Herbal Medicine

People take herbs for many reasons from general health improvement to care of chronic conditions, including back pain.

Herbal Medicine - use of natural plant substances (botanicals) to treat and prevent illness. The practice has existed since prehistoric times and flourishes today as the primary form of medicine for perhaps as much as 80% of the world's population. Over 80,000 species of plants are in use throughout the world. Along with acupuncture, herbal medicine is considered primary health care in China, where it has been in documented use for over 2,500 years.

Herbs may be used directly as teas or extracts, or they may be used in the production of drugs. Approximately 25% of the prescription drugs sold in the United States are plant based. Many more herbal ingredients are present in over-the-counter drugs, such as laxatives. Medicines that come from plants include aspirin from willow bark (Salix species) and digitalis from foxglove (Digitalis purpurea).

Scientific interest in herbal medicine in the United States has lagged behind that in the countries of Asia and W Europe. Millions of people in the United States use herbal products to treat a wide variety of ailments or to enhance health. Among the more popular remedies used are ginseng, to increase stamina and as a mild sedative; St.-John's-wort, for mild depression; echinacea, to aid the immune system and alleviate colds; kava, to calm anxiety and treat insomnia; saw palmetto, for enlarged prostate; and ginkgo biloba, to improve short-term memory (see ginkgo).

Some commonly used herbal medicines:

• Echinacea extracts have been shown to limit the length of colds in some clinical trials
• St John's wort has been found to be more effective than placebo for the treatment of mild to moderate depression in some clinical trials
• Garcinia cambogia has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to treat a wide range of conditions and is also used as a natural appetite suppressant. The extract hydroxy citric acid inhibits lipogenesis (fat storage) lowers the production of glycogen in the liver, suppresses appetite and boosts metabolism.
• Garlic has been found to lower total cholesterol levels, mildly reduce blood pressure, reduces platelet aggregation, and has antibacterial properties
• Artichoke and several other plants have been associated with reduced total serum cholesterol levels in preliminary studies
• Ephedra has been a common ingredient in herbal products designed to suppress appetite, increase energy or help you lose weight. Ephedra is also known as ma huang, mahuanggen, Chinese ephedra, ma huang root and herbal ecstasy.
• Black cohosh and other plants that contain phytoestrogens (plant molecules with estrogen activity) have been found to have some benefits for treatment of symptoms resulting from menopause

It may not be safe to take herbal medicines if you have certain health problems. Talk to your doctor before taking herbal products if you have any of these problems:

• High blood pressure
• Thyroid problems
• Psychiatric problems
• Parkinson's disease
• Enlarged prostate gland
• Blood clotting problems
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• History of stroke
• Liver problems

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