Herbal Therapy

The practice of herbalism – using plants or plant extracts to support the natural healing process – dates backs to about 5,000 years ago. Herbal supplements contain a plant or part of a plant used for its potential therapeutic effects. This can include flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems or roots. Many herbs have a long history of use and of claimed health benefits.

A 2002 survey from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine revealed herbal therapy was the most commonly used complementary and alternative medicine in the U.S., with 18.9% of adults saying they used herbs. Some common herbs used in dietary supplements include valerian root, ginseng and St. John’s wort.

(SOURCE: NCCAM, National Institutes of Health and Wikipedia.org)