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- Alternative Systems of
Medical Practice
- Herbal Medicine
Folk Medicine
Traditions
All cultures have long folk medicine
traditions that include the use of plants and plant products. Even in ancient
cultures, people methodically collected information on herbs and developed
well-defined herbal pharmacopoeias. Indeed, well into the twentieth century,
much of the pharmacopoeia of scientific medicine was derived from the herbal
lore of native peoples. Many drugs commonly used today are of herbal origin.
Indeed, about one-quarter of the prescription drugs dispensed by community
pharmacies in the United States contain at least one active ingredient derived
from plant material.
The World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates that 4 billion people, 80 percent of the world population, presently
use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary healthcare. Herbal medicine is
a major component in all indigenous peoples’ traditional medicine and a
common element in Ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic, traditional oriental,
and Native American Indian medicine.
Drug
Regulation
Although, the discovery of useful
therapeutics from plants has changed the face of medicine and the course of
civilization, many people, especially some in the Federal Government, evaluate
herbal remedies as though they were either worthless or dangerous. Today in
the United States, herbal products can be marketed only as food supplements.
An herb manufacturer or distributor can make no specific health claims without
FDA approval. A growing number of Americans are interested in herbal
preparations.
Two features of European drug regulation
make that market more hospitable to natural remedies. First, it costs less and
takes less time in Europe to approve medicines as safe and effective. This is
especially true of substances that have a long use history and can be approved
under the "doctrine of reasonable certainty." European guidelines
for the assessment of herbal remedies follow up on WHO’s Guidelines for the
Assessment of Herbal Medicines, which state that a substance’s historical
use is a valid way to document safety and efficacy in the absence of
scientific evidence to the contrary.
France, where traditional medicines can
be sold with labeling based on traditional use, requires licensing by the
French Licensing Committee and approval by the French Pharmacopoeia Committee.
Germany considers whole herbal products one active ingredient; this makes it
simpler to define and approve the product. The German Federal Health Office
regulates products such as ginkgo and milk thistle extracts so that potency
and manufacturing processes are standardized. England generally follows the
rule of prior use; that is, years of use with apparent positive effects and no
evidence of detrimental side effects constitute enough evidence — in lieu of
other scientific data — that the product is safe.
In Japan, China, and India, patent
herbal remedies composed of dried and powdered whole herbs or herb extracts,
often in tablet form, are the rule. Traditional herbals are the backbone of
China’s medicine. Japan’s traditional medicine, kampo, is similar to and
historically derived from Chinese medicine but includes traditional medicines
from Japanese folklore. Herbal medicines are the staple of medical treatment
in many developing countries and are used for many types of ailments.
European
Phytomedicines
European phytomedicines are among the
world’s best studied medicines, researched in leading European universities
and hospitals. Some have been in clinical use, under medical supervision, for
more than ten years, with tens of millions of documented cases. This form of
botanical medicine most closely resembles American medicine. In Europe there
have been credible research studies reporting positive effects on a variety of
chronic illnesses for herbs such as Silybum marianum (milk thistle), Ginkgo
biloba (ginkgo) Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry extract), and Ilex guayusa. Many
herbs in China have been studied extensively by methods that are acceptable
from the Western perspective; among these herbs are ginseng, fresh ginger
rhizome, Chinese foxglove root, baical skullcap root, wild chrysanthemum
flower, and licorice root. A number of Ayurvedic herbs also have recently been
studied in India under modern scientific conditions, including Eclipta alba,
Indian gooseberry, neem, turmeric, and trikatu.
Reports of positive effects of herbal
preparations in developing countries and Native American Indian herbs are
primarily anecdotal. However, since much modern-day medicine is directly or
indirectly derived from such folklore sources, it seems illogical to conclude
that there are no more significant treatments or cures for major diseases to
be found, in the world, from plant sources.
National Institutes of Health
Disclaimer: The NIH cautions users
not to seek the therapies described on these pages without the consultation of a
licensed healthcare provider. Inclusion of a treatment or resource on the NCCAM
Web site does not imply endorsement by the NCCAM, the NIH, or the Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS).
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