EUROPE RENAISSANCE NEEDS SPONSORS: Without donations, we work for nothing: would you? Contact euroman_uk@yahoo.co.uk for details.

MICHAEL WALSH REPORT: Traditional medicine recipes often find scientific confirmation. For example, a group of scientists recently discovered compounds in ginseng that could potentially slow down the development of osteoporosis. 

Herbal medicine, based on both ancient traditions and modern scientific research, can match basic drug therapy and support the patient’s body during the recovery period. 

‘Herbs are not used for treatment; their main purpose is prevention. Elena Korsun, Head of the Department of Herbal Medicine at the Institute of Oriental Medicine of RUDN University, spoke about this in an interview with RT. 

Herbal medicine has ancient roots: the first collections of medicinal herbs appeared in China. Now traditional medicine recipes are scientifically confirmed. In general, oriental traditional medicine is famous throughout the world. 

NEWS AND VIEWS FOR LOVERS OF TRUTH, PEACE AND LIBERTY

Treatment with various medicinal herbs has been practised in Russia for many centuries. In the XII-XVIII centuries, monastic herbal medicine developed. At the same time, there was a continuous accumulation and preservation of knowledge about herbalism within the framework of traditional medicine.

In the 18th century, professional educational institutions for doctors began to appear in Russia. Herbal medicines made up the lion’s share of medicines. This is no longer folk medicine, but rather official medicine. For example, in the 19th century, Russian medicinal herbalists, or descriptions of domestic medicinal plants were published.

Around the second half of the 17th century, recipes for traditional medicine, primarily herbal medicine, began to be collected by natural scientists. 

THE COMMON SENSE THINKING MAN’S NEWS SOURCE

Scientists went on expeditions to remote villages across the country and wrote down herbal recipes that had previously been passed down from generation to generation. 

Each region, and each geographical zone has its own plants, and therefore the traditions of herbal medicine are different. It has still not been possible to fully accumulate this knowledge, since each village had its own herbalists with their own traditions of treating ailments.

Biologically active substances in plants are very diverse and perform a huge number of functions. In general, all living organisms are characterized by reactions of primary metabolism associated with energy exchange, the synthesis of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, etc.

THANK YOU MIKE IN NORTH CAROLINA FOR YOUR MUCH-NEEDED DONATION. IF YOU LIKE THIS AND OTHER STORIES PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION TO HELP US MAKE ENDS MEET

Secondary metabolism, or synthesis, is characteristic mainly of plants and fungi. These reactions lead to the formation of several biologically active compounds. These are organic acids, glycosides, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, antibiotics and phytoncides, terpenes and terpenoids, essential oils.

In addition, plants are capable of producing hormone-like compounds: phytoestrogens, and phytoecdysteroids. They play an important role in plant physiology, regulating their growth and reproduction, and protection from insects.

Biologically active substances, in addition to protecting against herbivores, protect plants from adverse environmental factors. Amazingly, the chemical composition of different parts of plants changes throughout the entire growing season, and various substances accumulate during the period of budding, flowering, and fruiting, which also depends on environmental conditions. 

Throughout this time, the plant represents a unique living chemical factory. There is even a separate scientific field for the study of these processes – comparative phytochemistry. Medicinal plants are, in essence, raw materials from which, a drug can be produced. Crushed herbal collection, extract, and individual components. 

Of course, there are many more herbal dietary supplements on the market than herbal medicines. The fact is that dietary supplements are much faster and cheaper to register and bring to market than medications. For a medicine to receive registration, it must undergo serious clinical trials that will prove the effectiveness of the drug. And for dietary supplements, by and large, the same requirements apply as for food products.

 Allowing doctors to prescribe dietary supplements is proposed to reduce their use as part of self-medication. Because there are cases when patients with oncology and endocrine diseases try to cure themselves with dietary supplements. This could end badly.

As a rule, people without medical education who take herbal medicines without a systematic approach, a deep understanding of the pathogenesis of diseases, are not aware of the possible side effects of such supplements. 

Therefore, it would be correct if doctors prescribe dietary supplements. At the same time, we are aware that future doctors need to be taught the basics of herbal medicine.

As for oncological diseases, the entire medical community has an absolutely clear position: such a patient should be observed by an oncologist and receive treatment by the diagnosis. In the case of such serious illnesses, experiments cannot be carried out; cancer is very dangerous and can progress quickly.

Herbal medicine in this case cannot replace chemotherapy, radiation therapy and other methods from the arsenal of oncologists. Herbal medicines can help reduce intoxication and provide a restorative and stress-protective effect only in addition to the main therapy. 

For example, to support the gastrointestinal tract, you can prescribe herbal preparations with anti-inflammatory, regenerating effects or herbal hepatoprotection to facilitate liver function. But nothing more than that; under no circumstances should antitumor therapy be replaced with herbs.

The main purpose of herbal medicine is primary and secondary prevention, as well as rehabilitation. Primary prevention is aimed at preventing diseases in the presence of risk factors, for example, genetic conditions, in unfavorable climatic conditions.

Secondary prevention is used already in the presence of a chronic disease to prevent its relapse. It complements therapy and is designed to improve the condition of the patient’s organs and systems. For example, herbal medicine can help recover after a course of antibiotics. Many antifungals, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, and nephroprotective plants are known.

It is impossible to replace human hormones with plant ones. However, it is possible to reduce certain manifestations of the menopausal period with such means.  For example, Salvia officinalis leaves are effective against vegetative manifestations during this period, improve memory and cognitive functions, and support the formation of estradiol in the adrenal glands. 

By the age when a person is prescribed to take synthetic estrogens, he usually accumulates many concomitant diseases, and herbal medicines can be used to correct the side effects of such problems. So, with increased irritability, herbal preparations will help stabilize the nervous system. And some herbal remedies help prevent the development of osteoporosis.

At the Department of Herbal Medicine, we teach to treat medicinal plants as seriously as medicines. It is imperative to take into account the effect of herbal remedies on the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract; there are several herbal remedies that contain bitterness and have a soporific and (in case of inflammation of the gastric mucosa) irritating effect. 

It is also possible that there is an individual intolerance to some components of the herbal medicine, for example, individual plants in herbal teas. All this, of course, is taken into account when prescribing by herbalists who evaluate the effectiveness of plants and eliminate possible risks from their use. Safety in herbal medicine is no less important than effectiveness.

So far in Russia there are very few doctors who use the herbal medicine method in their work. We believe that herbal medicine should be taught to medical students and future doctors. Moreover, there must be a system of state support for the development of herbal medicines, their production and implementation. 

There is all the necessary scientific basis for the development of this area. In research organizations, scientists select plants and study their properties, determine and study the optimal dosage form, develop drug production technology, and conduct preclinical studies on experimental animals. 

Unfortunately, only a few herbal medicines make it to the clinical trial stage, as this is a very complex and expensive procedure. As a result, new science-based herbal products do not reach the manufacturing plant, pharmacy shelves, and ultimately, patients.

Today, medicinal herbal raw materials are mainly taken from the population; people collect wild plants in the forest or grow them in plots. Is it possible to simplify the process of producing herbal medicines by establishing the production of chemical analogues of substances that are responsible for the medicinal effects of plants?

In recent years, against the backdrop of growing demand for high-quality plant raw materials, industrial medicinal plant production has been revived. 

As a rule, an herbalist forms a certain complex of individual plants and/or ready-made herbal preparations. For example, to maintain the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract during chronic gastritis, it is necessary to use enveloping, anti-inflammatory, vitamin, and, in some cases, sap plants.

As well as plants that support the functions of the liver and pancreas, blood supply and regeneration of the mucous membrane. If we use an herbal medicine based on an isolated substance of plant origin, then it may turn out to be ineffective in solving a complex problem.

WE WELCOME READERS’ COMMENTS ON OUR STORIES

As for the advantages, this is the availability and, as a rule, low cost of such drugs. Medicinal plants have enormous potential, a large, especially preclinical, scientific base, and the mechanisms of action of plants are well studied. But questions remain regarding the individual approach when prescribing herbal medicines, the choice of dose, and the quality of plants in the case of medicinal herbal collections.

Unfortunately, medicinal herbs are most often used as part of self-medication. This is a big risk, especially when it comes to serious illnesses. In general, to correctly use herbal medicine, you need to learn this and, of course, have a basic medical education. In this case, herbal medicine can benefit patients.

MIKE WALSH Irish ‘Writer of the Year’ author of over 70 books all of which are banned in the West. In 1979, the tell-it-as-it-is historian received multiple fines and arrests including 6 x 4-month prison sentences for publishing flyers that correctly predicted the negative consequences of non-European immigration. ~ ~ You can share this story on social media ~ ~

EUROPE RENAISSANCE NEEDS SPONSORS: Without donations, we work for nothing: would you? Contact euroman_uk@yahoo.co.uk for details.