Herbal Medicines
Herbs have been used as medicines for thousands of years. In fact, many of the pharmaceutical products sold today are synthetic chemicals based on herbal extracts. Herbal medicines may contain a whole plant, parts of a plant, or extracts of either one or a combination of plants. Many people prefer to use herbal medicines because in many cases, they exert beneficial effects without the side effects caused by many pharmaceutical drugs.
In the western world, in the last 10 to 20 years, there has been a tremendous growth in interest in herbal medicine and more natural and less toxic therapies have become increasingly popular. Scientific researchers have also produced a large amount of information on the use of plants and plant substances as medicinal agents. Much of this information provides scientific validation for the uses of plants which have been known to healers for thousands of years.
While herbs are, in many cases, free of the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs, they must be used appropriately. Many herbs have potent effects and may also interact with other medications you may be taking. It is always wise to consult a herbal practitioner if you plan to take herbal medicines, particularly if you are pregnant or have a serious or chronic medical problem.
Commercial herbal preparations are available in a variety of forms including teas, tinctures, fluid extracts, powders, capsules and tablets. Improvements in extraction and concentration processes in recent years have led to the availability of good quality, effective herbal products. The following are some of the most popular and readily available herbs. The term herb refers to any plant used for medicinal purposes.
Herbal medicines:
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- Calendula
- Cat's Claw
- Cayenne Pepper
- Celery Seed
- Chamomile
- Chaste Tree
- Chickweed
- Cleavers
- Comfrey
- Cramp Bark
- Cranberry