What Are Herbal Medicines

Herbal Medicines

Herbal Medicines has been used for centuries through out the world. Many indigenous people throughout the world as well as countries like China and India practice Herbalism and use herbal medicines. Herbalism is originally based on traditional and cultural medicine in traditional societies. It is believed based on world statistics from the �World Health Organization� that as of today 80% of the world depends on plants for their medicinal needs. Today in societies like ours Herbal Medicines falls under the category of alternative medicine although many of our conventional pharmaceuticals are plant derived as well.

Herbal Medicines are based on a holistic system of healing that uses plants or plant derived preparations to treat, prevent and even cure various illness, ailments and conditions. Herbal medicines utilize the whole plant. Roots, stems, seeds, leaves and flowers are used for medicinal purposes from plants that have medicinal properties. It is believed by herbalists the patient is treated according to his individual needs to re-balance his body back to health through the medicinal preparation of particular plants. The herbs are made into teas, used in infusions, made into extracts and tinctures, used in creams and ointments.

There are two ways to make herbal medicinal teas. One is infusion and the other decoction. Infusion is steeping parts of the plant like leaves, flowers and light stems for four to eight hours. Decoction is boiling the herbs and parts like roots and heavy stems for a longer period of time. When the herbs dry some of the medicinal properties are compounded making it stronger. So for the most part for drinking purposes, medicinal teas are primarily dried.

Herbal Medicinal Tinctures are plants that are steeped in a grain or other organic alcohol. When steeped the plants properties are extracted into the alcohol. Plant tinctures are the basis of homeopathic medicines.

Fluid Herbal Medicinal Extracts are more concentrated in strength than tinctures. They are preserved with alcohol or glycerin. Herbal Extracts are made by distilling off some of the alcohol used in the tincture process. The final product is 40 times more potent than a tincture.

Glycerates are herbal extracts that use glycerin as the sole extractant. Glycerates have completely different medicinal properties than alcohol based extracts. Tinctures and Extracts that are considered alcohol free have the alcohol removed after the extraction and replaced with glycerin as the preservative.

Essential oils are the extraction of plant liquids and their aromatic compounds rendering the oil of the plant. Some Essential oil can be used internally and some externally.

Today in many Vitamin shops there are herbal supplements. What herbal supplements are, are basically extraction of the constituents in the plant that is dried and either pressed into a tablet or put into a capsule either in a dried or liquid form.

In order to use herbs for medicinal purposes you have to know what you are doing. Although all plants are �natural� not all plants are safe. Some are poisonous. Some herbs if not taken under the care of a skilled herbalist can have bad side effects or even prove lethal. When in doubt about and herb or plant get some literature on it before actually using it.

Chinese Medicine