herbalists and traditional healers use science that is not scientific.?
399090
Is this a question?  It sounds more like a statement and you are correct.  Many herbalists and traditional healers say they use "science", but it really isn't.  \n\nHerbology and homeopaths have their own belief structure... but it is anything but science.  Science has shown that many of their unfounded beliefs are patently ridiculous.\n\nFor the other posters:  Here's why herbalism is wrong.\n1.  You are not just getting one active ingregient.  Herbs have hundreds of ingredients.  How do you know that some of them might not be harmful?\n2.  You might not be getting just that herb.  When a company buys it's herbs from farmers, there is no way to test to make sure that weeds and other foreign vegetation weren't accidently (or purposely) included.\n3.  What was the original theory for why certain herbs worked?  Most herbs have not been scientifically tested.  Instead, centuries ago, many herbs were chosen as "beneficial" because of how they appeared.  Asparagus is a long straight stalk... therefore, it was thought to be good against impotence.  Yeah, that's scientific.  \n4.  You cannot measure out the active ingredient.  Prescription drugs are tightly controlled for the amount of active ingredient each pill contains.  You can't do that with herbs.  Any stoner can tell you that one plant of marijuana might have more THC than another.  You cannot tell how much of an active ingredient it would have.  \n5.  Many herbs have been shown to NOT be beneficial.  Yes, there are some studies that show herbs like St. John's Wort to be beneficial.  How many studies actually show other herbs to be beneficial?  Very, very few.\n6.  Side effects and drug interactions have not been identified.  Prescription drugs are carefully tested to find out their side effects and their drug interactions.  Yet, sometimes we here in the news that a drug might have problems that weren't known.  This being the case, why would a herb be any better?  Because they'd be used for centuries?  Just because something has been done for a long time doesn't mean that it's the smart thing to do.\n7.  Information about herbs is frequently wrong.  Echineacea was shown to increase white blood cells.  Herbalists immediately jumped on a "echineacea is good for the immune system" platform.  However, the WBCs were malformed.  Later testing revealed that long term use actually lowered a person's WBC's count below normal.  Further testing revealed that the malformed WBCs initially formed did not help fight off viruses or bacteria.  What does this mean?  It meant that echineacea is actually BAD for you!  Yet, herbalists continue to tout it's supposed beneficial effects!
1094705
I am studying to be an herbalist. I have some recommendations if you would like to email me. yellowcason@gmail.com
753986
hmm but they all relate to people who practise different forms of Magick for example necromany deals only with manipultion of the energies of the dead, vodoo, shamanism , alchemy and druidism,  are actually systems of belief , fortune teller tells someone fortune usually are full of crap a diviiner predicts their own future , and astrolger reads planetray signs , a witch or warlock is used to refer to someone who practises wicca/pagan beliefs, an illusionist  or conjurer is an entertainer no reall magick here I could go on but don't have the time although there are many titles when it comes to apractise as diverse and varied as magick there must be terms to differentaite , I sure if you look into christainity you can come up with just as many different names describing members who have different practises with in that system
7396
That's a really good subject that has a lot of research being done.  Natural remedies are a wave of the present.  There are tons of websites available, just search Google or Yahoo with "Medicinal Herbs".
207455
This is not a botany related question...
622949
It depend upon the type of the medicinal plants or herbs or trees.
729372
Traditional health care  uses treatments that are scrutinized using the scientific method, whereas alternative therapies rarely are.\n\nIf you are prescribed a drug by a doctor, that drug has undergone a lot of testing to show that (1) it works and (2) it isn't too dangerous (although all drugs have side effects)  In addition, pharmaceutical companies are monitored so that you can be sure what is supposed to be in the drug is actually there, and in the amount specified.\n\nHerbal therapies rarely undergo any testing, and the purported benefits are anecdotal.  Ever heard of the placebo effect?  Granted, a lot of herbs DO have medicinal properties, but when used as "supplements", they are not subjected to the same tight standards that pharmaceutical products are.  Studies have shown that some herbal preparations contain less than half of what they are supposed to have, while others had many times the alleged amount.\n\nWith regard to the more bizarre alternative therapies, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that ear candling or cupping isn't going to cure anything.  It might make you "feel better" (again, refer to placebo effect), but there is no science behind it.\n\nScience is why traditional medicine keeps changing.  We are constantly learning new things, and adjusting our practice accordingly.
824558
There are plenty of medicinal plants whose botanical names are not yet named. It has the local names which in India have not been cataloged as yet. But by referring to Ayurveda and analyzing its medicinal property we can name it systematically. Hence, in India there is lots of scope for Bio-tech research.
39240
HOMEOPATHY DOES **NOT** WORK. It's not a scientific practice. \nFurthermore, standard Medicine has nothing to do with "ALLOPATHY". The term allopathy is misused, and has pejorative connotation. The term allopathy is wrongly used by nonmedical practitioners like chiropractors, naturalists, etc., and (sadly) real doctors as well.\nHave a look at http://www.ncahf.org/articles/a-b/allopathy.html
685526
Please have a look at my references.\nBe aware that 'homeopaths' are not allowed to diagnose nor prescribe, i.e. they are unqualified.\nConsider this when you hear advice about homeopathic remedies and potions.
537514
My sister is an herbalist & she said that it was bunk. I work in the book industry & some customers were dissatified with it as well. There are other books on natural health that are much better.
1057686
There is a huge volume of "pseudoscience" in our world, due mostly to marketing efforts. While it can be detected in every consumer advertising campaign in existence to some degree, it is especially prevalent in the hair care industry.\n\nShampoo and conditioner manufacturers make some of the wildest claims of pseudoscience imaginable. They make their products sound like high-tech miracles that revolutionize haircare in order to impress the masses into buying it. Some of their claims are simply empty words that have no basis in the way physics, biology, and chemistry work. \n\nConsumers often fall for the amazing claims because they lack the background to understand the reality and deal with such claims critically. The impact? Sales based on misleading information like the claims of the snake oil vendors of yester-year. Fortunately FDA and other consumer protection mechanisms help prevent potentially damaging lies. The damage dealt by hair care pseudoscience is largely confined to the bank account rather than the body.
1160767
Ayurvedic medicine is a form of alternative medicine consisting of ayurvedic meditation (healing through the beliefs of the Ayurvedas: meditative and transcendental healing through Vedic knowledge).
818256
Dont use herbal remedies unless they are prescribed from a fully qualified herbalist and only after said herbalist asks you for a full medical history many people use herbs assuming they are safe but a lot of herbs can cause adverse reactions in people especially those with diabetes and heart conditions
121181
No..\nWhy not try something refreshingly new ??\nCheck out a pentecostal church, they have healers....
196620
real doctors that cure things? not many- but millioans or drug prescribers
781293
I had already advised someone concerning an herbal treatment that worked for me. I may of backed it up with "check w/doctor...sometimes herbs may not be compatible w/certain meds.."  I don't agree that herbs are harmless, there are many harmful herbs out there, and even food herbs can have a bad effect if taken improperly.  With any treatment precautions and education is necessary. I think that is where the problem lies, people feel they are harmless, and thus avoid precautions.