Before the introduction of large pharmaceutical companies, the people of the world depended primarily on plants to heal them. When scientists discovered the frozen body of a man in the Otztal Alps buried in ice and snow over 5,000 years ago, they found a small bag of herbs on him. The scientists surmised that the herbs were probably used to treat parasites he had in his intestines.
Many Years Ago
During that period, over 5,000 years ago, Sumerians documented the uses of plants for health therapies. They used many medicinal plants still used today in herbal remedies, such as thyme, laurel and caraway. Around the same time, herbalists in China also developed plant remedies, although the written records only date back about 2,000 years. The ancient Egyptians had written reports of herbal and plant remedies 1,000 years later.
Today many of the remedies once considered folk lore are now being investigated by pharmaceutical and college labs across the country. Purdue University collaborated with the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Rutgers, IU School of Medicine, the University of Illinois and the National Institute of Health and created the NIH Botanicals Center that searches for polyphenolic compounds, compounds found naturally in plants used as foods, which might reduce the risk of diseases, including age related diseases and cognitive function. Other similar labs, including those searching for cures are now investigating plant remedies.
Polyphenolic compounds include an entire class of phytonutrients, such as catechins or flavanols, found in green tea. Other scientific persuits investigate polyphenolic compounds such as anthocyanins, which give the color to deep red, blue and purple fruits and vegetables. These may prove a cure for some types of cancer one day. Many of the early herbal therapists knew certain plant remedies helped certain conditions through observation. Today, modern science is finding the reason why.
