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The Relevance of Alternative Herbal Medicines in the Modern World

Tess Thompson

One of the major reasons behind the increased incidence of disease in wealthy nations is believed to be the rate at which development has taken place. Mankind has tried to harness Nature aggressively and quickly. The slow evolutionary processes that enable natural adaptation to changed circumstances and environment could not keep pace with the rapid change.

Mankind has indeed created conditions for inviting disease. To add to that, when the levels of disease arose, people opted for the conventional medicine that went overboard trying to fight Nature by prescribing synthetic drugs that only suppressed symptoms. The pharmaceutical industry left no stone unturned to research, develop and launch drugs for quick relief. All this was done without taking the long term negative affects into consideration. This vicious circle has been going on for a fair amount of time unless there is a drastic change in trend towards natural remedies. Herbal medicine was never more relevant than it is today.

What the world needs today is to return back to nature to promote general wellbeing. The fast pace of growth has affected the body and mind alike. Herbal and natural remedies require lifestyle changes that go a long way in managing and preventing disease and mental ailments like depression and anxiety. Just as the green and organic movements have attempted to save the planet, the need today is to make herbal and natural remedies a way of life for protection against disease.

In reality, a majority of conventional drugs are based on an active ingredient in an herb. This is done by extracting the active ingredient with the use of chemical and chemical processes. The single compound extracted from the herb is definitely effective in treating specific diseases. But a single compound is also easy for bacteria to metabolize. This means that the bacteria soon adapt to the active ingredient and use it for their advantage. The ineffectiveness of antibiotics that were effective in the past is proof of the fact that bacteria can develop resistance towards single compounds if the drug is used extensively.

On the contrary, herbal medicine is made from whole herbs. The complex compounds in an herb are difficult for bacteria to break. Therefore they cannot use it for their own growth. The complex compounds in an herb also work in synergy with each other to provide multiple benefits.
 
Herbal remedies help in treating specific disorders. They also help in supporting the body’s immune system and prevent further occurrence of the disease. Herbal medicine is gentle on the body and has fewer side effects. Moreover, herbs can be made a part of daily diet as most of them can be taken as food.