Since ancient times, horticultural herbs have been utilized in medicine to treat all kinds of diseases that can occur to man in his whole life. Healthcare developed first with the herbs and these herbs were respected for their diversity. The plants in ancient times were not just used for medicinal purposes but were also used to make clothes, food, money and shelter. Herbs have now caught the attention of modern man because now they have started understanding and respecting the medicinal benefits of these plants.
Do you know why plant chemicals have effect on the human body? The reason is that living things are created off the same organic compounds. Therefore, the enzymes, sugars, vitamins, proteins etc. are bound to have effect on human body. The chemicals of plant that act as antibiotics for the plant are found to inhibit the fungus and bacteria in animals too. Similarly, if these chemicals block parasites and tumors in the plant they are found to have a similar effect on humans too.
The most commonly utilized alternative medicine herbs are berries, leaves, flowers, stems and roots. Extracts from these herbs can be punched in tablets, capsules, syrups, lozenges, tinctures, teas, ointments, poultices and other extracts. Alternative medicine herbs have been around since the beginning of human life and hold a strong and extensive history. Actually, if you look closely, then you will find that most of the normal medicines and other cosmetics that you use have been created out of these plant herbs in a synthesized format.
We can take the example of any modern day scientific medicine and you will find a relation of that medicine with a particular herb. For example, Vincristine, a cancer medicine, is created from herb periwinkle. Then there are other normal medicines that utilize Salicylic acid that you can easily find in the herbs like willow bark and meadowsweet. Ephedrine is another common medicine that is utilized for respiratory troubles in human beings. This is created from ephedra, and ephedra itself is used in a lot of medications for cold & flu, allergy, and sinusitis. Therefore, when we take a close look we will find that most of the scientific medicines are derived from alternative medicine herbs.
The list below shows popular medicines of our ancient times:
Lavender – For treatment of headaches, insomnia and relieving stress
Echinacea – For treatment of infections and boosting the immunity system
Wormwood – for the treatment of gastric troubles and irritable bowel syndrome
Hyacinth – used to treat the trouble of water retention
Yellow Dock – to purify blood and treat skin ailments
Yarrow – to decrease fever and cold
Alder Berries – to eliminate worms
Marshmallow Root – to treat sore throats and irritated digestive system
Senna Leaf – to treat constipation
Peppermint – to treat stomach upset, nausea and vomiting.
There are a lot of benefits of having these herbs around you and it is really suggested that you grow fresh medicinal herbs in your house. With these herbs around you will probably not have to worry much about the common ailments and turn to scientific medicines. They can also be used for culinary, and aromatherapy purposes!