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In phytotherapy, used since antiquity by the Greeks, no longer a "receitinha" of tea given by grandparents to become industrialized in drugs, with specific legislation and supervision of governments worldwide. In search of a better quality of life and less product that hits the body, it is estimated that 80% of the population in the world makes use of medicines derived from medicinal plants (herbal). In Brazil, 91.9% of the population has already taken any medication with this type of active principle, according to the Brazilian Association of Business Sector phytotherapy, food supplements (Abifisa).

A search of the University of São Paulo (USP) provides that, in 2010, the plants represent 15% of the Brazilian pharmaceutical market. Two years ago, was only 2.5%. If the prediction is confirmed, it will be an increase of six times in the involvement of plant-based medicines.

Percentage of that eye and with one of the greatest biodiversity in the world, the Brazilian pharmaceutical industry began to develop the medicinal plants and started to make high investments in research and development of new medicines and food supplements. Today you can find 600 products certified by the National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) for many different diseases, since problems in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract to anti-inflammatory. "In some 10, 15 years here, the national pharmaceutical industry began to see with good eyes the plant-based medicines," explains Ricardo Tabach, Ph.D. in psychobiology in the area of medicinal plants and researcher of the Brazilian Center for Information on Psychotropic Drugs (CEBRID), Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP).

Credibility

Proof of the reliability of these products is that the Unified Health System (SUS), since 2007, provides products based on holy thorn, for the treatment of gastritis and ulcers, and Guaco for cough and flu. Later this month, the Ministry of Health will complete and disseminate a list of medicinal plants that are the object of interest of the SUS. The relationship will be used by ministries to focus on specific actions in each area for the production, research and development of plants.

Control

One of the factors that contributed most to the phytotherapy "be respected and prescribed by doctors Brazilian was the improvement in the Brazilian legislation on the subject and the strict control of Anvisa about these medicines. "So to have one of the greatest biodiversity in the world, if not greater, an increase in the rigor of the law made by Anvisa to origin and quality control. For a product being launched, all the requirements and study requests for a synthetic drug are also charged for a phytotherapic, "says biologist Richard Tabach of UNIFESP.

This tightening of the legislation has meant that the confidence of doctors in this form of medication increased. "It (the phytotherapy) is well accepted in medical and scientific because it has great technology, and Brazilian legislation is one of the most advanced in the world in this area. There are countries that are not so great quality control, efficiency and security as us, "says the professor, Federal University of Parana (UFPR) and homeopathic medicine, Helv Slomp Junior, who works with phytotherapy for nine years and also serves in programs of the Ministry of Health

But according to the doctor, there is still lack of knowledge of many doctors on the properties of herbal medicines. "The universities not included in their curricula the subjects of the area. This is a grace that we need resolve. Many physicians do not prescribe because they do not know the products, because they have not had such training in their graduate studies in Medicine. "

The choice

Choosing a drug phytotherapic instead of a synthetic means prioritizing natural Contraindications and have fewer side effects than those produced artificially in laboratories. "In terms of adverse reactions, drug interactions and side effects, they have everything to a lesser extent and intensity. But all that exists, including Contraindications, but always to a lesser extent than the synthetic, and that is a big advantage, "says the pharmaceutical laboratory of the Botanical Herbarium Balan Larissa Rocha.

This is because the synthetic product has a high concentration of one chemical which, when contacting with blood, causes it to react in a manner contrary causing side effects. "Indeed it is observed in practice and in clinical studies, that the correct dose, less side effects of herbal medicines than synthetic," says the doctor of UFPR Helv Slomp, Jr., which is a caveat: "Fitoterapia is not indicated for all diseases. Nobody is treating cancer with phytotherapy. "

Homeopathy Allopathy x

It is very common that phytotherapy is confused with homeopathy, but they are completely different. The herbal remedies are a form of allopathy, which deals with the disease reactions in the mechanism of action of the problem / symptom. "We have within the herbal allopathy, whose active ingredients are extracted from plants, and we have the synthetic, which are produced in laboratories," says the pharmaceutical Larissa.

Homeopathy is now awakening to the same action in the body of the disease to make the patient's body react to the problem by creating its own defenses. "If the person has an inflammatory process, the homeopathy will provide a similar reaction and hence it is believed that the body will act in a manner contrary to eliminate the problem," says Larissa.




Source: Gazeta do Povo

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