Herb Awareness week highlights health benefits

Media Release 11 March 2007

For Immediate Release

National Herb Awareness week highlights health benefits of herbs

The herbs Dandelion, Lemon Balm, Manuka and Koromiko are the focus of National Herb Awareness Week 2007, which runs from March 11th to the 17th. The Week celebrates hundreds of years of herbal medicine history.

“The use of herbal medicine in New Zealand is growing, and we are fortunate to have such a wide range of native and naturalised plants with therapeutic properties”, said Chris Tuffnell, President of the New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists.

“Modern research has validated the traditional use of these herbs, and many others.
Manuka in particular has been well studied in terms of its antimicrobial properties. It was used extensively in Te Rongoa Maori, and research has shown Manuka to be active against a number of fungi and bacteria including the notorious methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)”, said Mrs Tuffnell.

National Herb Awareness Week provides an opportunity for people to be informed about the benefits of herbs, which when used appropriately can effectively treat a range of health problems.

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www.nzamh.org.nz

NZAMH is the professional body for Medical Herbalists in New Zealand.
It maintains a register of Medical Herbalists of skill and repute, fosters a uniformly high standard for the teaching of herbal medicine, ensures ongoing professional education for members and promotes herbal medicine to the public and other health professionals.

ENDS

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