The common thread joining Herbology, TCM and Ayurveda is that all three treat the body as a 'whole', and utilizing the energy of plants to work as needed in synergy with the natural energy in each individual.

Definition of herbs within Herbology can be:

A plant only becomes an herb, remedy or medicine when a person's health improves.

An herb as a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavour or therapeutic properties.

A medicinal herb plant may be a shrub or other woody plant, whereas a culinary herb is a non-woody plant.

Originally, the term "herb" only applied to non-woody plants. According to the  Webster's dictionary a herb is: a seed-producing annual, biennial, or perennial that does not develop persistent woody tissue but dies down at the end of the growing season.  Today, "herb" refers to any part of any plant used for flavouring or medicine.

Herbology is also known as botanical medicine, medicinal botany, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology or botanical medicine.

Over the years, people claimed a variety of health benefits of numerous herbs. Our ancestors passed the knowledge down through shamans, healers or from father to son.  Today, herbal corporations put them into different forms tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts or dried plants.

It is important to remember that Herbology supports the ancestral wisdom, herbal corporations, TCM, Ayurveda and other sciences. 

Should you strike up a conversation with a group of acquaintances about Herbology, you will discover that many reject the potential benefits, relying upon the medical profession instead.  They will argue that the Herbology was never scientifically tested. They tend to forget that most folk remedies have been around for hundreds of years, thus giving us the proverbial test of time, in my opinion, superior.  What people also forget is that this is the source of our chemical drugs. In the mid 1990s, scientists and anthologists such as George Harley and Richard Grossinger commented that in essence, the scientific community stated that they did not trust folk remedies but there was sufficient truth to warrant a further look. Pharmaceutical companies simply modified and adapted the plant product.
 

Many of the herbs and spices used in the kitchen to season food also yield useful medicinal compounds. Today the term “herbs” receives a very broad definition. Technically though, Herbology, as we define it, uses seed-bearing plants without woody stems, which die down to the ground after flowering.  The green, leafy part of the plant is the most commonly used, but Herbology makes use of the roots, flowers, seeds, root bark, inner bark (cambium), berries and sometimes other portions.

Just as other scientific philosophical debate, Herbology is no different. Some herbalist's recommend gathering only certain herbs (depending on the seasons, the weather, and the time of day) to achieve the highest level of medicinal qualities. Some advocate specific parts of the plant. Still others advocate some plants only being used for treatments like homeopathy or aromatic. It is an interesting and vast study, fun and informative.

 India Herbs is one of our respected resources.