Herbalism

Or
Herbal
Medicine
A project by Florence Foriest
& Cesar De Los Rios
Healing with medicinal plants is as old as mankind
itself. Ever since ancient times, in search for a rescue
for their diseas, the people looked for drugs in
nature.
1Defininitions:
. Intro
● The study of botany and use of plants for
medicinal purposes.
● Plants have been the basis of medical
treatment through much of human history.
● Also known as phytotherapy or botanical
medicine is the practice of making or
prescribing plant based herbal remedies
for medical conditions.
 History :
● Plants were the only medicines use before 500 BC
● The first written record of medicinal plants was
created on clay tablets over 5000 years ago by
Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia (Iraq).
● Around 1500 BCE the ancient Egyptians wrote the
Ebers Papyrus which listed over 850 herbal medicines.

T
 The Great Age of Herbalism:
● During the explosion of the world trade in the 14th century, herbal
remedies and herbs were exchanged between Chineses, the Muslims,
the Indians and Europeans.
● This movement did not start in the Americas until the later part of
the 19th century.
● All old medical systems, at their centers had a belief in primary energy
that sustained life and health. The Chinese called this “qi”, Indians
prana. Western herbalist called it “vital force”.
● When modern medicine took over in the 19th century, these concepts
were dismissed as remnants of the superstition and ignorance of earlier
healing practices.

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Herbal Medicine Today:
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● The FDA considers herbal supplements foods, not drugs. to
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Therefore, they are not subject to the same testing, ati
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manufacturing, and labeling standards and regulations as e
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drugs.You can now see labels that explain how herbs can e
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influence different actions in the body. of
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● The most common reason for taking herbal medicine is that it’s e
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affordable, allays concern about chemical medicin, satisfies a th
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ait
desire for more personalized health care, and allows greater w
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public access to health information. o
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 Pros
● They tend to have Cons
Less-strong ● Sometime they
effects than drugs don’t work
● They tend to ● Sometimes they
produce less taste/smell blad
severe side ● They tend to have
effects than drugs less-strong
● You can grow effects than
them yourself drugs
● They can be more ● They can
specific to diff. occasionally
ples By
Conditions
th + cause mild side-
severe side
e in the
tissues
body en effects
● “A Short History of Plants as Medicine.” Health24, 6 Aug. 2015,
www.health24.com/Natural/Herbs/A-short-history-of-plants-as-med
icine-20150806.
● Petrovska, Biljana Bauer. Current Neurology and Neuroscience
Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2012,
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3358962/.
● “What You Need to Know About Herbal Supplements.” Is There
Really Any Benefit to Multivitamins?,
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/complementary
_and_alternative_medicine/herbal_medicine_85,P00181.
● “Transform Your Connection to the World of Plants.” Meet The
Green, www.meetthegreen.com/