GINKGO (Ginkgo biloba)
HERBAL MEDICINE THROUGH THE AGES
Herbal medicine has been used for thousands of years. Many pharmaceutical drugs currently prescribed by doctors were originally derived from plants. For example, aspirin from willow bark, metformin (diabetes drug) from goat’s rue, digoxin (heart problems) from foxglove, and artemisinin (antimalarial) from Chinese wormwood.
ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS
The leaves, stems, flowers, berries, roots and bark of plants contain active constituents, which give them a very wide range of medicinal properties.
HAWTHORN (Crataegus spp)
SYNERGY BETWEEN PLANTS AND PEOPLE
Plants work in synergy with one another, and in synergy with individual people. This, combined with the fact that people get ill for different reasons, is why every herbal prescription is likely to be different, even when people have been labelled with the same health problem.
It is therefore best to consult a qualified herbal practitioner for chronic, longterm or recurring ailments, than self-medicate with ‘off-the-shelf’ herbal remedies.
RESEARCH
There is a wealth of scientific evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of herbal medicine – including what is known as ‘gold standard’ research such as randomised controlled trials.
For me, traditional use and knowledge of herbal medicine passed down through the ages, plus personal experience of using and working with herbs and people, is more important than the scientists’ findings!
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