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The Herbal
Alternative
Plants are nature’s
remedies. The use of plants for healing purposes predates human history
and forms the origin of much modern medicine. Herbal traditions have been
passed down and refined with scientific understanding, providing
information to assist in health maintenance.
Today, our diet mainly
consists of foods rich in fats, oils, and complex carbohydrates. These
have become problems in today's society, both leading to certain chronic
diseases. Many dietary and herbal approaches attempt to balance the body's
nutritional well-being. This includes dietary supplements and herbal
medicine.
Herbal products
(medicines/dietary supplements) fall under the complementary and
alternative medicine (CAM) which refers to the practices that aren’t
integral parts of conventional medicine according to the National Center
for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Herbs are valuable
sources of natural medicine, vitamins and minerals that have a remarkable
history of curative effects, when used in the proper way. In fact, the
World Health Organization
estimates that there are 4 billion people or 80 percent of the world
population who are presently using herbal medicine for some aspect of
primary healthcare.
Herbal treatments may
come in different forms. These are:
- Teas made by
pouring boiling water over fresh or dried herbs
- Liquids made by
boiling herbs in water, then using the concoction to make oils or syrups
- Solids such as
powders, tablets and capsules
Although herbs have
both nutritive and medicinal values and perceived as generally safe, care
must be practiced with regard to their use and dosage. Always consult with
your health care provider concerning the use of herbals, especially when
pregnant, breastfeeding, or with chronic illness. |