Herbal treatments and natural medicine
Herbal treatments are core to natural medicine. It is included in the general appellation: phytotherapy.
Generally speaking, phytotherapy also includes other raw materials like minerals, mushrooms, and even animal products.
In the history of natural medicine, we can affirm that phytotherapy was the first significant discovery.
We can’t say precisely how humans first discovered the effects of herbs on our bodies. The most probable explanation is through the food.
By eating everything they could, humans started to discover the various properties that herbs can have and what benefit we can get.
Slowly but surely, discoveries and knowledge emerged throughout oral communication from one generation to another.
This is how humans started, thousands of years ago, to use plants to ease pain, reduce fever, improve wound healing, help digestion, increase energy, promote urination, facilitate childbirth, etc.
Still, today, many synthetic drugs used in the medical field are derived from plants like for example:
- Penicillin, discovered from the mold Penicillium Chrysogenum
- Aspirin, discovered from the white willow (Salix alba)
Of course, it didn’t take long for humans to discover herbs and mushrooms’ psychotropic effect. The extract and synthesized molecules from these herbs and mushrooms are still used today like for example:
- Cocaine, made from the Coca plant (Erythroxylum coca)
- LSD, made from the mushroom called “Ergot” (Claviceps purpurea)
- All the opioids and their derivatives Oxycontin, Morphine, Codeine, Heroin, made from the opium poppy plant (Papaver somniferum)
Looking at the big picture, we can say that we are totally dependent on the plant world to survive.
We often tend to forget that we would have nothing to eat without plants as they are the only ones producing proteins, fats, and sugar through their unique photosynthesis process.
We would have nothing to breathe, as they are the only ones producing oxygen due to the photosynthesis process.
Considering that, it is not surprising that the ability for us to heal and stay healthy depends mainly on the plants.
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If there is one natural medicine that has mastered the ability to use herbs for treatments, it’s definitely traditional Chinese medicine.
For many centuries, they have studies all the herb’s actions and possible combinations with other herbs to create what we call formulas.
They also studied the art of decoction, tincture, and other forms or preparation of the herbs to obtain the best effects possible.
Nowadays, we have a great synergy between traditional Chinese phytotherapy and the modern approach of western natural medicine.
This gives us many tools that use herbs like decoction, powder, pills, essential oils, tincture, etc.
The problem is that the plant realm is in danger. Indeed, never before we have so many destructions of biodiversity. We already lost many herbal varieties, and it’s not improving for the better.
What is the point of having so much knowledge and experience using herbs if we destroy them?
This is why it is urgent to stop destroying biodiversity and instead plant as many vegetable varieties as possible.
To learn more about natural medicines and how they can help you thrive, please visit our free library full of topics like these covering a wide range of topics written by Holistic Natural Health Experts.
