The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety

Abstract

There are some good reasons to use herbal products in healthcare and it is clear that more professionals are being drawn to do so. As these ancient medicines come under closer modern scrutiny, there are many enticing prospects that indeed they genuinely could combine gentleness with efficacy. The rationales for their potential benefits are now often well-developed and the professional debates rich and promising. For the first time since they dropped out if mainstream medicine behind the rush of pharmaceuticals in the early 20th century, herbal medicines are serious contenders in professional health care. Approximately 70% of medical doctors in Germany prescribe herbal products, while France they make up over 10% of all prescriptions. When we wrote 'Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine' we were able to reflect these developments and to describe a sophisticated professional strategy for healthcare with herbs. We are gratified to see that this work has been taken up in more and more educational programmes and professional workshops, reinforcing signs that the professional future of phytotherapy is ensured.