- What is phytotherapy?;
- Popular myths about herbal medicine;
- Myth 1: natural plant components are non-toxic, unlike synthetic chemical compounds;
- Myth 2: herbs are completely harmless to the human body;
- Myth 3: herbal preparations used in herbal medicine do not cause allergies;
- Myth 4: herbs are not perceived by the body as something foreign;
- Myth 5: a large number of active substances in plants promotes treatment;
- What follows from this?;
Herbal medicine, or herbal medicine – is known since ancient times a simple and pleasant way to get rid of many diseases. Today, treatment with herbal medicines is actively used not only by grandmothers from villages, but also by many qualified doctors. Only now is it safe herbal medicine, as is commonly believed?
What is phytotherapy?
Phytotherapy is the art of using plants in the treatment of diseases. Interestingly, this concept also includes the use of mushrooms for medicinal purposes. For the first time, as proved by historians, this method began to apply the ancient Sumerians. Even then, healers and healers knew about the properties of herbs growing around and could successfully use them to achieve certain therapeutic goals.
Today, despite the active use of synthetic drugs, herbal medicine still finds fans. Moreover, in recent years, herbal medicine has become increasingly popular. This is explained, according to experts, a large number of myths, which are shrouded in abundance medicinal herbs.
Popular myths about herbal medicine
Herbal medicine is becoming increasingly popular among people who are not ready to” poison with chemistry ” and would like to use only natural products. However, few of those who are not directly related to medicine, understands that herbal medicine is not as harmless as it seems. There are five main myths that encourage a person to give preference to medicinal herbs, rather than medicines produced at the plant.
Myth 1: natural plant components are non-toxic, unlike synthetic chemical compounds
And now let’s remember the state of ecology on the planet. Yes, advertising convinces people of the existence of Alpine meadows and clean springs, but the clouds filled with chemical vapors travel around the world! And plants are able to absorb toxins not only from water, but also from the soil, and sometimes even from the air.
Moreover, many plants and fungi produce toxic substances themselves. A good example is an ordinary fly agaric, from which it is sometimes advised to make tinctures for the treatment of malignant tumors.
Myth 2: herbs are completely harmless to the human body
Perhaps one of the main misconceptions. In fact, plant components, as well as chemically derived drugs, are excreted by the liver, kidneys, respiratory system. Like the notorious “chemistry”, plants can damage the organs by which their metabolism occurs.
It is no accident that almost all medicinal plants have contraindications. Their impact on the human body is ambiguous, and improper use of herbal medicines can cause no less harm to the body than self-treatment using synthetic drugs.
Myth 3: herbal preparations used in herbal medicine do not cause allergies
Linden color, for example, is widely used in medicine — but there are a huge number of people suffering from allergies as soon as this tree begins to bloom. Similarly, things are with a lot of medicinal herbs. Moreover, you can never guess what kind of plant will provoke an Allergy in a particular person.
Myth 4: herbs are not perceived by the body as something foreign
Another popular misconception that leads to many problems in practice. Unfortunately, the substances contained in plants are only vaguely similar to the bioregulators used by the human body. Because of this, it is impossible to fully compensate for their insufficiency by using herbal medicines alone.
A good illustration is phytopreparations used by women in the menopausal period in order to normalize the amount of estrogen. Everyone knows that legumes, clover, dates, flax and sunflower seeds are rich in phytoestrogens, but they are recommended to use only with a mild course of menopause. If it is difficult, the use of chemically obtained estrogens is shown, since they are better absorbed by the body and produce a more pronounced effect.
Myth 5: a large number of active substances in plants promotes treatment
This myth is quite a big danger. The fact that the components contained in plants are included not only for human convenience, but also to ensure that the plant can survive in the wild. In this regard, one herb may include substances that act on the human body with the opposite effect. And maybe Vice versa-contain substances that enhance the effect of other components.
Such a composition significantly complicates the calculation of dosage and prediction of inter-component interactions. With drugs produced in factories, in this regard, everything is easier: the doctor already knows what and how to interact with the selected drug, how to choose the dosage, with which drugs it is better not to combine.
We should not forget that any “chemical” medicine undergoes thorough research, during which the recommended dosages are established, undesirable reactions are detected, optimal drug interactions are selected for certain diseases. With herbs, such studies are practically not conducted and, most likely, in the near future will not be conducted.
What follows from this?
If a person is familiar with all the “pitfalls” that can give him herbal medicine, he will think ten times, choose him some infusion, or still prefer pills. After all, herbal medicine, like any other treatment, is associated with a number of risks that you should be aware of.