Some people think that healing herbs are a bunch of hoop-la, a witches brew or concoction of some magic potent. Those who do not know about healing herbs are not aware of their healing capabilities. Healing herbs have been with us from the beginning of time.
There were no big pharmaceutical companies in the days of Adam and Eve. Early generations had to rely on what God gave them to heal the body. Many people are still not aware that most healing herbs make up today’s modern medicines.
The healing herbs from ancient days are still the healing herbs of modern times. Throughout all of these years herbs are unchanged, their quality remains as strong as ancient men and animals found it to be thousands of years ago. What has changed is the way man uses these healing herbs incorporated with modern medicine of today.
Ancient man knew the many benefits of healing herbs and passed on these benefits from generation to generation. Plants are not magic as some seem to feel. They are what god has made them, an awesome way to heal and help people overcome a variety of illnesses. People study herbs because of the God given healing powers of green plants and their chemical makeup. It is this God given chemical makeup in green plant life, which heals the human and animal body.
Today modern man has and continues to benefit from wisdom of ages ago and have incorporated this wisdom into today’s medicine.
What herbs mean to all the people who study plant life, means they have a specific medicinal quality. In actuality, herbs are any plant, flowers, trees or shrubs that heal the body. For instance, slippery elm or barberry is an excellent healing herb.
Somehow, ancient man discovered healing herbs. Herbal books such as the Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman, states, “There are sites in Iraq where the Neanderthals utilized yarrow, and other herbs to heal”. According to early writings, man first noticed that when an animal was ill they would nibble at specific plant life, otherwise ignoring these plants.
Many ancient writings, noted that when ancient man tried these healing herbs they took note of particular feelings such as, restlessness, wakefulness, insomnia, sleepiness, increased or decreased urination and laxative effects. Herbs soon became useful in special works and medicinal treatments of shamans.
Observing animal behaviors have not changed to this day. Over ten years ago, researchers at the Gombe National Park in Tanzania, noticed chimpanzees that were ill, were eating and swallowing Aspilia leaves. (1)Researchers found that Aspilia leaves contained thiarubrine-A, a broad-spectrum antibiotic. These chimpanzees no doubt knew that this plant would help heal whatever ailed them.
Most plant life has wonderful aromas, and fragrances all their own. As aromatic as some of these plants were, the writings of ancient man note that they rubbed these fragrant plants on their body to repel insects. Ancient men also used sweet smelling herbs as a sexual attraction for their mates. What does modern men and women still do to this day? They spray their bodies with sweet smelling cologn and perfumes that appeal to the opposite sex.
Some herbs mask the smell of rotting meat. Egyptians used a variety of herbs upon embalming their dead. Some of these herbs used to mask these unfavorable aromas remain today as popular seasonings for the foods we prepare. Rosemary, thyme, and dill were all popular ancient herbs and remain so to this day.
In conclusion, ancient herbs had a variety of purposes, and throughout these thousands of years, herbs remain for use in our foods, preservation of our foods, and to heal our body.
It is in my opinion that herbs continue to play an important part in our lives if we open our mind to their importance and usefulness. In my opinion, it is always better to treat naturally with herbs, then to treat illnesses with man-made medicines.
There are few if any side effects to taking herbs. There are numerous harmful side effects to many medications on the market today. Sometimes the cure, modern medicine is worse then the illness. I feel that doctors should not poo-poo the effectiveness of healing herbs in our life and give herbs a chance to do their job as they have done for centuries.
I rely on the doctor to treat my family and I with the best of both, healing herbs and herb-based modern medicine. I believe God has given modern man the wisdom to create new medicine to treat modern day illnesses. I also feel doctors should have an open mind in regards to our healing herbs and that quite possibly healing herbs will treat our illnesses just fine, in many instances without relying on modern medicine.