Article: Susan Newham and Elsibe Loubser Mcguffog from Real Simple
Image: Real Simple: Toby Newsome

Though few would argue that modern medicine has made enormous progress in helping us live longer and healthier lives, there are huge environmental costs involved.

Ironically, most medicines originally came from the earth. Plants have always played an important role in medicine and were often discovered, through trial and error, to contain active healing properties.

Our ancestors, for instance, noticed that their aches and pains disappeared when they drank tea made from the bark of a willow tree. Later, scientists found that willow bark contains salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin.

And though today most of these 'active ingredients' are synthetically produced, which means that the willow tree and many other natural resources remain unscathed, the production of modern medicines has other serious repercussions for the environment.

For one, toxins used in the chemical synthesis of pharmaceuticals are harmful to the environment. The energy expenditure through medical trials and pharmaceutical production is necessary but problematic.

And then there's the environmentally unfriendly packaging, distribution, marketing and disposal of medicines.

Fact is, few of us are able to escape using medicine, but we can raise our awareness by considering the following options.

Going herbal

Unofficial studies indicate the majority of South Africans use plant-based medicines, obtained from traditional healers or home-grown remedies. And that's good because the more natural the medicine, the more likely it is to be ecofriendly.

But herbal medicine is not necessarily green: think of natural remedies that have to be flown in from abroad, or the overfarming of herbal crops that decrease biodiversity, or harvesting in the wild that disturbs natural environments.

If you're not growing your own herbs or plant medicines, then purchasing herbal remedies or complementary medicines that are grown locally and packaged in recycled containers are a better bet than an imported product.

'Complementary medicines are environmentally friendly if they're sourced from properly cultivated organic stock and not harvested from their wild habitats, as that would disrupt the ecosystem and deplete natural resources,' says Cape Town-based Dr Arien van der Merwe, health author and practitioner. 'And, because herbal remedies are natural, they're also biodegradable.'

Green Medicine box

So, now that you’re willing to try natural remedies, where to start? Allan Sakinofsky, a pharmacist and natural-health retailer in Cape Town suggests you consider the following products, which are available naturally or from pharmacies and health shops:

ALOE VERA Have this plant handy for wounds and all types of burns, including sunburn. Slice a leaf and apply the gel to the skin, or buy pure aloe vera gel.

ARNICA Used for bruises, sprains and sore muscles, this remedy is available in a cream or ointment, or can be given as a compress. Homeopathic arnica can also be taken orally.

CALENDULA This herbal remedy is anti-inflammatory, astringent and antiseptic, and it inhibits bleeding. You can find it in an ointment form. Use it for cuts, scrapes, rashes and burns.

CAMOMILE This herb is an anti-inflammatory as well as a digestive aid. Drink it as a tea or apply directly onto the skin for rashes. For children, massage their stomachs with chamomile and fennel that's been mixed into a carrier oil, such as almond oil.

ECHINACEA This immune booster is good to take when you're run down or to help prevent and fight colds and flu.

LAVENDER OIL A soothing remedy that helps heal burns or stings when mixed with a little aqueous cream. It's also known to calm frazzled nerves, so add a few drops added to your bath water.

ST JOHN'S WORT A herb most commonly used to help treat depression, it can also be taken after head injuries or puncture wounds, such as animal bites. It is important to bear in mind that St John's Wort decreases the efficacy of the contraceptive pill.

TEA TREE OIL Mix one part tea tree oil with 10 parts water and use to wash wounds – this is a natural antiseptic. Tea tree oil can also be applied to insect bites to stop the itching.

Excerpted from the July 2008 issue of REAL SIMPLE.