Herbal medicine’s history is rich. Today, countless healthcare methods come from traditional healthcare. Unfortunately, the market has gained critique from lacking regulation.
In this article, I want to focus on those origins. I recently came across an amazing guide to herbal remedies. It made me think about how deep the subject is.
The short herbal medicine history
It’s an understatement to say that the history of herbal medicine is rich. Having access to herbal medicine experience can make a big difference. Even if it’s for digestive inconveniences, plant knowledge can bring solutions.
Herbal medicine comes from our ancestors. Healthline has a fantastic summary of its history.
How herbal medicine is still relevant
The history of herbal medicine has been quite romantic. Traditional medicine practitioners had to protect their practices from colonialism and other menaces. This passion has been crucial to maintaining its relevance.
Has herbal medicine lost popularity?
Modern medicine has benefited from research, marketing, and regulation. Unfortunately, traditional medicine has suffered from sketchy products. Therefore, its reputation has been a victim. On the other hand, more studies have started to focus on the subject.
Tradition’s influence on modern medicine
There have been a couple of “fathers of medicine.” Hippocrates and Imhotep have been the main title owners. The foundations of modern medicine come from herbal medicine. Even today, research keeps finding modern workarounds from traditional practices.
How herbal medicine history keeps growing
Despite its age, herbal medicine remains influential. Traditional medicine was a pioneer in holistic health. As I’ve already covered, holistic health has become more popular.
Recently, diagnosis and treatment have become more holistic. Regardless of their views, this approach comes from traditional medicine.
Traditional medicine is often more accessible
Traditional medicine is more prevalent in underdeveloped countries. That’s a primary reason for its relevance. Additionally, patient ideology is also vital during treatment. Herbal medicine can offer a sense of personalized healthcare.
The need for standardization
Unfortunately, lacking regulation has been a huge problem. Too many products fail to deliver on their promises. That’s usually because there’s no way to reproduce the formulas. That’s among modern medicine’s advantages.
What do numbers have to say about herbal medicine history?
Finally, let’s go through SciDev.net’s traditional medicine figures. The traditional medicine industry is considerable. The traditional Chinese medicine market broke the 811 million Yuan in 2019. That amounts to over $125 million.
The problem with modern medicine
Herbal medicine prioritizes innovation. Every day, a new formula comes out. The same ingredients appear in products for different conditions. On the other hand, modern medicine has been stuck with mostly the same products for too long.
Traditional medicine’s solution
The renewed interest in traditional medicine comes from this need. The article mentions artemisinin, a relatively new malaria drug. It’s a Chinese sweet wormwood extract and the basis for major malaria drugs today.
Herbal medicine needs modernization
Policymakers, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies have turned their eyes to traditional medicine. Countless modern products come from natural sources. You can find these products in SciDev.Net’s article.
The main obstacles
Again, standardization is among the main obstacles. We must care for overharvesting plants and animals for the formulas’ components. Unfortunately, several ingredients come from endangered species.
I also have to mention the lack of standardization. This issue results in problematic formula variation. Additionally, biopiracy and copying formulas is a prominent issue in traditional medicine.
The holistic takeaway
Herbal medicine history has a lot in common with modern medicine. Moreover, they overlap constantly. Herbal medicine is a constant influence on modern medicine. Even better, it’s something anyone can learn with enough dedication.
That takes me to this topic’s origin. The Lost Book Of Herbal Remedies is an amazing introduction to the topic. If you’re interested in learning more, check it out for some amazing guidelines!
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