Herbs have been around for thousands of years and were used by the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Minoans and other ancient cultures to help improve individual health. Most of the uses of herbal health remedies were discovered by trial and error. In today’s time, more accurate research is being done on the effectiveness of various herbs. Medications we use today in some cases came from herbs. For example, aspirin initially came from willow tree bark that was chewed by people to relieve pain and fever. Even stronger drugs like morphine were created from plants, such as opium flowers. Heart medications, such as digoxin (foxglove) and atropine (belladonna) have strong herbal roots.
Some people choose to take medications as prescribed by a doctor while others include herbal health as part of their daily maintenance or when they get sick. In prescribing to herbal health, the herbs can be gathered by the individual or a practitioner of herbal health. Herbs can be brewed in teas and the liquid can be drunk. Some people go to health food stores or on the internet to buy extracts of herbs packaged in capsules they take instead of chewing the herb or drinking the tea.
So what are the most important benefits of herbal health? Herbs can be taken without a doctors prescription and tend to be cheaper than prescription medications. There are herbalists you can consult about which are the best herbs to take but they are usually cheaper to see than the doctor. Herbalists have years of experience in knowing which herbs are good for you and which ones you will tolerate the best. Herbalists know about side effects of herbs, if any.
There are usually few side effects when taking herbs for herbal health. These are usually natural products that are of low to moderate potency and therefore are easier for your body to handle. Herbs work with your body to heal what ails you and to maintain your otherwise good health. The strength of herbal products tend to be mild so that your body tolerates them better.
Different herbs can be taken together for good herbal health. Herbalists know what combinations of herbs act synergistically with others and they are often combined in the same supplement. For example, valerian root is often mixed with passion flower to maximize the ability of both herbs to help you sleep better.
Herbs come in a variety of ways so that you can choose which way to take them. There is herbal aromatherapy used for various reasons, flower waters and aroma sprays, herbal teas, shampoos containing herbs, essential oils extracted from herbs, salves for skin problems or to absorb into the system from the skin, gel caps and capsules. You can choose from a number of ways to take the herbs-whichever is convenient for you.
With herbal health, you have the benefit of thousands of years of herbal experience so you know you are getting a quality product. While the US government prevents herbalists from putting the diseases that the herbs treat on the bottle of the herb, the herbalist isn’t prevented from telling you what herbs you can use to treat a specific illness and you can get the right product. Perhaps, as herbs become more popular and more research is done on them, the government will recognize herbal health as a viable way to treat disease and more people will benefit from herbs to maintain health and treat illness.