Historical Perspectives and Overview of the Value of Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine practices are as old as human history. Plants have been used to treat and manage different disease conditions in different parts of the world since time immemorial. Currently, about 80% of the global population uses herbal medicine directly or indirectly to manage or treat disease conditions. The use of plants to treat diseases depends on the local knowledge and cultural practices of the indigenous people of the area and requires a certain level of inborn skills or formal/informal training for the efficient and effective utilization of the herbal formulations. In herbal medicine, plants are used for spiritual processes including libation, sacrifice, appeasing of the gods, invocation, divination, food preparation, and as medicine. Whole plant or their parts are formulated into herbal medicine that is dependent on the bioactive constituents of the plant and their parts. Some diseases that have been successfully managed using herbal medicine include memory loss, cardiovascular issues, arthritis, osteoarthritis, digestive and respiratory diseases, reproductive problems, skin diseases, neurological issues, diabetes, diverse types of cancers, hypertension, and many others. Herbal medicines may be utilized in powder or liquid form and depending on the ailment may be ingested or externally applied on the affected parts of the body, but dosages are often unspecified or unclear. Herbal medicine is at a critical development stage, and there is a need for research and regulatory policies to support and standardize the processes involved in the exploration of raw materials, production of herbal remedies, branding, and marketing as well as sustainable utilization. Through research and regulatory policy, there will be greater clarity about herbal medicine processing, procedures, delivery routes, dosages, and compatibility, which will position the agelong process to be competitive, integrated into, or practiced alongside conventional medicine.