Fashionable medicinal herb

1994/02/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Dietetika/Elikagaiak

Medicinal plants are in fashion lately, especially in Europe. Consumption has increased considerably and the scarcity of some plant species is being noticed.

In Europe most of the medicinal plant (70%) is consumed by Germany and, above all, its supplier is India. However, recently the Government of India has banned the export of some herbs for their danger of extinction. Five tons of Taxus baccata are captured at customs. This plant grows in forests near the Himalayas and contains a substance to treat ovarian cancer.

The Pakistani government has not adopted similar protection measures to India and is exporting any medicinal plant. Besides India and Pakistan, Argentina, China, Egypt, Sudan and other peoples of the East are those who send the Senalese abroad.