The first step we are going to take to know the meaning of the term phytotherapy is to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can point out that it is a word that derives from Greek, since it is the result of the sum of several lexical components of said language:
-The word “phyton”, which can be translated as “vegetable”.
-The noun “therapy”, which is synonymous with “medical treatment”.
Likewise, we can emphasize that this term was coined by the French doctor Henri Leclerc at the beginning of the 20th century.
The notion of phytotherapy refers to the use of plants and products of plant origin to prevent, treat or cure diseases . The concept refers to a modality of what is known as natural therapies or alternative therapies .
When a person turns to a medicinal plant to improve their health , they are appealing to phytotherapy. It is important to keep in mind that, beyond the natural content of phytotherapy, these substances are not always beneficial, and can even be harmful. There are toxic plants and others that, when interacting with various elements, can cause adverse effects.
That is why you should always consult a doctor before deciding to take a medicinal plant and resorting to phytotherapy. Only a medical professional is qualified to warn about the possible consequences of these remedies.
The origins of phytotherapy are found in Prehistory , when man appealed to empiricism to discover the properties of plants applied to health. With the passage of time, human beings gathered knowledge in this regard until the development of phytotherapies.
Today, phytotherapy and conventional medicine have points of contact. Sometimes, in fact, medicinal plants and drugs share the same active ingredient (that is, the substance with toxic or pharmacological properties). The problem with phytotherapy is that, many times, the level of content of said active ingredient is not exactly known since it varies depending on the growth, processing and harvesting of the plant. This makes it difficult to standardize the product and, therefore, its precise dosage.
Other information of interest about phytotherapy are the following:
-It is considered that currently there are more than 100,000 species of plants that have healing properties.
-Among the plants that are most used for healing purposes we find rosemary, which is good for dealing with muscle and joint pain; aloe vera, which is rejuvenating and soothes skin burns; lavender, which relieves headaches; or thyme, which is useful for ending the symptoms of certain minor ailments.
-The diseases or ailments that are usually most treated with phytotherapy are anxiety, headaches, lack of appetite, urinary infections, constipation, varicose veins, flu, dermatitis, overweight or lack of appetite.
-Traditionally, phytotherapy has chosen to administer these medicinal plants through herbal teas. However, increasingly they can be taken in the form of syrups, capsules or even drops. Without overlooking that some are easily found for sale in cream form.