About Herbs:

What is herb?

The classic botanical definition of herb is a nonwoody, annual plant that dies each winter. This definition is too narrow to accommodate a plethora of other medicinal plants, such as woody trees, shrubs, and tropical plants that grow perennially. For example, Ginkgo biloba, willow tree, hawthorn, berries, and Kava kava would be excluded. This defination of herb has been originated from Europe, where weather is cold in winter. In general, the term "herbs" can safely be exchanged with "medicinal plants", or even "botanicals".
Presumably the history of medicinal plants dates back to ancient human life at least tens of thousand years ago. All human civilizations have discovered medicinal plants in their own geographical regions, and developed their own recipes and pharmacopoeias.

The medicinal value of herbs is still unfathomable. The vast majority of species in the kingdom Plantae have not yet been characterized, and many still haven't been even discovered. New findings on the efficacy and side effects of herbs and botanicals emerge constantly.

Are herbs and dietary supplements safe ?

Safety comes first, and it is always the most important issue for all activities in human life. A statistical analysis shows how safe they are, in terms of mortalities, as compared with most of other routine human activities, such as swimming, driving, eating food, or going to doctor's office. By comparison, one might be at least 200,000 times more likely to die from mistakes made by medical professionals than from taking dietary supplements, in the US alone. This doesn't mean one should not consider safety factors in taking herbal supplements. It is always important to self-educate and read warnings carefully before choosing to take anything, including herbal products.

Asian Herbs

Like other traditional medicines, Asian medicine focuses on promoting health, rather than diseases. At the center of Asian traditional medicine is Chinese herbalism. The philosophical basis of Asian and Chinese medicine lies in the attitude, lifestyle, and harmony. With over 5,000 years of history, traditional Chinese medicine is arguably the oldest and safest, and yet most profound and effective system of human health care on earth. The ultimate goals of Asian traditional medicine are longevity and health.

Western Herbs

Western herbalism has existed for thousands of years in the Middle East and Europe since biblical time. Many of western traditional herbs are distinct from those in Asia and other regions in the world, and yet, many of them are closely related to the counterparts used in China, India, and other regions genentically and evolutionarily. Most notable are milk thistle (Silybum marianum), hawthorn (Crataegus), saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) the latter of which was recorded in the bible.

Other Herbs

Ayuveda (meaning "science of life") medicine originated in India, and is arguably more than 10,000 years old. Many of the herbs and foods used in this traditional medicine are still in use.
Other schools of herbal medicine existed all around the world, including Africa, Australia, Hawaii, North and South America. Recent trend is the hybrization: choosing any of all available botanicals from around the world for maximum health benefit. This new breed of international, universal herbalism is believed to be stronger than ever, with the help of growing scientific and clinical data.

Selected List of Herbs

This is the era of internet, and everything is expected to be available online, including herbal and dietary supplement products. We provide information and data on herbs and botanicals, and related data and reports.