Phytotherapy – the use of plant extracts for healing – is one of the most widely practiced areas of medicine. Traditional herbs have provided orthodox medicine with many powerful drugs including aspirin, which is derived from the willow tree, digoxin from the foxglove and even potent new cancer treatments such as paclitaxel from the Pacific Yew Tree.
World-wide, specialist known as ethnobotanists are continually seeking new products from amongst the traditional herbs used by native healers. The Amazonian rainforest is one of the richest sources, providing a wide range of traditional remedies from guarana and muira puama through to the natural sweetener, stevia.
Different parts of different plants are used in phytotherapy, either the roots, stems, flowers, leaves, bark, sap, fruit or seeds depending on which has the highest concentration of active ingredient. In most cases, these are dried and ground to produce a powder which is made into a tea, packed into capsules or compacted into tablets for easy swallowing.
Herbal medicines can help to almost any health problem. However, if you have a medical condition, it is important to talk to your doctor before taking an herbal remedy. This is especially important if you are taking any prescribed or over-the-counter medicines as herb-drug interactions can occur.
Click here to discover:
The best herbal medicines for type 2 diabetes
The best herbal Viagra alternatives
The best herbs for pain relief
The best adaptogenic herbs for stress.
NB IDo not take any herbal medicines if you are pregnant or planning to be, except under the advice and supervision of your own doctor.
