REASONS OF INTEREST FOR PHYTOTHERAPY

Key words: Phytotherapy, Medicinal plants, Herbal remedies, Complementary medicine

The use of herbal medicines, usually marketed as dietary (food, nutritional) supplements, is rapidly increasing all over the word. Such remedies are often perceived as being ‘natural and therefore free of risks’. There are numerous studies on the effectiveness of herbal medicine, but there is also some concern with the product quality due to limited regulation of dietary supplements and a certain lack of knowledge about their interaction with other drugs. This article is an attempt to review the use of herbal medicine products and to discuss some of the implications arising from it. Its aim is to alert healthcare professionals to the fact that herbal medicine products are not entirely free of risks.