Herbs and Herbalism |
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Botanical definition of a Herb is generally refer to as a plant with no woody stem above ground as distinguished from a tree or shrub. However Herbs which has medicinal properties include woody plants such as Witch-hazel and trees like the Neem and Cinnamon.
Thus, Herbs are plants, or parts of plants such as roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, resin, root bark or inner bark, which are used for medicinal or therapeutic or culinary or religious purposes.
Herbs were first used by man long before written records began, the methods of preparing and applying herbs then were transmitted through oral tradition. The benefits of some herbs must have been identified initially during their culinary use and at the same time recognizing the medicinal benefits accrued from the subsequent food consumption. Traditionally, there are no clear separation of herbs for culinary and medicinal purpose. Some of the herbs used for culinary purpose are also known as spices. Thus the term herbs and spices are interchangeable, for example with respect to cinnamon, ginger, green tea, turmeric, parsley and peppermint.
It is believe the earliest written records on the use of herbs and the practice of herbalism are from the Chinese about 5,000 years ago followed by the Indians, Egyptians, Mesopotamian, Persians and Greeks records. Only during the Renaissance, the usage of herbs and the practice of herbalism became prevalent in Europe. In the 19th Century when colonization became widespread and 20th Century advancement in pharmaceutical medicine and corporatization of health-care especially in the developed countries, the practice of herbalism were not given the rightful prominence and at times were suppressed. Herbs are traditionally used to promote wellness, not to counteract diseases.
Research has shown herbs are beneficial to health as they perform detoxification of free radicals, elimination of toxins from the body and inhibition of the body's ability to form carcinogens.
Fortunately, the practice of herbalism did not completely die out. It continues to evolve, taking in advanced technologies for the cultivation, harvesting, testing, processing, quality control, storage, and packaging of herbs to ensure safe consumption for man.
In the Oriental, modern medicine and traditional herbalism co-exist in parallel and often complementary to each other. In many developing countries and 3rd World Countries, herbalism are the only option available.
Both the Chinese Medicinal Herbal formulations inclusive of Chinese Tonic Herbs and the Indian Ayurvedic Medicinal Herbal remedies are now synonymous with the "Alternative" Medical Practice in Western Countries.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) or Chinese Herbal Medicine is regarded as a complete medical system that has been in used for centuries in China and is accepted as a mainstream medical care throughout East Asia.
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