The Decline of Indian Medicinal Plants

Traditional Indian medicine has been dominated by generous use of medicinal plants which are known to the local populations since antiquity. Many of these medicinal plants are wild herbs and seeds of different species that rest at the center of Ayurvedic medicine. Modern healthcare professionals and pharmaceuticals are increasingly getting aware of the importance of wild medicinal plants and the pharmaceutical industry is extending the availability of traditional medicinal herbs of India to foreign countries.

Dozens of different Indian medicinal plants are traditionally used for treating many major health problems. Some of these are: Ratti (used for pain relief, sciatica, dysentery, male infertility, cough etc); Garlic or Lahsun (used for pain relief, fever, diabetes, skin problems, cough and general physical weakness); Harshringar (used for respiratory diseases including asthma, fever, cough, and gastrointestinal trouble, and hair and skin problems); Kantaphala (used for treating hysteria, dyspepsia, chronic fever, pain, and inflammation) and numerous others curative species. There are plants, like the Madagascar periwinkle, for treating cancer, and Neem for hepatitis, malaria, and several skin conditions. Then there are also a number of plants for treating psychological problems like Ashwaganda and Ginkgo biloba (for anxiety disorders), Licorice and Damiana (for depression), and Withania (for stress and anemia that may cause epilepsy).

Medicinal plants are certainly not confined to India’s political boundaries but the neighboring land of Nepal is also home to many plants of medicinal value used in the Indian pharmaceutical industry. Jatamansi and Kutki are two famous medicinal plant species that largely grow in Nepal and are used in medications in both Nepal and India. The consumer demand for these medicinal plants, however, is much higher in the populated land of India where the pharmaceutical industry is also more developed and productive.

Not unexpectedly, the growing population of India (over a billion people now) and the excessive collection of medicinal plants from the wild have endangered the availability of herbal medicine in near future. In a recent report by the IUCN and TRAFFIC researchers, seven key species of medicinal value are declining sharply due to over-harvesting. These include: Elephant’s Foot, Jatamansi, Kutki, Desert Cistanche, Red Sanders, Himalayan Yew, and Snakeroot. Some of these naturally grow in countries other than India e.g. Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and China. The decline in the presence of these species foretells of the potential crisis that the pharmaceutical industry in India, as well as other countries importing Indian medicinal products, may face soon.

Environmental conservation organizations are certainly not oblivious to the endangered medicinal plants of India. The seven species mentioned above are already being protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Cultivation of these plants is also promoted by environmental conservation bodies and over-harvesting is being discouraged through advocacy. However, the implementation of environmental law in India and other developing countries is far from being satisfactory. For sustainable harvesting of India’s medicinal plants, international efforts are ever more in need along with improvements in government policies and pharmaceutical trade.

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Health Risks of Petroleum Derivates in Cosmetic Products

Cosmetic industry, today, is closely related to petroleum as a number of ingredients used in beauty products are derived from petroleum. Creams, moisturizers, balms, gels, cleansers, soaps, and several toiletry products all carry one or more petroleum-based chemicals. And these petroleum derivatives are anything but safe for human health!

One of the main culprits in petroleum-based ingredients in cosmetics is propylene glycol – an additive used in shampoos, conditioners, and paints etc. Propylene glycol may cause annoying symptoms ranging from irritation of the respiratory tract and nausea to serious health problems like disorders of the liver and/or kidneys. Equally hazardous to health are isopropyl alcohols that are petroleum-derived antiseptics, also used for removing the waxy layer left on the skin by mineral oil used in skin care products. Isopropyl alcohols rob the skin of its natural moisture, rendering it dry and vulnerable to cracking; thus it allows microbes an inlet to enter the user’s blood and cause infections.

Even more alarming are the findings of a few studies that link petroleum-derived agents to cancer. Most notable of these derivatives is a carcinogenic remnant 1, 4-dioxane (C4H8O2) that is present in over 20 percent of cosmetics and toiletry products commonly used in some localities, 1, 4-dioxane has been shown to cause cancer in animals and hence it is potentially a serious threat to human health.

Parabens, derived from petroleum, are used as preservatives in a large number of cosmetic products. They have been found to cause premature aging of skin and hormonal abnormalities, and may even promote cancer, particularly breast cancer in women. There is some research-based evidence that continual exposure to parabens, during or shortly before pregnancy, can result in less fertile babies. There is particularly a greater risk for male babies who are likely to have a lower sperm count if exposed to parabens in vivo.

Many other adverse health effects are associated with petroleum-based chemicals used in cosmetics: ovarian problems in women; impairment of immune system; hormonal abnormalities and miscarriages; poor skin condition and acne; and many others – you name it and it is there. However, few cosmetic companies warn the consumers of their products’ health risks through safety labels on the containers. Obviously, the commercial interest involved far exceeds consumer health for cosmetic manufacturers.

So what are your alternatives? None other than the organically manufactured cosmetic products containing essential oils and non-toxic organic content that is health-friendly. Also important to remember is the fact cosmetics in plastic containers are less safe than those packed in wood and/or glass containers. Next time, on your visit to the cosmetic store, you should be wary of petroleum-based ingredients. Ask for natural organic beauty products. After all, health is the most perfect beauty of life.

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