Herbs and Plants for Health

Throughout history, herbs and plants have always been Man's medicines and we find many references to herbs being used in many civilizations and cultures.

Over the past 50 years, Herbal medicine has been replaced by  more "modem" medicines. Up until then, herbalists, physiciens and pharmacists all shared a working knowledge of herbs. And  were ail closely related in their skills. 

Herbal Medicine' generally applies to the art of using herbs to treat illnesses,though, herbal medicine used in this way was largely empirical.

During the last century  modem science has delved  much deeper into the workings of body and with the newest and more sophisticated methods and equipment of imaging and investigations, doctors now have a very thorough knowledge of the physiology of the human body.

Herbal medicine has benefitted greatly from this recent  knowledge. In the past,use of herbs were largely empirical, but now we are able to identify the active components of each herb. And with this new understanding of human physiology, we are able to explain why and how these herbs work.

In spite of the gigantic strides made in modern phamnacy, herbal medicine still has its place, and its use has, over the past  years, become more and more popular.

The science of using herbs and plants to maintain health, is the updated version of Traditional Médical Herbalism. In Europe the use of plants and herbs in the treatment of illness is much more mainstream that here in North America. For centuries, herbalists have known, by knowledge handed down through generations the correct herbs to be used for various illnesses. With the science of Herbal Medecine and through scientific tests available, it is now possible to know what are the active components and constituents of these plants,  which can help us to understand their action and thus through the modem science of Physiology, we can better explain the way herbs work in the body.

While modem science can help us understand the actions of herbs on the body, it is not the intention of herbal medecine to Isolate these active components for clinical use. Herbalists still believes that the whole plant is the best agent to administer and that the many components in each plant working in synergy, giving an effective, yet safe. Medicine. 

Herbs and plants are mainly used to treat conditions in the body that help regain and maintain health. Modern medicine may have its failings, yet we are hardly able to do without it. Accidents and severe infections and other life threatening conditions need radical action that only traditional medecine can offer.

However, in  most instances  prevention is better than cure, and in many cases modem pharmaceuticals do not have the answers. This is where alternative medicine tends to fit in.

A German Phytotherapist, Rudolf Weiss (adapting Ascleposis of Thessaly) had this suggestion for the following sequence of events for a physicien:

• First the Word
• Then the plant drug
• Next the major scientific therapeutic agent
• And finally the knife

This is interesting as it states the most important rule of clinicaf practice. "The Word", spoken in the appropriate manner, giving positivity, hope, counselling, and advice, is the most important therapeutic skill. This is a skill which doctors gain by experience (although unfortunately, some physiciens never acquire it). (Vogel Institute)

Next, Plants and herbs  are used to influence  the  functions  of the body and tend to normalise and balance these bodily functions.  When  this fails, modern pharmaceutical may be called upon.

This concept is already very widely used in Europe, especially Germany. Also worth noting is that there are many preparations in Germany which contain both herbs and pharmaceutical ingredients in the same product.

All cells of our bodies work at a chemical level. Because of this the amount of vitamins, trace elements and minerals which may or may not be present in each body and cell are vital. A deficiency of vitamins and minerals is well-established as a cause of illness.

While we often speak of nutritional deficiency causing illness, excess nutrition caused by overeating and/or eating inappropriate food can be as significant. Obesity and atherosclerosis, and their attendant problems are due to excess or inappropriate/unbalanced nutrition.

Good nutritional balance is important. Many vitamins and minerals act as catalysts for the chemical reactions which our body needs. A lack of (or reduced amount of) vitamins and minerals may cause certain chemical reactions to be incomplete, giving end products which may be unstable and prone to the production of free radicals.

It is obvious that each cell is a chemical machine. It obtains nutrients from its environment and transforms these, by chemical reactions, into energy and other "useful" chemical products. It returns some of these products into the surrounding environment, either as waste matter or useful end products; thereby the importance of regular elimination.

Despite the rise and strength of Pharmaceutical medicine, the use of herbs has been increasingly popular over the past 20 years. Phytotherapy or the healing treatment using herbs and plants, has its basis in Physiology, (which is the basis for Pharmaceutical medicine), and has benefited greatly from the recent advances in knowledge of the way the human body works.

Herbology believes that it is the whole herb which is important, and the active agent to use in treatment. There is the conviction that even the constituents which are present in the smallest amounts are important for achieving a balanced therapeutic effect. At the molecular level, the active constituents of herbs can act to influence the chemical reactions which take place in the body, to produce the clinical effects seen.

Physiology is however, only one way of looking at the body and ill-health. It is only when one takes ALL viewpoints into consideration that one can have a picture of what the body is truly like.