HOW
DO HERBAL MEDICINES WORK?
Herbal
Medicines are parts of plants or plant products. They are 100% natural
and are increasingly organically grown.
Most
plants contain a range of substances which have related or supporting
actions, thus making the whole remedy complete and effective.
Aspirin
was developed after a German chemist analysed the constituents of
the herb Meadowsweet. Aspirin is a synthetic version of the natural
salicylic acid found in this plant. If taken over a long period, aspirin
can cause damage to the lining of the stomach. If Meadowsweet is taken
instead, however, this does not happen, as the whole plant also contains
a slimy mucilage which coats and thus protects the lining of the gut.
There are many other examples where orthodox researchers have found
that isolated constituents were less effective than the whole plant.
Herbal
remedies do not have the aggressive action nor the side effects of
some modern drugs. A Herbal Prescription will comprise 4-6 herbs which
are compatible with each other and will act so as to have the maximum
impact on the condition, while being gentle and supportive to the
patient. Herbal Medicines are not intended to "force" the
body to "get better", but rather to help it return to normal
functioning.
