Study: 28,187 Plant Species Used as Medicines Throughout the World
June 7th, 2017 By Sayer Ji Contributing writer for Wake Up World A powerful new study reminds us that natural medicine was once, and still is, the default medical system on this planet… In fact, the use of synthetically produced patent medicines (pharmaceuticals) is a relatively recent development (circa 1870), and should really be called the “alternative medicine” vis-a-vis time-tested, far safer approaches that rely on food, spices, and carefully prepared and administered plant extracts. A powerful new report released by the Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom reveals that there are currently 28,187 plant species recorded as being of medicinal use throughout the world. In addition, the report revealed that fewer than 16% (4,478) of the species used in plant-based medicines are cited in a medicinal regulatory publication. While the lesser developed countries are the primary users of plant medicines, they are used in great abundance throughout the world. Even in countries like Germany where conventional, drug-based medicine is the default approach, about 90% of their population also uses herbal medicines. Even the most pharmaceutically obsessed country in the world, the United States, spent 17 billion dollars on traditional herbal medicines in 2000 alone, and the number has grown steadily since then. [An interesting side note: Even Insects Use ‘Natural Medicine’ Because It Works!] It should be noted that mixing plant-based medicines with pharmaceuticals can be dangerous, and as the report points out, many of these plants contain compounds that can cause harm if taken incorrectly. There is also a problem with misnaming or multiple names for the same plant-based medicines:
The report also pointed out that plants still provide the majority of lead compounds for drug development, with many still being directly extracted from medicinal plants:
In some sense, then, one can consider pharmaceutical medicine “plant-based,” with the difference that their patent-based model almost invariably amplifies the toxic side effects to the patient. The report also points out that presently, of the 5 drugs developmental specifically to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, two are derived from plants:
Another study mentioned in the report found that there are a staggering 656 flowering plant species used traditionally for diabetes, representing 437 genera and 111 families. For instance, Metformin, probably the most well known drug for diabetes, was modeled after the anti-diabetic properties of Galega officinalis (goat’s rue). Unfortunately, even when a compound is isolated from a natural plant, it can lose its informational integrity, and may behave more like a chemical than a natural substance embedded within the synergistic context of the whole plant. Let’s Grow the Evidence Supporting Plant-Based Medicine!As many of our readers already know, GreenMedInfo was founded to create a central repository for research on the medicinal benefits of natural substances, including the thousands of plants presently used in culinary and herbal medicine applications. Our Research Dashboard contains over 30,000 abstracts accessible through 10,000 separate databases. Our mission is to help the public understand the profound value that plant medicine has in preventing and treating disease:
Our goal at GreenMedInfo.com is to index 100,000 abstracts demonstrating the value of natural substances in the prevention and treatment of disease. We are an ad-free, user-supported platform. Please consider supporting our project by becoming a member today. About the author:
Sayer Ji is the founder of Greenmedinfo.com, a reviewer at the International Journal of Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, Co-founder and CEO of Systome Biomed, Vice Chairman of the Board of the National Health Federation, and Steering Committee Member of the Global Non-GMO Foundation. |