The traditional use of plants for healing represents the most ancestral and popular medicine in the world. This is what we call phytotherapy which means “healing with plants” in Greek. This art consists of using plants and plant extracts in all their aspects with the aim of relieving everyday ailments. Bulk dried plants are the rawest form, which allows them to be exploited in the most authentic way. All parts of the plant (roots, rhizome, stem, flowers, bark, leaves, whole plant) can be used depending on the type of plant you use and the area you want to relieve. Plants are dried under specific conditions such as a dry place, sheltered from the sun, ventilated and at a mild temperature. These conditions are necessary to maintain the organoleptic characteristics and molecular composition of the plant. Known for many "grandmother's remedies", infusions and decoctions are the most common forms of using dried plants. However, they are traditionally prepared in many other forms such as poultices, lotions, compresses, gargles, creams and many more!
In herbal medicine, plants are used in multiple forms, more or less complex. We mainly find:
Medicinal plants derive their properties from the active ingredients they contain. It's not about magic, it's about chemistry. Here is a brief overview of the different types of molecules found in these plants and which give them medicinal properties:
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