How a research domain is theoretically defined or framed might influence how it is practically perceived by citizens or experts from other research domains. This can be illustrated with the definition of ‘Phytotherapy’ often defined as ‘treatment with plants or plant components’. Following recent estimates of ‘O.M.S.’ (270.000 plant species currently identified in taxonomic Botany. Pharmaceutical treatment involves digestion or physical penetration of molecules or plant components targeting physiological or neurophysiological processes. However, psychologists guiding depressed people might argue that flowers or any vegetation used to decorate gardens, houses or green space also involve ‘Phytotherapy’. Perception of green space, including park or forest landscape, can reduce mental stress therefore improving health status. Moreover, diet specialists argue that consumed fruits contain all ingredients essential for physiological and, why not, mental performance. Thus vegetable consumption could be defined as ‘Phytotherapy’ accepting vegetables form an essential part of the human diet influencing and improving health status. The question then is why those that defined ‘Phytotherapy’ made a distinction between plants consumed or digested and plants observed or perceived? Plants consumed or digested and plants observed or perceived are just acting on different parts of the human body, either via physiology (energy, metabolism) or neuron system receptors. Any plant component improving health status could thus by definition be placed under the heading ‘Phytotherapy’. Phytotherapy therefore would involve all visual stimuli lowering stress thus reducing risks of depression or mental disease, all vegetation stimuli or components acting directly on physiology, neurology or immunology, or all plants or plant substances changing external appearance to improve social interaction and integration. It does not exclude that actions of vegetation improving health are individual-specific, whatever the plant components involved. Some people might consider wildlife herbs as waste to be removed from urban green space, whereas others might consider the same wildlife herbs as essential parts of the urban landscape reducing mental stress. Some people might also be more or less allergic to one plant component, even those currently considered as treatment in pharmaceutical research. This implies that the definition of ‘Phytotherapy’ would be individual-specific. Nearly all plants may have phytotherapeutic action in at least one individual, just depending on scales of analysis and application defined.
Dear Marcel Lambrechts
I think plants may be reduce the mental stress by one of the following reasons
1. The non polar compounds which liberate by the plants may be transferred into the human body through respiration and reduce the mental stress
2. We can get more purified oxygen from green spaces which automatically refresh our mind and relief from the mental stress
3. We used to assume easily anything with our recent day’s technology, but the natural mechanism always beyond our assumption. We have limited facility to understand or prove the exact mechanism
Coming to plant compounds, most of the scientists used to deny the importance of synergistic effect of the medicinal plant extracts. They used to suggest individual compounds for the bioactivity. The toxicity is an important matter in the pharmacological treatment. The medicinal plants were used by ancient people all over the world. We need to validate these ancient treatment methods with our recent technology without damaging its original value. If we use plants as a medicine with proper guidance it will be safe. In our country we have Siddha course for the practicing the ancient traditional methods (medicinal plant treatment) and it is recognized by our government. The ancient literature describes the important medicinal plants and how to use them. They have done the experiment (Human trial) over many thousands of years. If we take the vast knowledge from them, there will be no problem with the medicinal plant treatment.
All of the plants having secondary metabolites, that is why mostly all are having some bioactivity. But here the difficulty is the selection of medicinal plant for a particular disease and some plants are having a toxic or allergic effect. Without knowing if we use any medical practice, including medicinal plant treatment. It will be difficult.
Benefits from the plants through direct or indirect form, we can call it as “Phytotherapy”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddha_medicine
Dear Marcel Lambrechts
I think plants may be reduce the mental stress by one of the following reasons
1. The non polar compounds which liberate by the plants may be transferred into the human body through respiration and reduce the mental stress
2. We can get more purified oxygen from green spaces which automatically refresh our mind and relief from the mental stress
3. We used to assume easily anything with our recent day’s technology, but the natural mechanism always beyond our assumption. We have limited facility to understand or prove the exact mechanism
Coming to plant compounds, most of the scientists used to deny the importance of synergistic effect of the medicinal plant extracts. They used to suggest individual compounds for the bioactivity. The toxicity is an important matter in the pharmacological treatment. The medicinal plants were used by ancient people all over the world. We need to validate these ancient treatment methods with our recent technology without damaging its original value. If we use plants as a medicine with proper guidance it will be safe. In our country we have Siddha course for the practicing the ancient traditional methods (medicinal plant treatment) and it is recognized by our government. The ancient literature describes the important medicinal plants and how to use them. They have done the experiment (Human trial) over many thousands of years. If we take the vast knowledge from them, there will be no problem with the medicinal plant treatment.
All of the plants having secondary metabolites, that is why mostly all are having some bioactivity. But here the difficulty is the selection of medicinal plant for a particular disease and some plants are having a toxic or allergic effect. Without knowing if we use any medical practice, including medicinal plant treatment. It will be difficult.
Benefits from the plants through direct or indirect form, we can call it as “Phytotherapy”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddha_medicine
Dear Rajaram,
Spatio-temporal scales of treatments obviously differ: stimuli towards communities (e.g. green space like city parks that lower stress) versus stimuli towards individuals (e.g. individual consumption of aromatic herbs changing individual physiology). I think that community treatments that improve mental state, like organisation of green space in cities, could help to reduce need for individual-specific phytotherapy.
Dear Marcel
Stress totally influenced by external factors. I guess community treatment is not the only solution. We can avoid stress by doing yoga along with the plant based food systems.
Every community is having different Phytotherapy that works for them very well. We have one proverb "உணவே மருந்து”. That means we need to take food as medicine. So our forefathers were designed the plant medicine along with the food system and more or less it is followed by us.
I think no need to reduce the need of plant therapy if it is the part of that community.
Dear @Marcel, one of the definitions: "Phytotherapy is the study of the use of extracts of natural origin as medicines or health-promoting agents. Phytotherapy medicines differ from plant-derived medicines in standard pharmacology."
Here is the Top ten Doctor insights on phytotherapy! Many useful links!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytotherapy
https://www.healthtap.com/topics/phytotherapy
"The College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy (CPP) is a professional membership organisation of phytotherapists that sets the highest standards of practice in herbal medicine."
http://www.phytotherapists.org/
Let's dissect the word: Phyto plus Therapy.
Medical therapy can either target the digestive/metabolic part of the body (consumption of molecules/chemicals) and/or the neuro-endocrine part of the body (e.g. Phototherapy: treatment with light), or not?
Should the name of chemical treatment with plant components be indicated more precisely, e.g. Nutrition-based phytotherapy focusing on consumption of plant-based molecules/fragements versus Phytotherapy in general including all medical-based approaches using plants that target both the digestive/metabolic and neuro-endocrine system?
Yes dear @Marcel, the name of chemical treatment with plant components should be indicated more precisely!
Maybe all those approaches are presented in this resource Modern Herbal Medicine !?
http://books.google.rs/books?id=Ca3QAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq=phytotherapy+disciplines&source=bl&ots=QcUqiV_EXG&sig=ZNGxvtIh5M88L6dRQfimIRaGU9g&hl=en&sa=X&ei=oAl3VO7hHsnkarzKgNAB&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=phytotherapy%20disciplines&f=false
Phytotherapy is the use of plants and its products for medicinal purposes.
http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1936369/phytotherapy/312372/History-of-phytotherapy
http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1936369/phytotherapy
I should offer an etymon of Phytotherapy. It comes from the Greek word "φυτοθεραπεία"="φυτό"+"θεραπεία" (φυτό=herb", Θεραπεία=Therapy).
Dear Marcel,
are you earnest?
Here is the translation: therapy in greek θεραπεία, means serving.
Hello Hanno,
If we accept that therapy equals Serving (which leaves the door open for different interpretations), then the terminology of Phytotherapy should include the dimension of visual-based (herb) therapy (e.g. flowers in a room or outdoors), or not?
If people give flowers to someone, why should this not to be considered as Phytotherapy?
Phytotherapy is the study of the use of extracts of natural origin as medicines or health-promoting agents. Phytotherapy medicines differ from plant-derived medicines in standard pharmacology. (Google)
For instance, if you're going to San Francisco be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. It looks kind of mandatory to me.
Some people wear cloths with flower/herb patterns. Could this be considered as a kind of citizens-based Phytotherapy?
Dear Marcel,
nice play with words. It´s possible, that flowers in cloths or mind serve the health, so the shirts have to be flowered, the hairs should wear, my beloved wife gets some roses to stimulate the soul and emotions etc.
But I agree with Hashem´s definition. No psycho effects, just real medicines but gained and produced using unchanged natural sources.
Dear Marcel,
Words can have the meaning we want them to have, especially if we go into technical jargons. if psychologists want to refer to vegetation, green space as if they were phytotherapics, they have the right to it. As long as they explain what it means to them. You surely know the basic meaning ot the word like anyone of us here. It happens that this subject is a very rich one, no matter how broad it can be for you. Not to give you a definition of it, but to share with our friends here, I recommend the link below too. Just download the pdf file.
http://118.145.16.238/Jwk_zgyxen/EN/abstract/abstract985.shtml#
I hope it helps,
Vilemar Magalhães
Phytotherapy is the study of the use of extracts of natural origin as medicines or health-promoting agents. I think that the safety issue has to be taken into consideration: A number of herbs are thought to be likely to cause adverse effects.[10] Such herbs, like most herbs for example in Traditional Chinese Medicine, are used in small doses within the herbal formula. Common sense is essential when working with, and consuming, plant-based medicinal products.
Furthermore, "adulteration, inappropriate formulation, or lack of understanding of plant and drug interactions have led to adverse reactions that are sometimes life threatening or lethal."[11] Proper double-blind clinical trials are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of each plant before they can be recommended for medical use.[12] Although many consumers believe that herbal medicines are safe because they are "natural", herbal medicines may interact with synthetic drugs causing toxicity to the patient, may have contamination that is a safety consideration, and herbal medicines, without proven efficacy, may be used to replace medicines that have a proven efficacy.[13]
The political issues around the safety of crude drugs vary from considering natural remedies "safe" regardless of potential dangers to considering them a dangerous unknown. See the link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytotherapy
Summary:
Some people think that Phytotherapy only involve treatment/therapy with herb substances that can be digested (e.g. herb pharmacology, this should include consumption of herb-based thee), as also expressed in published definitions.
By contrast, other people are open to the idea that Phytotherapy might involve the therapy/treatment with herbs that stimulate the different senses to heal, including aspects related to olfaction. Aromatherapy using volatile compounds from herbs (e.g. mint also used to disinfect, and odors might stimulate the immune system) could then be defined as a sub-discipline of Phytotherapy, or not?
And if people would think that aromatherapy would be a sub-discipline of Phytotherapy, perhaps the door is open to accept that visual aspects of herbs that influence psychology to heal also involve Phytotherapy?
Can science-based definitions evolve in time, or not?
The physio mechanism of the plants. They way plants life works, their metabolism, and organism, and i simple words the ontology and epistemology of plants
I think the etymology was given from Costas above.
Think about the Amazonian basin: All human races living there use herbs for all kind of diseases.
Even pharmaceutical companies isolate the drastic essence of herbs and sell it a new pill.
Phytotherapy could therefore belong to what people might call Psychotherapy/Aromatherapy?
http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/3774/1/NPR%208%281%29%2055-63.pdf
Dear Shanker,
You mention consumption-based phytotherapy also indicating the importance of toxicity. Do you think that there are costs of herbs/flowers used in psychotherapy? For instance, might it be costly for patients to receive too much flowers from a mental care point of view?
http://books.google.co.in/books?id=ejHpcJXzPTsC&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7&dq=What+is+the+definition+of+phytotherapy?&source=bl&ots=sTejfsX8bn&sig=B4puS7zJNR1FCNHF17PGtjlqE_Q&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jUN7VJidHsyUuASh64HIBA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=What%20is%20the%20definition%20of%20phytotherapy%3F&f=false
Dear Shanker,
thanks for the publication indicating the definition of phytotherapy in relation to related terminology (e.g. herb medicine).
The initial question is whether the terminology is appropriate based on the meaning of Phyto (herb/plant/vegetation) and therapy (e.g. cure/heal). For instance, herbs can heal when they are visually shown to people without involving chemical treatment.
Phytotherapy stands for the attempted remediation or treatment using plant or plant products with the purpose to cure a health problem or disease. The number of plants claimed as medicinal and covered under phytotherapy is based on their tested and validated curative action against specific diseases either by long experience or scientific experiments. Other healthcare systems using plants for treating ailments through tackling nutritional deficiency (Nutritional therapy), psychological disorders (Aromatherapy, Colour therapy, etc) belongs to the area of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and considered as preventive or prophylactic therapy which is a treatment that is intended to prevent a medical condition from occurring.
Why do medical centers allowing health recovery have beautiful gardens/parks/green spaces?
Phytotherapy (from the Greek phyton, meaning plant, and therapeia, meaning treatment) means the treatment and prevention of disease with plants, plant constituents and medicines containing these.
Phytotherapy is the use of plants and plant products for the prevention and treatment of diseases.
Hi, dear Marcel ..
Phytotherapy means: using of plant extracts or non toxic natural products of plants for disease treatment.
Regards
How then to define disease given that it is often experienced via body feelings reflected for instance in 'good feelings' versus 'bad feelings'?
Example:
Somebody is feeling bad because of mental disease, and then feels 'good' while Walking in a garden full of beautiful plants Would you define the walk in a magnificent garden as 'phytotherapy', and if not, why not?
Phytotherapy is the herbal approach to the treatment of pathological states. This system of therapy make use of plant based medicaments (extract, enriched fractions, etc.) as curative or health-promoting agents.
With phototherapy you treat people with light. Why then not treating people with pictures of plants as a form of phytotherapy?
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