Phytotherapy: How To Treat With Plants?

Natural and millennial medicine based on the use of plants, phytotherapy is widely used throughout the world for its effectiveness and the few side effects it generates. Used curatively or preventively, it is effective when it is well advised.

Herbal medicine is a natural medicine based on the use of plants and their extracts. It is considered by the WHO to be a conventional medicine. In herbal medicine, we use the active ingredients of plants to prevent or treat certain problems, like cancer kidney diseases, among others.

There are several approaches in phytotherapy. Some phytotherapists recommend a holistic approach; they are interested in the effects of the plant as a whole, on the whole individual. While others rely more on biochemical knowledge and are more concerned with the symptoms of the disease and the action of the active ingredients in plants.

Benefits Of Herbal Medicine

It is undeniable that herbs like “Hua Laksiam” have curative and preventive effects for countless diseases and ailments. But is “hua Laksiam” really effective (ฮั้วลักเซียมดีจริงไหม, which is the term in Thai)?

However, research and development in herbal medicine are severely handicapped compared to the pharmaceutical industry. Indeed, it is very difficult to finance, with millions of dollars, research that would show, for example, the effectiveness of dandelion root to treat the liver, knowing that one will never be able to patent the dandelion to make profitable its investment.

In addition, in herbal medicine, and even more in traditional herbalism, the synergy between the different components and active ingredients of the plant is essential. Unfortunately, the currently recognized research methods are based on the isolation of one element at a time to try to find out its particular effect.

In summary, here are the main benefits of herbal medicine:

• Useful in prevention
• Few side effects
• No addictive effect
• Fast action