Medicinal Plants: Natural Treasures for your Health

Medicinal plants are plants used for millennia for their beneficial properties on human and animal health. This category of natural products encompasses a wide variety of plants, each part of which can have specific therapeutic virtues:

• Roots, rhizomes and bulbs (e.g. ginger, valerian)
• Barks (e.g. cinnamon, willow)
• Leaves (e.g. mint, thyme)
• Flowers and flowering tops (e.g. chamomile, lavender)
• Fruits and seeds (e.g. fennel, flax)

Medicinal plants come in various forms:

1. Dried plants for infusions and decoctions
2. Powders and capsules
3. Tinctures and liquid extracts
4. Essential oils
5. Balms and ointments

They are used in traditional and modern herbal medicine to relieve various ailments and strengthen overall health. However, their use is regulated:

• Some plants are over-the-counter (148 plants authorized outside pharmacies)
• Others come under the pharmaceutical monopoly
• Their marketing depends on their classification (medication, food supplement, cosmetic)

Choose quality medicinal plants, from reliable sources, to fully benefit from their natural benefits while respecting the precautions for use.