Herbal medicine is so fascinating because, at its core, it is food.  The first evidence of herbs being used as food and medicine dates back over 5,000 years to the Egyptian, Greek, Chinese, and Indian cultures who used herbs to promote health and wellbeing.

 

Herbal medicine or herbalism is also known as phytomedicine and is the study of botany and/or the alternative practices using unrefined plants as medicine.

 

Modern medicine makes use of many plant-derived compounds in the production of pharmaceutical drugs which are highly refined and purified and often synthesized.

 

The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of Asia and Africa use herbal medicine as their primary health care, and approximately 25% of the modern drugs used in the United States are derived from plants.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the manufacture and proper labeling of herbal products, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates the marketing.

 

In the United States, there is no legally recognized licensure for herbalists, but in 1989 the American Herbalists Guild (AHG) was founded as a non-profit, educational organization to create standards for registering herbalists and their use of medicinal plants.

 

Jeff Perlman is a Registered AHG Herbalist, and at Three Seasons Ayurveda, we only use organic and sustainable medicinal herbs to support the efficient function of the body. We produce and supply medicinal teas, tinctures, capsules, oils, creams, syrups, jams, and essential oil preparations.