Story

Medicinal plants and herbs are the oldest remedies known to us. Aristotle's student Theophrastus of Eresos (~ 371-287 BC) wrote one of the first works in which the healing effects of certain plants were described.

Plants are generally the focus of all traditional medicines in the world: in Ayurveda, in TCM, in Tibetan medicine, etc. "Phytotherapy" is probably as old as humanity itself. People probably simply followed their instincts when they resorted to certain plants under certain circumstances. For example, it can be observed that animals eat certain plants that are not normally part of their diet whenever they are sick. This "self-medication" by animals is now even a separate branch of research in biology known as "zoopharmacognosy".

The Gauls, for example, used verbana as a sedative and mistletoe as a kind of panacea. Caraway, coriander, tarragon and saffron were widely used by the ancient Egyptians. In Mesopotamia, garlic, mustard, hemp and fennel were used for medicinal purposes. Foxglove was used as a laxative and wound herb long before it was used in cardiac medicine. Indian cuisine and applications in Ayurveda are unimaginable without turmeric and its active ingredient curcumin. The fact that many "western" diseases hardly occur in India is attributed by many scientists to the widespread use of turmeric.

Traditional herbal medicine, which is based on centuries of experience, is also called “monastic medicine” because in the past it was mainly the monasteries that preserved and increased herbal medicine knowledge.
The most well-known representative of monastic medicine is Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), who is generally considered to have founded European naturopathy. Two of her works on naturopathy in particular are still relevant today: "Physica" (Healing Power of Nature) and "Causae et Curae" (Causes and Treatments of Diseases), in which a large number of medicinal plants and recipes are described. Von Bingen also addressed the very important issue of disease prevention as part of her nutritional theory. In addition, "healing and healing", i.e. physical and mental health, were inseparably linked for Hildegard von Bingen - as is the case in TCM and Ayurveda, where people and their health are always viewed holistically.

areas of application today

In the West, medicinal plants are nowadays used primarily for colds, for example thyme for coughs or sage for sore throats. Other typical areas of application of plant medicine (see Prof. Dr. Andreas Michalsen, Healing with the Power of Nature, Insel-Verlag, p. 256) are:

• Anxiety and Stress: Lavender
• Depression: St. John's Wort
• Sleep disorders: Valerian, lemon balm, passionflower, hops
• Liver diseases: Milk thistle
• Heart failure: Hawthorn
• Diabetes: Ginseng
• Cystitis: nasturtium, horseradish, cranberries
• Irritable bowel syndrome: fennel, anise, caraway
• Intestinal inflammation: psyllium husks, myrrh
• Osteoarthritis: rosehip extracts, turmeric, tree bark extracts
• Early dementia: saffron, ginkgo

Homeopathy and Bach flower therapy

Herbal active ingredients also play an important role in homeopathy and Bach flower therapy.  central role. Unlike in Ayurveda and TCM, where the principle is always to balance out an "excess" with the corresponding opposite (e.g.In contrast to the traditional medicine (e.g. reducing an increased dohsa or compensating for "heat" with cooling foods), homeopathy is about "curing like with like". This means that a preparation is administered that causes similar symptoms to the condition it is supposed to cure. To avoid overdoses, the active ingredient is gradually diluted. In order to still produce an effect, the so-called "potentiation" is carried out - a shaking that is supposed to cause a dynamization of the ingredients.

Bach flower therapy, on the other hand, sees illness as an expression of a lack of harmony between body and soul. Accordingly, physical symptoms are not treated, but the illness is addressed through impulses on a mental/emotional level: based on the patient's mental state, the appropriate plant mixture is selected to stimulate certain mental forces and release blockages. 38 plants have been described for this purpose, which are said to correspond to the 38 archetypal mental states of man - such as fear, excessive worry, hypersensitivity to influences, etc.

micronutrients

In addition to plant products, minerals have been an integral part of natural medicine from the very beginning. Even in ancient times, it was correctly assumed that muscle cramps were the result of a magnesium deficiency and that red blood cells absolutely needed iron to bind oxygen.
In addition to minerals, trace elements and essential fatty acids, vitamins are also among the so-called “micronutrients” that are vital for the body.

The term "vitamins" covers a wide range of organic compounds that are necessary for metabolism. Despite all their differences, vitamins have one thing in common: they do not produce energy, but rather serve very specific functions, such as acting as antioxidants to protect against free radicals. If vitamins are missing, you will become ill even if you consume enough energy-providing fats, proteins and carbohydrates. With the exception of vitamin D, which the body can produce itself with the help of sunlight, all other vitamins must be obtained through food.

There are both fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, although only fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K) can be stored in the body (the exception is the water-soluble vitamin B12).
Vitamin deficiencies occur primarily in cases of malnutrition. For example, vegans often have a vitamin 12 deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is also common in our latitudes during the dark season. Athletes, smokers, pregnant women and breastfeeding women also have an increased need for numerous vitamins. The same applies in times of increased stress.

combination preparations

Our combination products are of great importance to us because they perfectly embody what we at QIDOSHA have set ourselves as our goal: to combine the best of the three worlds of Ayurveda, TCM and western herbal medicine. To this end, we have worked closely with Indian Ayurveda doctors, TCM herbal specialists, alternative practitioners and pharmacists to combine ingredients in such a way that they provide you with the best possible support in various challenges. Legally, we must of course point out that there are no scientific studies on our combination products, so we are not allowed to make any statements about their effectiveness. We have therefore given you an overview of the current study situation for each individual ingredient and, where there are legally permissible "health claims", we have named them accordingly.

To understand the combination preparation approach, it is important to note that in both Ayurveda and TCM,several plants and their extracts are combined to form a complete medicinal product. In Germany, however, individual plant extracts are used for the targeted treatment of specific complaints, analogous to synthetic medicines. "However, this probably only achieves a fraction of the potential effect of herbal medicine." (cf. Prof. Dr. Andreas Michalsen, Healing with the Power of Nature, Insel-Verlag, p. 253)

The reason for the widespread disappearance of mixtures of active ingredients in the 1980s, such as those that occur naturally in plants, is the official requirement to name only the most important active ingredient and to describe its mode of action in a so-called "plant monograph". Since the mode of action in nature is generally not based on just one single substance, a large number of herbal medicines disappeared from the market at that time. Modern medicines are therefore based on a single active ingredient. Accordingly, an aspirin with 500 mg of concentrated acetylsalicylic acid, for example, works faster than a willow bark extract, which contains the active ingredient of aspirin along with other substances in its natural form. Proponents of naturopathy, however, object that this may come at the cost of corresponding side effects and that there is a risk that the holistic effect of traditional medicinal plants will be lost. Multi-substance mixtures, also known as "multi-target" pharmacology, are much more adapted to the biology of the human body. The principle is to identify herbs and plants that together enhance the desired effect but have different side effects, so that these do not add up but remain below the threshold of perception.

In 2004, the legislature made approval somewhat easier throughout Europe, but herbal medicines were largely excluded from reimbursement by health insurance companies on the grounds that they should not be classified as prescription-only due to their very good tolerability (see Prof. Dr. Andreas Michalsen, Healing with the Power of Nature, Insel-Verlag).
We consciously use “multi-ingredient mixtures” in our combination preparations – namely the best that the teachings of Ayurveda, TCM and Western phytology have to offer.

Our first four combination preparations focus on strengthening the immune system, antioxidants, detoxification and fat burning. Each preparation contains medicinal mushrooms, Ayurvedic products as well as vitamins and vital substances that provide the best possible support for the respective purpose.

Legal Consumer Information

German and European law aims to protect consumers from allegedly misleading claims about effectiveness. The statements made here refer to the original Ayurvedic and TCM texts. This knowledge, which has been passed down for thousands of years, is based on experience passed down from generation to generation. It is not intended to claim that the products described here have an effect in the sense of Western medicine. All products are food supplements; they are not medications and have no medical effect. If you are ill and require medical care, please contact your doctor or pharmacist.