Knowledge About Herbs Has Increased Exponentially

The Use of Herbs is Huge in Alternative Medicine

One of the earliest publications about plants for healing dates to 2800 B.C.

This document was written by a Chinese medical practitioner and lists 366 plant drugs used to heal various ailments.

Early Chinese medical philosophy argues that disease develops when there’s a disturbance of the balance between yin and yang, the two polar opposites that make up the core theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Medicinal plants:

• help to increase resistance in the body
• eliminate disease-causing agents
• restore balance between yin and yang

Centuries of Observation, Practice, and Experience are the Framework of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Medicinal plants were classified according to their properties and actions. These properties guide the practitioner in his use of them.

Each medicinal plant is classified according to four properties:

• cold
• hot
• cool
• warm

The use of medicinal plants and acupuncture are the foundation of the treatment for health problems in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Interestingly, acupuncturists and plant prescribers in Chinese medicine don’t talk about specific diseases as do doctors who practice western medicine.

The Practice of Using Medicinal Plants in the United States was Based on What Primitive People Learned

Samuel Thomson (1769-1843) devised a set of plant recipes used and known to native U. S. Indians. He patented his system and sold the rights to would-be-practitioners.

“Thomasonianism” was used by one to five million people in the United States in the mid- to late-1800’s.

Later in that century, the study of plants became more “scientific” with the development of “Eclecticism” and the opening of the Cincinnatti Eclectic Medical Institute. This remained open until 1935.

Both of the above practices were theoretically based on vitalism, described as:

• adhererance to the idea that the body has a “life force”
• plant users agreed that internal problems are represented by visible symptoms
• the theory urged the physician to rely on his sense-perception in prescribing the plant
• this philosophic position was and is in direct contrast to the vision of conventional medicine

Today, Unlike the United States, Europe — Particularly Germany and Italy — Aggressively Study Plant Medicine

The German Commission E Monographs were first released in 1998. In Germany, 600-700 different plant medicines are sold, singly and in combination. About 70% of physicians prescribe medicinal plants, whereas in the U. S., physicians know little about them and rely on pharmaceutical drugs.

It was in 1976 that the Federal Republic of Germany defined plant remedies in the same manner as other drugs — they categorized herbs for:

• preventing disease
• alleviating suffering
• correcting physical injury
• for symptoms of illness
• to influence the nature, state, or function of the body

One of the Most Fascinating Outcomes of the Study of Herbs is the Understanding of “Adaptogenic” Plants

Most herbs are used for specific ailments, but the most powerful use of herbs is for general purposes. For example, Echinacea (purple coneflower) is used as a general immune system builder.

Russian research has contributed to much of what we know about “adaptogens,” which have the capacity to increase the whole body’s resistance to germs, stress, cold, and mental challenges.

The characteristics of an adaptogenic herb are:

• it must be absolutely harmless
• it must act broadly in the body
• it must increase resistance
• its action must be non-specific
• its action must be normalizing and stabilizing

So, as you experiment with herbs, you’ll receive the best results by using adaptogenic herbs, whose actions have been charted only since World War II.

More resources for your study of adaptogenic herbs…

Spice Extracts Ginger Adaptogenic Herbs Probiotics Ginseng - Adaptogenic herbs are a mainstay of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), where they are used to help the body adapt to everyday stress. In TCM, the most famous adaptogen of all is the goji berry, which is often taken together with …

Bolstering the Immune System Using Chinese Herbs to Fend Off Swine Flu - Adaptogenic herbs such as ginseng, shiitake mushrooms, ganoderma, (also known as reishi mushrooms), coryceps, astragalus and dand eleuthero are all herbs at the top of the “boost the immune system” list. Adaptogenic herbs do exactly …

How to Use Adaptogens: Herbs That Strengthen, Energize, and Beat … - Try these for stress relief: astragalus, cordyceps, and fresh milky oatAdaptogens are herbs whose gentle effects on your body are tricky to measure scientifically. But adaptogens are infinitely useful nonetheless, because they perform …

Adaptogenic Herbs | Nature’s Answer to Handling Stress - Adaptogens and adaptogenic herbs Adaptogens have been shown to reduce the release of stress-related cortisol in humans. Discover how to reduce your stress naturally.

Adaptogens: Herbs to Cope with Stress | Suite101.com - Adaptogens, a fundamental component of eastern medicine, are now recognized everywhere for their remarkable ability to help the body cope with stress.

How to Delay Aging? » Blog Archive » Herbal Rhodiola Extract Found … - Rhodiola rosea is classified as an adaptogen herb, which means it increase the body’s ability to cope with internal and external stress factors, and normalize the functions of the organism. Adaptogen herbs help maintain the stable …

Adaptogens: Nature’s Answer to Handling Stress | Fitness And Health - Adaptogens have been known in Chinese and Ayurvedic healing systems for thousands of years. But it was not until the second half of the 20th Century that adaptogenic herbs underwent major scientific scrutiny and began to become …

Cure For PCOS – Two Magic Herbs That Work Wonders. | Directory Deals - This herb is an adaptogen, which simply means that whether you suffer from a low level of one hormone or an excess of another, you can take Vitex and this herb will regulate the pituitary gland to achieve optimum levels of the hormone. ..