What is herbal medicine?

Humans have used plants for medicinal purposes for millennia. Most conventional drugs have their origins in plant compounds. A single chemical is usually determined as the 'active' ingredient and is isolated, and often then synthetically produced, for medicinal purposes. Medical herbalism also uses plant compounds to produce medicine, extracting the chemicals from leaves, roots, flowers or seeds, primarily in water or a water-alcohol mix. However, herbalists talk about using 'the whole plant' by which we mean that we use all the plant compounds available in an extraction process, rather than using one isolated compound. We also combine different plants in our medicines as we find multiple compounds working together create the most effective and safe plant medicines.

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Herbal medicine can be used internally, in tinctures, teas or capsules, or externally, in the form of creams and ointments. Although based on traditional experience, herbalism is increasingly supported by scientific research and can provide a valuable alternative approach to treating many conditions. When prescribed by a trained medical herbalist, plant medicines can also be used safely and effectively alongside most conventional drugs.

 

Medical herbalists study anatomy and physiology, pathology, and conventional treatments, alongside, of course, a vast number of medicinal plants, each with their own amazing array of chemical constituents and restorative abilities. We are also required to complete 500 clinical hours before we sit our final exams and are trained in the same diagnostic skills as GPs.​