This document provides an overview of herbal medicine. It defines herbal medicine as the study and use of plants for medicinal purposes. The document outlines the historical background of herbal medicine dating back over 5000 years. It notes that over 95% of people in developing countries and over 1/3 of Americans and Europeans use herbal medicine. The document discusses some common herbal medicines like aloe vera, garlic, ginger, and peppermint and their various uses and effectiveness. It also covers herbal supplements for mental health and exercise/diet.

1. Herbal
Medicine

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Ali Alaa El-Den Ali
Ahmed Mohamed
Prepared By:

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Outlines
Definition.
Historical Background.
Popularity.
Why Herbal Medicine!
Difference between herbalism and Modern medicine.
Uses Of Herbal Medicine.
Contraindications and health risks with herbalism.

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What is Herbal Medicine?
 Herbal Medicine (also called Herbalism) is the study
of botany and use of plants of different parts e.g.
leaves, flowers or roots for medicinal purposes.
 Traditional medicine or folk medicine practice
based on the use of plants and plant extracts.

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What is Herbs?
An herb is a plant or
plant part used for
its scent, flavor, or
therapeutic
properties.

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Historical Background:
The first written record of medicinal plants was created on
clay tablets over 5000 years ago by the Sumerians, in ancient
Mesopotamia (Iraq).
 One mentioned in the modern texts is that of the herb
called “Ma huang” a species of Ephedra used medicinally in
China for over 5000 years .
Around 1500 BCE the Ancient Egyptians wrote the Ebers
Papyrus which listed over 850 herbal medicines.

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page 7
traditional Chinese medicinal herb derived from
Ephedra sinicaStapf and other Ephedra species,
used to treat asthma, nose and lung congestion,
and fever with anhidrosis. It contains 0.5–2.5% by weight of total alkaloids,
of which ephedrine accounts for 30 to 90%.
Recently, large amounts of ma-huang were used as a source of ephedrine in
many dietary supplements formulated for weight reduction, because
ephedrine has been found effective in inducing weight loss in diet-restricted
obese patients. However, indiscriminate consumption of ma-huang–
containing products has resulted in many cases of poisoning, some of which
were fatal.
Mahuang

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Popularity:
More than 95 % of the population in the least
developing countries use herbs for health and
other purposes.
More than one third of Americans and Europeans
use herbs for health purposes, spending over 7.0
billion annually.
More than 25 % of modern pharmaceutical drugs
have botanical origins.

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Why Herbal Medicine?
 It is being used by about 80% of the world population
primarily in the developing countries for primary health care.
 SAFETY,EFFICACY, CULTURAL ACCEPTABILITY AND
LESSER SIDE EFFECTS.
 Ancient literature also mentions herbal medicines for age-
related diseases namely Memory Loss, Osteoporosis,
DiabeticWounds, Immune And Liver Disorders, etc. for
which no modern medicine or only palliative therapy is
available.

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Why do people use herbalism?
Because it is natural and everybody believe
that nature provides solution to good health.
Unlike synthetic pharmaceutical medicine
herbs are easily absorbed in body and blood
stream leaving minimal residual and side
effects.
 In most cases it is based on the recommendation.

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Does Natural = Safe?!

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Perception of Natural =Safe
 “Natural" products are considered to be safe because they are
present in, or produced by, nature. However, that is not true in all
cases.
 Herbal interactions with prescription medications or other
chemicals can:
 interfere with how the drug may be broken down in the body
 enhance side effects of prescription medications
 block the intended therapeutic effect of a drug.
 For example, Cranberry which help in preventing UTI may
increase the effect of blood anticoagulants like warfarin and lead
to bruising or bleeding.

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Perception of Natural =Safe
 “This perception is used in developing
countries where cost of drugs is
prohibitive, poor accessibility to drugs
in rural areas, shortage of physicians

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HerbalismVS Modern Medicine:
Allopathic MedicineHerbal Medicine
Focus is on cure of disease
Body mind are treated as separate entities
Healing depends on outside agent to cure the
disease
Use chemical products
Concentrate on specific organ
Based on chemicals and medications
More side effects
More expensive
Patient passive participant
Treat urgent and emergency conditions
Scientific validation
focus on Health maintenance , disease
prevention life style changes
Mind body are one each one affect the other
The body has a nature ability to heal itself
Use natural products
Treat body as a whole unit
Based on the vital energy inside the body
Little or no side effects
Less expensive
Patient active participant
Treat chronic illness
Little scientific validation

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How to identify Herbs?!
Herbs is being identified on the basis of:
Growing
Condition
Texture
Root
System
Color of
Its Flower

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HOWTOIDENTIFYHERBSONTHEBASISOF
COLOUROFITSFLOWER?
 Yellow flower: can be for liver,gallbladder,urinary
problems.
 Reddish : Antibiotics, skin disorders.
 Purple: Stress, blood purifier, treating muscles.

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HOWTOIDENTIFYHERBSONTHEBASISOF
GROWINGCONDITION?!
 Grow in gravel: Works as a stone breaker in body
parts like kidney ,gallbladder..
 Grow in wet soil: Works in respiratory problems
etc..
 Grow near fast moving water: clean the toxins and
wastes in body system.

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HOWTOIDENTIFYHERBSONTHEBASISOF
TEXTURE?!
 Soft texture-for colds and chest disorders.
 Thorny herbs-for sharp pain, hair…
 Climbing herbs-for blood system and nervous
system..

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HOWTOIDENTIFYHERBSONTHEBASISOF
ROOTSYSTEM ?!
Vein like roots: For blood and nerve
disorders.
Thread like roots:Veins in the skin….

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UsesOf Herbs
Physical:
1. For the treatment of sickness and disease.
2. Athletic and Weight-loss purposes.
Mental:
1. For the treatment of memory loss, depression,
sleep, and stress.

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
Treatment of sickness and disease:
 All herbal medicines can be prepared as a tea.
 Drink a glass 3 times a day, use the dried
leaves of the plant, and usually use about half
an ounce of the herb.

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
Common Herbs For the treatment of
sickness and disease:
A-AloeVera
B-Garlic
C-Ginger
D-Peppermint
E-Mental Supplements

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
A-AloeVera
Claims: For the treatment of:
1) Acne
2) Burns
3) Minor wounds
4)Effective for the topical treatment of wounds,
burns, and frostbite.

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page 26
Aloevera

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
Effectiveness varies with product.
Advised not to use for internal uses.
Could lead to abdominal cramping, diarrhea,
loss of potassium, discoloration of urine.

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
B-Garlic
Claims:
1) Antibiotic
2)Antiviral
3)Lowering of blood pressure and
cholesterol
4)Regulation of circulatory system.

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
B-Garlic
 Well studied herb.
 Shown to lower cholesterol by 9-12% in 8-16
weeks of use.
 May also possess antibiotic activities.
 Large doses may cause heartburn.

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
B-Garlic
Used in Europe as an approved
remedy for cardiovascular
conditions and for the use of the
flu and colds.

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
C-Ginger
Claims: Treatment of :
 Proven to be effective in nausea,
motion sickness, and arthritis.
 It is possible that it treats heart tissue but not
likely.

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
C-Ginger
 However, there are many
precautions for the use of ginger.
 The use of ginger may inhibit the
chemicals involved in platelet aggression.
 This leads to increased and prolonged bleeding.

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
D-Peppermint
Claims
1)Muscle Spasms 2)Abdominal Pain
3)Diarrhea 4)Headache
5)Chills and nausea 6)Convulsions
7)Irritable Bowl Syndrome

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
D-Peppermint
Has only been proved to decrease
muscle spasms.
Overuse can lead to heartburn,
esophageal sphincter relaxations,
irritation of mucous membranes, and allergic
reactions.

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
E-Mental Supplements
 There are several very popular mental supplements
designed to aid in memory, stress, depression, sleep,
and other mental related problems. Although there are
only a few of the herbal supplements they are widely
used and accepted by the public. There are many claims
regarding the effectiveness of these supplements, and
the only difficult problem is discovering which claims are
true and which are false.

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E-MentalSupplements
Ginkgo Biloba
 Claims and effects:
1-Improved memory
2-ReduceAlzheimer’s effects
3-Helps hearing loss
4-Helps depression
5-Helps calm asthma

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E-MentalSupplements
Ginkgo Biloba
 How it works:
Ginkgo balboa extract increases blood flow to the brain
by inhibiting blood platelet aggregation and by
regulating blood vessel elasticity. It has also been shown
to improve blood flow through major blood vessels and
capillaries.

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E-MentalSupplements
 St. John’s Wort
 St. John’s wort has been used to:
1-Prevent depression
2-Decrease Stress Levels
3-Help nervous conditions
4-Decrease severity of bacterial infection

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E-MentalSupplements
 St. John’s Wort
 How it works:
Hyperforin is a serotonin reuptake
inhibitor. It is the compound in the
plant and suspected as having
antidepressant effects.

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E-MentalSupplements
 St. John’s Wort
Does it work?
Has been proven to be mildly helpful in very
mild to moderate cases of depression. The
more serious the case, the less that St. John’s
Wort helps. In the worst cases of depression, it
can actually hurt the situation.

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E-MentalSupplements
 Sleep Aids
There are many different herbal sleep aids
that are considered safer than, and sometimes
as effective as prescription sleep aids. These
herbs can help sleep by using aromas or teas.

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E-MentalSupplements
 Sleep Aids
Claims and effects:
1. Helps Insomnia
2. Helps all chronic sleep disorders.
3. Helps with headaches and restlessness.

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E-MentalSupplements
 Sleep Aids
Some examples of herbal sleep aids are:
Chamomile Hops California Poppy
Catnip Lemon Balm Lavender
Passion Flower Skullcap Valerian Root

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E-MentalSupplements
Catnip Lemon Balm Lavender Chamomile

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E-MentalSupplements
 Sleep Aids
Does they really work?
Herbal sleep aids do work, and actually with little to
no side effects. They are successful at calming and
relaxing the body and assisting in the reduction of
insomnia and other various sleep disorders.

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
Exercise and Diet Supplements
InToday’s World, Many People AreTaking
Herbal Supplements to IncreaseTheir Energy
and Weight Loss.

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UsesOf HerbsCont..
Exercise and Diet Supplements
Common supplements:
1-Exercise: 2-Weight Loss:
 Ginseng Ephedra
 Bell pollen

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Exercise and DietSupplements
 Ginseng
o A perennial herb of northern China, Korea,
Japan, and Russia
o Must be grown for 5 years before harvested
o The root is the most widely used part
o Harvested in the fall just before defoliation

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Exercise and DietSupplements
 Ginseng
How it works?
Not known…it is suggested that ginseng
increases cerebrovascular flow
Dosage:
Usual daily dose is 200mg

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Exercise and DietSupplements
 Ginseng
Does it work?
In a 9-week, double blind, placebo- controlled trial of 30
highly trained athletes, treatment with ginseng
produced significant improvements in aerobic capacity.
But…

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Exercise and DietSupplements
 Ginseng
There were negative results in an 8 week, double
blind trial that followed 31 healthy men in their
twenties and another 8 week trial which showed
that ginseng improved aerobic capacity in people who
did not exercise, but gave no additional benefit to
those who did.

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Exercise and DietSupplements
 Bee Pollen
Referred to as nature’s most
complete food.
Praised in the Bible and
ancient Chinese texts.

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Bee Pollen
What's Bee Pollen?
It is the male seed of a flower blossom which has been
gathered by the bees and to which special elements from
the bees has been added.The honeybee collects pollen
and mixes it with its own digestive enzymes. One pollen
granule contains from one hundred thousand to five
million pollen spores, each capable of reproducing its
entire species.

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Bee Pollen
 Bee pollen contains vitamins, minerals,
carbohydrates, lipids, and protein.
 Bee pollen rejuvenates your body, stimulates organs
and glands, enhances vitality, and brings about a
longer life span. Bee pollen's ability to consistently
and noticeably increase energy levels makes it a
favorite substance among many world class athletes
and those interested in sustaining and enhancing
quality performance.

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Bee Pollen
 Bee Pollen and Exercise!
1-Produces an accelerated rate
of recovery-normal heart rate
and breathing
2-It provides energy, stamina, and strength, and
enhances performance levels.

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Ephedra
 Also known as “Ma Huang”
 Popular diet supplement in the U.S.
 Has been used in Chinese.
medicine for thousands of years.

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Ephedra
 How does it work?
o Ephedrine alkaloids-naturally occurring compounds
which act as a mild stimulant
o Enhances energy
o Similar to caffeine

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Ephedra
 How does it work?
o Stimulates fat metabolism:
Burns fat and sugar more effectively
o Reduces appetite:
Mobilizes stored fat and carbohydrate reserves

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Health Risks with Herbs
o Although herbs seem harmless, some can be
potentially dangerous, especially to anyone
taking medication for a heart problem.
o Serious, even fatal, interactions have been
reported between cardiac medicines and some
supplements.

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Health Risks with Herbs
Health Risks May Include:
o Delay in effective treatment for serious
condition. Interference with vital treatment
o Overloading patient with multiple medications
o Unexpected rare but serious liver toxicity

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Health Risks with Herbs
Health Risks May Include:
o Toxic plants used.
o Interactions with other medicines.
o Contamination during manufacturing process.
Confusion over standards.
o Weak missing information.

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Health Risks with Herbs
BEWARE!!
 Avoid using herbs in infants, children, pregnant
women, nursing mothers, allergies, patients on
multiple medications.
 Herbs should be prescribed only when they are
necessary, and in all cases the benefit of giving herbs
should be considered in relation to the risk involved.

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 Ardell AV (2002) Medieval herbal remedies: the old English herbarium and Anglo-Saxon medicine. Psychology Press,
NewYork, pp 70–71.
 Castleman M (2001)The new healing herbs: the classic guide to nature’s best medicines featuring the top 100 time-
tested herbs. Rodale, Emmaus, PA, p 15.
 Nunn, John (2002). Ancient Egyptian Medicine. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 151.
 https://www.slideshare.net/siddharthanand5/herbal-medicine-29034823?from_m_app=android
 https://www.slideshare.net/aldebaran4/herbal-medicine?from_m_app=android
References

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