Medicinal Herbs – Common Uses of Medicinal Herbs as Alternative Medicine

There are some people who believe that the medications being sold today are doing more harm than good. It is also no surprise that medications, even for the likes of coughs and colds are becoming more and more expensive. These are just some of the reasons why people resort to using alternative medicine treatments like medicinal herbs. By definition, alternative medicine simply refers to any other treatment born out of Western culture and traditional Western medicine. However, it is also no surprise that Western medicine is being used together with alternative medical treatments, with one of them involving the use of medicinal herbs.

100 to 200 years ago, people relied on these medicinal herbs, and they were quite as effective. Why shouldn’t we expect the same results from these herbs?
Let’s take a look at some of the most common medicinal herbs being used by Western countries like the United States:

a.) Milk Thistle is a popular herb in the USA and Europe. This herb is believed to remedy certain liver diseases like cirrhosis of the liver and to help rejuvenate damaged liver cells. Milk Thistle can also remedy damaged gallbladders. The healing properties of the Milk Thistle involve certain chemicals which induce an antioxidant effect which blocks out unwanted toxins from the liver membrane.
b.) Peppermint is not just related to toothpaste and mouthwash. Peppermint is a great herb that improves digestion and is known to relieve gas. Peppermint is also used for aromatherapy because of its relaxing and calming properties. It is also used as an ingredient for chest rubs to help treat colds. While the leaves are used for tea, the oil extracted from the essence of peppermint is used to treat skin irritations and as ingredients for chest rubs.
c.) Gingko Biloba sounds like a herb that comes from an Oriental country, but this herb has been used in the United States for thousands of years and is one of the bestselling herbs in the USA. Gingko Biloba comes in a supplement form and is used to naturally enhance brain function and memory. This herb is commonly used by people who suffer from mild short term memory loss. Gingko also has antioxidant properties which help remove free radicals from the body. Today, researchers are trying to study the effects of Gingko Biloba on patients with Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia. While the results may not be definitive, Mayo Clinic states that the results are very promising.

There are hundreds of medicinal herbs being sold in the market today, and most of them are ready-to-consume (i.e. pills, capsules, teabags, etc.)