What is herbal medicine?

What is herbal medicine?

Herbalism is both an ancient art and a modern science. Plants provide the principal ingredients in medicines used in most medical traditions globally. According to the World Health Organisation, 80 per cent of people in the world use herbal medicine as their primary form of healthcare. In the past, our ancestors made new discoveries of the healing power of plants through trial and error.Nowadays, more scientific approaches are commonly applied to understanding the medicinal properties of plants and developing new products.

Herbal practitioners use similar diagnostic skills to orthodox physicians, but differ in that they use whole plant preparations for treatments rather than isolated constituents, whether derived from plants or synthesised. A herbal practitioner takes a holistic approach, treating the whole person rather than just symptoms. This is based on a philosophy that suppression of symptoms alone may not lead to complete health, because underlying problems are not addressed. Herbal medicine may be used not just when ailments occur, but also to maintain the general health and vitality of patients and to reduce the chances of infection. It is suited to people of all ages, from babies to the elderly.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HERBAL PREPARATIONS AND PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS

Traditional herbal practitioners prescribe preparations made from whole plants or parts of plants (bark, roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, etc.). There is a commonly held view that the mixture of individual constituents within plants are “balanced” from the point of view of their medicinal properties.

Modern pharmaceutical drugs are typically based on single chemicals with “active” properties. Many drugs have been discovered through research into the physiological effects of chemicals found in plants. Some of these drugs are still derived directly from plants (e.g. digitalin from the foxglove, Digitalis), while others are now synthesised (e.g. aspirin, inspired by the medicinal properties of the bark of the willow, Salix alba). Chemicals in some plants are extracted and transformed, providing the building blocks of drugs (e.g. progesterone, synthesised from chemicals found in some species of Dioscorea, the wild yam).

There appears to be a trend in the herbal industry towards the marketing of plant preparations resembling pharmaceutical products by isolating the “active compounds”. In itself, this may not be a problem from the medical viewpoint, but it is an issue for traditional herbalists if such products are promoted as “traditional herbal remedies”. This is misleading, because traditional herbal remedies contain all the ingredients in those parts of the plants that are used. This is what makes herbal remedies unique.

The process of isolating active constituents from plants is relatively new and under-researched in comparison with the long histories lying behind many herbal preparations. It should not be concluded that, just because a particular herbal medicine seems effective and to have few or no side-effects, this will necessarily be the case for active principles isolated from it. Kava kava is an example. Herbal preparations from this species have been used for over 3,000 years in the Pacific without reports of serious adverse effects. Yet the over-use of standardised extracts of kava kava is reported to have caused six cases of liver failure and one death in mainland Europe.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN A HERBAL CONSULTATION

The first consultation will take about one hour, during which the practitioner will take a detailed case history. There will be discussions on past medical history, medications taken, diet, exercise and lifestyle. If relevant, the practitioner will undertake a physical examination to evaluate the overall balance of the body’s systems (musculo-skeletal, nervous, cardio-vascular, genito-urinary, digestive etc.).

After a consultation, the herbalist will dispense the appropriate herbs, explain their use, and arrange a further appointment for a follow-up consultation that will last about 30 minutes.

FORMS OF APPLICATION OF HERBAL MEDICINES

Herbal medicines can be taken in various forms, varying according to the ailments being treated and the particular needs of individual people.

Infusions are made from dry or fresh plant material, one teaspoon of the former being typically considered equivalent to three of the latter. Infusions can be prepared in the same way as tea, by pouring boiling water over the herbs. Infusions are left for between five and 10 minutes before being strained and drunk as instructed.

Decoctions are often made from the “harder” parts of plants such as roots, wood, bark, seeds and nuts. The difference between a decoction and an infusion is that the material is boiled for five to 15 minutes before straining. The decoction can be kept in a fridge for two days.

Juices are prepared by squeezing juices from plants, without heating. They are then bottled without preservatives and may be kept for up to two weeks under refrigeration. They are taken with water.

Tinctures are alcohol-based preparations. Tinctures provide the most common way in which herbal medicines are prescribed in the Western herbal tradition. Tinctures keep well and are convenient to take. The percentage of alcohol used varies according the types of constituents extracted.