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Use of herbs for health and as a medicine
has a history dating back to mans evolution on the planet. From times
immemorial, man has experimented and used botanicals to heal and provide
remedial treatments.
Ancient cultures from India, China and Japan have remarkable history of
herbal use which part of the pharmacopoeia of these cultures. While the
herbs have been extensively, there are very little clinical experiments
until about 100 years back. However, there is an extensive and exhaustive
empirical evidence of the efficacy of various herbal treatments.
In the last century, there has been an increased interest in herbal remedies
due to its cost effectiveness and non-toxic nature. Herbs are generally safe
to use as medicine in or general tonic for maintaining good health.
Herbal products are derived from botanical sources. Most of the herbal
products are safe to use for its nutritional value. For medicinal purposes,
it is better to check out the source and labels to ascertain safety,
evidence of its healing properties and whether the herbs are safe for
general consumption.
World health organization has estimated that 80 % of the world population
uses some or the other herbs for health and healing. Increasing research is
throwing up clinical evidence for its efficacy in prevention of various
modern day problems such as cancer, diabetes, nervous disorders and blood
pressure. Most of the herbal products available today are conveniently
processed and packed as herbal tea or coffee, and in the form of capsules as
nutritional food. While products labeled as nutritional supplements are safe
to use it is best to consult a physician for treatment of disease.
To check the details of the efficacy and what to consume or what not to
consume it is best to refer to the website of American health Products
Association website at www.ahpa.org.
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