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Journal Article About The Medicinal Uses of Plants

Friday, October 30, 2009
Related Tags: plants | medicinal | prescription | rachfog | drugs
 

Instructions

History

  • Step 1:
    Evidence of the medicinal uses of plants goes back 60,000 years, making it the earliest form of health care.

Current Use

  • Step 1:
    According to the National Park Service, more than 175 native American plants are used in the non-prescription drug market.

Prescription Drugs

  • Step 1:
    Examples of common prescription drugs derived from plants include digitalis for treating heart disease and quinine derived from the cinchona tree, used to treat malaria.

Regulation

  • Step 1:
    Medicinal use of plants and herbs is regulated by more than 100 countries, according to the World Health Organization.

Endangered Plants

  • Step 1:
    Despite regulation, the Botanic Gardens Conservation International reports that more than 400 medicinal plants are in danger of extinction, including the yew tree and magnolia species, sources of important cancer drugs.

Resources

Photo/Video Credit

Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of rachfog

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