About Medical Herbalism...

Herbal medicine, or phytotherapy, as it is also called, uses the whole plant to prevent and treat disease and is thought to be the oldest system of medicine in the world. Herbal remedies for humans and animals were in daily use until the 1930s, when new drugs and improved surgical techniques emerged. The World Health Organisation estimates that 85% of the world's population still depend on the use of plants for their medicinal virtues.

The efficacy of herbal remedies has mainly been drawn from empirical knowledge, passed down by word of mouth and by historical documents, pharmacopoeias and herbals, but there is now increasing scientific evidence from clinical trials and studies to support this.

Western Herbalism is practised in the UK, Europe and North America, and incorporates some aspects of Ayurvedic, Traditional Chinese Medicine and other traditions.

© 2024 Liz Lillicrap.