Herbs have been used in folk medicines for thousands of years, ever since it was discovered that a strong fragrance could mean good flavor, so too have the medicinal aspects of herbs been discovered in similar ways. Dried herbs are used to flavor foods, and ingesting the herb flavored food is undoubtedly how early people discovered the soothing and calming effects of many plants; which encouraged further interest in drying herbs for possible uses in personal well being.
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Many herbs (Mediterranean herbs) grow in soils that are less than ideal. They have evolved to grow well in areas that are low in organic material and moisture. The over use of fertilizers and compost will produce a plant with a lot of foliage but lack the fragrance, flavor or concentration of essential oils that these plants are prized for.
Keep these plants in a well drained area in the herb garden since any plant in a low lying, wet area could be subject to root rot or diluting the desirable properties of the herb. The distinction or effectiveness of dried herbs can be discerned with a simple taste test; herbs grown in the proper conditions will retain a higher level of potency.
Modern medicine have isolated active ingredients in herbs to produce drugs such as aspirin (salicylates). The active ingredients in dried herbs are highly variable and the conditions that the plants are grown under affect the levels of active ingredients in individual plants.
This variability puts into question the effectiveness of herbal medicines. Medicinal herbs grown under controlled conditions in the herb garden – in containers, with scheduled feeding and watering – can give predictable results, but not as consistent as a synthesized man made drug.
Not all ingredients in herbs are safe, some are toxic. Just as many man made drugs have grave side effects there are guidelines for both drug and herbal use. Active ingredients such as Alkaloids (atropine, morphine) are very potent components that can be dangerous if abused. Alkaloids are found in smaller amounts in herbs than in man made drugs, where the active ingredient has been isolated and concentrated.
Both should be used with great care and only under the supervision of qualified physicians or herbalists. Other active ingredients such a flavonoids and essential oils are considered safe. Flavonoids are considered safe because of the high levels found in the food we normally eat. while essential oils are considered safe when used as directed – meaning not to be ingested.
Herbal medicine has a long history – longer than modern medicine – and has been extensively studied by both practitioners of herbal medicine and modern medicine. Modern medicine has studied herbs to find the individual component that may prove to be an effective deterrent to disease while herbalists use the whole herb, both active ingredients and all it’s constituents, to fight disease and improve personal well being.
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