“the use of plant or plant extracts (berries, leaves, bark, root, flowers) for medicinal purposes to help prevent or treat disease and to help restore and maintain the body’s natural
functions and balance”.

Herbal medicine is the oldest and most used form of medicine in the world, with over 80% of the world’s population accessing herbal medicine as their only form of medicine (WHO statistic). Medicinal plants have been used for thousands of years to benefit health and nutrition, and ancient Chinese and Egyptian papyrus writings describe medicinal uses for plants as early as 3,000 B.C. In the early 19th century, when chemical analysis first became available, scientists were able to extract and modify the active ingredients in plants and in time chemists began making their own version of plant compounds which eventually lead to the gradual decline of herbal medicines in favour of pharmaceutical drugs. Almost one fourth of pharmaceutical drugs are derived from botanicals and examples of this are Willow Bark (Aspirin) and Foxglove (Digitalis).

Scientific research hasn’t fully been able to determine what specific ingredient in a particular herb works to treat a condition or illness, but it is known that herbal plants contain many ingredients that work synergistically to produce a beneficial effect. Some of these ingredients are not just medicinal but also nutritive and include vitamins, minerals, trace elements, enzymes and hormones. An example is Dandelion leaf which is prescribed as a herbal diuretic but as this plant also contains potassium, it has shown to be as effective as Furosemide (Loop Diuretic) without the need for potassium supplementation (1). In many validated studies, Valeriana officinalis (Valerian) has been shown to improve sleep quality and Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo) is another herb that has been studied extensively which has indicated some positive benefits for improving brain and circulatory function in people suffering from Alzheimers and Dementia.

(1) – Racz-Kotilla et al Planta Med 1974; 26; 212-217