Herbal medicines contain substances of plant origin and in general are available as over-the counter products, not subject to close regulation. Whilst many valuable drugs have been identified, purified, evaluated for risk/benefit and eventually synthesized from plants, the effectiveness of most herbal medicines is still unproven and concerns about toxicity and drug interactions are real. In addition the history of the origins and present practices of the many varieties of herbal medicine indicate that they are rooted in and still associated with non-Christian belief systems. Christian doctors should be cautious about herbs both from a Christian and medical perspective.