October 2024 • Vol. 30 • Issue 8
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Exploring the Relationship People Have with Botanicals …Howard Epstein
otanicals are the principal source of medicine in developing countries. It is estimated that approximately 70,000 species of various plants have been used for medicinal purposes.1 Herbal medicine is practiced in all regions of the globe including Europe, India, China, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. In India, Ayurvedic medicine evolved over 5,000 years ago and is thought to be the oldest system of healing in the world. It encompasses science, religion, and philosophy. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) evolved between 200 BCE and 100 CE and continued to be refined through 1279 CE. In North Africa ancient Egyptian writings report the use of medicinal botanicals in the Ebers papyrus (1500 BCE). In Australia, Aborigenes settled over 60,000 years ago and developed a broad knowledge of medicinal plants, much of it lost with the arrival of European settlers. In North America, native tribes have a history of medicinal herbs dismissed by European settlers who introduced herbal medicines based on European plants that could be grown in eastern North America. In the United States, herbal medicine went into decline after 1907 because of the government’s decision to limit financial support for herbalism and a preference for what was becoming conventional medicine.1
Our Connection to Natural Ingredients
Botanicals remain a part of major religious celebrations to this day. Palm leaves, incense, and a variety of fruits eaten and given as holiday gifts are a common practice going back generations. About 180,00 years ago humans began eating plants, enabling people to leave fishfilled lakes and migrate across Africa. Adapting to a part-vegetarian diet helped early humans lose their dependence on fish. Genetic studies suggest that plant fats accelerated development of the brain, facilitating mass-emigration from Africa. These findings may explain why diverse racial and ethnic populations respond differently to the modern Western diet.2 About 15,000 years ago, modern humans reached the Americas. About 9,000 years ago, wheat was cultivated in the Middle East, rice in China, and corn in North America.3 Roughly 12,000 years ago was the turning point for humans, who previously were in danger of extinction. Humans found they could control the growth and breeding of certain plants and animals. This led to farming and herding of animals and changed the Earth’s natural landscapes. As humans invested more time in producing food, they settled down. Over time villages became towns and towns became cities. More food was available, and the human population (continued on Page 5) began to increase dramatically.3
EMERGING TRENDS IN ORAL HEALTH AND BEAUTY • OCTOBER 15th ...see pages 8-11 for more information.