SolveYourProblem
eLearning Series:
187 EVERYDAY HERBS &
HERBAL REMEDIES
( 20 pages )
LET'S
GET STARTED...
HERBAL REMEDIES
In
recent years the issue of Alternative Healing has skyrocketed
to the forefront of the medical field. A 2004 government
survey concluded that more than one third of adults
use alternative medicine and healing.
One
facet of this burgeoning interest is Herbal Medicine. While
it may seem “trendy” to some, Herbal Medicine has been
around for thousands of years. In fact, many of the familiar pharmaceutical
medications we use today were originally created from “natural”
ingredients. Drugs like opium (from poppies), aspirin (from
willow bark), digitalis (from foxglove) and quinine (from
the cinchona tree.)
Interestingly,
the synthetic version of “aspirin” is credited with the beginning
of the pharmaceutical industry. A chemist working for the
Friedrich Bayer Company in Germany created the synthetic.
The company registered the term “aspirin” as a trademark
but Bayer lost the patent rights when the Allies seized and
resold its foreign assets after World War I.
The
right to use the term “aspirin” in the United States was
purchased by Sterling Drug in 1918. But even before the patent
expired in 1917, Bayer had been unable to prevent their formula
from being copied. Hence, the term “aspirin” has been a generic
term in the U.S. ever since.
It
would be impossible to cover this topic adequately in one
guide. What we will endeavor to do with this guide
is provide you with an overview of herbal remedies
and subsequently give you an in-depth look at 47 simple herbal
remedies to
common, everyday ailments.
Please
remember that there is no substitute for advice from a medical
practitioner. The contents provided here should not replace
a health and fitness program and is provided for educational
purposes only. You should consult your own medical practitioner
before embarking on any program that affects your health
and well being.
HISTORY
OF HERBAL MEDICINE
Herbal
Medicine is the use of botanicals (plants) either singularly
or in combination to prevent and treat certain ailments and
illnesses.
People
native to different geographical locations have long used
plants and plant extracts to cure specific maladies. Sometimes
referred to as “folk” medicine, it is generally recognized
that there are three schools of research one can follow with
regard to the history of these treatments.
There
is the study of medicines based on Greek, Roman and medieval
sources which is largely used by Western schools of thought,
Ayurvedic which comes from India and the Eastern tradition
of Chinese Herbal Medicine. Rather than separation, these
different schools of thought provide more commonality than
division.
It
stands to reason that most ancient peoples used plants that
were native to their geographical location which provides
sound reasoning as to why different schools of thought exist.
All
three of these modalities at one time included both philosophical
and spiritual aspects along with the scientific knowledge
that existed within a specific time frame. While we are not
here to render opinion, one fact does remain. The same study
that determined one third of Americans used alternative therapies,
the same number surveyed showed a dramatic increase in positive
results to more than 60% when “prayer” was included in the
mix.
Ayurvedic
loosely translates to “knowledge of life.” Dating back to
more than 6,000 years ago, Ayurvedic Medicine practiced not
just Herbal Medicine, but some of the earliest surgical procedures
as well as inoculation. Over the years Ayurvedic Medicine
became increasingly more symptomatic as opposed to treating
the root cause of disease which originally was steeped in
strengthening the immune system.
With
all our so-called advancements in the medical field, it’s
interesting that physicians are still treating “effect” rather
than “cause.” The old adage that, “an ounce of prevention
is worth a pound of cure” could not be more true. This is
especially true when it comes to natural remedies.
Most
natural remedies are botanical. Singularly or in combination,
the numbers of herbs available is astounding. We will barely
scratch the surface in this guide and we encourage further
research and study.
While
this is a presentation on “herbs,” we have included other
natural, organic contents. Many of the combinations include
both herbs and other sources such as tree bark, alfalfa and
rhubarb.
Because
there are so many botanicals and combinations, we are using
the most common and should not be construed as the ONLY use
for a specific herb.
Additionally,
please note that we use the “common names” throughout, as
opposed to the more confusing, latin words.
Let’s
get right to it, shall we?
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