Plants have long been used as medicine. Ancient Chinese and Egyptian writings dating back thousands of years describe many medicinal plants. African and Native American tribes also used herbal remedies, many of which were adopted by early European physicians. In India and China, entire medical systems were developed with a focus on herbal remedies. Today, botanical therapies are still very popular in most parts of the world. In many developed countries, herbal medicine has merged into mainstream medicine as a result of a growing trend toward an integrative approach to healthcare.
Definition
Herbal remedies, also referred to as botanical therapies or phytomedicines, consist of the whole herb or parts of the leaf, flower, root or seeds of medicinal plants. In the U.S., herbal medicines are classified as dietary supplements under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act established in 1994. While some manufacturers adhere to standardized protocols manufacturing practices to ensure safety and efficacy, it is not mandatory. In addition, because herbal therapies are considered dietary supplements, they are not regulated like pharmaceutical medicines are.
Prevalence of Use
Research indicates that the use of herbal medicines globally is increasing. To illustrate, a study published in the Feb. 18, 2010 issue of "Complementary Therapies in Medicine" surveyed 366 people in Jamaica who took at least one prescription medicine. Of the 243 adults in the group, 80.6 percent used both herbal remedies and conventional medicines, as did 75.6 percent of the 45 children interviewed.
The World Health Organization, or WHO for short, estimates that 80 percent of the population of Asia and Africa rely on traditional medicines, including herbal remedies. On an international level, herbal therapies represent the largest share of the traditional medicines market, with annual sales reaching billions of dollars in China and Western Europe. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, about 70 percent of German physicians regularly prescribe between 600 and 700 phytomedicines to their patients.
International Regulation
The WHO states that more than 100 countries regulate herbal medicines to some degree. In 2006, a global network of national and regional agencies formed the International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines to promote the regulation of botanical therapies to protect public health. As of January 2010, 23 countries participate in this global initiative, including Japan, India, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.
Most Popular Herbs
UMMC says that the popularity of herbal remedies has significantly increased over the last three decades in the U.S., a trend driven by a resistance to the high cost of synthetic prescription medicines. Some of the most popular herbs sold in the U.S. today include St. John's wort, valerian, ginkgo, Panax ginseng, goldenseal and echinacea.
References
- World Health Organization: Traditional Medicine, Dec. 2008
- National Institutes of Health: Botanical Dietary Supplements
- Complementary Therapies in Medicine: The Prevalence of Herbs Use in Conjunction with Conventional Medicines in Jamaica; Delgoda R et al.; 2010
- WHO: General Information on IRCH
- WHO: Current Members of IRCH (23 Members) - as January 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Herbal Medicine
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