In herbal medicine, an herbal tonic (also tonic herbs, tonic herbalism) is used to help restore, tone and invigorate systems in the body [1] or to promote general health and well-being. [2] An herbal tonic is a solution or other preparation made from a specially selected assortment of plants known as herbs. [2] They are steeped in water and drunk either hot or cool. [1] Herbal tonics are believed to have healing properties ranging from relieving muscle and joint pain [3] and extend as far as inhibiting some cancers. [4]
Herbal tonics can be dated as far back as 4,000 years ago [5] – as a practice thought to have originated under the sphere of traditional Chinese Medicine. [5] They were also used in Ayurvedic and Unani practices [6] as well as in Native America. [7] Initially, the use of herbal tonics was embedded within these traditional medicinal practices and cultures. Today, herbal tonics are consumed globally and are used as a general resource in maintaining well-being. [3] They are found in not only hospitals and pharmacies, but in health food stores and supermarkets as well. [8]
Although the use of herbal tonics has carried through since ancient times, it has been only within the past thirty years that herbal tonics have been used at a large rate globally. [8] Roughly 4 billion people (primarily living in the developing world) annually spend roughly US$60 billion [9] on herbal medicines to aid a large range of particular illness. [8]
Research into the safety of herbal tonics is in its preliminary stages as herbal tonics have only just entered the mainstream pharmaceutical industry [9] – what is known is that herbs contain specific chemicals and minerals which have known effects on the human body. [3] [8]
The use of herbal tonics extends as far back as ancient times [5] – embedded within traditional Chinese Medicine which categorised tonic herbs to ‘Jing’, ‘Qi’ and ‘Shen’ (which can be translated to mind, body and soul.) [7] Traditional Chinese medicine used herbal tonics mainly as a preventative means of medicine, to maintain overall wellness which is similar to how it is used in Ayurvedic and Unani practices. [3] [5] [10] Traditional Chinese medicine link the taste of herbs with their medicinal properties, this process dates back as far as AD 581, during the Late Sui dynasty. [11] Chinese literature denotes four different roles to drugs (which in this case are different herbs used in tonics) – the emperor, minister, assistant and envoy. This translates respectively to the principle drug, the associate drug, the adjuvant drug and the messenger drug. [11] Not all herbal tonics include all four of these components. Having a mix of these balance out toxic qualities of some sole herbs. [8]
Today, the use of tonic herbs in China has seen a resurgence. [3] This is in part due to the high cost of modern pharmaceuticals as well as the communist government which came into power in China in 1949. [12] This government pushed for a return to traditional Chinese medicine after modern medicine entered China and dominated hospitals and institutions there. It is now common practice for doctors in China to amalgamate functions of traditional herbal medicine with modern practices. [11]
One herbal tonic which dates back to ancient times is Lucerne. [5] It was found in Persia by Emperor Darius in roughly 500 BC and was renowned for its fattening and energising abilities. [5] [13] Not only was it consumed by humans, but was also fed to cattle, and often horses during long journeys.
Interestingly, it is believed liqueurs were created to ward off ageing for Louis XIV in 17th century France. [5] Sugar mixed with herbs known for mending particular ailments form heart tonics believed to maintain optimal functioning of the cardiovascular system. [5]
Throughout modern history tonic herbs were continued to be used globally, entering new cultures and becoming common practice for some. [8] The definition of adaptogens (a naturally occurring substance known to aid stress [14] ) was conceived in Soviet Russia during the Cold War. [15] As a result of clinical studies proving the effectiveness of adaptogens (found in herbal tonics), they were formed into both tablets and concentrated liquids and distributed amongst army and military staff serving during the Cold War. [15]
Adaptogens are believed to regulate the metabolism and increase resistance to stress, [16] one example of an adaptogen is Eleutherococcus senticosus, [15] more commonly referred to as Siberian ginseng. It was one of three plants involved in clinical pharmacological trials, and had statistically significant results in having stimulating and restoring effects. [15] As a result of this, Siberian ginseng was used in both capsule and extract form.
Herbal tonics are used in many different cases for many different reasons. [5] Largely, consuming herbal tonics is for preventative purposes, and for maintaining optimal health. [15] Herbal tonics can also be used similarly to coffee for stimulating effects in times of fatigue, and for calming effects in time of stress. [3] Additionally, herbal tonics can be used for physiological relief – to aid muscle pain, soothe tension headaches and alleviate unsettled stomachs, to name a few. [1]
One example of an herbal tonic is raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) used by pregnant women. [17] This herb has been used since traditional Chinese medicine, and is still popular in China, Europe and North America. [18] Raspberry leaf is used because it has no toxic connotations, nor is a medicinal substance, and has nutrients believed to tone the uterus. [17] This is due to vitamins A, B, C and E found in the herb, these vitamins contain tannins and polypeptides, capable of stimulating and soothing. [17] Statistically significant results proved pregnant women drinking raspberry leaf were less likely to experience premature or overdue labour. [19]
Traditionally herbal tonics were used as preventatives and to improve overall wellbeing, both mentally and physically. [3] A tonic of any kind is designed to do this. [3] Specific herbal tonics can be used for treating or preventing specific ailments; it is believed for every part of the body between the top of the head to the tip of the toes, there is a herbal tonic able to soothe or strengthen. [5]
One property some herbal tonics contain are adaptogens. The first discovered adaptogen was dibazol, in 1947 by Russian pharmacologist Nikolay Vasilievich Lazarev. [20] Dibazol positively affected animals’ resistance against stress. [15]
Another example is Jacob's ladder (Polemonium ceruleum) originally called chilodynamia by ancient Greeks. [5] It was used to cure the vapours (hysteria and other cases of a patient losing mental focus), and still is used today to assist individuals experiencing hysteria. [5]
Reports of adverse effects regarding herbal tonics are at a minimum, [8] largely because they are not treated as regulated pharmaceuticals. [3] Instead, herbal tonics are predominantly marketed as dietary products; this means there are less regulations (and consequent studies) on the product before it is released to the general public for consumption. [8]
Thus, the detriments of consuming herbal tonics are largely unknown to the greater population; further, there is an assumption herbal remedies and medicines are safe. [8]
There are accounts of toxicity as a result of consuming herbal tonics causing severe abdominal pain, malaise and in some cases, even liver failure. [8] [21] These adverse effects exist as there is very little monitoring of the frequency herbal tonics are ingested by individuals leading to toxicity and chronic toxicity. [8]
Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes, are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term tea, is used as a reference to all sorts of herbal teas. Many herbs are used in herbal medicine. Some herbal blends contain actual tea.
Chinese herbology is the theory of traditional Chinese herbal therapy, which accounts for the majority of treatments in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A Nature editorial described TCM as "fraught with pseudoscience", and said that the most obvious reason why it has not delivered many cures is that the majority of its treatments have no logical mechanism of action.
Herbal medicine is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remedies, such as the anti-malarial group of drugs called artemisinin isolated from Artemisia annua, a herb that was known in Chinese medicine to treat fever. There is limited scientific evidence for the safety and efficacy of many plants used in 21st century herbalism, which generally does not provide standards for purity or dosage. The scope of herbal medicine sometimes include fungal and bee products, as well as minerals, shells and certain animal parts.
Ginseng is the root of plants in the genus Panax, such as Korean ginseng, South China ginseng, and American ginseng, typically characterized by the presence of ginsenosides and gintonin. Ginseng is most commonly used in the cuisines and medicines of China and Korea.
Traditional medicine comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the era of modern medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines traditional medicine as "the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness". Traditional medicine is often contrasted with scientific medicine.
Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including defense and protection against insects, fungi, diseases, and herbivorous mammals.
Rasāyana (रसायन) is a Pali and Sanskrit word literally meaning path (ayana) of essence (rasa). It is an early ayurvedic medical term referring to techniques for lengthening lifespans and invigorating the body. It is one of the eight areas of medicine in Sanskrit literature. In Vedic alchemical context, "rasa" also translates to "metal or a mineral"
Chhaang or chhyang is a Nepalese and Tibetan alcoholic beverage also popular in parts of the eastern Himalayas, Yakkha, Limbu, Dura, Newar, Sunuwar, Rai, Gurung, Magar, Sherpa, Tamang and Lepcha communities. Among the Lepcha, it is called Chi. It is also known as jaarh in Nepal.
Adaptogens or adaptogenic substances are used in herbal medicine for the claimed stabilization of physiological processes and promotion of homeostasis.
The red raspberry leaf, also known as garden raspberry leaf, is produced by the deciduous raspberry plant and used in folk remedies.
Gynostemma pentaphyllum, also called jiaogulan, is a dioecious, herbaceous climbing vine of the family Cucurbitaceae widely distributed in South and East Asia as well as New Guinea. Jiaogulan has recently been incorporated into traditional medicine.
Mugwort or biboz is a common name for several species of aromatic flowering plants in the genus Artemisia. In Europe, mugwort most often refers to the species Artemisia vulgaris, or common mugwort. In East Asia the species Artemisia argyi is often called "Chinese mugwort" in the context of traditional Chinese medicine, or àicǎo (艾草) in Mandarin. Artemisia princeps is a mugwort known in Korea as ssuk (쑥) and in Japan as yomogi (ヨモギ). While other species are sometimes referred to by more specific common names, they may be called simply "mugwort" in many contexts.
Pseudostellaria heterophylla, known commonly as hai er shen, tai zi shen, and false starwort, is an adaptogen in the family Caryophyllaceae that is used in Chinese medicine and herbalism to tonify the qi and generate yin fluids. It is known as the "ginseng of the lungs". The plant is a low growing plant of the pink family that is grown in Southern China in the provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Shanxi.
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distinguishes herbs from spices. Herbs generally refers to the leafy green or flowering parts of a plant, while spices are usually dried and produced from other parts of the plant, including seeds, bark, roots and fruits.
Traditional African medicine is a range of traditional medicine disciplines involving indigenous herbalism and African spirituality, typically including diviners, midwives, and herbalists. Practitioners of traditional African medicine claim, largely without evidence, to be able to cure a variety of diverse conditions including cancer, psychiatric disorders, high blood pressure, cholera, most venereal diseases, epilepsy, asthma, eczema, fever, anxiety, depression, benign prostatic hyperplasia, urinary tract infections, gout, and healing of wounds and burns and even Ebola.
Dominican tea culture combines many customs adapted from various colonial and immigrant cultures that have mingled in Dominica. "Bush teas", made from local herbal plants and often taken for medicinal purposes, are a traditional part of Dominica's culture.
The history of herbalism is closely tied with the history of medicine from prehistoric times up until the development of the germ theory of disease in the 19th century. Modern medicine from the 19th century to today has been based on evidence gathered using the scientific method. Evidence-based use of pharmaceutical drugs, often derived from medicinal plants, has largely replaced herbal treatments in modern health care. However, many people continue to employ various forms of traditional or alternative medicine. These systems often have a significant herbal component. The history of herbalism also overlaps with food history, as many of the herbs and spices historically used by humans to season food yield useful medicinal compounds, and use of spices with antimicrobial activity in cooking is part of an ancient response to the threat of food-borne pathogens.
Insects have long been used in medicine, both traditional and modern, sometimes with little evidence of their effectiveness. For the purpose of the article, and in line with custom, medicinal uses of other arthropods such as spiders are included.
The medical ethnobotany of India is the study of Indian medicinal plants and their traditional uses. Plants have been used in the Indian subcontinent for treatment of disease and health maintenance for thousands of years, and remain important staples of health and folk medicine for millions. Indians today utilize plants for both primary medical care and as supplementary treatment alongside modern medical science. It is estimated that 70% of rural Indians use traditional plant based remedies for primary healthcare needs. This reliance of plants for medicine is consistent with trends widely observed in the developing world, where between 65% and 80% of people use medicinal plant remedies.
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