Herbal Medicine Presented by: Jeanne Gehrke HW499-01

Pharmaceuticals vs. Herbal  Around 50% of people in Western countries take one or more conventional medicines.  Pharmaceuticals is geared to isolate plant chemicals which can be patented.  Herbs occur naturally so they cannot be patented. (Stonebridge, 2012)

Herbs Ancient civilizations believed that there is a plant that would treat every disease – we just needed to find it.  Herbs have been used for over 5,000 years to treat illness.  There are over 1,000 herbs used today to treat disease in several different countries.  Many more are being discovered deep within rain forests and jungles each day. (Stonebridge, 2012)

How are herbs used?  Fresh or dried  Liquid or solid extracts  Tablets, capsules, powders  Teabags (Office of Dietary Supplements, 2012)

Common Preparations  Tea or infusion  Boiling of roots and drinking the solution  Tinctures  Extracts (Office of Dietary Supplements, 2012)

To be classified as a dietary supplement, a botanical must meet the definition given below:  is intended to supplement the diet;  contains one or more dietary ingredients (including vitamins; minerals; herbs or other botanicals; amino acids; and other substances) or their constituents;  is intended to be taken by mouth as a pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid;  is labeled on the front panel as being a dietary supplement (Office of Dietary Supplements, 2012)

Why is herbal research necessary?  Herbs are a natural source of medicine  Using the whole herb as it occurs in nature is more synergistic for the body  Pharmaceuticals are continuing to create products from extracts that are potentially dangerous to consumers  Destruction of rain forest and other nutrient rich sources of herbs (Kaplan, 2011)

Depression  St. John’s Wort  Mild to Moderate Depression  Compared well to Prozac  Could decrease the effectiveness of other medications  What are some side effects of using the drug Prozac? (Kaplan, 2011) (Drugs.com, 2012)

Conclusion…….  How much time do we have?  Many species of plants have already been destroyed  How many more will be destroyed today?  What can we do to improve research now?

References: Drugs.com, (2012). Prozac Side Effects. Retrieved from side-effects.html Office of Dietary Supplements, (2012). Botanical Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from Straub, J. A., (2011). Herbal Alternative Medicine: The Benefits of Being Informed. Retrieved from Stonebridge, (2012). Master Herbalist Course. Retrieved from