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:
- Dried plants for infusions and decoctions
- Powders and capsules
- Tinctures and liquid extracts
- Essential oils
- 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.
