Herbal Medicine Scenario in India and European Countries

Herbal medicines are the synthesis of therapeutic experiences of generations of practising physicians of indigenous systems of medicine for over hundreds of years while nutraceuticals are nutritionally ormedicinally enhanced foods with health benefits of recent origin and marketed in developed countries. Herbal medicines are also ingreat demand in the developed world for primary health care because of their efficacy, safety and lesser side effects. They also offer therapeutics for age-related disorders like memory loss, osteoporosis, immune disorders, etc. for which no modern medicine is available. WHO too has not systematically evaluated traditional medicines despite the fact that it is used for primary health care by about 80% of the world population. However, in 1991 WHO developed guidelines for the assessment of herbal medicine. Suggestions for herbal medicine standardization are outlined. The scenario and perceptions of herbal medicine are discussed.