| We've Come So Far - How Much Better Can | | | | Chinese herbal medicine and western herbal medicine, |
| Alternative Medicine Get?Herbal and natural medicine | | | | all have deep roots of ancestry going back as far as |
| has gained so much more attention than it ever had | | | | 202 BC. The fact that so many cultures came up |
| in the past seven to ten years. So, why is that? | | | | with their own version of natural medicine is pretty |
| There must be something to it other than a | | | | staggering. What's even more fascinating is the |
| consumer trend or a fleeting fad. And there is - a | | | | culmination of all of these cultural medicines paved |
| whole lot more. | | | | the way for modern, man-made medications that we |
| Consumers are finding that herbal medicines are | | | | all know today.What are the Most Popular and |
| helping them in many of the same ways as traditional | | | | Effective Alternative Remedies Today?Remedies for |
| medications prescribed by physicians - without the | | | | lack of sleep, stress relief and relaxation, depression, |
| high cost, sometimes adverse side effects, and | | | | anxiety, pain, weight loss, hair loss, skin problems and |
| over-prescribing and combining of too many meds at | | | | more are some of the most popular and in-demand |
| once.Herbal medicine is one of the oldest forms of | | | | herbal products currently on the market today. Along |
| healing and aiding the human body and mind and | | | | with these, there are more obscure remedies for |
| eliminating or alleviating human suffering. Hippocrates, | | | | illnesses and physical conditions, such as hemorrhoids, |
| one of the most famous | | | | smoking cessation aids for withdrawal symptoms, |
| philosophers and earliest proponents of natural | | | | cold remedies, and even herbal medicines purported |
| medicine and herbal healing, believed that humans | | | | to help people with cancer and even to help prevent |
| were meant to live in harmony with nature, and that | | | | cancer cells from forming.While herbal medicine may |
| nature itself prescribed cures and antidotes for | | | | be regarded by some with skepticism, especially |
| human ailments - we just had to find out through trial | | | | those in the medical and pharmaceutical profession |
| and error which of nature's plants were the best | | | | (go figure), its long standing usage and history of |
| choices to heal various human illnesses of the mind | | | | effectiveness is nothing to be scoffed at by any |
| and body.Hippocrates notoriously believed that we | | | | stretch of the imagination.If you really examine what |
| should "let food be our medicine and medicine be our | | | | herbal medicines are and how they are discovered, is |
| food", meaning we only had to look as far as our | | | | it really all that different from modern medicine? Not |
| environment and natural surroundings for cures and | | | | only that, but most modern medications have been |
| remedies to heal and mend ourselves, as well as to | | | | derived from nature, albeit they are in an altered and |
| keep our bodies in optimal condition for as long as | | | | corrupted form in the final stages of manufacture. |
| possible in order that a productive and meaningful life | | | | Still, they have largely begun in a naturally biochemical |
| may be lead.Herbs, natural compounds and botanicals | | | | state.Herbal medicines have come a long way since |
| were discovered to have dramatic healing capabilities | | | | their ancient origins, and are making new strides |
| as well as therapeutic properties for health | | | | every day, just like modern medicine. Not only that, |
| maintenance and prevention centuries ago, before | | | | pharmaceutical engineering and medicine have actually |
| modern medicine evolved into what it is today. The | | | | helped to make more powerful and effective herbal |
| most interesting part of the history of herbal | | | | remedies. In a way, the real journey for herbal |
| medicine is that herbalism simultaneously occurred in | | | | medicines and alternative methods of healing has just |
| vastly different areas of the globe.What we know | | | | begun! |
| today as Indian herbal medicine, or Ayurvedic, | | | | |