All through history, people have sought ways of staying healthy or recovering from illness. Our rich herbal tradition is testimony to centuries of experimentation, observation, and conclusions. As medical doctors and drug manufacturers began to dominate health care, this ancient wisdom was dismissed as 'folk lore'. However, continues use as well as scientific research continues to validate the benefits of botanical medicine.
Medicine is used to treat and prevent illness; botanical means derived from plants. In every society, indigenous fruits, berries, flowers, leaves, bark, and roots of plants have been used to strengthen, soothe, alleviate, and cure. Many pharmaceutical drugs doctors prescribe today are plant extracts. Most of us know some of them.
During long voyages of exploration on land and especially on sea, men learned that a diet of preserved meats and dried beans lacked nutrients needed for health. Scurvy was a disease that afflicted sailors or arctic travelers. It was discovered that the juice of fresh lemons and limes could prevent this condition or cure it if it were not too advanced. The Royal Navy of Great Britain made citrus fruit a part of the supplies for every ship.
During war time, rose hips (red seed pods) were collected and used as a source of Vitamin C, the nutrient that prevents scurvy. Carrots were fed to fighter pilots to boost their night vision. These were local and renewable sources, as were dandelion greens and other wild foods. Ranchers in the American west used the bark of certain trees to worm their horses. Desert peoples found aloe soothing for the skin and healing for the stomach.
Today there is a large market for herbal remedies. Midwives send mothers-to-be to health food stores for red raspberry tea (uterine toning), ginger (morning sickness), or herbal iron supplements. Nursing mothers take fenugreek to boost milk production. Insomniacs seek out chamomile, passion flower, and hops. People fight fatigue with blue green algae, guarana, ginseng, and gota kola.
Tea tree oil is sold as an antiseptic, a fungal fighter, and get rid of head lice. Neem oil is used for oral health, to prevent and cure fungus infections, and even as birth control. Tea tree oil comes from Australia, neem from India, pau d'arco from South America, ginseng from the Far East and from America, pine bark from France, and chlorella from Japan. Every country and continent has its beneficial plants which are becoming globally popular as information spreads and 'folklore' is investigated.
Plants are food as well as medicine. Herbs are essentially vitamin and mineral rich plants that have properties that can boost or restore well-being. There is an old saying: 'Food is the best medicine'. This is true, especially when people take the trouble to learn which foods are truly nutritious. In general, eating plants in their fresh, whole state or in carefully prepared dried or extract form is best. When foods are processed, maybe to make them more palatable or shelf-stable, they often lose their beneficial nature.
No one today should be ignorant about plants that can serve as food and medicine in emergencies. Learning about the benefits of plants make gardening more fun and a healthy life more possible. The world of growing things is just waiting to be explored and exploited. There are books on the subject, a lot of informative websites, and a long, long tradition of herbal lore to inspire you in this do-it-yourself health program.
Medicine is used to treat and prevent illness; botanical means derived from plants. In every society, indigenous fruits, berries, flowers, leaves, bark, and roots of plants have been used to strengthen, soothe, alleviate, and cure. Many pharmaceutical drugs doctors prescribe today are plant extracts. Most of us know some of them.
During long voyages of exploration on land and especially on sea, men learned that a diet of preserved meats and dried beans lacked nutrients needed for health. Scurvy was a disease that afflicted sailors or arctic travelers. It was discovered that the juice of fresh lemons and limes could prevent this condition or cure it if it were not too advanced. The Royal Navy of Great Britain made citrus fruit a part of the supplies for every ship.
During war time, rose hips (red seed pods) were collected and used as a source of Vitamin C, the nutrient that prevents scurvy. Carrots were fed to fighter pilots to boost their night vision. These were local and renewable sources, as were dandelion greens and other wild foods. Ranchers in the American west used the bark of certain trees to worm their horses. Desert peoples found aloe soothing for the skin and healing for the stomach.
Today there is a large market for herbal remedies. Midwives send mothers-to-be to health food stores for red raspberry tea (uterine toning), ginger (morning sickness), or herbal iron supplements. Nursing mothers take fenugreek to boost milk production. Insomniacs seek out chamomile, passion flower, and hops. People fight fatigue with blue green algae, guarana, ginseng, and gota kola.
Tea tree oil is sold as an antiseptic, a fungal fighter, and get rid of head lice. Neem oil is used for oral health, to prevent and cure fungus infections, and even as birth control. Tea tree oil comes from Australia, neem from India, pau d'arco from South America, ginseng from the Far East and from America, pine bark from France, and chlorella from Japan. Every country and continent has its beneficial plants which are becoming globally popular as information spreads and 'folklore' is investigated.
Plants are food as well as medicine. Herbs are essentially vitamin and mineral rich plants that have properties that can boost or restore well-being. There is an old saying: 'Food is the best medicine'. This is true, especially when people take the trouble to learn which foods are truly nutritious. In general, eating plants in their fresh, whole state or in carefully prepared dried or extract form is best. When foods are processed, maybe to make them more palatable or shelf-stable, they often lose their beneficial nature.
No one today should be ignorant about plants that can serve as food and medicine in emergencies. Learning about the benefits of plants make gardening more fun and a healthy life more possible. The world of growing things is just waiting to be explored and exploited. There are books on the subject, a lot of informative websites, and a long, long tradition of herbal lore to inspire you in this do-it-yourself health program.
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