According to the American Medical Association Journal, over
100,000 Americans die in hospitals every year due to side effects
from regularly prescribed medications. Throughout America, a
huge amount of medication is prescribed on a daily basis. The
medical community openly acknowledges that fact that it does not
have any cure for several common diseases that affect people.
Most allopathic medicines have side effects that can range from
mild to severe. The reason for this is that most of these chemicals
have certain toxic properties. This is why there have been so many
prescription drugs that got pulled from the market after enjoying
several years of FDA approval.

The sad thing is that very few doctors nowadays bother to inform
patients about possible side effects due to close and cozy
relationships with the pharmaceutical industries.
Half of the truth is that pharmaceutical companies will only tell
doctors as much as they want to and not reveal the complete
picture. Therefore, the doctors are not completely to blame because

not aware of.

The trouble is that the business is so profitable is that these
medicine manufacturers are more concerned with profits and FDA
approval rather than the overall effect on the patients.

This is one reason why several doctors are now beginning to
recommend complementary alternative treatments, like herbal
therapies and medicines.

Here are some interesting facts:

• The totally amount of annual profits made by pharmaceutical
companies through sale of drugs in the United States alone is
over $100 billion

• More than 25% of all prescription drugs available contain plant
derivatives

• More than 80,000 types of plants are used all over the world
for medicinal purposes

• Over 75% of the global population depends on herbal remedies
for regular treatment

There are several choices available for people who are looking for
alternative remedies, including Acupuncture, Yoga, Qigong, Tai chi,
Ayurveda, hydrotherapy, massage therapy, homeopathy, energy
medicines, holistic approaches, and aromatherapy. In fact, the
number of herbal remedies available for different ailments equals
(if not exceeds) the number of regular drug treatments provided by
pharmaceutical companies.

The point is that prevention always was and always will be better
than any cure, mainstream or alternative. The advantage of herbal
remedies is that they move an individual towards a lifestyle more
 geared toward prevention and cure in the early stages of an affliction.

Pharmaceutical drugs work only after the problem has
development, they do not try to prevent problems because then the
manufacturing companies would go into a loss.
This is where herbal remedies leave the mainstream drugs behind.
This is also the reason why so many people are daily turning to
herbal therapies.
Herbal remedies treat the cause of the disease and not the
symptoms (like conventional drugs). Herbal remedies also have
almost no side effects.

Alternative medicine believes that natural health is a consequence
of a variety of different sources coming together. Thus it chooses the
best from various options available, in order to provide good health.
It does so by building the strong points, preventing the weak ones,
and generally dictating a lifestyle that is naturally healthy.

Alternative medicine branches that promote natural good
health include herbalism, natural hygiene, naturotherapy, and
nutripathy. Nowadays it has become common to provide these, as
complementary therapies to conventional methods of treatment.

Terms like alternative medicine and natural health always seem to
get associated with the Far East. It should be noted that most of the
core concepts behind natural health are of European origin.
In the old age the only health care that was available to the common
man was self care. While medical science existed in a very
rudimentary state, it was by no means as prolific as it is today. Most
of the “doctors” in that era were referred to as “folk healers” (people
who heal other people) and their medical qualification was nothing
more than a short apprenticeship under some sort of superior.

At the time of the Revolutionary War, practicing the art of
medicinal healing was looked upon as a diversion, something to
dabble in when you had time to spare. It was supposed to be
something that an individual did when not doing a regular job. Folk
remedies were handed down from one generation to the next. Men
and women who had learned these remedies simply applied them to
everyday life like their predecessors. In this way, matters like
childbirth, injuries, and illness were taken care of.

Geographical distance and biological diversity naturally made these
folk remedies different in different places. So, while the roots of such
healing can be traced to Europe, once they had been adapted to the
Americas, they were not so readily recognizable.

In 1830, Frances Wright and other reformers and activists started
the Popular Health Movement. This was a period when advances in
medical science were forcing contemporary doctors to think in
terms that would have been sacrilegious to their elders. Frustrated
by these new developments, proponents of the Popular Health
Movement sought to enforce the usage of older methods into the
practice of modern medical professionals. While some good has
resulted (in the long run and with the help of understanding
provided by modern research), it has to be admitted that the
Popular Health Movement also caused some medical blunders.

Some natural health concepts that arose as a result of the Popular
Health Movement are: Hydrotherapy, Herbalism, Eclectic Medicine, and Natural Hygiene.

Thomsonianism is one of the earliest approaches to modern
western herbalism and it was founded by Samuel Thompson
around the year 1820.

The Association of Eclectic Physicians, an organization of herbals
doctors, was found in Wooster Beech.

At its very height, eclecticism was practiced by over twenty
thousand qualified doctors in the United States. By 1939, medical
schools were being largely influenced by philanthropists, and when
these schools failed to support eclecticism, it slowly died out.
Hydrotherapy was another branch of natural health and it
concerned itself with the application of water to the human body.

Though using only water as means of staying healthy might sound a
bit silly, for that time period it was a good thing. Hydrotherapy
advocates were very vocal about the importance of personal habits
such as diet, dress, clean water, fresh air, exercise, sunshine, and
herbs. Personal hygiene as it is followed today was not always such
an important issue. Hydrotherapy was conveying a very important
message. Origins of hydrotherapy can be traced back to Europe in
the Roman era when spas and hot mineral springs were a common
way for people to cleanse their bodies.

The European system of hydrotherapy was first introduced to the
United States in 1844 by the founder of Natural Hygiene, Dr. Joel
Shew. Dr. Shew later on enhanced hydrotherapy by focusing on its
other aspects like fresh air, lots of sunshine, a good diet plan, and
an exercise routine. In 1853 he established the college of Hygieo
Therapy.

The American Natural Hygiene Society was founded in
1948. Eventually, hydrotherapy had to give way to allopathy. This
was largely brought about by the fact that the people supporting
allopathy viewed hydrotherapy as a science of quacks because
hydrotherapy was so closely associated with the female social
activists of that era.

The core belief of natural health therapy is that all issues related to
health, sickness, and healing can be overcome through simple
means like prevention and a change in individual lifestyle. Natural
health follows the oldest rule of medicine: prevention is better than
cure. In view of this, natural health therapies are supposed to be
totally in control of the individual and not the doctor or healer.

The “natural” in the term natural health literally refers to the
physical world in which we live, or nature. This is but another way
of saying that according to natural health therapy all disease and
illness is nothing more than a natural reaction to some other
natural action. It is important to remember that natural health does
not have anything to do with faith or psychic healing which are
supernatural concepts and hence, By definition, not part of nature. This difference is also the biggest distinguishing factor between natural health therapies of European origin and Eastern alternative medicinal theories that often rely on belief systems such as spirituality, karma, ancestral forces, personal auras, or energy flows. None of these can be perceived by our
normal senses and hence the Europe-born natural health theories
do not subscribe to them.

Going even further, natural health does not concern itself with the
origin of life, any religious beliefs, extra-dimensional worlds, magic,
and new age mysticism.

All natural health says is that all health and sickness can be affected
by simple natural therapies.

At its most basic level it can be said that natural health therapy
refers to only one thing: biological factors of health, especially as
they apply to everyday life in western society. In its early history,
the natural health movement did show considerable interest in
hydrotherapy and the relaxation it offered through the usage of
spas, steam baths, and other water cures. The more modern
additions to natural health that concern themselves with the bodymind
connection and how that relates to stress and tension are
influenced by eastern alternative medical theories.

Having said that, what natural health therapy finally implies is that
the human body has complete capacity to heal itself from most
forms of sickness (of course, a broken bone cannot be fixed by
altering your lifestyle, it needs to be put in a cast), mostly through
prevention. So as far as natural health thinking goes, all healing is
basically self-healing and this is considered to be a basic property of
all things alive.

Vitalism

It is to be observed that as early 400 B.C., Hippocrates (who is
considered to be the father of medicine) had written that, “the
natural healing force within us is the greatest force in getting well”.
This is known as vitalism, also known as 'vis medicatrix naturae'
(the inherent wisdom of the body).

To put it simply, whenever there is something wrong with the body
the doctor will attempt something, for example: using antibiotics to
kill the infection, perform surgery to remove a poisoned part or for
amputation, put a broken bone into a cast, suture a flesh wound. All
of these are part of the healing trade. The catch is that the body of
patient has to actively respond to all this treatment otherwise it is
wasted. Vitalism makes the body want to heal and get well. This is a
well documented fact that people who deal with their physical
problems confidently and cheerfully heal faster than others. The
precise reason as to why this happens is not understood but the fact
is still undeniable.

Holism

One explanation comes from the concept of Holism which says that
the process of healing is a combined effort by the entire organism
and cannot be achieved by any isolated part of that organism.
The Holism concept can be traced to the time of Paracelsus, 1439-
1541, who is credited with being the father of modern medicine.
When Paracelsus treated patients he refused to pay attention to
only that part which was showing symptoms of disease. Instead, he
tried to treat the whole body as one whole entity.

Holism is not a symptom=cure sort of healing technique. It involves
a careful study of the defensive abilities of each individual patient's
body. Practitioners have to have the knowledge to differentiate
between disease symptoms and the defensive or recovery systems.
What Holism believes is that when someone falls sick, their whole
body has undergone some kind of weakness and has lost the
balance of its strength. So the solution is to simply restore the
strength of the body.
All western natural health therapies rely on biological factors and
the better developed psychosocial approaches are a modern addition.

Individualism

This concept is different in the sense that it places all responsibility
for sickness and good health on every individual in a society. So
everyone is responsible for their personal health.
Individualism results from an awareness of the importance of
individuals in a community and the resulting virtues of self-reliance
and personal independence. Well-rounded individuals are both
self-reliant and independent.

Victim-blaming

What this means is that if someone gets sick then the victim of the
sickness did something wrong. While it might sound a little weird
what it honestly means is that personal health is a personal
responsibility and no one can blame someone or something else for
his or her illness. It focuses on the self. Improve yourself because
the environment around you is too big to change for one individual.
In other words, health problems should be self corrected and the
obvious solution is a change in the victim's lifestyle.

Prevention

This is probably the most difficult concept for the modern day
individual to grasp. Though everyone is aware of the phrase
'prevention is better than cure' there are few people who actually go
the extent of preventing even the most obvious trouble (think about
smoking, alcohol, high cholesterol foods, sugar, etc.). Prevention
does not merely suggest that troublesome activities should be
avoided. What is says is that improving health is better than
fighting disease. It suggests the application of this to short term as
well as long term negative effects.
 In the short term, a healthy body can easily ward off minor illnesses (like common cold) and injuries (razor cuts, skin peeling during sports activities for instance).
 In the long term prevention suggests caution in all that is done today so
that it does not result in adverse outcomes in the future. In other
words, it too suggests a change in lifestyle for a healthier tomorrow.

Reasonably good health can be achieved by everyone. What is even
better that the means to do so do not have to acquired from anyone,
the capacity to do so lies within us.

The next few segments  focus exclusively on herbs and subsequently on natural herbal cures.

Any plant that is grown for culinary, medicinal, or in some cases
even spiritual value is called an herb. It is common practice that,
from an herb plant only the green and leafy parts are used. The
culinary usages are obviously different from the medicinal uses, in
fact, it is often the case that the properties of culinary and medicinal
herbs are entirely different to be found in the same plant. For
example, medicinal herbs usually tend to be shrubs or woody
plants. Culinary herbs, on the other hand, are typically more leafy
and soft.

Interestingly, the seeds, berries, bark, root, or other parts of a
herbal plant make great spices. These plants also bear edible fruits
or vegetables.

Culinary herbs are different from other vegetables in the sense that
they are not the primary objects to be cooked or consumed. Instead,
they are used to provide flavor when used as spices.

Botanical definitions

Botanical science defines a herb as a plant that does not produce a
woody stem. It usually dies in temperate climates. Death can be
complete in case of annual herbs or the herb can simply go back to
its roots in case of perennial herbs.

Examples of herbs include: bulbs, peonies, hosta, grasses, and
banana.

The botanical term herbaceous means a plant having the
characteristic of a herb or being leaf-like in color and texture.

Herbalism is also known as phytotherapy. It is a very old folk
medicine that is based on the use of plants and plant extracts.
Human beings have been looking for healing powers in the
vegetable kingdom for a long time. There are innumerable types of
indigenous plants that have been used by people for centuries in the
treatment of many ailments. The history of such usage is long and
well documented. Evidence has been found that sixty thousand
years ago the Neanderthals living in present day Iraq used plants as
medicines.

Radiocarbon dating of the Lascaux caves in France has revealed
that cave paintings dated between 13000-25000 BCE displays the
use of plants as healing agents.

It must be appreciated that our forefathers spent several centuries
slowly building upon the knowledge of their own predecessors to
arrive at proper medical conclusions. It took many generations of
trial and error to expand this knowledge base. The individuals who
took upon themselves the task of following this line of reasoning
and medical discovery are whom we today remember as “healers”
or “Shaman”.

An interesting aspect of plants is their seemingly infinite ability to
synthesize aromatic substances like phenols and tannins. Plants
also evolve alkaloids that serve as defense mechanisms against
predatory microorganisms, insects, and herbivores. Plants and
chemicals have a strong and historical relationship going back to
several hundred millions of years. The chemical interactions in a
plant's metabolism, offense, and defense procedures is very
complex. Human beings have found that many herbs and species
that are used in seasoning of good often yielded useful medical
compounds.

In recent years plants have once again come into the foreground as
the search for new drugs and dietary supplements have led
researchers back into the plant kingdom. Pharmacologists,
microbiologists, botanists, and natural product chemists are
literally going through the entire roster of plant species with a fine
toothed comb looking for phytochemicals that could lead to the
development of cures for several types of diseases. Already there are
many drugs on the market that have been derived from plants.

Herbal treatment of diseases is nearly universal in all nonindustrialized
societies. Since they do not have the resources to set
up pharmaceutical industries and are quite likely to be too
impoverished to purchase modern day drugs, it should not be
surprising that they rely on plants that they can grown to fight off
illness.

In western society, the use of herbal medicine can be contributed to
the cumulation of several traditions over a long stretch of time,
finally culminating at the end of the twentieth century. Some of
these influences are based on ancient Greek and Rome, the
Ayurvedic principles from India, and Chinese herbal medicines.
Some very common plant based pharmaceuticals that have been
used by western physicians include opium, aspirin, digitalis, and
quinine.

Background

In any living organism, chemical reactions define the metabolism
rate and control normal metabolic activities. Some of these
chemicals are known as primary metabolites (sugar and fat) and are
found in nearly all plants. Chemicals known as secondary
metabolites are found in a limited number of plants. The functions
of secondary metabolites can be very different. They could be used
to produce alkaloids (poisons) for defense or to attract insects to
enhance pollination.

Most of the therapeutic chemicals derived from plants as well plantbased
modern drugs rely on the secondary metabolite chemicals in
plants. A few examples are: inulin (roots of the plant dahlias),
quinine (from cinchona), morphine and codeine (from poppy), and
digoxin (from foxglove).

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
has started to fund clinical trials to improve the medical world's
understanding of herbal medicine.

Popularity

In May 2004, the National Center for Complementary and
Alternative Medicine conducted a survey. The focus of this survey
was on people who had used Complementary and Alternative
Medicines (CAM), what particular types of treatments were used,
and why did the people choose for the complementary medicine
option.

The results of this survey indicated that, with the exclusion of
prayer, herbal therapy (or the use of natural products besides
vitamins and minerals) was the highest used complementary and
alternative medicine. 18.9% opted for herbal therapy over all other
forms of complementary and alternative medicines.

Here are a few samples of medicines used in herbal therapy.

• A variety of plants (including artichoke) help to reduce the
total serum cholesterol levels.

• Plants like black cohosh (and others that contain
phytoestrogens or active estrogen) have proven effective in
treating symptoms of menopause

• A limited number of studies have reported that the average
length of common cold can be reduced by using echinacea
extracts.

• Garlic is a herb that provides multiple benefits like lowering of
cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressures, and reducing
platelet aggregation.

• Another highly diverse medicinal plant is black cumin (nigella
sativa). Common ailments that can be cured using black
cumin include: cough, pulmonary infections, asthma,
influenza, allergy, hypertension, and stomachache. The seeds
of black cumin are classified as carminative, stimulant,
diuretic, and galactogogue. Seed powder or oil from black
cumin can be applied externally in case of skin eruptions.
Digestive tract problems including irritable bowel syndrome and
nausea can be relieved by drinking peppermint tea.

• Rauvolfa serpentina is one of the oldest and most widely used
herbs in India. It is applied for treating problems like
insomnia, anxiety, and hypertension. This herb is also the
foundation for the first plant based allopathic drug that was
developed to combat high blood pressure.

• In some clinical trials it has been discovered that St. John's
wort, a most dangerous chemical, can be highly effective in
cases of mild to moderate depression

• Another plant root that can be used in the treatment of
sleeplessness is valerian.

Dangers

All modern pharmaceutical drugs need to be prescribed due to
dangers of side effects or allergic reactions, or possibly reaction
with other drugs. This has resulted in the development of a myth
about natural products, including herbalism, that has spread far
and wide. The myth goes that natural products are safe. Or, anyone
can take them without consulting an expert and they will do no
harm.

In the end, whatever we extract from plants, spices of curative
agents, we are dealing with chemicals. Over centuries the defense
system of plants has led them to produce some very lethal
chemicals. There are innocent looking plants that can give an adult
nausea if a single leaf is smelled close closely. A small nibble of the
same leaf by an infant can be fatal.

Fortunately, most such plants are found deep in the forests where
predators other than man are a threat. Still, there are milder forms
of toxins in plants much closer to us and even these can be lethal if
caution is found lacking. For example, hemlock and nightshade are
two plants that can prove to be fatal through carelessness.

Also to be remembered is the fact that plants or herbal remedies are
as likely to cause side effects and allergic reactions as other
pharmaceutical drugs. However, these problems usually result from
improper dosage and impurities.

Another danger is taking herbal remedies with conventional drugs
when both perform the same task. In that case the cumulative effect
will surely result in an overdose.

Effectiveness

Scientific studies provide indisputable evidence that the herbals
extracts from plants can not only cure but also prevent certain types
of diseases. Further evidence of the benefits of herbal medicine can
be found in the fact that there are many modern pharmaceutical
drugs available that use plant extracts.

The need for caution comes in when reading the advertisements
and other marketing materials for alternative medicines, even if
they are plant based, 100% natural and completely safe. There are
no products on the market that will advertise boldly that they might
not be effective in some cases. That sort of statement is usually
hidden in the small print.

That should not be criteria when choosing an alternative
medication. There are cases where scientific studies have shown
that people receive none of the medical benefits that the product
claims to deliver. There are many alternative medicines on the
market that have not undergone any sort of testing whatsoever.

The importance of scientific testing becomes apparent when you
consider that these old-age natural therapy concepts were
developed when there were no scientific controls and no test
procedures. If someone wanted to try out a new herb, the easiest
way for to try it on themselves first. Secondly, the human mind was
not as well understood as it is today. For example, modern controls
can easily make out the difference between a placebo effect, the
body's ability to heal itself through its immune system, and the
actual practical benefits of herbs.

Without this understanding any herb, whether beneficial or not, can
be made to look like a life saver.

Scientific investigation also helps to reveal the precise nature and
structure of the chemicals in an herb. Which chemicals do what.
How to they react with blood and other internal organs. What
chemical combines where to produce what compound – finally
resulting in a cure or relief. These are important facets of scientific
testing that were not available in the days when herbal traditions
were being established. Most knowledge in those days was
anecdotal and based on personal experience. Humanity and
especially the medical workers know better today.

It is always prudent to choose a medical treatment that has been
proven safe and effective. It is possible for people to get so
influenced by the natural healing movement that they will abandon
conventional medicine altogether. Avoid falling into this trap.
Herbal therapies have just begun to be studied scientifically and
until proven safe and sound should only be used as complementary
alternative medicines, not the main treatment.
The chemical composition of a lot of herbs is still not known so
there is always the standing danger of violent reaction to an
alkaloid. Do not underestimate this.

Standards

Different countries allot different legal status to different herbal
ingredients. For example, ayurveda, the alternative medicine
therapy from India believes that heavy metals are therapeutic. The
United States however believes that high levels of heavy metals are
actually unsafe for normal consumption. So ayurvedic medicines
are not granted the same status as regular drugs and they are
certainly not FDA approved.

Like other non-FDA-approved health products, ayurvedic drugs are
sold in the United States as dietary supplements and not medicines.
This is merely an evasion because as per American laws,
supplements do not need to be tested for safety or effectiveness. In
some cases even quality control of the active ingredients can be
inadequate.

Usage

If you intend to use herbal remedies then it is always advisable to
first have a detailed and frank discussion with your doctor. Keep in
mind that herbal remedies can cause adverse reactions just like
conventional drugs. This risk is augmented when herbal remedies
are taken in combination with prescription or over the counter
drugs.

 For example, if you are taking medication for hypertension
(these medicines lower blood pressure) and at the same time you
take a herbal supplement with the same affect, there is a very high
risk possibility of blood pressure dropping dangerously.
There are also many supplements available that might contain
herbs, which are to be strictly avoided during pregnancy.

Herbology is the name given to the Chinese method of combining
medicinal herbs. In this technique, which is one of the most widely
used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), every herbal medicine
is actually a cocktail of several herbs that are customized to
individual patients. The doctor will assess the yin/yang condition of
a patient in addition to studying the symptoms of the ailment.

The preparation of the medicine begins with the use of or two main
herbs that target the ailment. The other herbs are added in order to
adjust the yin/yang condition. Other ingredients can be added to
cancel out toxicity or side effects resulting from the main herbs.
This sort of herbal mixing to arrive at a formula that is suitable to
individual needs is not easy. A lot of experience and tutelage is
required before a practicing of traditional Chinese medicine can
perform the mixing independently.

An important difference between traditional Chinese medicine and
modern drugs is that the balance and chemical interaction of the
ingredients a formula is considered more important than the
individual ingredients.

Another quirk in Chinese herbology is that while it may be called
herbology it will use all parts of a plant including: leaf, stem, flower,
root. In fact, some remedies will also use ingredients derived from
animals and minerals. This has caused quite a bit of controversy
because sometimes traditional Chinese medicine can call for
ingredient from animals that are declared as endangered species
(seahorses, rhinoceros, tigers, etc.).

Shennong is usually considered to be the first Chinese herbalist. It
is said that Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs and experimented
with them before passing on his knowledge of medicinal and
poisonous plants to the farmers of China. He also wrote the first
Chinese manual on pharmacology: the Shennong Bencao Jing. This
manual lists approximately 365 medicines out of which 252 are
herbal. The manual is dated around the 1st century Han dynasty.
One of the most important of such documents that were written by
several master practitioners of Chinese herbology is the Bencao
Gangmu. It was put together by Li Shizhen during the Ming
dynasty. The contents of Bencao Gangmu are so potent that even
today they are used for consultation and reference.

Classification of Chinese herbs is in itself a very intricate process.
Very broadly speaking, Chinese herbs are classified using methods
such as those described below.

The Four Natures

The four natures are basically the yin and yang states and how
effective a herbal medication is in bringing them into balance. Yin
and yang degrees can range from cold (extreme yin), cool, neutral
(warm), or hot (extreme yang). Before selecting herbs the doctor
will make a careful study of the yin/yang balance in a patient. So if
Natural Herbal Cures & Remedies
the patient has “internal cold” then an herb that has a “hot” yang
value will be used and so on.

The Five Tastes

Some herbs are identified by their taste. While the taste in itself has
no medicinal value in the absence of a better yardstick Chinese
medicine associates the taste associated with an herb to the final
effect. These five tastes are pungent, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.
Each taste has its own function. Pungent herbs are used to increase
sweating, vitalizing blood and Qi. Sweet herbs are used to tone and
harmonize body systems. Other sweet herbs help in curing
excessive dampness by way of diuresis. Sour taste is meant to be
astringent. Bitter tasting herbs help the body get rid of excess heat,
empty the bowels, and reduce dampness by causing dryness. Salty
herbs can help to soften up hard masses.

The Meridians

Meridians do not have anything to do with the Earth's meridians or
magnetism. What they refer to is the precise organ that the
chemicals in a herb target. So menthol which is pungent and cool is
associated with lungs and liver. This means that since lungs are the
organs that protect the body from cold and influenza the use of
menthol can help to get rid of coldness in the lungs and also resist
heat toxins.

Herbs today are being increasing used to treat all kinds of
disorders. From mild cases like common cold to serious diseases
like cancer, there is an ever growing need for genuine and well
tested information regarding herbal cures.

The information, in a rudimentary way, has already been gathered
for us a long time ago. While most of this knowledge precedes
modern scientific thinking, the integration of the two needs careful
execution.

Long past civilizations in places like the Indus valley (in the Indian
subcontinent) have left us with many concepts like holistic
approach, righteous living, yoga, meditation, etc. As far as medicine
goes, from the same location appeared Ayurveda that defined
proper diagnosis and herbal cures for several diseases.

Thanks to the Internet and the world wide web there is practically
no limit to the number of websites that are busy claiming that they
have managed to master age old secrets or discovered some long
lost magic cure to end all human suffering. There are also some
saner websites that are more lucid and honest about their claims.
However, there are no proper medical outlets for these cures. They
are all businesses with the only objective of making profits. This
makes it very difficult for the average person to know whom they
can trust when considering herbal remedies.

Sadly, due to the misguided media propagation of herbal medicines
there is a gold rush of sorts that involves people who wish to
capitalize on the growing popularity of herbal medicines and
supplements with no regard as to its scientific or personal
implications.

This immoral approach has in turn brought a lot of negative
publicity for herbal treatment as the voice of genuine scientists is
drowned in the fraudulent claims of businesses. Hydrotherapy was
a good idea but how can anyone take it seriously when it is so
closely associated with sale of “colored water”?

If you have been brought to cultivate a negative image of herbal
medicine then try to remember a simple thing. Medical science is
several thousand years old and while there have been several
blunders in that time, herbal medication has been helping people
through countless generations. There are genuine herbal cures out
there. Do not give in to the advertised products but speak to your
doctor.

One of the oldest forms of health care that has been with humanity
is herbal medicine. All over the world, across several cultures,
history is rife with evidence that our predecessors used herbs for
medicinal purposes. This should not come as a surprise because
herbs, unlike modern medicine, are usually safe and do not involve
as many side effects.

The late twentieth century saw a reemergence of herbal remedies
with the popular of herb-based medications increasing
dramatically. More and more hospitals are now offering herbal
remedies as complementary alternative treatments with
conventional medicines. With this increase in public acceptance of
herbal remedies, it has become imperative to conduct studies that
can help medical science to understand how herbal medicine works
by interacting chemically with our internal bodily functions.

Though it is normally true that herbs and medications derived from
them produce fewer side effects than many allopathic medicines
taken for similar symptoms, it is important to remember that even
plants contain certain chemicals that can produce toxicity after
long-term use. Also, while plant based medicines are usually safe
even they can be abused. Unlike allopathic medicines that have
trouble staying in the body for extended periods, herbal chemicals
can create residues in the body and over a long time this slow
poisoning can lead to sickness that cannot be diagnosed or even
death.

Just like other medications and food supplements there is always
the condition and body type of the individual to be considered
before prescribing anything. Many health conditions and
complications make it necessary for people with those problems to
avoid certain types of herbal medicine.

Ask any doctor, they will tell you that it is a very bad and risky idea
to mix medications. In certain cases, this applies to herbal
medicines as well. They should never be mixed with other herbs (or
extracts) and medications. When hospitals offer herbal therapies as
complimentary alternative treatments they make certain that the
reaction of the herbs will not conflict with the main course of
medication administered. This is not something you should mix and
match at home. Consult your doctor before making a medicinal
cocktail.

 Obviously, should you notice any symptoms that ring your
internal warning bell, please rush to your doctor immediately.
One of the things that people often do wrong is attempt to selfdiagnose
minor ailments. This is a classic medical trap that most
medical students learn very early. Symptoms are so easy to misread
that it is common for people to assume that the minor problem they
have is actually some serious, life threatening issue. Conversely, bad
reading of serious symptoms as being related to some minor
problem instead of the real thing is equally dangerous. Do not
attempt to self-diagnose if you are not from a medical background
and even then, be very careful.

Trying a treatment without understanding the problem will most
likely create a whole slew of problems that you never had before.
Do not assume that just because you are taking herbs then it does
not matter because they will not harm you anyway. Precautions are
necessary even with relatively harmless medications.

Since herbal medicines have not been properly scrutinized, the
values attributed to them are based on broad generalized
descriptions that originated thousands of years ago. Ancient texts
explain a lot of things but do not actually tell us how herbal
medicine works. We just know through experience and observation
that they do. In light of this, it becomes difficult to determine
beforehand certain medicinal puzzles like:

• What can be the possible side effects

• What internal complications/medication conflicts can create
problems

• What is the maximum and minimum range for a safe dose for a
specific patient

• How many different herbs should be there in each dose

• How does a patient or healer know that an overdose has
happened

It is impossible to know how safe a particular herbal mixture is
unless you know precisely the exact contents of the mixture along
with a breakdown in terms of the number of herbs and the
proportional content of each herb. Simply taking too much of it in
the hopes that things will work out for the best is a dangerous
choice to follow because of certain toxic side effects of the chemicals
in herbal medicines.

Certain cases were reported in the past where a lack of
understanding, like the points listed above, or worse, an
overwhelming underestimation of the potency of herbal medicines
had caused the medical conditions of people to worsen by several
degrees. Some of these people underwent hospitalized, not for their
original ailment but just to treat the side effects of improperly
administered herbal medicine. Thanks to the modern media hype
surrounding natural products as opposed to industrially
manufactured ones, there has developed a tendency for developed
nations to think that "natural" and "safe" are synonymous. They are
nothing of the sort and it would be prudent to avoid that particular
confusion.

All this should not discourage you or cause you to look at herbal
medicine as something practiced by quacks and fraught with
danger. As mentioned earlier, this healing technique has been
around for a long, long time and has mostly benefited humanity.
When there has been a problem, it has been due to incompetent
judgment on part of the healer or an overdose by the patient. With a
little care and discretion, anyone can take herbal supplements or
medicines.

One of the oldest cultures that carried out a thorough study of herbs
and other plant life related to human health was ancient China.
Chinese Herbal Medicine, also referred to as CHM, went through
many evolutions, as the knowledge grew more and more refined.
Remember that the nature of illnesses that afflict humanity change
over time.

Over the thousands of years that CHM was, so to speak,
in development, the nature of these afflictions changed and CHM
had to change its mode of thinking and conduct more research to
combat new invasions of the human body. Chinese hospitals use all
the advantages offered by modern medicinal research and
techniques while at the same time they rely on their ages old CHM
to treat many diseases and disorders.

Chinese Herbal Medicine claims that it can cure any kind of disease.
This claim is good when you consider that CHM takes the
preventative approach rather than the curative one. CHM first tries
to make sure that no disease can affect the body and in case it does,
early detection makes preventative cures possible. However, even
Chinese Herbal Medicine can do little against a problem like thirdstage
cancer.

After pharmaceutical drugs, a majority of the world population uses
Chinese Herbal Medicine as a first alternative. CHM also produces
fewer side effects when compared to mainstream pharmaceutical
drugs.

The duration of treatment using CHM depends on the type of
disease and its severity. Therefore, there is no predefined period of
treatment. It is customized to be shorter or longer as needed.
Some common ailments that can be treated with the help of CHM
are allergies, digestion problems, problems resulting from
respiratory tract complications, immune system disorders, many
types of pains (internal and external), psychological disorders and
fallout problems, most diseases that afflict children and infants, an
assortment of gynecological complications.

There is no particular age limit applicable to the use of Chinese
Herbal Medicine. Nor is there any restriction based on personal
constitutions. However, like any form of treatment, it is best to
know of existing symptoms and previous medical history (especially
relating to medicinal conflicts and reactions, or allergies) that need
due consideration before even a dose of CHM is prescribed. Other
than that, there is no problem in prescribing Chinese Herbal
Medicine to pregnant women or women who are breast-feeding. Of
course, a lot depends on what is being prescribed.

Chinese Herbal Medicines are available in different forms and there
is the choice between traditional CHM and the modernized
versions. Some people find it difficult to adjust to the peculiar taste
of CHM but just keep at it and it will soon become acceptable.
There is no standard pricing scheme for CHM and so you might
have to fish a bit to find the right price. Also, note that recently
insurance companies have started covering herbal treatment. So if
you are into herbal medicines have yet to take out an insurance
policy you might want to investigate this possibility with your
insurance provider.

One way Chinese Herbal Medicine does its magic is by removing
excess toxins from the body. This is done in many ways. One
method is the colonic dialysis therapy. This therapy is especially
effective with people who are trying to overcome addictions. While
the human body gathers toxins from all sorts of sources on a daily
basis, addictions result in rapid toxin build up in a very short time.
What is worse, depending on the type of addiction, natural toxin
excretion from the body is inhibited. Colonic dialysis therapy
overcomes these inhibitions and provides a quick exit route for the
accumulated toxins. For people who are blessed enough to escape
addictions the natural toxin release mechanism is given a boost by
colonic dialysis therapy.

Currently the PLA Institute of Drug Dependence Treatment and
Rehabilitation is busy doing earnest research to study how colonic
dialysis therapy can help people who have been long-term addicts
of heroin. The primary focus of this research is to determine
whether colonic dialysis therapy helps these people to abstain from
heroin and whether it can reduce craving and the resulting
withdrawal symptoms.

The doctors of the Royal Free Hospital, London, carried out another
scientific study of Chinese Herbal Medicine. In this study, Chinese
remedies were evaluated for the help they might offer to dermatitis
patients. About ten different types of herbs were mixed together to
create the "cure" that was being tested. This mixture was then given
to forty adult patients who had a long medical history of coping
with atopic dermatitis (commonly known as eczema).

The evaluation period lasted for five months. During an eight-week
period in this study, patients were randomly given either the
mixture that was being tested or a placebo that tasted and looked
just the same. This is normally done so that patient responses can
be monitored under blind circumstances. Out of the forty patients,
thirty-one stayed through the entire course of the study and they all
displayed continuous and rapid improvement in erythema (redness
of skin caused by eczema). Obviously, the study concluded that
Chinese Herbal Medicine was an effective remedy for adult atopic
dermatitis.

There are many positive aspects that herbal medicine has going for
it. Unfortunately, the lack of adequate scientific understanding
means that there is no way a doctor can completely take
responsibility for what is being prescribed and hence the safety