Types of Herbal Therapeutic Approaches: A Literature Review

Abstract

Phytotherapy is a therapeutic practice based on plant-based preparations aimed at treating diseases. Professionals from various fields of expertise draw on both traditional and scientific knowledge to formulate various types of plant-based preparations for this purpose. As phytotherapy has transitioned from being considered solely a traditional knowledge-based practice to becoming a highly relevant topic with scientifically recognized merit, it has become an increasingly common practice among healthcare professionals. This is due to its tendency to cause fewer side effects than conventional allopathic medications, leading to increased usage in contemporary societies, justifying the need for this study. Given its historical significance and resurgence in the modern market of plant-based medicines, the objective of this study was to conduct a literature review on phytotherapy. Therefore, this study sought to answer the following question: What are the main current approaches to phytotherapy? To address this question, a literature review was performed based on texts obtained from Google Scholar, primarily focusing on topics such as the history of phytotherapy, types and approaches to phytotherapy, the regulation of herbal medicines in Brazil, and medicinal, nutritional, and integrative phytotherapy, which formed the basis of the sections in this article. As a result, it is evident how rich this therapeutic practice is and how important the use of herbal medicines is, as they can be associated with traditional medicine, primarily because they can cause fewer side effects than conventional allopathic medications.