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Informative Material
In this section you will find a lot of relevant and interesting information:
published articles, interviews with important professionals in the sector,
information about our products…
The truth about medicinal plants
HISTORICAL USE. FROM FOLK KNOWLEDGE TO SCIENTIFIC PROOF
The use of medicinal plants is as old as mankind. Ancient civilizations already obtained from them the remedies for their health, and during centuries "medicines" came from nature. It was not until the late nineteenth century, with the development of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, when drugs began to be isolated and synthetic substances started to be used.
Parallel to this progress, research in the field of medicinal plants increased significantly. Today, we have a great knowledge about their chemical composition, pharmacological properties, therapeutic indications, dosage, contraindications and even about the adverse effects of a great part of them.
The use of medicinal plants has moved from the popular knowledge to scientific proof. As an example, thyme water (Thymus vulgaris), has been traditionally used to wash wounds in order to disinfect them. Today, studies have shown the antiseptic and antibacterial properties of this plant. This is also the case of echinacea (Echinacea purpurea), a plant that Native Americans began to use for healing purposes in snake bites and other ailments. Today it is known as the "plant antibiotic". Its activity is explained by its antimicrobial action and its ability to stimulate the immune system, contributing to combat infections and stimulating immune responses. A study by researchers at the University of Connecticut (USA) and published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases found that Echinacea decreases the risk of a cold by 58% and helps to shorten its duration.
MEDICINES DIRECTLY DERIVED FROM PLANTS
The fact that modern medicine is based on tradition is beyond discussion. If the popular uses of plants had not been known, it would not have been possible to investigate and subsequently isolate the active principles of plants. Many medicines are directly derived from plants.
One of the most well-known cases is that of aspirin. Its active principle, acetylsalicylic acid, comes from the willow bark, which more than 2000 years ago was already used in China to eliminate pain and reduce fever.
Other medications, for hospital use and extremely controlled, also have their origin in nature. It is the case of digoxin, which is used in some heart ailments and is extracted from foxglove (Digitalis lanata), or morphine, one of the most used opioids, which comes from poppy (Papaver somniferum).
NATURE KNOWS BEST
Active principles are just substances with a certain action on the organism. Nature is so wise that each plant usually contains several balanced groups of active principles, so that their adverse effects are counteracted.
This is the case of tea. Among its active principles we can find tannins and alkaloids. The latter are those who contain caffeine. When tea is allowed to infuse for more than two minutes, tannins bind alkaloids and weaken their effects. For this reason, the more time tea macerates, the more tannins it contains, and the less are the stimulating effects of caffeine.
EXHAUSTIVE CONTROLS
Scientific research has not only allowed progress in the knowledge of the active principles of plants. We also know that medicinal plants may have adverse effects (due to excessive or prolonged doses) or interact with other active principles, either from other plants or from medicines.
There are numerous toxicity studies on medicinal plants. And this scientific backing makes them very safe substances. In 2004, the Spanish Ministry of Health published an order listing 197 plants whose sale to the public is prohibited or restricted due to their toxicity.
These controls are not exclusively limited to their mechanisms of action and the effects of their active principles. At present, herbal products manufactured by prestigious laboratories are subjected to exhaustive quality controls throughout their manufacturing process. Herbal products are tested at source and raw materials used in them are, in many cases, coming from organic farming and crops free from chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
During the processing of medicinal plants to obtain extracts, oils or powder, among other products, laboratories of natural products also follow strict quality controls and are subject to rigorous sanitary standards. Finished herbal products that reach consumers have all the guarantees necessary for their use. Laboratories dedicated to the elaboration of natural medicinal products have, in many cases, the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certification for the proper manufacturing of medicines. This quality control system is the same as that required by the Spanish Agency of Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (AEMPS) for pharmaceutical laboratories, and therefore, it guarantees the quality, safety and efficacy of herbal products. In addition, before being put on the maket, products are notified to the competent health authorities for their authorization.
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE AND PROFESSIONAL DIAGNOSIS
The use of natural medicine should always be accompanied by a good diagnostic approach. It is essential to count on professional advice to determine what therapies should be used and whether they should be used as a complement or as an alternative to conventional medicine.
The current trend is toward Integrative Medicine, that is, combining conventional medicine and natural medicine, through scientific evidence, to make available to people all instruments and resources for their cure or improvement. Phytotherapy should not replace drugs prescribed for diseases whose diagnosis and treatment is exclusive to allopathic medicine. However, it can be very helpful in alleviating and coping with certain symptoms and, in other cases, in helping to change the conditions that favor the onset of the disease. For example, we can not treat a myocardial infarction with medicinal plants, but we can include in our diet foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids or medicinal plants such as garlic (Allium sativum) with antithrombotic properties.
In order to continue to advance along this path, Natural Medicine urgently needs regulation. It is necessary to establish a regulation, so that the rules of the game for this industry are established, and to count on a regulated program of studies so that consumers can have all the appropriate information about it and are advised and treated by professionals specialized in medicine and phytotherapy.
It is a question of following the advice of the World Health Organization, which urges the integration of therapies and natural products into health systems, as is already the case in many countries such as the United States, Germany, England, Portugal, Mexico or China, among others.
Twittear
HISTORICAL USE. FROM FOLK KNOWLEDGE TO SCIENTIFIC PROOF
The use of medicinal plants is as old as mankind. Ancient civilizations already obtained from them the remedies for their health, and during centuries "medicines" came from nature. It was not until the late nineteenth century, with the development of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, when drugs began to be isolated and synthetic substances started to be used.
Parallel to this progress, research in the field of medicinal plants increased significantly. Today, we have a great knowledge about their chemical composition, pharmacological properties, therapeutic indications, dosage, contraindications and even about the adverse effects of a great part of them.
The use of medicinal plants has moved from the popular knowledge to scientific proof. As an example, thyme water (Thymus vulgaris), has been traditionally used to wash wounds in order to disinfect them. Today, studies have shown the antiseptic and antibacterial properties of this plant. This is also the case of echinacea (Echinacea purpurea), a plant that Native Americans began to use for healing purposes in snake bites and other ailments. Today it is known as the "plant antibiotic". Its activity is explained by its antimicrobial action and its ability to stimulate the immune system, contributing to combat infections and stimulating immune responses. A study by researchers at the University of Connecticut (USA) and published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases found that Echinacea decreases the risk of a cold by 58% and helps to shorten its duration.
MEDICINES DIRECTLY DERIVED FROM PLANTS
The fact that modern medicine is based on tradition is beyond discussion. If the popular uses of plants had not been known, it would not have been possible to investigate and subsequently isolate the active principles of plants. Many medicines are directly derived from plants.
One of the most well-known cases is that of aspirin. Its active principle, acetylsalicylic acid, comes from the willow bark, which more than 2000 years ago was already used in China to eliminate pain and reduce fever.
Other medications, for hospital use and extremely controlled, also have their origin in nature. It is the case of digoxin, which is used in some heart ailments and is extracted from foxglove (Digitalis lanata), or morphine, one of the most used opioids, which comes from poppy (Papaver somniferum).
NATURE KNOWS BEST
Active principles are just substances with a certain action on the organism. Nature is so wise that each plant usually contains several balanced groups of active principles, so that their adverse effects are counteracted.
This is the case of tea. Among its active principles we can find tannins and alkaloids. The latter are those who contain caffeine. When tea is allowed to infuse for more than two minutes, tannins bind alkaloids and weaken their effects. For this reason, the more time tea macerates, the more tannins it contains, and the less are the stimulating effects of caffeine.
EXHAUSTIVE CONTROLS
Scientific research has not only allowed progress in the knowledge of the active principles of plants. We also know that medicinal plants may have adverse effects (due to excessive or prolonged doses) or interact with other active principles, either from other plants or from medicines.
There are numerous toxicity studies on medicinal plants. And this scientific backing makes them very safe substances. In 2004, the Spanish Ministry of Health published an order listing 197 plants whose sale to the public is prohibited or restricted due to their toxicity.
These controls are not exclusively limited to their mechanisms of action and the effects of their active principles. At present, herbal products manufactured by prestigious laboratories are subjected to exhaustive quality controls throughout their manufacturing process. Herbal products are tested at source and raw materials used in them are, in many cases, coming from organic farming and crops free from chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
During the processing of medicinal plants to obtain extracts, oils or powder, among other products, laboratories of natural products also follow strict quality controls and are subject to rigorous sanitary standards. Finished herbal products that reach consumers have all the guarantees necessary for their use. Laboratories dedicated to the elaboration of natural medicinal products have, in many cases, the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certification for the proper manufacturing of medicines. This quality control system is the same as that required by the Spanish Agency of Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (AEMPS) for pharmaceutical laboratories, and therefore, it guarantees the quality, safety and efficacy of herbal products. In addition, before being put on the maket, products are notified to the competent health authorities for their authorization.
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE AND PROFESSIONAL DIAGNOSIS
The use of natural medicine should always be accompanied by a good diagnostic approach. It is essential to count on professional advice to determine what therapies should be used and whether they should be used as a complement or as an alternative to conventional medicine.
The current trend is toward Integrative Medicine, that is, combining conventional medicine and natural medicine, through scientific evidence, to make available to people all instruments and resources for their cure or improvement. Phytotherapy should not replace drugs prescribed for diseases whose diagnosis and treatment is exclusive to allopathic medicine. However, it can be very helpful in alleviating and coping with certain symptoms and, in other cases, in helping to change the conditions that favor the onset of the disease. For example, we can not treat a myocardial infarction with medicinal plants, but we can include in our diet foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids or medicinal plants such as garlic (Allium sativum) with antithrombotic properties.
In order to continue to advance along this path, Natural Medicine urgently needs regulation. It is necessary to establish a regulation, so that the rules of the game for this industry are established, and to count on a regulated program of studies so that consumers can have all the appropriate information about it and are advised and treated by professionals specialized in medicine and phytotherapy.
It is a question of following the advice of the World Health Organization, which urges the integration of therapies and natural products into health systems, as is already the case in many countries such as the United States, Germany, England, Portugal, Mexico or China, among others.