Herbal Supplements

“The revival of interest in herbal medicine is a worldwide phenomenon,” – Mark Blumenthal, Founder and Executive Director of the American Botanical Council

Herbal medicine, also known as botanical medicine or phytotherapy, is the most ancient form of health care known to humankind. The word herb in herbal medicine refers to a plant or plant part that is used to make medicine, spices, or aromatic oils for soaps and fragrances. An herb can be a leaf, flower, stem, seed, root, fruit, bark, or any other plant part used for its medicinal, food flavoring, or fragrant property.

Herbs have always been integral to the practice of medicine. The word drug derives from the old Dutch word droog meaning “to dry,” as pharmacists, physicians, and ancient healers often dried plants for use as medicines. Today, approximately 25% of all prescription drugs are still derived from trees, shrubs, or herbs. The World Health Organization notes that of the 119 plant-derived pharmaceutical medicines, 74% are used in modern medicine in ways that correlate directly with their traditional uses as plant medicines by native cultures.