How to Smart Use Herbal Medicines

Back to nature, a slogan that many eminent lately. It must be recognized that the use of herbal ingredients for the treatment of late increased. Many factors caused the rise as a therapeutic herbal ingredients. However, the use of herbal ingredients should also be based on the basic science right. Because not all the problems if left to the experts, then there will be some damage. Similarly, in terms of the use of herbs as a therapy.

Now, even when science has developed very rapidly, health care using traditional treatment methods are still widely used, both in developing countries and developed countries. According to WHO, up to 80% of the population in developing countries and 65% of the population in developed countries have been using herbal medicines.

WHAT IS A HERBAL MEDICINE?

Herbal ingredient is a plant or parts of plants used as flavor, taste, or for medication. Herbal medicine itself is a product derived from plants and used to improve health. Many herbal medicines have been used empirically (hereditary) as a drug in the treatment traditionally.
Based on the level of clinical trials, drugs can be classified into traditional herbal medicine (empirical based herbal medicines), medicinal extracts of natural / herbal standardized (scientific based herbal medicine), and fitofarmaka (based clinical herbal medicine). Jamu is a type of herb that has not been through the process of due diligence, just based on people's experience, while the standardized herbal medicine has been tested the efficacy and toxicity (toxicity), but not yet tested its use in patients.

Current level of herbal has been recognized by modern medical science is that has gone through three important test, namely preclinical trials (efficacy and toxicity tests), test to determine the identity of pharmaceutical technology or nutritious ingredients until thoroughly standardized product can be made, as well as clinical trials to the patient. To be equivalent to modern medicine, traditional medicine must pass through these processes. Where have passed clinical trials, herbal medicine is then called a decent phytopharmaca prescribed by a doctor and can circulate in the health care center.