What Are Herbs?
You think you may be able to answer that question in this way: Herbs are the seasonings used in cooking, like basil and thyme. And of course, you're right. And some of you may answer the question, "what are herbs?" with the comment they are the delightfully scented plants growing in your garden, like lavender. And again, your answer is correct, too. But both answers neglect a potent aspect of the total herbal experience.Herbs are a known natural source of healing. That's right! An herb can be loosely defined as any plant or plant extract providing you with healing. An herbal extract can be considered any part of the herb used specifically for this purpose, including leaves, berries, stems, flowers and even the bark of some plants.
How Other Cultures Answer The Question "What Are Herbs?"
How do other cultures answer the question, "What are herbs?" Herbal remedies have been used for centuries in the Native American tradition, but their use goes back literally thousands of years in the Ayurvedic system in India. This complex, successful system of healing has classified thousands of herbs according to the benefits they bring your body.
And before you believe that the plants' medicinal values are no longer relevant with the rise of modern medicine, you'd be very wrong. Much of the success of today's modern medicine is due to the discovery of the original ingredients in herbs.
Herbs: The Precursor to Modern Medications
Take aspirin as one simple example. The active ingredient in this over-the-counter pain killer is salicylic acid, a natural ingredient originally extracted from the white willow tree. This herbal extract has been used for centuries as a natural pain killer. Similarly, the heart drug, Acetyldigoxin, uses an active ingredient found in the herb foxglove. In fact, there are over 100 prescription medications on the market today that owe their healing power to herbs.
In Germany today, many medical doctors prescribe to their patients herbs in some form before they even hand them a prescription for conventional medication. Yes, you read that right! Herbs are prescribed. The German culture, in fact, highly prizes its herbal history. As part of this history it has produced much scientific research confirming the healing power of these potent plants.
When you ask "What are herbs?" from the point of view of a German you only need to look at the official monographs produced by the German Commission E. These documents evaluate the safety and effectiveness of herbs. If the herb doesn't meet the specified standards, it can't be prescribed as a licensed medicinal aid. So it seems that in Germany the question "what are herbs?” receives a completely different answer than it does here.
Even as little as a generation ago, the question would have received a different answer. Many individuals, and especially those involved in the conventional medical community, doubted the healing power of herbs. They dismissed the energizing power of ginseng as an old wives tale, thinking that any value lie in the placebo effect. The herbs worked because the person taking them wanted them to.
Today, scientific studies continue to prove that herbs indeed contain a wide array of nutrients, micronutrients, phytonutrients and antioxidants that work with your body in order to help your body heal itself. And that's how many today are answering the question "What are herbs?