The History of Herbs

The use of herbs to heal has existed for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations all believed that imbalances in the system are what caused illness and that plants held magical and medicinal properties that would stabilize these imbalances. During the major epidemics and plagues that ravaged Europe, potent herbal remedies were exported to Europe to combat these outbreaks. Herbal treatments also became a popular way to treat smallpox, malaria, and syphilis.  

When modern medicine began to increase in scope in the 19th century, traditional practices became outmoded. However, plants have formed the basis for medical treatment through much of human history, and this is still broadly true today. Around a quarter of all modern drugs derived from plants.

By the 20th century, the modern approach to medicine has been to isolate the active element in a plant, turn that into a drug and discard the rest. The truth, however, is that everything in a plant can have benefits which are not always clear at first instance. Furthermore, modern medicine can often be very narrow in focus, concentrating on treatment on a particular limb, organ or deficiency. Herbal medicine is far broader and aims to heal the body in its entirety by assisting and supporting the self-repair mechanisms that work every day to keep our bodies healthy.