Why people embraced herbal medicine – Dr. Okubor

Why people embraced herbal medicine – Dr. Okubor

By Edith Igbokwe

The Medical Director of Creative Herbal Clinic, Ejigbo, Dr. Gideon Tunde Okubor, has disclosed that more people now embrace herbal medicine having testified to its effectiveness in curing major diseases affecting their health.

He said many people believed 100 percent in the effectiveness of herbs for healthy living.

According to him, a herb can contain more than 200 to 500 active ingredients which no synthetic drugs or synthesized chemicals can harbour at once.

He said: “Why would one not be healthy, if such items are used frequently.

“The acceptability level of herbal medicine in the society is now on the high, people are more concerned about their health and are ready to try other forms of medical services to regain their healthy conditions which is most paramount to them.”

However, he said herbal medicine has gone beyond the local herbalist perceptions people assumed in the time past, rather it deals with holistic practices, using different aspects to help patients live normal life.

“Such practices entails going through training institute for a good prescription of herbs, the dosage and feedback from patients to deduce the best herbs for a patient.”

Meanwhile, Okubor disclosed that 80-90 per cent of his herbal ingredients are local products made from Nigeria, and that 10 per cent of the ingredients that cannot be fetched within the country are imported.

He advised integrations of the orthodox and herbal branches of medicine, saying “the human body is so complex and nobody has the full mastering of it, and that no aspect should think of being superior to another.”

Despite his training, both local (Lagos)and international (London) studies in Acupuncture and using diagnosis methods of treatment, a 10-year herbal medical practitioner said he is still in search of more knowledge by consulting relevant books and senior colleagues in the profession.