Someone asked me recently: how come different herbs are purported to cure the same
ailments, are the Herbalists scamming us? As preposterous as the question may be, it allows for
further clarification on the issue. Not only is there diversity in Nature, but each different
species do have a purpose.
We know that disease-causing germs do mutate, giving rise to new resistant species. Nature, in
its inherent wisdom, is proactively dynamic. That is why it keeps producing different species of
herbs so that however resistant a disease-causing germ gets, there will still be other herbs to
cure it. It is also a fact that we humans do have different blood groups/radiations, and
temperaments, and as such same food or herbs don't act with the same effectiveness in us.
Some people react to certain foods/herbs while some don't.Nature takes care of this again,
through its diversification in food and herbs.Thus, for each ailment, there will always be many
herbs to choose from as a cure. Let's take for instance the menace of the malaria parasite, with
its different species. Each of the species can mutate into yet another species. But Nature is
always ahead in that the cure for a species of parasite that will form in the next hundred years
is already available in Nature, though such may not yet be identified by man.
As good as Artemisia plant is/was effective in the treatment of chloroquine-resistant malaria
parasite, we later noticed that these parasites mutated and are gradually becoming resistant to
Artemisia. Scientists came up with a solution to this by combining other ingredients with
Artemisia, and call it Artemisia Combined Therapy (ACT), which is a combination of two or more
drugs that work against the malaria parasite in different ways. This is usually the preferred
treatment for chloroquine-resistant malaria. Examples include artemether-lumefantrine
(Coartem) and artesunate-mefloquine.This too is gradually becoming less effective as the
malaria parasites are again developing resistance to it.
Herbalists who work with Nature, and are thus also proactive, will keep being open to receive
information about other herbs, which Nature already prepared centuries ago, in anticipation of
resistant cases that are happening now. Years back, common lemongrass cured malaria, but not

anymore, at least not on its own. Neem leaves are still good, but not as good they used to elicit
total cure 50 years back.
Morinda Lucida (Oruwo) is still standing its ground as an antimalaria herb, but we are already
noticing some strains of malaria parasite developing some level of resistance to even this
potent herb.And now, Nature is revealing to us, another herb that effectively cures all species
of malaria parasites. This herb is called King of Bitter, or Serpentina (Jogbo in the Yoruba
language). Not only is Serpentina an effective cure against malaria parasites, but also shows
potentials to cure viral infections. Isn't Nature simply fantastic?
It is high time that scientists work hand in hand with Nature-orientated Herbalists/Naturopaths
in the development of medications/remedies that cures, irrespective of the strain of the germ,
whether bacteria or virus.