Herbal medicinal products
Herbal medicinal products, also known as phytopharmaceuticals, are medicinal products that are made from plants – e.g., from the leaves, flowers or roots. In contrast to chemically defined active ingredients, which usually contain only one substance or a combination of a few precisely known and characterised chemical compounds, herbal medicinal products are always multi-substance mixtures that can act on many different molecular target structures in the organism. The efficacy results from the complex interaction of the ingredients, e.g., with receptors, enzymes or transporters.
As herbal medicinal products are natural products with variable contents of the ingredients, today standardised extracts are increasingly used to ensure consistent efficacy.
The highest demands are placed on rational herbal medicinal products. Their efficacy and safety are scientifically verified in controlled clinical trials.
Herbal medicinal products basically have the same risks as all medicinal products. Undesirable effects can occur, there are contraindications and drug interactions are possible. However, they generally have a good tolerability and a wide therapeutic range, so that they are usually less risky than chemically defined medicinal products. They are therefore well suited for simple and chronic complaints, even in older people with multiple prescriptions.
