Phytoterapy

From tradition to phytotherapy

Phytotherapy is a medical practice based on the use of plants. It is the oldest medical practice used by man. Even animals instinctively use plants to cure themselves.

From the 19th century, scientists identified active substances present in plants and isolated them to obtain chemical medicines with increasing numbers of active ingredients, but increasingly less respect for our body’s balance.

Phytotherapy in the 21st century must offer solutions which are both gentle and effective and which meet the needs of patients, doctors and pharmacists.

The main active ingredient is the substance in the plant which has the required properties.

To do good without doing harm

As well as their now widely demonstrated effectiveness, plants offer the tremendous advantage of a gentle action, with minimum side effects. This characteristic of phytotherapy gives it a privileged place in the treatment of many modern ailments.

Plants are used in many ways

Infusion : boiling water is poured over the plant, which is then left to infuse for 3 to 10 minutes. Soaking : The plant is kept in cold water over several hours or several days depending on the plant type. Decoction : the plant is boiled for 5 to 10 minutes then cooled and filtered. Mother tincture : resulting from the soaking of the dried plant in alcohol at 40°, 60° or 80°. Whole plant powder : produced by grinding the dried plant. The powder obtained is generally put into capsules. Standard plant extract : concentrate obtained through evaporation of a prepared soaked solution from the plant (extract is comparable to instant coffee). This method enables the essence of the useful components to be extracted while controlling the content of active ingredients at all times; i.e. standardisation of an extract.