HERBS AND MEDICINES

A presentation on herbs and their medicinal values

HERBS

• Plants used for food, medicine, flavoring or perfume.

• Usually very small and non bushy.• Have soft and weak stems.• Examples: mint, coriander

TYPES OF HERBS

HERBS

CULINARY

Perennial Annual

MEDICINAL SACRED

CULINARY HERBS

• Herbs used for flavor• Can be perennial or annual• Some of these herbs are also used as spices• Examples: Lavender, thyme, parsley, basil

SACRED HERBS

• Used for religious purposes• Considered as holy plants• Examples: Myrrh, frankincense, bael

MEDICINAL HERBS

• Herbs containing phytochemicals• Heals the body• Can also cure various illness (including

depression and stress)• Examples: tulsi, thyme, turmeric

HOME REMEDIES USING HERBS

• DEPRESSION: ¼ tsp powdered green cardamom seeds – thin tea water.

• HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: ½ a lemon – ½ cup water

• COUGH AND COLD: ½ tsp carom seeds – ½ tsp honey – 1 peppercorn

• HEADACHE: 1 stick cinnamon – 4-5 peppercorns – ½ piece of ginger – 4 tsp of dry ginger.

CASE STUDY

Herb as a Boon and a BaneIn this case study, we will take up two people who used herbs. Since the people did not want to disclose their identities, we will call them Person A and Person B.

Case of Person AA was a very healthy man living in Delhi. There was one problem in his whole life – Migraine. He had severe headaches, and it lasted for Days. Painkillers did not work for him.He started looking up for Remedies and found a very useful technique on the internet. He followed the dosage properly and is now cured of his Migraine.

CASE STUDY Case of Person BB was another person living in the same area and sharing the same problem. His condition was as severe as A’s.A himself suggested the remedy to B. He recommended him to take the remedy orally twice a day.But B couldn’t maintain the dosage. He not only had the medicine twice a day, but also had it in times of the headache. If the intensity of the headache would not reduce, he would take the medicine over and over until the headache stopped.Ultimately the overdose caused him gastrointestinal discomfort and drowsiness.

InferenceHerbal medicines heal a human only on a restricted usage. An overdose may have side affects on Human Health.

HISTORY OF HERBS

• Dates back to the Paleolithic era• 1st written evidence – 3000 BC, Chinese and

Egyptian Papyrus writings.• 1st written book – 5000 years ago by

Sumerians, listing herbal medicinal plants.• Seeds used for herbalism were found in sites

of Bronze Age China during Shang Dynasty (1600 BC – 1046 BC)

SHIFT TO CHEMICALS

• With industrialization and development we have shifted to chemically produced medicines and antibiotics.

• These drugs in the name of ‘medicines’ do more harm than good.

• Experiments prove that micro-organisms adapt faster to chemically produced medicines than herbs.

PHARMACUETICAL MEDICINES

• Chemically manufactured• Designed in such a way that it blocks the

biochemical functions of the cell.• Examples: Paracetamol, Penicillin, Brufen,

cetirizine, nemuslide etc.

PAINKILLERS AS GRIEF-CAUSERS

• May cause rashes and other skin infections• Nausea• Constipation• Drowsiness and Dizziness

CREDITSShreyan Das

Geetansh Pathak

Jagjot Singh

Mahak Khan

Aarzoo Verma

Aaron Asher Srigiri