Herbal medicine is a complementary therapy that uses plants or plant extracts to treat illness. There are numerous herbal
products available that claim to treat a wide range of problems, from depression to colds and flu.
Traditional herbal medicine is just one of the many different approaches to using plants as remedies. Others include phytotherapy and Chinese herbal medicine. Traditional herbal medicine has been used in Britain for centuries and it remains popular, even in the era of scientific medicine and modern pharmaceuticals.Like any medicine, herbal remedies can have side-effects and may interact with other drugs. There have even been reports of fatal toxic effects with some herbal products, although this is rare with products that originate in the UK. At present, most herbal products fall outside of the regulation of
medicines, which means you can''t be sure whether there is evidence that a herbal product works, what it contains and in what concentration, or whether it was manufactured properly. Planned legislation should introduce a system of recognising traditional herbal medicines, with new regulatory controls.
Herbal remedies for self-treatment are available as tablets, capsules, ointments and creams, and are on sale in health food shops, pharmacies and even supermarkets. For more serious health complaints, you may want to see a trained herbalist. While not a state regulated profession (like nursing or medicine), members of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), have followed three to five years of structured study and can advise on the safety and suitability of herbs. It is particularly important to be cautious about taking herbs if you are pregnant or breast feeding.