Phytotherapy or medical herbalism, as this is called in Europe, is the most scientifically-validated medicine in the category of natural medicine.
Phytotherapy encourages and adapts to a recent worldwide growth in scientific information on plant drugs and their effective and safe use. The methods used to evaluate herbal medicines are similar to those used by orthodox medicine. Yet, a herb contains many active ingredients unlike the single chemical in a drug, and may have several actions to support the body's health.