Medicinal Plants in India

Medicinal Plants and Women's Role

• Women have traditionally been the main producers of plant-based medicinal products, conserving economically important plant species.
• In India, which is home to nearly 45,000 species of medicinal plants, only 60 species are commercially used.

Importance of Medicinal Plants

• Medicinal plants provide crucial livelihood options for millions of rural people, especially tribal communities and women.
• The collection, processing, and trading of medicinal plants contribute significantly to the family income of the poor.

Traditional Knowledge and Medicinal Herbs

• Traditional knowledge associated with medicinal herbs and cultivation is a highly gendered activity in most countries.
• Women play a crucial role in the innovation, preservation, and cultivation of medicinal herbs.

Health and Medicinal Plants

• Medicinal plants are playing a crucial role in reducing the cost of healthcare and maintaining health.
• The use of medicinal plants can help alleviate the burden of high blood pressure and diabetes, which affect 1/4th of adults in India.

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs)

• MAPs constitute an integral part of biodiversity, ecosystem, and biological heritage.
• MAPs are used in traditional and recognized systems of healthcare, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.
• They are also used as sources of natural dye, fat, essential oil, bio-pesticide, resin, protein, vitamin, condiment, spice, timber, fiber, and other useful substances.

Livelihood Systems and Medicinal Plants

• MAP-based livelihood systems are often mediated by market forces and directly related to employment and income of the poor.
• Research by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) suggests that MAP-based livelihoods can be made socially equitable and gender-balanced.

Examples of Medicinal Plants

• Angelica archangelica: used to treat obesity, constipation, and reduce cholesterol.
• Althaea officinalis: used historically as both a food and a medicine.
• Aloe vera: used to heal burns, wounds, and other skin ailments.
• Allium sativum: purported to lower blood cholesterol and high blood pressure.
• Alisma plantagoaquatica: used for the urinary tract.
• Common hollyhock: believed to be an emollient and laxative.
• Alcea rosea: used to treat diarrhea, kidney stones, and fever.
• Aesculus hippocastanum: used to treat joint pain, bladder and gastrointestinal problems, fever, and leg cramps.
• Actaea racemosa: used to treat arthritis, muscle pain, menopause, and menstruation-related conditions.