Herbal Medicine - Intro and history

Question 1

What are herbal medicines?

Answer 1

Herbal medicines are plants or plant parts (leaves, flowers, seeds, roots, bark) used for medicinal purposes.

Question 2

How was knowledge of herbal medicines gained historically?

Answer 2

Knowledge was gained through trial and error and observation of animals.

Question 3

How many medicinal herbs are used globally?

Answer 3

Up to 30,000 medicinal herbs are used globally.

Question 4

How far back does the use of herbs date?

Answer 4

The use of herbs dates back thousands of years.

Question 5

What did the Ancient Egyptians use for medicinal purposes around 1500 BC?

Answer 5

Ancient Egyptians used garlic and myrrh for medicinal purposes.

Question 6

Who used herbs before Homo sapiens?

Answer 6

Neanderthals used herbs before Homo sapiens.

Question 7

What is significant about animals and herbal medicine?

Answer 7

Animals use plant medicines, which likely predates human use by many years.

Question 8

Which cultures have distinct herbal traditions?

Answer 8

Ayurvedic medicine in South Asia, Chinese medicine in East Asia, and Western herbal medicine in Europe and America.

Question 9

What do herbal traditions from different regions share?

Answer 9

While distinct, these traditions share similar philosophies.

Question 10

What percentage of the population relies on herbal medicine today?

Answer 10

A large percentage of the global population still relies on herbal medicine as their primary means of healthcare.

Question 11

What role did herbs play in conventional medicine until recently?

Answer 11

Herbs were the main form of conventional medical practice.

Question 12

How was garlic used during World War I?

Answer 12

Garlic was used as an antibiotic during World War I.

Question 13

What replaced herbal treatments in modern medicine?

Answer 13

Synthetic pharmaceuticals replaced herbal treatments in modern medicine.

Question 14

Give an example of a modern drug developed from herbs.

Answer 14

Metformin, used for Type 2 diabetes, was developed from goat’s rue, and aspirin from willow bark.

Question 15

What distinguishes herbs from foods?

Answer 15

The difference is often cultural; for example, burdock root is medicine for skin diseases in the West but a vegetable in Japan.

Question 16

What are culinary herbs typically used for?

Answer 16

Culinary herbs add colour, flavour, and have health benefits.

Question 17

What is the primary use of medicinal herbs?

Answer 17

Medicinal herbs are used for their concentration of phytochemicals, where small amounts provide therapeutic effects.

Question 18

How are foods most commonly used compared to herbs?

Answer 18

Foods are used primarily for their macro/micronutrient content and are consumed in larger amounts than medicinal herbs.

Question 19

What is an example of a cultural difference between how a plant is used medicinally versus as food?

Answer 19

Burdock root is used for skin diseases in the West but as a vegetable in Japan.