Herbs as Medicine – a Short Introduction

All that changed once chemists were able to isolate specific substances from plants and reproduce them synthetically.
Nevertheless, we must remember that many of the drugs that we know today originated from plants. Take aspirin for example, the active ingredient of this drug was originally isolated from the bark of the white willow tree. White willow is a tree that was known and used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat of flues and various throat ailments.
Morphine, so commonly used as an analgesic both before and after surgeries, also has a natural origin - the opium flowers (poppies)

What then is the real difference between using an herbal remedy and an industrially manufactured drug?
When we consume the herb, we are using it completely and receiving it as a whole, a perfect creation designed by nature through a long evolutionary process. The herb contains many substances that work together in the body bringing about a completely different effect than the one attained when a single substance is administered with an industrially designed pill.

Going back to the first example, aspirin, gives an excellent overview of the possible differences between the two forms of treatment. Aspirin has been noted for its adverse effects on the stomach's mucous membranes as it is associated with bleeding and ulcers.
Alternatively, if we take white willow bark we will probably get a more moderate effect than the one of aspirin thanks to its naturally lower concentration of the active ingredient and at the same time we will not be risking our stomach's delicate lining. As the plant contains additional ingredients that provide stomachic protection, white willow offers a more balanced and complete remedy to our ailment.
And yes, herbs are remedies as much as any laboratory designed drug despite their more moderate and balanced effects on the body.

Every herb has its unique form of interacting with other substances and remedies that we might be consuming, as well as its very own adverse effects on the body. This is the main reason why we shouldn’t consume herbs that are sold in health stores without proper guidance from a trained herbalist, naturopathic doctor, homeopath or any other licensed doctor that was trained in herbal medicine. Always check with your health care provider that he/she were trained at an accredited academic institution for treating with herbs.

Herbal Preparations

In herbal medicine we can use the entire plant – its leaves, branches, roots, flowers, and bark. Different parts are used in each case, as in each plant the required substances are stored in different parts.
Herbs can be used in several forms, the main are:

• Tea – as the name implies, its preparation is similar to that of a commercially packed teabag. Herbal tea is made by pouring boiled water over a dry substance, allowing about five minutes to steep, straining and drinking.
• Infusion – the preparation of an infusion is very similar to that of a tea but for the ratios of its ingredients. Usually a larger amount of dry herb will be used with a smaller amount of water. An infusion should be allowed to simmer for ten to twenty minutes before it can be used.
• Decoction – a decoction is a preparation made by boiling the herb along with the water. This method is especially useful for those harder parts of the plant such as its bark, stem, roots, or seeds.
• Tincture – a tincture is used for herbs that require a solvent stronger than water to release their active ingredient. Here alcohol is the solvent most commonly used. Tinctures and extracts of many plants can be easily found in most health stores.
• Salves – these are oil based preparations made by heating a fatty base along with the herb. The combination of the fat and the herb that has released its active ingredient through the process yields an ointment-like medicine that can be used topically.

At home, you can easily prepare teas, infusions, and decoctions.

Always remember: herbs are very powerful and if wrongly prescribed can be harmful or cause interactions with other medications. Do not self-prescribe !
Only a licensed Alternative medicine provider such as a naturopathic doctor can understand the complete mechanism of an herb, together with its interactions and side effect and can properly prescribe it considering your current condition and your medication.