Without plants, humans would all be dead!
OK, that's a true statement alright, but my point goes beyond that. My article is not a list of useful medicinal plants; for that, I provide these links (and there are many others):
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/med-aro/toc.html
http://altnature.com/gallery/
I like to think of common plants (indeed, all of Nature) are all part of "God's Pharmacy". And, I, for one, am inclined to trust God before some of our giant pharmaceutical companies.
Oh, they can perhaps "turn on" or "turn off" biophysical functions to alter the way a human body operates (in hopes of ending symptoms and/or disease progression, but all too often creating other, sometimes equally undesirable symptoms or conditions)...and they can sometimes 'accelerate' the body's own mechanisms into action to help launch an all-out "attack" on a particular disease...but there are still many limitations to what we can do.
This article is more about understanding why I believe that ALL plants have SOME purpose...whether medicinal or otherwise. Even those pesky plants we call "weeds" have "reason to be here".
I view our planet earth as the "egg" that "hatched" all its various life-forms, using only those resources available in the universe to do so (with God's direction and design, of course...yes, I'm a 'Creationist'). We often call this phenomenon "Mother Nature"...which is an endearingly appropriate term for such a love-infused story of how we came to be and how we'll continue to be, if we're careful to pay attention to things!
I also believe all things in "Nature" work together in perfect unison and harmony, through the natural processes laid out by our Creator (many of which are not well understood by mankind, yet).
The same "processes" which brought about our existence, whether one embraces Creation OR evolution, is still at work all around us, even in spite of what mankind might be doing to potentially disrupt those processes (ex. greenhouse gases, ozone-depleting substances, poisons in our foods, cosmetics, etc., etc.).
These 'natural processes' (Mother Nature) have provided all things necessary to bring ALL of earth's "indigenous-life-forms" to current levels, and I'm convinced they will continue to do so. Mankind's many and varied ailments and diseases, many of which are even being caused or exacerbated by our own mutated chemical and molecular concoctions of natural resources (after all, NOTHING can be "made" without natural ingredients and resources!). We are, even now, poisoning ourselves with all our modern chemically-riddled, genetically modified or otherwise "unnatural" foods, our chemical cosmetics, cleaning products, air and water pollution, and so on. And, I'm convinced many of our current 'ailments and diseases' are directly related to many of these things we've exposed ourselves to (and, usually, because of money, fame or power for a select few. For more on this topic, visit my blog at: http://w1z11dom.blogspot.com/).
"Mother Nature" has been caring for our well-being for millions or billions of years. She's not about to stop now! But WE should stop some of OUR practices!
I'm convinced Nature provides everything we need to perpetuate our existence here on earth; but we must "stop and smell the roses" now and then to truly appreciate and show gratitude for all we're given every moment of every day! And, we must stop polluting and otherwise damaging our planet; after all, it's the only home we have.
