| For hundreds, if not thousands, of years people | | | | of today's drugs used in the U.S. are derived from |
| have used plants to treat various ailments. In fact | | | | plants. Many of the pharmaceuticals we use |
| there is evidence that those who lived about | | | | today, including drugs such as opium, aspirin, |
| 60,000 years ago used plants for medicinal | | | | digitalis, and quinine are basically herbal remedies. |
| purposes. One of the most important attributes | | | | For that matter, the World Health Organization |
| of plants is that they have almost a limitless ability | | | | estimates that 80% of the world's population |
| to synthesize aromatic substances, most of which | | | | presently uses herbal medicines for some aspect |
| have phenols or their oxygen-substituted | | | | of primary health care. Herbal medicine is a major |
| derivatives such as tannins. Most of these are | | | | component in all traditional medicine systems and |
| secondary metabolites, of which at least 12,000 | | | | a common element in homeopathic, naturopathic, |
| have been isolated. In many cases these | | | | traditional Chinese medicine, and Native American |
| substances serve as plant defense mechanisms | | | | Indian medicine. According to the online |
| against predation by microorganisms, insects and | | | | encyclopedia, Wikipedia, "a survey released in May |
| herbivores. For that matter, many of the herbs | | | | 2004 by the National Center for Complementary |
| and spices that we use to season food actually | | | | and Alternative Medicine focused on who used |
| have include medicinal compounds. Natural cures | | | | complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), |
| and traditional medicine In recent years, there has | | | | what was used, and why it was used. The survey |
| been an increased search for drugs and dietary | | | | was limited to adults age 18 years and over |
| supplements derived from plants. Pharmacologists, | | | | during 2002 living in the United States. According |
| microbiologists, botanists, and natural-product | | | | to this survey, herbal therapy, or use of natural |
| chemists are combing the area for | | | | products other than vitamins and minerals, was |
| phytochemicals that could be developed for the | | | | the most commonly used CAM therapy (18.9%), |
| treatment of various diseases. In fact, about 25% | | | | when all use of prayer was discounted. |