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.
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