The majority of chemical drugs have their origins in herbal medicines.
The essential difference is that, while in conventional medicine the most active constituent is extracted from the plant and then sythnesized in the laboratory to make the drug, in herbal medicine extracts from the whole plant are used.
The herbalist believes that the sum of the action of the whole plant is more balanced than that of any one of its main constituents.
Where the action of the active component is very powerful, the other constituents within the plant will limit it; where the active constituent is less powerful, other constituents will increase it's effectiveness or ensure that is reaches the part of the body that requires treatment.
Due to this, and also be-cause herbal medicine consists of natural plant material and not a synthesized chemical, herbal remedies are less likely to cause unpleasant side effects than orthodox drugs.
However, it should be borne in mind that many plant remdies are very powerful and canbe dangerous if the prescribed dosages are exceeded.
They should never be taken alongside conventional drugs, or in pregnancy without consulting your herbal practitioner or doctor.
Although herbalism can treat both acute and chronic illnesses, most people who visit herbalists suffering from chronic conditions do not respond well to conventional treatment. They may aslo seek a herbalists help where the side effects of conventional drugs are unacceptable.
Hungry for more information? We've compiled a great list of sites you can visit on the subject of herbal medicine