Natural medicine and ancient based on the use of plants, herbal medicine is widely used around the world for its effectiveness and the few side effects it causes.

Used in a curative or preventive way, it is effective when it is well advised.

Today, phytotherapists often offer other associated techniques (well-being, stress management etc…) which potentiates its beneficial effects, and allow a global management of the person and his problems.

The main principles

Herbal medicine is a natural medicine based on the use of plants and their extracts.

The word phytotherapy comes from the Greek phyton which means plants and therapeia which means to cure.

It is considered by the WHO as conventional medicine.

In herbal medicine, the active principles of plants are used to prevent or treat certain problems.

There are several approaches in herbal medicine: Some herbalists advocate a holistic approach, they are interested in the effects of the plant as a whole, on the whole individual.

Others are based more on biochemical knowledge and are more concerned with the symptoms of diseases and the action of the active ingredients of plants.

Herbalism is more associated with the empirical school and herbal medicine with the scientific school, but this distinction is tending to diminish, as tradition and chemistry benefit more and more from each other. On the other hand, herbalists often deal with the preparation, mixing and processing (concentrates, oils, elixirs, ointments, etc.) of plants and their cultivation, which phytotherapists rarely do.

It is absolutely undeniable that plants have curative and preventive effects for countless diseases and ailments. One need only consult the monographs in the Natural health products section on PasseportSanté.net to be convinced. Each presents extensive scientific research showing the properties of the plant studied.

However, research and development in herbal medicine is severely handicapped compared to the pharmaceutical industry. Indeed, it is very difficult to finance, with millions of dollars, research which would show, for example, the effectiveness of the dandelion root to treat the liver, knowing that we will never be able to patent the dandelion in order to make profitable its investment.

In addition, in herbal medicine, and even more in traditional herbalism, the synergy between the different components and active principles of the plant is essential. Unfortunately, currently recognized research methods are based on isolating only one element at a time to try to find out its particular effect.

However, new rigorous research protocols are now being developed which respect the peculiarities of plants (synergy, consideration of trace elements, vibratory action, etc.). For example, we are considering studying the physiological responses to herbal treatments (stimulation of blood circulation, expectoration, diuretic effects, influence on digestion, etc.) rather than statistically evaluating their effects on morbidity [2] .

In recent years, a few systematic reviews [3-6] and randomized clinical studies [7-9] on herbal medicine have been published. The main health problems studied were arthritis [7], cancer [3], Alzheimer’s disease [5], symptoms of menopause [8,9] and pain [6]. The results show that herbal medicine, alone or in combination with conventional medicine, shows promise in the treatment of certain diseases. However, the poor quality of many of these studies limits conclusions about the efficacy of herbal medicine.

Usually, herbal remedies in common use cause very little or no side effects: this is one of their main advantages. In addition, the synergistic action of the various constituents is beginning to be better understood and scientifically accepted [10]. Finally, contrary to some popular beliefs, several plants have almost immediate effects on the metabolism [2].

On the other hand, synthetic drugs often have a more direct and spectacular action since they are formulated to be immediately assimilated by the body. It is also easier to ensure their exact composition, quality and storage conditions.

In summary, here are the main benefits of herbal medicine:

• Useful in prevention
• In accompaniment
• Few side effects
• No addictive effect
• Fast action

The use of medicinal plants dates back to 3000 years BC, at the time the Sumerians used decoctions of plants to heal, engraved clay tablets testify to the use of several hundred medicinal plants.

Herbal medicine is still the most common form of medicine around the world today. However, towards the end of the XNUMXth century, it experienced a rapid decline in the West with the advent of scientific medicine and the appearance of modern drugs (aspirin, antibiotics, cortisone, etc.). 

However, since the 1970s, partly because of the side effects of synthetic drugs, people have turned to herbal remedies again. Their growing popularity has prompted scientists to undertake new research. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Community have created organizations to identify traditional uses of medicinal plants, to validate them scientifically and to better understand their underlying mechanisms. Two such bodies are Commission E and Escop. They serve as a reference for the sheets in our Natural health products section. Let us also recall that the movement of eclectic medicine [1] in the nineteenth century and until the middle of the twentieth century had accomplished a great deal of work in this direction in the United States before being swept away by the wind of modernism.

The phytotherapist

Herbalists and herbalists generally practice in private practice, in health centers, in natural products stores – sometimes only as an advisor – and in clinics attached to training schools. A session usually includes a health and lifestyle checkup, followed by an analysis of the symptoms of the condition. Prescribing plants (cultivated by the practitioner or from a commercial source) constitutes a large part of the treatment, but the therapist may also recommend, for example, a change in diet or the practice of physical or relaxation exercises.

Course of a session

It is after having evaluated, during an assessment, the needs of the person who consults, that the phytotherapist will advise him of plants (in the form of capsules, decoctions, local application or other …) to work in the field or else manage symptoms.

Sometimes, the phytotherapist can recommend changes in the hygiene of life (diet, sport, exercises for stress management or others …)

The duration of a consultation varies, but it is on average one hour.

The phytotherapist will regularly offer assessments to assess progress and may, if necessary, advise other plants or other natural methods of well-being to restore the land.

You should know that with the evolution of alternative medicine, phytotherapy has become very complementary to other disciplines of well-being, which is why now, the majority of phytotherapists practice other techniques in a more global vision. and holistic of the human being (for example naturopath / phytotherapist, or relaxologist / phytotherapist).

Herbal medicine training

There are many schools of phytotherapy in France.

Each school offers its program, the profession is not regulated, some phytotherapists are trained in private schools, others complete their training at the university.

The various training courses offer an often very theoretical approach, but it is especially with years of practice and experience that the phytotherapist will refine his choices, and will be able to offer the plants or combinations of plants most suited to his client.

The most elaborate training is given in Europe. In the UK, the university level program approved by the National Institute of Medical Herbalists [15] involves 4 years of full-time study. Other programs, established according to the standards of the European Herbal & Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association [16], require up to 5 years of study.

Currently, the 2-year training, including internships, is offered remotely. Finally, remember that in Germany, herbal medicine is an integral part of the training program for doctors.

Contraindications of phytotherapy

Plants contain active ingredients which can be as harmful, toxic or even fatal as they are or linked to the dose that we have taken. There are also interactions with other plants, drugs or food supplements.

It is therefore very important to always seek advice from a qualified phytotherapist who will have taken the time to ask all the necessary questions in order to get to know you better and to offer you appropriate advice.

Not everything that is “natural” is harmless. Some plants are simply poisonous and others can be harmful by interacting with other plants, drugs or supplements. Most of PasseportSanté.net’s herbal monographs indicate potential harmful interactions for each.

Herbal medicine is an integral part of my daily practice as a complement to a global, holistic and integrative approach to the person. Indeed, the fact of being able to balance the grounds and to propose at the same time various techniques of management of the stress makes it possible to obtain excellent results because one addresses at the same time the body and its physiological processes, as well as to the mind whether at the conscious or unconscious level.