Since ancient times humans have used herbs to treat medical disorders, support general well being, and occasionally even to experience events of a spiritual nature. In the past two centuries, modern medical practices and medicines have come to replace older methods of healing with great success, leading to unsurpassed increases in quality of life and longevity. While traditional healing practices still exist as the primary method of treatment in many poorer areas, the first world has by and large forgotten the old ways. We see them as lacking scientific grounding and inferior to our modern ways.
While we have reaped great benefits from the predominance of the scientific method and modern pharmaceuticals, is it not also possible that we have lost as much as we have gained by the transition? While old ways of healing had no scientific basis and were often even extremely harmful (bloodletting for example) modern medicine has seemingly operated under the assumption that there was never anything of use in any traditional practices.
This, however, is changing. With our modern knowledge of biochemistry, scientists are taking a look at the functioning of many traditional herbs. Sometimes no evidence can be found justifying an herb's use, but in other cases very strong evidence is being discovered supporting an herb's use, bringing it back into medical play. While this is opposed by pharmaceutical companies due to the herb's competitiveness with their own products as well as inability to monopolize on their sales, the effort is continuing despite low funding.
In the next few weeks I will cover some of the most interesting and exciting scientific investigations into ancient remedies, many of which are now retaking their place beside modern medicines. These herbs have been ignored for hundreds of years by the first world but now that the scientific lens is being shone on them at last, show great promise
Health and WellnessOct 04, 2016
Herbalism: A Return To An Overlooked Practice
Ancient herbal remedies are being given a second look by science.
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