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Herbal medicine: how to treat yourself with plants
Herbal medicine is called herbal therapy (from the Greek phyto = plant and therapeia = care).
It is a therapy which uses plants or galenic forms derived from plants excluding the principles of pure extraction isolated from plants. Thus many galenic forms can be used: herbal teas (infused, decocted, etc.), powders, dry extracts (nebulisates, lyophilisates, etc.), liquid extracts, etc.
Across the world, all ethnic groups have a traditional pharmacopoeia made up of a dozen medicinal plants selected for their effectiveness over the centuries and passed down from generation to generation. This knowledge of medicinal plants has formed into pharmacopoeias, which are collections of knowledge and practices linked to the therapeutic indications of these plants.
The learned medicines of written tradition, Greek, Arab-Persian, Ayurvedic and Chinese based their transmission of medical knowledge on these pharmacopoeias. In Europe, the knowledge of medicinal plants was formalized with Greek medicine developed by Hippocrates from the 4th century BC. In the Middle Ages, Arab-Persian medicine took up the bases of Greek humoral theory and l ‘developed by incorporating plants from Ayurvedic medicine. These Arab-Persian treatises were then translated into Latin from Andalusian Spain in the 13th century and formed the basis of European medicine. In other regions of the world, such as Africa or the Americas, the transmission of knowledge has been mainly oral.
How to know if a plant is medicinal ?
In France, plants are considered medicinal when they are included in the list of medicinal plants of the French Pharmacopoeia. Brought back from the Americas like cinchona, from Africa like cola nut or from China like ginseng, these exotic plants have been gradually integrated into the French Pharmacopoeia. During the second half of the 20th century, few new plants obtained the status of medicinal plants in France. However, over the past fifteen years, new plants have entered this list. These are plants from the overseas departments, which have provided around fifty new plants from the traditions of these overseas communities. At the same time, around sixty Chinese plants were also included in this list and were the subject of control monographs at the European Pharmacopoeia. For its part, Africa conceals many interesting medicinal plants, widely used at the traditional level and often well studied scientifically, but whose use has not yet been recognized by local or international institutional bodies.
Why treat yourself with medicinal plants ?
Man has always sought in nature the means to heal himself.
Although medicine has made tremendous progress through chemistry and recently through biology, drugs that are developed to treat severe illnesses are often ill-suited to chronic conditions that start out mildly and then get worse and worse. the bed of much more serious problems. This disproportion between the evil and the remedy has become blatant. Too many drugs, developed to treat serious diseases, then spread to the population of small chronically ill patients who thus benefit from their shock effectiveness, but also suffer from the risks and undesirable effects which are attached to them. In pharmacology the law of “who can do more can do less” does not apply.
Herbal medicine has its place in this gap between the end of the means. It has its place with therapeutic effects that may be less powerful at the moment, but less problematic in the long term and that it is possible to maintain over long periods without difficulty.
The objective of the phytotherapy articles on the Soin et Nature blog is to promote the recognition of common medicinal plants in the world, some of which already have a regulatory status in certain countries, in order to be able to diversify our therapeutic arsenal with plants, many of which have made their mark. evidence in their respective cultures and in scientific validation studies.
As the West moved into the 3rd millennium, mucuna was virtually unknown to the myriad of medicinal plants. It appeared in the form of a standardized extract of fresh plant intended for masterly preparation at the end of the 2000s, thus quickly making itself known in the world of herbal medicine . The proliferation of scientific work has now ranked it … Read more
Since Antiquity, men have made lemon balm travel across the Mediterranean basin so that it will eventually find its place in the pharmacopoeias of various places around the globe . Spreading from east to west, it began to spread very early in Asia Minor, was subsequently found to grow in Spain around 960, then across the Alps through the Benedictines. … Read more
The etymological origin of sweet clover comes from the Greek meli, meaning honey, and lôtos, for lotus, i.e. honey flowers. In fact, the plant is a melliferous plant, much sought-after by bees. Melilotus officinalis is the species used medicinally. However, related species such as M. alba Medicus are also used in herbal medicine. What is … Read more
Discover the fascinating history of the horse chestnut in Europe, a journey through time and space. Native to the Balkans, northern Greece, Turkey, the Caucasus and northern India, this remarkable tree was introduced to Europe during the Renaissance. First described in Italy in 1565, it then spread to Vienna, France and the rest of Europe. … Read more
If the hops were not approached medicinally speaking by the Ancients, it is because they probably did not yet know its qualities. Pliny mentions a hop used as a vegetable. In fact, the first achievement attributed to hops is not about medicine. It was customary, from the ninth century, in Germany, to use hops, especially in the manufacture of beer . Indeed, … Read more
There is a hormonal decline towards the end of the period of female genital activity; as the years go by, and particularly from around the age of 40 onwards, women experience a succession of sex hormone deficiencies at a rate and intensity that varies from one person to another. Progesterone levels begin to fluctuate in … Read more
Harpago , which means grapple or harpoon in Latin, and from the Greek phuton , which is translated by plant, vegetable , gives its name to harpagophytum because its fruits are provided with hooks curved in the shape of grapples; they cling to the fur and hooves of animals which frantically struggle in all directions to get rid of them, hence its other name of “Devil’s Claw” . A little … Read more
In immune pathologies in adults, particularly respiratory infections; the clinical approach in herbal medicine retains all its interest, in particular the use of standardized extracts guaranteeing the contribution of totum , so as to provide as much hyposoluble fractions ( ex: polysaccharides of ginseng for immune stimulation, in particular to strengthen the action of vaccines in the elderly ) than liposoluble ( eg: alkylamides of echinacea in acquired immunity ), … Read more
If the etymology does not tell us much about witch hazel, on the other hand the French and English synonyms tell us more: “ Witch-hazel “ → Le noisetier de sorcière. In fact, this endemic shrub in North America played the same role there, or nearly so, as the hazel tree in Europe. Dowsing rods were made from its branches , … Read more
Guarana is native to the lower Amazon, Brazil to be precise, where it grows in abundance. Cultivated in a few places on the South American continent, this plant has only been known in Europe since 1817. Guarana is a Brazilian name derived from the name of the Guarani tribe, indigenous to Amazonia. What is guarana? … Read more
When we hear about the griffonia for the first time, some country people will first think of hunting dogs, whether they are running or pointing, while urbanites will evoke canine breeds of amenities originating in Belgium. . Others, more focused on the marvelous and the fantastic , will immediately make reference to the griffin , this chimerical animal, a mixture … Read more
In the past, feverfew was known as Chrysanthemum parthenium . If we have since kept its adjective, this chrysanthemum has disappeared in favor of a tanacetum which borders on tansy, while this previous substantive brought it closer to the vast tribe of “chrysanthemums” , a word forged thanks to two Greek roots: chrysos , “Gold” and anthemos , “flower”. A little history Cazin , evoked a Matricaria parthenium , whose plate … Read more
Can herbal medicine help prevent cancer? Although there is a genetic predisposition to certain cancers , gene expression can be modulated through epigenetics; recent discipline, which explains how the environment and individual history modify gene expression. These phenomena are transmissible from one generation to another, but can be reversible, in particular under the influence of nutritional factors … Read more
Chaste tree, a medicinal plant revered since ancient times, is now attracting renewed interest for its remarkable therapeutic properties. Used by Hippocrates and Dioscorides for its curative virtues, chaste tree, or Vitex agnus-castus, offers a range of benefits from hormone regulation to anti-inflammatory applications. In this article, we delve into the fascinating world of chasteberry, … Read more
Also known as California poppy , eschscholtzia was traditionally used by Native Americans for the medicinal use of the latex of the plant as a pain reliever in toothache. They also used it to treat headaches, colic or to help children fall asleep. A little history The name of the plant was chosen in 1820 by the German Romantic poet and explorer Von … Read more
Orthomyxovirus and influenza viral infection The flu is a highly contagious acute respiratory infection caused by viruses Myxovirus influenzae . It manifests itself in the form of seasonal epidemics and affects up to 7 million people in France each winter. The influenza A (the most virulent) is responsible for most epidemics. The large number of patients each year, as well as the sometimes … Read more
Desmodium , plant of hepatic cytolysis , derives its name from the Greek “ desmos ” which means “ link ” or “ bundle ”, and refers to the stamens that meet in a tube at their ends, while Adscendens refers to the properties of the parts. aerials to ascend the trunks of oil palms in damp and shady places. A good mnemonic to remember that when the … Read more
A medical material, a tinctorial plant but also a spice, turmeric has provided its benefits to men for 3,000 years . This perennial plant, some specimens of which nowadays adorn florists’ shops, is best known for its underground parts which, like ginger, are in fact made up of rhizomes. A little history Turmeric has been known to the … Read more
The term “blackcurrant” takes its etymology from the Phoenician. This vegetal blackcurrant is a word appearing in the 16th century, at the same time as the first writings granted to it ( Rembert Dodoens , 1583) as well as the first medicinal mentions of its leaves and fruits ( Petrus Forestus , 1614). A little history Dodoens is Flemish, Forestus is Dutch. They are therefore … Read more
Caralluma flowers give off such a putrid smell that the Arab nomads nicknamed it qahr al-luhum (carnal sore, abscess). Over time and trade, the plant arrived in the West where its name was Latinized in Caralluma . It is a so-called “succulent” plant: it is capable of storing water in its stems and leaves . In fact, it was traditionally used by the Indians … Read more