The History of Herbs and Medicine Around the World

Herbs are used as medicines and nutrition all around the globe. Each culture seems to have its own philosophy and approach to herbal medicine, based on individual cultures and belief systems. And, of course, in different parts of the country, different plant species thrive, so each culture has its own selection of herbs considered sacred or common.

We are lucky to now have the use of transportation channels that provide us unique herbs from all parts of the globe, and we can study or utilize herbs from around the world when we visit our local health food store or herbalist. Some people seem to respond better to traditional Chinese herbs, whereas others do best on Ayurvedic remedies from India; still others respond most to traditional Western herbs. Let’s take a look at a little history from a few places around the globe.

Unmasking Nature’s Secret Codes

Take a moment to look around your yard and outdoor surroundings. If you live in a rural, mountain, or agricultural environment, take a little walk around and see what plants you can identify. The herbs that grow will be herbs that are ideal for your particular area, climate, and soil type. This can teach you something about what you might need since you also live in the same environment. For instance, how many of you have dandelions growing in your pretty green lawn? Plenty I’m sure! But did you know that the dandelion can be used to cleanse the liver, support the urinary system, and work as a mild laxative?

Your liver is a major filter of the body. On a daily basis the liver has the job of filtering environmental toxins, pesticides in your food, chemicals in the water, air pollutants saturated fats in the diet, and excess hormones in the blood. Do you think Mother Nature could be trying to tell you something when she offers dandelions at every turn? Is this her way of subtly offering her help for your liver? Could be, after all, Mother knows what’s best for us.

Of course, before we had advanced technology synthetics and a greater understanding of the body we had nature to look to for answers. Today we have research and science to back up and validate that herbs do in fact work through chemistry. In early days, we relied more on our observations, trial, and error. Technology is finally catching up to what many herbalists have believed and practiced for years and years. Let’s take a look back and see how they came up with some of these uses.

The Doctrine of Signatures philosophy dates back as early as the 1600s and was popularized in the medical field by Paracelsus. This philosophy, now considered nonsense by the medical community, put forth the theory that an herb or plant had a certain characteristic or set of characteristics that would reveal its value to the thoughtful observer. The signature was recognized as several different characteristics of the plant, including its color, texture, shape, and/or the environment where the plant grew.

It would be nice if this theory was completely valid—it would make learning herbology much simpler to the thoughtful observer. However, don’t throw the entire theory away just yet. Coincidences or not, some things can validate this thinking and also help you remember the medicinal value of an herb or plant. For instance, hawthorn berries are bright red berries that are shaped like a heart, and hawthorn berries have been used by many to strengthen and build the heart and circulatory system. We can take many factors into consideration when contemplating an herb and how we might find its value by looking at nature. Some native tribes believe that plants that are poisonous to man will crop up in areas where the soil needs to be replenished.

These plants serve to protect the earth by repelling man. These herbs keep both man
and woman away!
On the other hand, herbs that are extremely resistant to poisons and toxins—including the herb milk thistle, a tall, very prickly plant—grow plentifully in heavily polluted areas, such as near nuclear testing sites. Ironically, milk thistle is used medicinally to help rebuild the liver, which has the job of filtering out poisons and toxins from
our body. Some herbal teachers are very philosophical in nature, and others tend to make herbology more clinical. You can choose to see herbs in whatever way suits you. The important thing to remember is that foods can be your medicine, and herbs are foods.

Water, How Dry I Am

Most of us suffer from chronic dehydration and are not even aware of the problem. Dr. F. Batmanghelidj’s clinical research showed that many ailments—including adultonset diabetes, stomach ulcers, headaches, depression, and general aches and pains—come from chronic dehydration alone.

He discovered that he could cure most of his subjects of their chronic ailments using only water. Here’s a general formula for how much water you need daily: Divide your body weight by half; that number is how many ounces of water you need every day. Remember that a cup of water equals eight ounces. In addition, if you are drinking diuretics such as coffee or beer, you need four cups (or 24 ounces) to every one cup (eight ounces) of diuretic. This is on top of the daily water intake!

This formula is a rough estimate, but it is designed to keep a body hydrated. We loose up to three quarts of water every day just from our breath and our skin. We need to replace that water to remain healthy—most of us are all dried up!
One good thing that herbs will do if you take them in pill form is get you to drink more water! It is imperative that you do drink more water any time you are feeling ill. The extra water you drink will help your body to flush out the toxins, bacteria, and waste products and will help you heal more quickly. Water helps herbs do their job more efficiently, so drink up!

Don’t Eat That!

I also believe in under-eating occasionally. Under-eating occurs when you may want more food, but you discontinue eating anyway. Most of us eat more than we really need, and it takes a lot of energy for your body to digest and assimilate food. Taking a load off your digestive organs once in a while by under-eating or fasting can—and will—help you feel better and will enhance your health.

When you fast (abstain from all food), your body has the opportunity to cleanse itself of toxins rapidly. If you begin to cleanse too rapidly, however, you may feel extremely ill. The toxins from your body may get stuck and form obstructions that can be fatal. So, although fasting is extremely beneficial when done correctly, you should know what you are doing or seek supervision before attempting a long fast. Under-eating by eating about three quarters to one half of your normal portions is a safer way to give your body a break occasionally and will help you maintain your ideal weight.

Some herbs can easily be taken on an empty stomach, just as you would eat a salad; others may make you nauseous. It depends on the herb. Teas seem to work best on an empty stomach. For best results, try eating lightly just before or after you take your herbs, especially if they are in a pill form. This will help you feel the subtle changes that the herbs will have upon your body, too

You Are What You Graze Upon: The Right Diet Helps

Herbs are nutrients, and your body will use what it needs from them. However, herbs should not be thought of as a miracle drug that forces your body to do something or stop doing something that it wouldn’t do naturally. Herbs are your assistants.

They need your cooperation in order to get the best results, so think of herbs as your partners in health. Not that downing your handful of herbal pills with your beer and pizza doesn’t have any value at all, but your herbs will be better utilized if you take them with a proper diet. What do I mean by a “proper diet”?

The simplest way to think about eating healthy is to think whole, raw, fresh, vineripened, organic fruits and vegetables; grains such as rice, millet, barley, and rye (don’t eat wheat as your only grain—mix them up!); and organic, raw (if possible) dairy products in moderation.

Herbs or Vitamins: What’s the Difference?

Vitamins are important in many cases—in fact, I have included a few helpful supplements for each ailment discussed in future chapters because many herbalists use other supplements in their practices along with the use of herbs. These supplements may be used in cases of great deficiency, or may even add an enhanced effect to your herbal program. Other natural supplements that will be mentioned in this book you might consider along with your use of herbs are:

• Bacteria (usually referred to as acidophilus or bifidophilus)
• Enzymes
• Essential oils
• Homeopathics
• Vitamins
• Minerals

Because herbs are plants, they contain vitamins and minerals. Therefore, once you recover from your ailment, your need for the extra extracted vitamin supplements may decrease if you are using herbs as a part of your daily nutritional program.

Next let’s check out the real difference between a vitamin supplement and an herb.
Foods from the earth are whole foods, which contain all the elements needed to sustain our body and maintain health. Herbs contain usable forms of vitamins and minerals from nature. For instance, natural forms of vitamin C can be found in many herbs, such as rose hips; rose hips provide many other substances such as vitamin A, vitamin E, rutin, B-complex sodium, calcium, selenium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin D, and zinc that herbalists believe enhance the positive effects of the vitamin C. Vitamins, on the other hand, are extracted from the whole plant and are used as an isolated substance.

Herbs provide the entire plant and all its constituents (minus the bug parts). In other words, you get Mother Nature’s full meal and not an extracted piece of it. So trust in your “Mother” to feed you correctly and provide you with everything you need to nourish your body. Mother Nature has lots of things to teach you, so honor thy mother if you know what’s good for you!

Herbs as Nutrition

As foods (or wild vegetables), herbs contain nutrients and phytochemicals just like any other plant food.
Phytochemicals is a fancy word for chemical compounds from plants, such as plant hormones and other food substances, that we obtain nutritionally when we ingest the plant.

Because we rely on our foods to provide the body with the right chemicals needed for fuel and nourishment, it is important that our plants get what they need to be healthy so that they, in turn, will become nutritious foods for us. If you are what you eat, then why eat a plant that is lacking? Unfortunately, we are finding that the majority of our commercially grown fruits and vegetables are an “empty harvest” and lack significant nutritional value.

To sustain the growing population, farmers have resorted to mass produced agriculture, which depletes the land of top soil. Top soil is where most of the nutrients and minerals are located to nourish growing crops. This problem is why many are turning to herbs to supplement their diets. Even when our diets are considered “good” diets by American standards (that is, diets with lots of fruits and vegetables), the majority of us realize this is just not enough. Growth hormones used to genetically alter fruits and vegetables are not producing more nourishment—they are producing more fiber.

Have you ever compared the taste of a homegrown tomato and a commercially grown one that has been genetically altered to look pretty, grow quite large, and be almost un-squashable? Which do you think tastes the best? Which do you believe provides you with more nutrients? These altered fruits and vegetables are produced to be larger, firmer, and brighter than what nature provides. If these foods provided everything you needed for health, then none of us would be experiencing as many ailments as we suffer from these days, nor would herbal remedies, supplements, and natural health care be such a growing industry (no pun intended!).
The good news is that herbs serve as concentrated forms of nutrition and can help make up for many food deficiencies.