Thailand, an herbal oasis
Thailand, a country rich in natural resources, has made good use of traditional herbal medicine since ancient times. The Thai Ministry of Public Health has a policy of promoting the use of Thai herbs for treatments in many hospitals. The Ministry requires that medicinal plants be used in more than 5 percent of medicine in general and regional hospitals, while 10 percent must be used in community medical environments. The objective is to reduce Thailand’s dependence on expensive Western medicine, and to promote natural cures, where possible. Herbal drugs can be very complex, made from a variety of plants and classified not only by species but also by their medical attributes. Likewise, many Thai foods are also well known for their healing properties, with fresh herbs added liberally to recipes. Many of Thailand’s herbal formulations owe their origins to its rural hill tribes, who have used a wide variety of indigenous herbs in both their medicines and their cuisine. Herbs used frequently here are Lemon Grass, Black Pepper, Capsicum, Cats Whisker, Pueraria Mirifica, Ginger, Turmeric, Butea Superba, Ginkgo Biloba, together with fruits such as Bael Fruit, Kaffir Lime, Mangosteen, and healthful teas such as Mulberry, Andrographis Paniculata, Roselle and many, many more.
Thai herbal medicine focuses on the balance of the Four Elements of Air, Water, Earth and Fire, much the same as that of Chinese medicine. This principle tells us that everything in the universe, including the human body, is made up of these elements. If one or more of these elements is out of balance, symptoms are generated corresponding to the unbalanced element, and if left unchecked, disease may follow. The Thai herbal principle comes directly from that of Ayurveda. Here, the five elements, Ether being the fifth, are regarded as the building blocks of the universe. They are designated in the human body as the three Doshas, Vata (Air + Ether), Pitta (Fire) and Kapha (Water + Earth). Traditional Thai Medicine stresses herbal formulations rather than single herbs to treat a physical or mental problem. All herbs have either heating or cooling properties. One needs to understand these be able to correctly prescribe for a disorder. For example, the common cold would be treated with herbs that have good ‘heating qualities’ to compensate for the cooling effects of the cold virus. Herbs such as Ginger, Capsicum and Black Pepper may be used. Thai traditional medicine also takes much from both Chinese and Ayuvedic approaches in its analysis of the human body, using the basic principles of hot/cold, yin/yang to determine the overall condition of the patient’s body. The nails, tongue, urine, eyes and pulse are also investigated. Thailand, because of its geographical position between India, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and China, became a melting pot of Asian culture, infusing its medicines and its cuisine with a rich mix of intermingling ideas.
Thai herbal medicine centers on a holistic approach to human life and wellbeing. The journey of our lives is seen as a combination of body, mind and spirit, or consciousness. A mix of therapies is often used, to strengthen the immune system, while promoting harmony and advocating a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Based on the body’s energy lines, or Meridian in Chinese culture, Thai massage seeks to rebalance the energy centers in a comfortable and harmonious environment. The use of herbs in Thai massage oils is common. Each herb has its own effect on the body, together with the cumulative effects of the mixture. Blockages to the energy lines manifest as disease, and massage helps remove the blockages and rebalance the body.
Modern Thai herbal medicines are monitored by government to ensure safety and conformity to international standards. Companies producing herbal remedies and supplements are regularly checked and accredited. Packaging is required to contain the Thai government accreditation number released after approval. Reputation is paramount in a country where many herbal formulas compete. Mixtures are often jealously guarded by their manufacturers. And much research is carried out on indigenous plants, by Thai universities, to ascertain their chemical makeup and medicinal properties. The cross fertilization of ideas with western universities has broadened the scope of local herbal research over the past two decades. And significant breakthroughs have been achieved on many fronts. Because of its unique flora, and with increasing exports of its herbal products to global markets, Thailand continues to enhance its reputation as a Mecca for those who regard a balanced lifestyle and natural remedies highly.
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