Naturopathy More than 28,000 plant species with medicinal benefits

According to the State of the World's Plants report prepared by scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew, London, 28,187 plant species on Earth are said to be medically relevant.

The number of medicinal plants recorded in pharmacopoeia increased by 59 percent compared to the previous year's report. In conventional medicine, however, the potential of medicinal plants in the fight against common and serious diseases would not be used. Just think of the two plant compounds artemisinin and quinine in the fight against the infectious disease malaria.

(Image: Alexander Raths / fotolia.com)

Around 1,730 new discoveries since last year are listed in the report. Including nine types of Mucuna, which are used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Some plant families score with a particularly high proportion of medical potential. so the Fabaceae (legumes) because of the contained alkaloids. Or the Labiatae (Lamiaceae), which are rich in terpenes. In the mulberry plants, the scientists emphasize their blood sugar-lowering effect.

In this country, according to the World Health Organization already 90 percent of the population have ever used herbal medicine. The report can be found here.