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Chinese Herbalism

Traditional Chinese medicine using herbs and tonics.
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Naturopathy

Natural medicine aimed at restoring the body to equilibrium.
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Ayurveda

Traditional Eastern Indian medicine using herbs and energy work.
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Over 80% of the world's population relies on herbs for health. Diverse cultures use herbal remedies to treat disease and promote well-being. Many laboratory-produced drugs are derived from plants, but herbal remedies differ from conventional medicine in using parts of the whole plant rather than isolating single active ingredients. In the past 200 years, plant species from North America, Africa, and Australasia have become part of Western herbalism, and today herbs from other cultures are being introduced as herbal medicine experiences a resurgence in popularity.


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HISTORY

Some of the earliest records of medical herbalism can be found in Egyptian papyri dating from 1500 B.C., which refer to many remedies still in use today. Ancient civilizations in China (see page 140), Persia, India (see page 144), and the Americas also relied on medicinal herbs. It was the writings of classical physicians, however, that expanded the knowledge of Western herbalism. Texts on herbal medicine, such as De Materia Medica (1st century A.D.) by Dioscorides, an army doctor who traveled throughout the Roman Empire, and De Simplicibus (2nd century A.D.) by Galen, were used by Islamic physicians right up to the Middle Ages. This learning filtered back to Europe with the Crusaders, and the texts were translated into Latin again.  

Herbal folklore was the medicine of the people, part of an oral tradition in Europe, while Greek and Arab herbal lore was the prerogative of monks practicing in monasteries. Only upon the invention of the printing press in the 15th century did this knowledge become available to anyone who could read, and herbalism flourished for the next 200 years. The 16th century scientist Paracelsus advocated the "doctrine of signatures," an ancient theory that a plant's appearance gave clues as to the ailments it treated. His work influenced John Gerard, whose Herball appeared in 1597, and Nicholas Culpeper, author of The English Physitian (1653).  
 
With the growth of science in the 18th century, herbal medicine began to decline in Europe, although New World settlers retained their allegiance to herbal lore and also adopted indigenous remedies. Samuel Thomson, a descendant of the Pilgrim fathers, set up herbal schools in the US in the early 19th century. His ideas were taken back to Europe in 1830, and led to a revival of herbalism in the UK.  
 
Conventional medicine remained dazzled by pharmaceutical breakthroughs until the 1970s, but a World Health Organization report concluded that herbal remedies could fulfill an important role in modern health care. Medical herbalism is now well established in continental Europe and can be studied at British universities. In the US, laws restricting the sale of herbal remedies were relaxed in 1994. 
 
KEY PRINCIPLES
 
Herbalism is a holistic medical system that seeks to restore the body's self-healing mechanism, or "vital force," and prescribes remedies tailored to the patient, not the symptoms. Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, herbalists look for the cause of illness, such as poor diet, an unhealthy lifestyle, or excessive stress, which may have overburdened the body's fine balance. Herbalists attribute disease to disturbances in the body's self-regulating state of harmony ("homeostasis"). Remedies promote healing by supporting the efforts of the body's vital force to restore homeostasis. Much of the herbalist's skill lies in knowing the actions of different plants on specific body systems; for example, a plant may stimulate the circulation or calm the digestive system.
 
Herbal "synergy" is a key factor in medical herbalism. According to this theory, parts of whole plants are more effective than the isolated constituents used in drugs that are made synthetically.
 
EVIDENCE & RESEARCH
 
Evidence to support herbal medicine is growing fast, and can be as strong as that for pharmaceutical drugs. In Europe and Australia, herbal products need to be backed by scientific evidence before they are allowed to make medicinal claims. This provides incentive for research.
 
In the US, it is illegal to state therapeutic uses for herbal products on the label. Clinical research supports the claims made for many herbs, including:
 
Echinacea: Traditionally used by Native Americans, this herb appears to stimulate the immune system and prevent infections by increasing the flow of white blood cells. It is being investigated as a treatment for Hiv and Aws, and in Germany is an approved treatment for many disorders, including multiple sclerosis. Garlic: The subject of over 1,000 research papers, garlic lowers blood cholesterol and fat levels, and reduces blood pressure.
Research since the 1980s, especially in the US, Germany, and Japan, has verified its antibiotic and antiseptic actions and its ability to fight certain cancers. Ginger: In 1990 a British study showed ginger to be of benefit in relieving nausea in postoperative patients. Ginkgo: One of the oldest living plant species, ginkgo is the best-selling herbal medicine in France and Germany. Research carried out in France in 1986 provided evidence of its effectiveness in treating tinnitus, while a study published in The Lancet in 1992 showed that it improved blood circulation. St. John's Wort: A study published in The Lancet in 1996 showed this herb can treat depression as effectively as synthetic anti­depressants, and without side effects.
 
MEDICAL OPINION

Many doctors view herbalism as an out­dated tradition, although they realize that plants are the source of many synthetic drugs. However, doctors stress that not all herbs are safe, that their constituents are difficult to standardize, and that herbal medicines should only be taken with expert advice. If the evidence for herbal treatment of diseases were more widely known, doctors might be more willing to use them, especially now that they are being mass-produced in tablet form and made more widely available.

CONSULTING A PRACTITIONER
 
Practitioners have some knowledge of biology, anatomy, and physiology, as well as plant pharmacology, but their approach to treating illness is holistic and they will consider all aspects of your life before prescribing treatment. Your first consultation will usually last an hour, during which the practitioner will take an extensive medical history. She will ask you about your lifestyle - focusing on areas of stress - and about your diet, work, mental and emotional state, and recent life events. Details of any conventional medication you are taking will also be recorded to ensure compatibility with the herbal remedies prescribed.  
 
The practitioner will carry out some simple tests or give you a physical examination, for which you may need to undress. Based on her conclusions, she will prescribe one or more herbal remedies, which can normally be made up on the spot. Treatment may also include advice on diet and exercise. You will probably be asked to return in a week or two, or earlier if your condition is acute. If appropriate, the herbalist may suggest that you see a conventional doctor. Herbal remedies usually take longer to work than conventional medicine, and should generally be taken for a week or two after symptoms disappear.
 
PRECAUTIONS
 
• Consult a qualified herbalist before taking an herb if you are taking prescribed medication, and do not discontinue a medicine without telling your doctor.
 
• Consult a qualified herbalist before taking herbal medicine if you are pregnant, or if you have heart disease, hypertension, high blood pressure, or glaucoma.
 
• Epilepsy and insulin-dependent diabetes are best treated with conventional medicine.

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