Herbal Medicine
- Mayeev Bishy
- 23 hours ago
- 4 min read
Imagine walking into a pharmacy and instead of shelves lined with brightly colored boxes with complicated ingredients, you see bundles of dried leaves, glass jars of roots, and bottles of plant extracts. Even though most people today consistently use regular medicine from the pharmacy, a lot of people around the world still opt for herbal medicine, which consists of using plants to help with various health issues. Herbal medicine has a long, meaningful history and is still relevant today; therefore, learning about it means taking a look at how it started, how it’s used now, and what modern science says about it.
Herbal medicine, which oftentimes can be referred to as botanical medicine or phytotherapy, is mainly about using whole plants, parts of plants, or strong plant extracts to treat sickness or just to stay healthy (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2026). Plants might not be as magical as in Tangled, but they do have natural chemicals (called phytochemicals) that can actually affect how you feel (Benzie & Wachtel-Galor, 2011). Some of these natural chemicals work as antioxidants, which protect your cells, while others can help lower swelling and pain (Benzie & Wachtel-Galor, 2011). Herbal medicine isn’t used just one way; it can mean drinking tea, taking pills, using creams, or even drops called tinctures (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2026). For example, people might drink chamomile tea to help them sleep or use ginger tea for stomach pain (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2026). No matter the way a plant is used, each way has its own purpose and works for different reasons.
In many different places around the world, people use herbal medicine in their own ways (Benzie & Wachtel-Galor, 2011). In China, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) uses all kinds of herbal mixtures to keep the body balanced (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2026). In India, Ayurveda is about using herbs and foods to keep your body healthy and balanced (Swathi et al., 2024, p. 201). In Africa, people often use herbal remedies first, especially if hospitals or doctors are far away (Benzie & Wachtel-Galor, 2011). Even in Europe and Indigenous cultures, people have passed down herbal recipes for a long time (Benzie & Wachtel-Galor, 2011). So herbal medicine isn’t just about plant usage; it’s also a significant part of people’s cultures and traditions.
Some people believe the misconception that herbal medicine isn’t real science. However, scientists have found that many plants have chemicals (like flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids) that really work and affect the body (Benzie & Wachtel-Galor, 2011). For example, antioxidants in herbs help stop free radicals, which are molecules that can damage your cells and make you age faster (Prieto & Schinella, 2022, p. 611). Some herbs can help lower inflammation, which is what occurs when you’re injured or sick and your body swells up (Malcangi et al., 2025, p. 762). Unlike most regular medicines, which usually fix one thing, plants often have many different compounds that can work together and help in more than one way (Benzie & Wachtel-Galor, 2011).
People still use herbal medicine because it’s often cheaper and easier to get, especially in places where regular medicine can be inaccessible (Benzie & Wachtel-Galor, 2011 Some people prefer to fix the root problem and not just cover up the symptoms, which is why they opt for herbal medicine (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2026). For example, using herbs might help your body heal itself instead of just making you feel better for a little while. In addition, a lot of regular medicines, like aspirin, actually started out as plant remedies that people used a long time ago (Benzie & Wachtel-Galor, 2011)
While herbs can be really helpful if you use them the right way, they can also be harmful if you don’t (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2026). For example, if you take them with other medicines, if you’re pregnant, or if you have certain health problems, they can have negative side effects. For example, some herbs might cause an upset stomach or make you feel dizzy. Herbal products also aren’t tested as strictly as regular medicine, so you might not always know what they contain. That’s why it’s important to do your research and always tell your doctor what you’re taking (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2026).
Herbal medicine is still a big part of healthcare for many people and can sometimes be the only healthcare they have. People use it because it’s easier to get, it’s part of their culture, or it just works for them. But like any other treatment, you should always be careful and do your research before you try something new. As science learns more about how plants can help us, herbal medicine remains a constant natural remedy.
Works Cited:
Benzie, I. F. F., & Wachtel-Galor, S. (Eds.). (2011). Herbal medicine: Biomolecular and clinical aspects (2nd ed.). CRC Press/Taylor & Francis.
Johns Hopkins Medicine. (2026). Herbal medicine.https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/herbal-medicine
Malcangi, G., Inchingolo, A. D., Inchingolo, A. M., Ferrante, L., Del Vecchio, G., Piras, F., Mancini, A., Patano, A., Di Pede, C., Ciocia, A. M., Palmieri, G., Inchingolo, F., & Dipalma, G. (2025). Effectiveness of herbal medicines with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties in improving oral health and treating gingivitis and periodontitis: A systematic review. Nutrients, 17(5), 762.
Prieto, J. M., & Schinella, G. R. (2022). Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant Chinese herbal medicines: Links between traditional characters and the skin lipoperoxidation "Western" model. Antioxidants, 11(4), 611.
Swathi, N. L., Ansari, M. A., & Al-Zharani, M. (2024). Medicinal and nutritional importance of Punica granatum in human health. In M. A. Ansari et al. (Eds.), Medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds in human health: Volume 1 (pp. 201–219). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-6895-0_11
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