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Herbs have been used for as long as the oldest human civilizations have existed. It was natural instinct for humans to look around them to find natural remedies from the plant kingdom, and the oldest evidence of herb usage dates back tens of thousands of years. Herbs were used predominantly as medicine back then, and today, herbs are a a driving force behind the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical and wellness industries.

Tombs uncovered in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) as old as 60,000 years held remains of medicinal herbs preserved with the humans buried there. Over 5,000 years ago, Ancient Egyptians had acquired an extensive catalog of plants (many of them herbs) that could be used as laxatives, relief for headaches and other ailments. Thyme was used as far back as 3,000 BC in Sumaria as an antiseptic.

The Father of Medicine, Hippocrates (460 BC – 377 BC), systematized much of what was known in his era and extended that knowledge. He used many herbs in his treatment of illness, believing that disease had natural causes contrary to many of his contemporaries who held that it was inflicted by the gods. He used parsley to treat rheumatism and relieve kidney pain. Tarragon was used to treat toothaches.

In the East, comparable advancements seem to have also taken place even earlier, among others, the ancient Chinese and Indians have herbs almost intertwined with their culture for millenia. Ancient texts unearthed show a vast plethora of herbs that were used back then, as they still are today.

In India, Basil, Aloe Vera, Senna, Gotu Kola and Bacopa are some of the better known herbs, and in China, Ginseng needs no further mention as one of the most popular herbs in the world to come from there.

Coriander (also known as cilantro) deserves mention, as it was a highly valued herb used by the ancient Jews, as recorded from the Bible. The ancient Greeks seemed to have used it for perfume, although its use by them and many other cultures seems to be mainly as a meat preservative. Certainly before the advent of refrigeration, coriander played a huge role in helping our ancestors preserve meat for later consumption.

After Hippocrates passed away, there began a long spell of few advancements in the knowledge of herbs right through the Dark Ages; the coming of the Middle Ages revived interest in herbs again due to the relative peace that feudalism brought about. Although it seems to have been limited to the early Islamic civilizations, including the ancient Ottoman Empire, herbal knowledge spread to the Byzantine Empire through trade (and wars). At that time, folklore continued to be intertwined with herbs. Dill was believed to have magical powers, and rosemary was thought to be able to ward off plague. Sage was used in an attempt to treat epilepsy.

The Renaissance (which means ‘rebirth’) was, in essence, the rebirth of Greek-style science – observation and validation by experimentation. During the 16th and 17th centuries, knowledge of the beneficial effects of certain herbs grew by leaps and bounds. Nicholas Culpeper published an herbal compendium in 1652 that listed an extensive array of herbal remedies known in Great Britain.

Though science turned increasingly to artificial chemistry beginning in the 19th century, there is still today a thriving practice of attempting to analyze what is helpful in herbs. These compounds, found in their natural setting, often carry additional substances that are missing in purely synthesized products.

At present, herbs as alternative medicine has been seeing a massive boom worldwide starting from the 90s due to increasing interest in New Age beliefs, and alternative therapies. Although you might not want to grow herbs solely as medicine, it’s pretty cool when you are able to use some of your homegrown herbs, and thus save yourself some medical bills now and again.

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