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
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 non-industrialized 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 plant-based 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.
