Herbal Supplements

African Herbal Medicine has a long history. Sometimes known as yorubic medicine, it began about 4000 years ago where an "Ifa Corpus" is said to have been revealed to a mystic prophet (Orunmila). The entry of African slaves into the Carribeans and South America about 400 years ago saw the entry of African herbal medicine into the Americas.

Orunmila is said to have taught his people (the Yorubas) divination, prayer, dance, symbolism, spiritual baths, meditation, and the healing power of herbs. His teachings (the Ifa Corpus) have formed the basis of the divine art of herbology.

The idea of conditioning the whole body to prevent a disease attack is central to the practise of African Herbal Medicine, and in this regard, African herbal medicine bears a similarity to other forms of early medicine.

The association of magic and African herbal medicine is not without explanation. Historically, it is believed that the yoruba people were originally inhabitants of Egypt before their migration to their present location (western Nigeria). Egypt, with its highly developed civilization was known to practise medicine with magic and it may be right to say that early yorubic medicine could have been influenced heavily by Egyptian medicine.

A second reason why magic was so embedded in the early African herbal medicine was the belief that disease was caused when a person was possessed by an evil demon but more importantly, that this demon- causing illness could only be cured by medico-spiritual intervention. Thus, the use of herbs went together with the wearing of amulets and charms, spiritual chants and dances to ward off the disease causing demon. Fortunately, in many cases, cures were achieved most probably, from the pharmacoactive ingredient in the herbs rather than from spiritual interventions but unfortunately, the achievement of a cure helped to further consolidate the belief that disease was caused by evil demons.

The word "herbs" is translated "ewe" in yoruba. They were picked by herbalists and employed in making medicines, spiritual baths, and religious rites.

All in all, the role African herbal medicine has played in the development of modern medicine and pharmacotherapeutics cannot be over emphasized