3/14/2008 4:35:36 PM I do beleive some herbal medicines are effective.

Take for example the Bitter Melon or Bitter Gourd (Momordica Charantia), which is a common herb in Chinese herbology, is considered as one of the best herbal medicines for it's ability to help with liver problems, Diabetes and HIV.

Herbal medicine is particularly popular in Asian countries since, historically speaking, most or some of the areas takes time to be reached (far-flung areas) so the people resolve to the resources that they have in curing.

Another popular herbal example is Ginseng. Ginseng roots are taken orally as adaptogens, aphrodisiacs, nourishing stimulants, and in the treatment of type II diabetes, including sexual dysfunction in men.

3/14/2008 5:19:42 PM There is every reason to believe that herbal medicines work! They were working long before technology became a part of our lives. I've had results with Golden Seal, Black Cohosh and numerous others. I'll try the herbal medicines prior to seeing a doctor and usually don't have to go to the doctor afterwards!

3/14/2008 8:05:54 PM I believe in the effectiveness of some herbal medicines. For example, saw palmetto has long been used effectively to improve flow in men with prostate problems. Foxglove is the herbal form of digitalis - if used properly it can strengthen the heart - although it is too easy to overdose if you don't know exactly what you are doing. Aloe really does help with burns. Some herbs, though, I don't believe are effective - such as gingko, St. John's wort, or flaxseed.

3/15/2008 12:22:42 AM Yes, to a degree.

'Herbal medicine' is a rather broad spectrum! I certainly believe that some herbal remedies are effective--I've been drinking red raspberry leaf tea, a uterine tonic, for the duration of my pregnancy, and have noticed an increase in Braxton-Hicks contractions after every drink. (Whether or not this will help to shorten my labour is, I suppose, unprovable; but anecdotal evidence suggests that it can!). The efficacy of St John's Wort is also well-documented, to the point where sufferers from depression are advised not to take St John's Wort simultaneously with conventional, allopathic antidepressants.

The trouble with herbal medicines arises from a lack of reputable scientific study, a lot of quackery and a lack of Government regulations on the quality and claims of herbal preparations. Herbal medicine has its shady side, and this has been known to taint people's views of a promising source of health.

3/15/2008 9:48:40 AM Yes, I believe in herbal medicine. I mean, if it didn't ever work, wouldn't we all be dead by now? Plus a lot of what we consider to be modern medicine in fact owes it's roots to nature.

3/15/2008 10:35:19 AM I believe in herbal medicine, I have seen it work. I'm not saying I believe in all herbal remedies, but there are some I really feel work. I used herbal methods to help with morning sickness when I was pregnant with my first child. I also later took my son to his pediatrician when he had a rash all over his entire body, and they said it was a viral infection that was going around, my gut told me that was not it. So I sought a second opinion from herbal medicine, and thru that we discovered he was allergic to his baby formula. We changed the formula that day and the rash was gone the next day.

3/15/2008 2:56:40 PM Yes, I believe in the value of herbal medicine. I think it probably has more uses as a preventative medicine than as a healing medicine. Like many things holistic, being on the offense is better than attacking something from the defense. I firmly believe that taking organic vitamins and supplements like Flaxseed Oil, are helping my health. I am allergic to fish, so I cannot get the normal amount of Omega-3 minerals from fish that most people do. So in taking those supplements, I'm helping out my body and hopefully keeping myself off conventional medications in the long run.

3/15/2008 5:26:56 PM Yes, I beleive in the benifits of herbal medicine. There have been several times when we have compared the benifits of perscribed medicine, to natural herbs, the perscribed medicine has so many added chemicles that you are not getting the full advantage of the medicine. Where as with herbs, you can focus on exactly what ails you, and not the added stuff that you don't really need. For example, for uper respirtory infections, a small dose of dandilion root tea works wonderful.

3/16/2008 3:08:31 PM Yes - I believe it CAN work. I think that herbs can be misused, and people think that some work for things that they probably don't work for, but herbs affect the body so I think that they can effectively be used to treat certain ailments.

3/16/2008 3:12:36 PM Herbal medicines can be quite effective when used appropriately. An example is slippery elm for sore throat and laryngitis. As a tea it is amazingly effective (try one called "throat Coat" sold by Traditional Medicines) and many professional singers swear by it. However, some herbal preparations sold are pretty worthless and others can be dangerous in certain conditions or mixed with prescription or OTC medications. It's best to discuss the use of herbals with a physician, preferably a holistic one.