 What is a Herb?According to legend, the Anglo-Latin scholar Alcuin (ca. 732-804) posed this question to his pupil Charlemagne. The King replied, "the friend of physicians and the praise of cooks."
This response might seem odd to us now, but Charlemagne's answer was certainly indicative of his time. By the eighth century, people had been using herbs as medical tools for over four thousand years. Herbalism and medicine were essentially the same practice
|
 Herbs in the present dayIn 1968 Herbalists, unique among traditional practitioners, were given legal protection under the Medicines Act of that year, legislation which, in a revised form is still in operation today.
Herbalist today believe and seek to help people build their good health with natural sources. Herbs are considered to be food rather than medicine because they're complete, all-natural and pure, as nature intended. When herbs are taken, the body starts to be cleansed, purifying itself. This slowly gives the body nutrients to function. Unlike chemically-synthesized, highly concentrated drugs that produce countless side effects, herbs can realign the body's defences, helping it to heal itself without any side effects. Herbs do not produce instant miracle cures, but rather offer a way to put the body in tune with nature.
Herbs are defined as plants grown for their culinary or medicinal value. The green, leafy part of the plant is typically used. General usage differs between culinary herbs and medicinal herbs. A medicinal herb may be a shrub or other woody plant, whereas a culinary herb is a non-woody plant. By contrast, spices are the seeds, berries, bark, root, or other parts of the plant, even leaves in some cases. ...
|
