In England and Canada it’s pronounced herbs with an h, and in America it’s ‘erbs.’ No matter how you pronounce it, the incredible value of herbs for our health and well being is the same worldwide. It is difficult to overestimate their value, and here are a few reasons why.

Though both are simply chemicals, drugs tend to treat disease or often just the symptoms of a disease, while herbs are used more for preventative and healing measures. You may never know what you could have gotten! While medicines tend to treat a single symptom with a single active ingredient, herbs offer a holistic approach by working to deal with the entire system and by treating the cause.

Herbs have stood the test of time. The use of herbs can be traced back 5000 years in China for prevention, healing, and relaxation. Herbs are natural and thus they tend to yield better results with fewer side effects. At times medicines must be given to override the side effects of other medicines.

The nutritional value of herbs is still being discovered. They contain a variety of minerals, vitamins, and antibiotic substances that help to strengthen the body’s immune system against disease. Herbs are generally far less expensive than drugs, though the insurance industry has been much more willing to cover the cost of medicine than herbs. In the days ahead, when the cost of medicine will spiral out of reach, herbs are bound to regain popularity.

When first discovered, antibiotics were toted as miracle drugs. However, their overuse has brought us to the frightening prospects of the return of deadly diseases in more lethal forms. This has not been true of herbs. Though, to be sure, herbs can be overused and their individual value overestimated, viruses and bacteria do not generally mutate to override their effectiveness.

Herbs are extensively used in cosmetics, oils, sprays, herbal creams & ointments, lotions, toothpastes, shampoos, soaps, tinctures, and in cooking. The multitude of uses for herbs as foods, medicines, and in other products emphasizes how vital plants are to our health and well being.

Those who believe the universe was designed recognize that the Creator made man and made herbs for the good and health of man. We know that plants and animals work symbiotically through respiration and photosynthesis. It is not surprising then that other interdependence is also present. Herbs are God’s provision for us, an expression of His love. One sage put it this way: “For every disease we know, God provides a herb to grow.”

Finally, herbal medicine often acknowledges the social and cultural context in which the illnesses occur. Too often, sickness is the result of stress or anxiety. A suppressant may calm a person but it does not deal with the real cause. At times, these drugs actually keep a person from the ability to deal with the root problem. Herbs don’t claim to cure anxiety, but they may be soothing so that a person can think clearly about the real problem. And they won’t harm the body and mind in the process.

Herbs are not wonder drugs. They are natural ways to deal with complex needs in the human body. Too often today, the medical community dismisses the use of herbs and natural remedies as being ‘unscientific.’