Often called "folk remedies," naturally therapeutic plants took a back seat to pharmaceuticals for generations. This trend seems to be reversing as researchers use the tools of modern science to discover if there is some basis in fact to plant based medicine. A recent study published online by Kingston University in London is an example of how science is rediscovering traditional herbal medicine. This study found that white tea, witch hazel and rose extract were particularly notable for their abilities to enhance wellbeing.
How Herbal Remedies are Thought to Fight Disease
Professor Declan Naughton of Kingston University's School of Life Sciences, PhD candidate Tamsyn Thring and a technical team from Neal's Yard Remedies (a UK natural beauty company) studied 21 plant extracts looking for evidence of their ability to fight inflammation. Sometimes called the "secret killer," inflammation and inflammatory diseases contribute to a host of debilitating and deadly diseases, including cancer, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and many more. In fact, any disease that ends with the suffix, "-itis" includes an element of inflammation, so if naturally occurring substances that can fight inflammation are found, their potential benefits are enormous.
According to Professor Naughton, "the latest research we have carried out suggests a number of naturally-occurring substances may offer the hope of new treatments to block the progression of inflammation."
Benefits of White Tea, Witch Hazel and Rose
Of the 21 extracts the researchers studied, white tea, witch hazel and rose extracts were the most promising. Of these, Professor Naughton believed that white tea showed the most promise, stating that "it appeared that drinking a simple cup of white tea might well help reduce an individual's risk of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or even just age-associated wrinkles." Witch hazel and rose extract, too, showed promising preliminary results, so the team experimented with a mixture of freeze dried white tea powder, dried witch hazel and a rose tincture, using human skin tissue as their model. The reason for this was because skin is the body's largest organ and the one that is most exposed to UV radiation, pollutants, chemicals and other sources of inflammation.
Professor Naughton and his team were specifically looking for evidence that these natural remedies could "switch off" the production of a compound called interleukin 8. When inflammation occurs, the body produces this compound, which tends to increase the inflammation. Finding a way to reduce or eliminate the production of interleukin 8 has the potential to curb the progress of numerous diseases and even help prevent wrinkles from occurring.
According to the Kingston University article, "the experts were astonished to see just how good the various concentrations of the three extracts were at doing the job." Natural health practitioners would probably not be "astonished," but would agree with Neal's Yard Remedies' Dharmini Dhuhyanthan, who stated that the study reinforced the "belief that plants hold the secret to our inner and outer beauty." Indeed, plants such as white tea, witch hazel and roses may hold the secret not just to beauty, but to our overall health and wellbeing.
