 The earth is currently experiencing a sixth phase of mass extinction, with life-forms dying off at least a hundred times faster than the natural rate. This massive increase over and above the norm is directly or indirectly a consequence of human activities. The loss of biodiversity threatens plant species; the loss of plants means that herbal medicine is under threat. As biodiversity shrinks, species such as Goldenseal, an invaluable multi-purpose herb, are becoming endangered. Other herbs which have not yet been discovered are lost forever.
Yet the demand for herbal medicine is greater now than it has ever been. As antibiotics are becoming less effective, and people are increasingly concerned about the side effects of new drugs, they are turning to natural medicine. The advantage of herbal preparations, such as Echinacea, Goldenseal, Garlic, St John's Wort, Cat's Claw, Oak Bark and Tea Tree, for combating infections is that there are fewer side effects.1 Whereas antibiotics can decimate the beneficial bacteria that reside within the human body, these herbal preparations work principally by enhancing the body's own anti-infective activity. Direct anti-infective activity is secondary and does not impact negatively on benevolent bacteria.
In traditional herbal medicine, the whole person is treated, rather than the individual symptoms. The population of the west are realising, for example, that a diagnosis of hypertension results in a lifetime of medication, with a host of potential side-effects, such as digestive problems, cold extremities and loss of libido. In contrast, I have found that prescribing a herbal regime of cleansing and detoxifying and taking a combination of Hawthorn berries, cayenne, ginger, black cohosh and gingko biloba for a few months resolves the hypertension.
Every year new uses for old herbs are discovered. St John's Wort's traditional use was for nerve pain and its fabulous anti-depressive and anti-viral activity is a recent discovery. Tea tree oil is very effective against MRSA, the antibiotic resistant superbug. New herbs, such as Rooibosch, Cat's Claw, Wild Yam and Macca have recently appeared in our herbal pharmacy. Cat's Claw boosts the body's immune system, and is particularly effective against colds and flu, while Rooibosch can help stomach and indigestive problems such as vomiting, nausea, stomach ulcers, heartburn and constipation. These herbs are not really new ~ the indigenous peoples of the world, collectively, have a huge database of medicinal herbs, of which we in the west are still largely unaware. I estimate that there are as many medicinal herbs awaiting "discovery" by the west as have been discovered to date. This covers merely those herbs already known and used somewhere in the world. If we then consider medicinal herbs that are completely unknown by anybody anywhere then we begin to understand why we must stop the devastation we are currently wreaking on the world?s biodiversity.
Stephen MacAllan
Lic.Ac., B.Ac., M.Ac., M.H., M.B.Ac.C., M.A.M.H.
www.stephenmacallan.co.uk
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