Herbal
medicine used for healing purposes predates human history and is the foundation
for modern pharmaceuticals. In ancient times it is believed that community
healers discovered the healing effect of many plants by observing the natural
habits of sick animals. When animals such as chickens, sheep, butterflies, and
chimpanzees as well as many other wild and domesticated animals became ill with
a virus or bacteria they would often begin to forage for bitter herbs which
scientist have discovered contain chemicals such as tannins and alkaloids which
are secondary metabolites. These chemicals often have antiviral, antibacterial,
antifungal and antihelminthic properties. These findings lead researchers to
believe that wild and domesticated animals have the innate ability to
self-medicate. One such example can be found in the diet of the lowland gorilla
who take 90% of their diet from the fruits of the Aframomum melegueta, a
relative of the ginger plant, which is a potent antimicrobial and keeps
diseases such as shigellosis and similar infections at bay. With these
observations made by the community healer and then passed down from generation
to generation, the medicine man was able to prescribe with relative ease any
number of plants for a plethora of ailments.
As we
entered the 20th century herbal medicine declined while the use of
pharmaceuticals increased exponentially. As scientist researched the effects of
herbs on human ailments they would discover the chemical within the plant with
the supposed healing property, then they would artificially manufacture the
chemical and prescribe it to an unwitting population who heralded the doctors
as saviors.
Herbal
Medicine or Pharmaceuticals?
As
stated previously pharmaceuticals have been chemically reduced to a single ingredient
such as aspirin (from willow bark), digoxin (from foxglove), quinine (from
cinchona bark), and morphine (from the opium poppy). The problem with these
seemingly miraculous drugs is that fact that they have many adverse side
effects that come from such a potent and isolated ingredient. If a person where
to take herbal medicines which include whole herbs and plants the side effects
are drastically reduces and the treatment becomes much more subtle and a person
is able to be a whole healthy person.
Herbal
medicine is able to treat nearly all ailments and many scientists are starting
to do more and more research into the effects of whole plants on the treating
everyday ailments. As science begins to see the need to treat the whole person
instead of the ailment, overall health will be gained. Our bodies have gone
through a thousand thousand generations of change and have become quite addept
at curing themselves. What our bodies need from us is the acceptance of the
innate ability to self-medicate. The problem is we have forgotten what plants
help what ailments.
Herbal
Medicine and Floraeceuticals
Here
at Floraeceuticals we feel the need to tap into the innate ability of humans to
find herbs and plants to help with everyday ailments such as the inabilty to
gain weight, urinary tract infections,low energy levels, depression and
anxiety.
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