Abstract

HERBAL MEDICINES AS AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF THERAPY: A REVIEW

Mudasir Maqbool*, Mohmad Amin Dar, Imran Gani, Suhail Ahmad Mir and Misba Khan

ABSTRACT

According to WHO Herbal medicines include herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations and finished herbal products that contain as active ingredients parts of plants, or other plant materials, or combination. Since prehistoric times, indigenous plants have been used for the cure of various aliments in different parts of the world. In nature, there is enormous variety of herbs, having medicinal properties and are used to prepare the herbal medicines. Herbal medicine is an alternative treatment that involves using of different plants and plant extracts. Herbal medicines combine with immune system of the human body to create an even detoxification process. Herbal medicines are obtained from relatively harmless plant matter that the human body can easily digest. In recent years there is a renewed interest regarding survival of Ayurvedic forms of medications. In the global perspective, there is a renewed shift towards the use of medicine of herbal origin as the dangers and shortcoming of modern medicine have started getting more apparent. In this review, we will briefly provide information about various aspects of Herbal medicines.

Keywords: Herbal drugs, Ayurvedic preparations, Ailments.