Herbal medicine

The Herbal medicine, also Phytotherapy called, is the teaching of the use of medicinal plants to heal and alleviate diseases. It is one of the oldest medical therapies and is part of medicine on all continents.

What is herbal medicine?

In herbal medicine, only components of plants are used to treat diseases. Leaves, roots, flowers, bark or seeds can be used medicinally. However, isolated active ingredients are not used.

The plant components are also known pharmacologically as drugs and can be prepared fresh, as a tea infusion, decoction, cold extract, juice, tincture, powder, essential oil or extract. Medicinal plants are natural products and therefore their ingredients are subject to natural fluctuations. Location, climate, harvest and storage influence the content of ingredients. The well-known active ingredients in herbal medicine include essential oils, alkaloids, bitter substances, coumarins, tannins, glycosides, mucilages and saponins.

Function, effect & goals

In herbal medicine, different forms can be distinguished. On the one hand there is traditional European herbal medicine. Until 1800 it was the basis of all medical therapies. In the 19th century, however, it was increasingly replaced by conventional medicine.

Special forms of traditional European herbal medicine are spagyric and aromatherapy. The rational phytotherapy is based on traditional phytotherapy. The effectiveness of the plants is checked here according to scientific evaluation standards. There is also a traditional herbal medicine in Japan.

This is also known as Kampo. Just like traditional Japanese medicine, traditional Chinese medicine also uses plants for therapy. In Chinese herbalism, it is customary for each patient to receive a mixture that is individually tailored to him according to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. Medicinal plants are also used in the tradition of Indian Ayurveda.

The possible uses of herbal medicine are very broad. Essential oils, saponins, mucilages, tannins and flavonoids have been shown to be effective in the treatment of respiratory diseases. Plants such as thyme, ivy, ribwort, fennel, anise, marshmallow, spruce, primrose or liquorice soothe irritated airways, have an expectorant, cough-relieving and sometimes even antibacterial or antiviral effect.

Plants such as dandelion, milk thistle, artichoke, celandine, boldo or fume have a positive effect on the liver and bile. They can bring about a regeneration of the liver tissue, stabilize the liver cells and can alleviate side effects of liver diseases such as nausea, loss of appetite or a feeling of pressure in the upper abdomen. In addition, some of these medicinal plants stimulate the production of bile and / or accelerate the flow of bile. This also stimulates digestion. So-called bitter drugs also stimulate digestion.

Bitter substances stimulate the secretion of saliva and gastric juice. The secretion of digestive juices from the pancreas is also promoted. Bitter drugs such as gentian, wormwood, centaury, yarrow, calamus, ginger or pepper have an appetizing, antispasmodic, bile-promoting effect and prevent flatulence. Therefore, they are best given half an hour before a meal.

Hawthorn is a well-known herb used to strengthen the cardiovascular system. The procyanidins and flavonoids contained in hawthorn increase contraction and dilate blood vessels. Hawthorn is therefore often used to treat heart failure, heart failure and high blood pressure. The foxglove (digitalis) also contains ingredients that affect the heart. The cardiac glycosides are able to increase the beating power of the heart and lower the heart rate. Cardiac glycosides are also used in the treatment of heart failure. Strictly speaking, the therapy with cardiac glycosides does not belong to herbal medicine, since the whole plant or parts of the plant are usually not used for the therapy, but the active ingredient is isolated.

Herbal medicines are also used to increase the immune system. The best known immune stimulating plant is certainly the coneflower (Echinacea). Plants such as the Cape Pelargonium or the Water Dost also have a positive effect on the immune system. A further field of application of medicinal herbalism are diseases of the urogenital tract. Vegetable diuretics such as birch, goldenrod, nettle or field horsetail are particularly used here. In the case of inflammation of the urinary tract or the bladder, plants that have an antibiotic effect such as nasturtiums or horseradish have also proven to be helpful.

Risks, side effects & dangers

As a rule, phytopharmaceuticals are well tolerated and tend to have few side effects. In the case of organically caused, severe diseases, phytotherapy is not suitable as the sole therapy, but should only be used as a support after consultation with the treating doctor.

For reasons of pharmaceutical law and due to the lack of clinical studies, herbal medicine should be practiced with extreme caution during pregnancy, while breastfeeding and in children under 12 years of age. Responsible use of phytotherapeutic agents often shows great success here, so that although therapy is definitely recommended, it should only be carried out by experienced doctors or alternative practitioners.

Some medicinal plants or ingredients have special restrictions and contraindications. Caution is always advised in the case of allergies to sunflower. Many of the well-known medicinal plants belong to the sunflower family. If allergy sufferers come into contact with the plants, this can in the worst case lead to an allergic shock. People who are allergic to composites should also be careful when using essential oils. Absolute contraindications for treatment with plants containing anthranoids are intestinal obstruction or acute inflammatory diseases of the intestine.

Anthranoids have a laxative effect and are found, among other things, in Cape aloe, senna fruit or rhubarb root. Since bitter substances stimulate the production of digestive juices, they must not be used for stomach and intestinal ulcers. The stomach and intestinal lining would only be additionally irritated by the increased gastric acid produced.