeutic or medicinal
value. An herb is a plant or plant part valued for its
medicinal, aromatic or savory qualities. Herb plants produce and
contain a variety of chemical substances that act upon the body.
Herbal medicine is the oldest form of healthcare known to
mankind. Herbs had been used by all cultures throughout history.
It was an integral part of the development of modern
civilization. Primitive man observed and appreciated the great
diversity of plants available to him. The plants provided food,
clothing, shelter, and medicine. Much of the medicinal use of
plants seems to have been developed through observations of wild
animals, and by trial and error. As time went on, each tribe
added the medicinal power of herbs in their area to its
knowledgebase. They methodically collected information on herbs
and developed well-defined herbal pharmacopoeias. Indeed, well
into the 20th century much of the pharmacopoeia of scientific
medicine was derived from the herbal lore of native peoples.
Many drugs commonly used today are of herbal origin. Indeed,
about 25 percent of the prescription drugs dispensed in the
United States contain at least one active ingredient derived
from plant material. Some are made from plant extracts others
are synthesized to mimic a natural plant compound. The World
Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 4 billion people, 80
percent of the world population, presently use herbal medicine
for some aspect of primary health care. Herbal medicine is a
major component in all indigenous peoples' traditional medicine
and a common element in Ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic,
traditional oriental, and Native American Indian medicine. WHO
notes that of 119 plant-derived pharmaceutical medicines, about
74 percent are used in modern medicine in ways that correlated
directly with their traditional uses as plant medicines by
native cultures. Major pharmaceutical companies are currently
conducting extensive research on plant materials gathered from
the rain forests and other places for their potential medicinal
value. Substances derived from the plants remain the basis for a
large proportion of the commercial medications used today for
the treatment of heart disease, high blood pressure, pain,
asthma, and other problems. For example, eph
edra is a herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for more
than two thousand years to treat asthma and other respiratory
problems. Ephedrine, the active ingredient in eph
edra , is used in the commercial pharmaceutical preparations
for the relief of asthma symptoms and other respiratory
problems. It helps the patient to breathe more easily.
Another example of the use of a herbal preparation in modern
medicine is the Black cohosh . Originally used by the Indians of North
America for dealing with such maladies as malaise, rheumatism,
aches, pains, gynecological problems, as well as a host of
others, Black cohosh gained popularity with European settlers. It
was used throughout the nineteenth century as a home remedy for
ailments common to both males and females. The popularity of the
plant spread to Europe, where it is still used extensively
today. Interest in the United States had been growing in the
recent years from the reported success stories from the use of
herbs. For example, St
. John's Wort is widely used in the treatment of mild
depression. St
. John's Wort does not have the side effects. There are some
Ayurvedic herbs that are very useful for reducing cholesterol , diabetes etc. Similarly the
popularity of Ginseng and Gin
kgo biloba(ginkgo) is rising due to its beneficial effects.
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