All through history, people have sought ways of staying healthy or recovering from illness. Our rich herbal tradition is testimony to centuries of experimentation, observation, and conclusions. As medical doctors and drug manufacturers began to dominate health care, this ancient wisdom was dismissed as 'folk lore'. However, continues use as well as scientific research continues to validate the benefits of botanical medicine.
Medicine is something used to prevent and treat disease. 'Botanical' means derived from plants. In all cultures, people have discovered that flowers, leaves, berries, roots, and bark have strengthening, soothing, and curative properties. Many pharmaceutical drugs prescribed today are derived from plants. Most of us are familiar with some botanical remedies.
Other remedies are familiar. Limes and lemons were discovered to prevent and reverse scurvy, an illness that affected sailors on long sea voyages or explorers in arctic regions. Long before Vitamin C was isolated, citrus fruits were carried along to prevent bleeding gums, loosened teeth, muscular weakness, and eventual death from this deficiency disease. This disorder was unknown to people on shore who had access to fresh fruits and vegetable.
People gathered rose hips during war time and still do today. The red seed pods contain a lot of vitamin C and bioflavanoids. Carrots were eaten by fighter pilots to boost their night vision. American ranchers watched wild horses gnaw the bark from trees and realized this was an effective way to dispel worms. Dandelion greens have long been used as a spring food after a long winter without fresh vegetables. Desert dwellers discovered the benefits of aloe vera, jojoba, and yucca.
Today there is a large market for herbal remedies. Midwives send mothers-to-be to health food stores for red raspberry tea (uterine toning), ginger (morning sickness), or herbal iron supplements. Nursing mothers take fenugreek to boost milk production. Insomniacs seek out chamomile, passion flower, and hops. People fight fatigue with blue green algae, guarana, ginseng, and gota kola.
Every continent and country has its own botanical wonder drugs. Pau d'arco is considered a panacea in South America. Tea tree oil from Australia is used world-wide as an antiseptic and a fungicide. Neem, considered a cure-all in India, is used to fight fungus infections, oral problems, and a multitude of other disorders. Researchers in France discovered the benefits of pine bark and grape seeds. Japan farms chlorella, a single cell algae with proven health-enhancing properties.
Plants are food as well as medicine. Herbs are essentially vitamin and mineral rich plants that have properties that can boost or restore well-being. There is an old saying: 'Food is the best medicine'. This is true, especially when people take the trouble to learn which foods are truly nutritious. In general, eating plants in their fresh, whole state or in carefully prepared dried or extract form is best. When foods are processed, maybe to make them more palatable or shelf-stable, they often lose their beneficial nature.
No one today denies that plants are medicinal. It's good to learn ways in which wild or garden plants can keep us healthy. Knowing the benefits of garlic, fresh berries, and salad herbs brings new meaning to a home garden, and the fields and forests are open to those who want to learn their secrets.
Medicine is something used to prevent and treat disease. 'Botanical' means derived from plants. In all cultures, people have discovered that flowers, leaves, berries, roots, and bark have strengthening, soothing, and curative properties. Many pharmaceutical drugs prescribed today are derived from plants. Most of us are familiar with some botanical remedies.
Other remedies are familiar. Limes and lemons were discovered to prevent and reverse scurvy, an illness that affected sailors on long sea voyages or explorers in arctic regions. Long before Vitamin C was isolated, citrus fruits were carried along to prevent bleeding gums, loosened teeth, muscular weakness, and eventual death from this deficiency disease. This disorder was unknown to people on shore who had access to fresh fruits and vegetable.
People gathered rose hips during war time and still do today. The red seed pods contain a lot of vitamin C and bioflavanoids. Carrots were eaten by fighter pilots to boost their night vision. American ranchers watched wild horses gnaw the bark from trees and realized this was an effective way to dispel worms. Dandelion greens have long been used as a spring food after a long winter without fresh vegetables. Desert dwellers discovered the benefits of aloe vera, jojoba, and yucca.
Today there is a large market for herbal remedies. Midwives send mothers-to-be to health food stores for red raspberry tea (uterine toning), ginger (morning sickness), or herbal iron supplements. Nursing mothers take fenugreek to boost milk production. Insomniacs seek out chamomile, passion flower, and hops. People fight fatigue with blue green algae, guarana, ginseng, and gota kola.
Every continent and country has its own botanical wonder drugs. Pau d'arco is considered a panacea in South America. Tea tree oil from Australia is used world-wide as an antiseptic and a fungicide. Neem, considered a cure-all in India, is used to fight fungus infections, oral problems, and a multitude of other disorders. Researchers in France discovered the benefits of pine bark and grape seeds. Japan farms chlorella, a single cell algae with proven health-enhancing properties.
Plants are food as well as medicine. Herbs are essentially vitamin and mineral rich plants that have properties that can boost or restore well-being. There is an old saying: 'Food is the best medicine'. This is true, especially when people take the trouble to learn which foods are truly nutritious. In general, eating plants in their fresh, whole state or in carefully prepared dried or extract form is best. When foods are processed, maybe to make them more palatable or shelf-stable, they often lose their beneficial nature.
No one today denies that plants are medicinal. It's good to learn ways in which wild or garden plants can keep us healthy. Knowing the benefits of garlic, fresh berries, and salad herbs brings new meaning to a home garden, and the fields and forests are open to those who want to learn their secrets.
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