Unit 11
Herbalism

Herbalism is the use of plant products to cure illness. Herbal remedies have been used for centuries to cure and prevent disease. Many of the pharmaceutical products we use today are of plant origin. Although some herbs have been scientifically proven to have medicinal properties, others show little or no therapeutic benefits, and some herbs are toxic. The lack of regulation of herbal remedies makes it difficult to determine whether certain herbs provide health benefits.

Objectives

When you have completed this unit, you should be able to

1. define “herbalism,” and discuss the nature of herbalism.
2. identify commonly used herbs and describe the therapeutic benefits attributed to them.
3. determine the effectiveness of herbal therapy by analysing available.
4. identify trends and issues related to herbal therapy.