Introduction

Nutriceuticals is a term coined by the popular press as a new way of looking at health maintenance for many people.  In ancient times, plants were assigned curative powers based on shape or color; the concept that later became know as the doctrine of signatures in the Helenistic medical tradition.

Phytotherapy, or phytomedicine, has been a part of both eastern and western medical traditions since the King of Sumaria ordered a summary of current knowledge (about 250 medicinal plants) to be assembled in approximately 2000 BC.  Combining Arab and Greco-Roman herbology, over 2000 plants were thought to have medicinal properties in the ancient world.  The Chinese began using ginseng at least 3000 years ago, and Native Americans were using willow bark tea to reduce fever about the time most of the "civilized world" was under Roman rule.  Every civilization that has recorded its progress produced a body of knowledge addressing the use of medicinal plants (pharmacognacy).  Though displaced to some degree by the rise of "modern medicine," herbalists and herbal preparations have continued to be part of folk and Oriental medical practice.  The recent rise in popularity of these materials in American and European societies may reflect a growing discontent with established medical practice, or perhaps an interest in more "natural " modes of healthcare.  This is especially true among the elderly.¹ (Table 1)

Click Here To Navigate Within Article >> Abstract Introduction Herbal Remedies: Overlapping Pharmacology Alteration of Drug Metabolizing Enzyme Activity Interactions with the Blood Clotting Process Alteration of the Inflamatory and Immune Response What Should Patients be Told About Herbs Conclusion References About the Author
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Citation Number: Vol. 2, No. 2, Page 002