What is Medicinal Herbalism – and Why Do I Love, Prefer & Recommend it?
Medicinal herbalism is the study of the natural healing abilities of plants/herbs and the treatment of different ailments with them. In herbalism, we use the whole plant, or parts thereof, in many different forms.
Conventional Medicine:
A very high percentage of conventional medicines are based on properties in plants. Pharmaceutical companies often take just one active compound from a plant. Then boost it with chemicals, and turn it into a treatment for a single symptom or condition. The particular active ingredient comes with all its positive and negative properties, causing imbalances within the body. As a result, patients often end up using more and more medication just to counteract the negative side effects of the ones they needed for treatment in the first place.
Herbal Medicine:
Dealing holistically with plants as systems, all the active ingredients work together to increase benefits, prevent imbalances and eliminate side effects. It’s incredible—just one herb can help with several issues at the same time, unlike most conventional medicines that only focus on one symptom.
Active constituents in plants enhance functions within the body, assisting and enabling the body to heal itself. Herbs nourish, regulate systems and cleanse naturally. All herbs are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals, which are easily and effectively absorbed. They provide the body with the raw material needed to heal itself.
Herbalism encourages a holistic approach to general well-being. The aim is to treat the cause of an illness, rather than only the symptoms. Herbal remedies work best when people use them as part of a well-balanced lifestyle. A well-balanced lifestyle includes restorative sleeping patterns, healthy eating and drinking habits, moderate exercise, sufficient exposure to direct sunlight and fresh air, etc.
Herbal remedies are strong remedies with powerful healing abilities. It is important to realise that, depending on the complaint(s) being treated, most herbal remedies have an immediate effect. Therefore, herbs are very effective in treating acute, as well as chronic illnesses.
Thus, herbalism is not about propagating a magic cure, but rather about suggesting a way of life in which health, resistance to illness and quality of living can be improved.