A Rich and Varied History–
Historical Facts on Some Common Botanical Supplements

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 19, 2002—From the dawn of recorded history (and likely long before), humans have looked to the plant world for help in preventing and treating illness. Those herbs you find in your kitchen or your local supermarket have rich, varied and sometimes surprising histories. As scientists continue to unlock the secrets of these natural allies, they increasingly find that ancient people’s understanding of the powers of plant life was often more sophisticated than previously acknowledged. Below is a just small selection of interesting historical facts about pre-modern medicine…

Echinacea
When the winter season rolls around, many of us head to the pharmacy to add a bottle of Echinacea supplements to our cold fighting "arsenal." What most of us don’t realize is that Americans have been making that very same trip for more than 100 years.

The very first Echinacea product was introduced into the American pharmacy in 1895 by John Uri Lloyd, a Cincinnati pharmacist and cofounder of Lloyd Brothers Pharmacists, Inc. Within a few years of its introduction, the Lloyds’ Echinacea preparations became their best-selling products (out of more than three hundred) made from American plants.

Feverfew
While this herb may be unfamiliar to some, the name says it all. Since the time of Dioscorides (a chief physician to the Roman Army in the first and second centuries A.D.), feverfew has been used for the treatment of headache, menstrual irregularities, stomachache, but most especially fevers. In fact, its common name is simply a corruption of the Latin febrifugia, or "fever reducer." Long known in the historical records, it was not until the 1970’s that people who were unable to obtain relief from the painful symptoms of migraine and arthritis by conventional means began to turn to feverfew as an alternative therapy.

Garlic
Humble garlic may well be the number one unsung hero of the kitchen. It has long been appreciated for its flavor. Egyptian pharaohs had clay or wooden carvings of garlic placed in their tombs to ensure that afterlife meals would be well seasoned. Yet garlic has also played a leading role in folk medicine for thousands of years. In the Codex Ebers, an Egyptian medical papyrus dating to about 1550 B.C., 22 of the 800 therapeutic formulas mention garlic for a variety of ailments. The Phoenicians and Vikings took garlic with them on long voyages as a valuable remedy for the various ailments common to sailors. Garlic was recommended for its medicinal effects by Aristotle, Hippocrates and Aristophanes, and Dioscorides prescribed it for the Roman regiments.

Ginseng
Like garlic, ginseng (which comes in both Asian and North American varieties) has a long history of medicinal use–particularly in China. When translated, the plant’s botanical name (Panax ginseng) conveys the versatility which ancient people perceived as its essential quality. Ginseng has long been considered a kind of "cure-all. The pan of Panax is Latin for "all," while akos means "remedy" or "cure." Some translate the Chinese term ginseng as "man essence," while others note that seng can mean "root"–a nod to the root of the ginseng plant, which some say resembles the torso, arms and legs of a man.

Shen-nung Pen-t’sao Ching, the first and anonymous Chinese text of medical materials (written about 2000 years ago), stated that ginseng was used for its tonic and tranquilizing effects. In Pen T’sao Kang Mu, the famous Chinese pharmaceutical compendium authored by Li Shih-chen and first published in 1596, ginseng was described in detail. Said to be a manifestation of tu ching, or "spirit of the ground," this root became the object of spiritual quests by Chinese people, who would recite a respectful chant before digging it.

Here on our continent, many Native American tribes considered ginseng to possess magical, as well as healing properties. Warriors carried it as a talisman and used it for rejuvenation. As early as 1770’s, an average of 140,000 tons of ginseng roots were exported from North America every year.

Ginkgo
The gingko tree, or Ginkgo Biloba, is the last remaining member of the Ginkgoaceae–a family that once numbered many species. Amazingly, this hardy trees has survived unchanged in China for more than 200 million years! It was first brought to Europe in 1730, and since then it has become a popular ornament in parks and gardens throughout the world. Because of its durability, it even thrives along the heavily trafficked streets of some of our major metropolises like New York City.

Ginkgo’s fleshy seeds have been valued in China for their medicinal properties since 2800 B.C. But it is only in the last forty years of the 20^th Century that the leaves of this living fossil have begun to be used extensively by Westerners as an alternative therapy.

Ginger
Another unsung hero of the kitchen, ginger has long been valued throughout the world as a spice or flavoring agent. But is has also been renowned for its healing qualities, as far back in the case of China as nearly 2,500 years ago.

St. John’s Wort
Named for John the Baptist and often harvested when in full bloom around St. John’s Day on June 24^th, the use of St. John’s Wort actually goes extends back before than the dawn of Christianity. The herb was known and discussed by such ancient authorities on medicinal plants as Hippocrates and later Dioscorides. And it was described and recommended as a useful remedy down through the Middle Ages. Today, it is most widely used by to help ease the symptoms of mild depression.

Peppermint
You might think that such a popular flavoring agent–and one so widely used in just about every type of product produced for modern human consumption–would be one of humanity’s oldest known herbs. But just the opposite is true! Among its herbal brethren, peppermint is the new kid on the block. The plant is a natural hybrid that sprouted entirely by accident in a field of English spearmint, back in 1696. Extensive scientific studies of this botanical are confirming what many people have known since that fortunate accident–that peppermint can provide soothing relief to stomachaches and other mild ailments.

Valerian
With so much stress in our daily lives, sleep can be hard to come by sometimes. And for many, valerian root has become the natural sleep aid of choice. What’s interesting to note is that valerian has a extensive history as both a folk medicine…and a food. Early Anglo-Saxon cultures used valerian as a salad, often allowing it to take over its own corner of the garden. And the ancient Scots added it to broths, meats and pottage.

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing ingredient suppliers and manufacturers in the dietary supplement industry. CRN members adhere to a strong code of ethics, comply with dosage limits and manufacture dietary supplements to high quality standards under good manufacturing practices. The dietary supplement industry is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission as well as by government agencies in each of the 50 states.