The University of Maryland Medical Center states that Herbal Therapy also called botanical medicine or phytomedicine, refers to using plant’s, seeds, berries, leaves, barks, or flowers for medicinal purposes. Herbalism has a long tradition of use outside conventional medicine. It is becoming more mainstream as improvements in analysis and quality control, along with advances in clinical research, show the value of herbal medicine in treating and preventing diseases. Herbal medicine is a natural, non-toxic way to treat many conditions of ill-health. It is holistic, meaning it treats the whole person, embracing all levels of an individual: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Herbal medicines are widely preferred by some individuals all …show more content…
There are also some health care providers that are also trained in Herbal Medicine. They serve to create treatment plans for patients who prefer herbal therapeutic treatments. Herbal Therapy although so commonly used is said to be very dangerous to health as it too has side effects , it can go as far as to cause death to an individual. Therefore, the WHO recommends that it is used with precaution or as recommended by trained medical personnel. The majority of the world's population relies on herbal medicine as its primary form of treatment, and indeed most modern drugs originate from isolated phytochemicals (phyto – plant: a phytochemical is a chemical constituent of a plant). Herbal practitioners believe that using the whole herb, as nature intended it, rather than a single chemical is a more effective method of treatment. Dandelion leaf, for instance is an effective diuretic herb. Drug-based diuretics, while achieving a similar effect, deplete the body of potassium and may require supplementation. Dandelion is naturally very high in potassium, thus providing a balanced medicine, naturally. Phytochemicals have an enormous scope, including: anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial constituents, as well as chemicals capable of preventing muscle cramp, reducing blood pressure, enhancing immune function, relaxing the nervous system and improving digestion, to name but a