may differ from one another depending on factors such as the soil in
which they grow and how much water and sunlight the plant receives.
Differences in manufacturing processes can also lead to varying
amounts of the herb in any given tablet. Many herbal supplements
sold in the United States are manufactured overseas where the United
States has no oversight or regulatory power.
Diocorides was a Greek physician, pharmacologist, and botanist. Between 50
and 70 CE, he wrote an encyclopedia called
De Materia Medica
about herbal
medicine that was widely read for fifteen centuries.
HERBAL TREATMENTS
THROUGH HISTORY
In the twenty-first century, herbal supplements are sold in
various places, including health food stores, acupuncture clinics,
neighborhood gyms, and online. They come in many forms, including
fresh or dried plants, tablets and capsules, teas, and powders.
Medicines made from plants can be powerful and effective. Plant-
based medicines have been used around the world as legitimate
treatments for medical conditions for at least five thousand years. In
fact, between one-third
and one-half of currently
prescribed medications
were first derived from
plants. For example,
the ancient Egyptians
and Greeks brewed a tea
from willow bark and
used it to reduce fever
and pain. By the end of
the nineteenth century,
scientists at the German
drug firm Bayer had
developed a synthetic
form of the chemical
and called it aspirin.
Additionally, synthetic
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HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS
