[This article was reprinted from Consumer News]

Often when we "discover" something new and exciting, we think of it as new to the world, not just to ourselves. We may even consider it revolutionary in its importance. People who discover herbal therapy for the first time frequently have this reaction. In fact, the use of plants as medicines is as old as civilization itself. It is found in different cultures on every continent on this planet. The Egyptians sealed medicinal herbs with their mummified pharaohs to guarantee their health on their journey to the other world. In India, AYURVEDIC medicine has been in constant use for thousands of years. The Chinese have books about medicinal herbs that predate the Christian calendar by 2,000 years. When the Europeans set sail to discover the New World, they carried with them their collection of herbal remedies. When they arrived here in America, they found the land populated by Native American nations, each with its own version of herbal treatments. Herbs and herbal treatments are mentioned frequently in both the Bible and the Koran.

Before the development of modern medicine, herbal remedies were one type of treatment used by people around the globe. Similar discoveries were made about the healing properties of certain plants by cultures that had no contact with each other. For example, garlic was used by the Arabs, Babylonians, Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, Hindus, and Romans to treat intestinal disorders, gas, worms, respiratory infections, skin diseases, wounds, scorpion and snake bites among other ills. Today garlic is being investigated for use against cryptosporidium. The oldest antiseptics were a combination of herbs and flowers used before their active ingredients were understood.

Many ancient people believed that medicinal plants were effective because they protected people against witchcraft and the Evil Eye. A plant called wild angelica or the Holy Plant was cultivated because it was considered the best defense against witchcraft. Wolfsbane and garlic were used to keep vampires away.

Even as we learn to separate superstition from the effective use of an herb, we must remember that our understanding or lack thereof will not help or hinder the effectiveness of a particular substance. Quinine made from cinchona tree bark was used by Native Americans to combat malaria long before the Spanish explorers arrived in South America. As recently as the 1980's, it was still used to fight malaria, especially the strains that have become resistant to the synthetic anti-malarial drugs. Probably the most famous example of a remedy being used effectively without understanding why was the British use of lime and lemons to prevent scurvy among their sailors during long sea voyages. It could be argued that this simple remedy was a major contribution to the British ability to dominate the world's oceans and set up its colonial empire.

In the US today, very little investigation is being done to determine which herbs or herbal products are effective in the fight against infectious disease. There are thousands of herbs and herbal products on the market. In the absence of objective research, our task is to learn how to sort out the effective herbal medicines from the "witchcraft." In our society witchcraft goes by the name of profiteering. You can easily find an example of this witchcraft by looking through new age or holistic magazines in any health food store. The magazines are usually free. They exist by selling advertising space to manufacturers, just like any mainstream publication. The point of the advertising is simple: get people to buy the product. There is nothing holistic or new age about that. What is different are the types of code words used in these ads. Typical statements include ..."youthing," "reversing the aging process," "boosting the immune system." "Becoming centered or grounded, and "tonifying" certain organs, often the liver. The Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon began looking for the Fountain of Youth in 1513. He did not find it, so the search continues. My personal favorite is a vegetable preparation that is presented as "Brain and Body Superfuel, turbocharged with vitamins and minerals." For a moment I thought they were talking about steamed vegetables with rice and beans.

If you want to use this ancient therapy to see if it can work for you, your first task is to educate yourself. Have realistic goals about what you want to learn so that you don't try to understand ayurvedic, Chinese, African and European herbalism in a month. It took thousands of years for these treatments to develop. You can't master them in a crash course. You might want to find a study group with people who have goals similar to your own. If one does not exist in your area, start one. All you need is one other person and you have a group.

Beware of claims that sound too good. The claims will be good, the medication won't. Look out for code phrases like secrets of the Ming dynasty, elixir of the emperors, ancient cure unearthed and smuggled into the US. Conspiracy theories are very appealing because they trigger an excitement in our lives. They allow us to become part of the good guys searching for the truth. The bad guys are trying to keep us from finding it, and we can join in the crusade to defeat them. Bear in mind that if this "secret elixir" is found in 10,000 health food stores from coast to coast, it is not much of a secret. On the other hand, if this magic bullet works it won't be hard to find countless people who have been cured. I am sure they will be happy to talk about their success. Unfortunately, most of the time the magic part is how fast the emperor's elixir increases the manufacturer's bank account.

Try to find out about the area, culture or country that the particular therapy comes from. How is the health of the people there? Do they use the treatments that are credited to them? Where are their experts and practitioners trained? If an "expert" or practitioner is someone who read the literature wrapped around the medicine bottle 10 minutes before you did, you are in trouble.

Don't be fooled by titles. An expert in one field is just as much of a layman as you are in another area that neither of you has studied. Choose an area that has measurable success. The Chinese herbalists, for example, have a system worth looking into. Herbal medicine in China today is not an alternative therapy, it is mainstream. A lot of research has been done on the immune system and specific herbal therapies. There is a great deal of information available and practitioners are trained well. Much of this information is available on the Internet.

It would be a good idea if you could talk about your search with your health care provider. She/He may know more about herbalism than you think, or may be able to help you find a good practitioner. In any case, you should always tell you provider about all the medications of any type that you are taking. You may be embarrassed or uncomfortable about telling one practitioner that you are trying what you may think is a competing form of medicine. Don't be. If someone's feelings are hurt that is unfortunate and unpleasant, but what you are trying to avoid is an unhealthy or even dangerous combination of drugs, herbs and food. If you cannot speak openly with your practitioner, then you should think about finding a new one. Where your health is concerned you should leave no stone unturned.

In order for any therapy to work effectively, the person using it must eat well. Both the quality and the quantity of the food must be at least adequate. There is a wide range of what constitutes good nutrition and each person must find a comfortable place in that range. But vegetables and whole grains must have a place. The Chinese placed brown rice at the center of their daily eating plan. Vegetables and other plants like seaweed were added next. Finally animal products were used to complete the picture.

Many other Asian cultures also adopted this eating style. Here in the US, we seem to prefer eating in the opposite direction, even though we know the value of eating brown rice and other whole grains and vegetables. The American Cancer Society encourages us to eat less meat, reduce fat intake, and eat more vegetables. The USDA food pyramid also reflects this way of eating. Unfortunately, we don't see this way of eating as a form of herbal therapy. We still think of eating as separate from any kind of medicine. We can recognize the special healing properties of plants when we call them herbs, but not when we call them vegetables and grains.

Eating well is as important as any form of medicine. Here is an example of the long-range consequences of an inadequate diet. I will use calories as an example, since most people understand the need for calories very well. If you need 2500 calories every day to fight the good fight against your illness and you get only 90% or 2250 calories each day, than every 10 days you have lost the equivalent of one whole day of eating (10 x 250 = 2500). If you continue eating at 90% of your needs for one month, you will lose 3 days worth of calories. After one year of this regimen, it is as though you haven't eaten for 36 days, more than 5 weeks. This means the lose of 5 weeks worth of energy, vitamins, minerals, phytochemical, protein and fiber. Where is your body getting the nutrients it needs to continue its work of living and fighting off infection? It is actually consuming itself. The process that is going on is a form of slow starvation. The less you eat the faster the decline. The potential damage to your immune system from this loss cannot be made up by any medication from the east or west.

Do not fall into the trap of thinking that medicine, supplements, or meal substitutes can take the place of real food. Whatever type of medicine you decide to use, make sure you put it into a body that is well nourished. Remember, eat your vegetables every day.