being well
healthier. better. happier.
Herbs.
Herbs – Phytotherapy.
The science regarding the healing properties of plants (i.e. herbal medicine or phytotherapy) has been developed over thousands of years. Man has always been looking for a means of healing wounds, relieving pain or detoxifying the body in nature. In our culture, herbs have been used for generations, for example as infusions, tinctures, ointments or baths.
Formerly, creating herbal recipes was often intuitive, based on close observation of nature and animals. It was due to a need to save health or even someone’s life as a result of infection, or poisoning with food or venom. The remedy was most often found in meadows or forests. Some old recipes are so perfect that they have been preserved in their original form to this day.
At the end of the 19th century, knowledge regarding herbs began to be organised, and called herbal medicine. Currently, we can isolate biologically active substances in most herbs and determine their healing and toxic properties.
Herbs and academic medicine.
Pharmacology has used and still uses active substances from herbs. The medicinal properties of plants are constantly being researched to develop new drugs on their basis. The active ingredients of plants are taken as the “formula” – on that basis, the synthetic ingredient is most often reconstituted. It happens, however, that despite such advanced technology as we have today, scientists are not able to synthetically reproduce some active components of plants.
Herbs, unlike drugs, were not created by man in a laboratory, but are a perfect creation of the Creator and have been present on Earth for hundreds if not thousands of years. The wisdom and perfection contained in plants indicate the significant advantage of herbs over synthetic drugs.
On the other hand, drugs are “standardized” – each dose of a drug always contains the same amount of chemically active substances. In the case of herbs, unfortunately, this cannot be said. The content of active substances in medicinal plants depends on factors such as plant age, harvest time, sunlight, soil composition and soil contamination. For this reason, herbs should be used carefully – especially the wild ones.
Herbs - side effects.
Phytotherapy cannot be considered risk-free just because it is natural. When using herbs, you should use common sense, because some of them can cause side effects due to overdosing, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or toxic compounds contained in some herbs.
Solar and lunar plants.
It is believed that every part of the body, every organ is connected with a specific metal, season, element, planet or herb. For this reason, we can distinguish, for example, solar and lunar plants. The sun, which is a symbol of fire, expansion, vitality, warmth, courage, enthusiasm and optimism, is represented by the heart. That is why solar plants display strengthening, stimulating and cardiological properties. They are perfect for stimulating blood circulation and heart function. Solar plants also have anti-depressant properties. An example is the sun-coloured St. John’s wort.
The moon, in turn, symbolizes water, darkness, emotions, femininity and the subconscious. Lunar plants have a cooling and moisturizing effect as well as moving fluids in the body. An example is a birch, known for its diuretic properties. It deeply moves the fluids inside the body and facilitates the exchange of intercellular fluids.
