Cloisters 17

Herbal Remedies

Alison Hennessy

The words ‘herbal remedy’ conjure up many different images.  Pictures of earthy women picking scented greenery in the forest have been replaced by brightly packaged tubes in the supermarket aisles.  Most people don’t think much about them until they feel poorly, and then opinion is divided.  Nature’s cures can be viewed with either blind faith or dismissed out of hand as ‘magic’.  In actual fact, there is no magic involved, but rather, all plants contain a cocktail of chemicals within their cells.  These chemicals are manufactured by the plants to protect themselves.  For example, some plants taste bitter.  They are saying ‘don’t eat me!’ to the wild beasts round about.  This bitterness is caused by a chemical which we can harness (or avoid) for our own health benefits.

One of the wonderful things about herbal remedies is that they can be found everywhere.  All areas have indigenous medicinal herbs; you just need to know where to look.  If you live in the country, you may already know which herbs are useful.  Wild mint aids digestion, while brambles and other berries are packed with healthy anti-oxidants.  Did you know that the branches of the willow tree were chewed as an ancient form of pain relieving aspirin?  City dwellers may have local botanic gardens with a herb garden.  A look on your town website may reveal local herb walks.  Getting out in the fresh air looking for herbs is a wonderful way to spend some time this Spring.

Our new course: Herbal Remedies, The Science Behind the Old Wives’ Tales teaches students to research herbs before trusting the hype. Just remember not to munch on anything which you are not certain is safe.