Are herbal medicines of any good or are they just a placebo?
Answer: Well you cannot group them all together. Some are valid and others are not. Certainly many herb contain plant alkaloids that can have therapeutic effects..
A great copious modern medicines are derived from plants: morphine, hyoscine, aspirin, atropine etc. I have several medical and nursing text from the beginning of last century and most of what they be using were plant based compounds or simple chemicals.
Herbal drug has been around for centuries and those that own been researched have be found to contain active compounds which can be of benefit in syndrome and maintaining health.
Homeopathy is NOT herbal prescription - it is a different system altogether - homeopathic preparations contain NO active compound and work by placebo effect only.
I use several herbal medicine and I can say that they've worked far better than the prescribed medications from the doctor - this isn't purely placebo effect either as the health issues that I've have have been long standing.
I infer that there is a place in medication for both herbal and conventional medicine, but conventional meds do have the added burden of cause more side effects whereas herbal meds tend not to. Both can be dangerous if not administered fussily..
Herbal medicine is the best! However, herbs themselves are not going to cure you. Herbal tablets or any other natural medicine modaility lone support the natural healing ways of the body. Natural medication philosophy is that the body has the power to heal itself. The herb supplied only support that self healing skilfulness. For healing to really occur it take the mind, body, spirit etc. - the whole person. They noticeably work if you let them work and you believe and trust in them as you pilfer them.
Herbal medicines might take a longer time to work because they alleviate and balance every aspect of you, unlike generic medicine which merely cures the symptoms. Herbal medicines and modern medicines both contain chemicals and minerals, and within some cases active agents. ( Anti biotics are derived from a funghi ). If an illness is cause from a lack of substance, then herbal can be completely good, and sometimes for other things.
The problem really is in the diagnosis and prescription. The contents of the herbals is much smaller amount known and the people involved are more feasible to be less medically trained..
Herbal medicines do work!
Homeopathic medicine have worked the best for me! they take several different ingredients (at resembling .02% each) and combined you get a natural results next to out the side effects!! Oscillocoxinum is a homeopathic preventative and treatment for the flu (among other things) It would be at your local pharmacy but you can get a homeopathic remedy for just almost anything! In general with herbal medicine you avoid the often dreadful side effects that you frequently get next to prescription medication.
Admittedly prescription medication usually works much faster so you often need several herbal medicine for a particular health problem.