Healing Herbs: a Return to the Roots of Nature

Thousands of years ago, when humans lived as nomads, moving around the land in search of food and shelter, they would collect wild plants, berries and roots for food. When they became ill, their instinct led them to the curative properties of these plants and they would innovatively crush and mix leaves, stems, roots and berries and produce treatments for a range of ailments.

Gradually the human race started to evolve and people began to settle in one place long enough to make a dwelling. These people were still dependent on plants for nutritious and medicinal purposes but instead of going off in search of them, they began to grow their own and so a garden became an essential part of their lives. Documents that are now in safe keeping in Britain, such as the 10th Century Leech Book of Bald and the Saxon translations of the Herbarium of Apuleis, show that the use of herbs dated from the earliest times.

However, evolution continued and as communities built up, few people in urban areas had space to grow anything and gardens were a luxury enjoyed by the minority. Sadly as a result during the last hundred years, much of the art of using herbs in cooking, as medicine or for cosmetics has been lost.

More recently there has been a return to the roots of nature. People are becoming increasingly disillusioned with modern day medicines and growing numbers are forming immunities or allergies to the synthetic ingredients. Chemical preservatives contained in some remedies can often have adverse effects on sensitive skin and digestive systems.

As a result, people are looking once again to nature for solutions to common ailments. Flick through the pages of a business directory or a magazine and count how many advertisements you see for alternative remedies and treatments.

Fresh fruit and vegetables without preservatives are now the preferred choice and even those who don't have a proper garden are finding the space on a balcony or windowsill to grow their own produce. And it's not just as a cure for ailments and an aid to a good diet!

As beauty remedies, the uses of herbs are vast. Many people overlook the contents of a manufactured product, allowing their purchases to be influenced by bright, attractive packaging and pungent perfumes. With additives and preservatives, however, the effectiveness of these products is minimal. Making your own beauty products can be more beneficial, and lots of fun too! There are many natural and inexpensive ways to beautify yourself. Different herbs have various components that are helpful for skin, hair, teeth and eyes and some of the foods we eat also have these properties so that they, too, can be used as beauty products.

One example is Tea Tree Oil, one of nature’s best known antiseptics. It promotes the natural healing process, has a broad range of anti-bacterial applications and has no known side effects. This natural essential oil is distilled from the leaves of the Australian tree Melaleuca alternifolia. Many products are now available for the treatment of psoriasis, acne, eczema, dandruff and itchy scalp, insect bites, digestive disorders and many more.

It is seldom the case you will come across anyone who will not have made use of the benefits of herbs in some way. It is also an interesting fact that we are reverting back to the way we started so many years ago. Nature seems to be coming back into our lives, and seems to be doing us a lot of good.