Constituents

Latest Edit: Hector 2014-03-13 (EDT)

See Also	Naturopathic Therapies

See Also	Botanical Medicine (Herbalism)

Herbs can be grouped together by their chemical constituents (phytochemicals). It is the particular constituents that determine the therapeutic action of herbs. Mind you, understanding how constituents work together within a single herb is complex and to a large degree a mystery.

There are literally hundreds of different phytochemicals and each herb contains numerous different constituents. The specific constituents also vary based on the specific part of the plant. Although much of the therapeutic effect of herb has been determined from thousands of years of historical use, there is growing interest and research on herbal phytochemicals.

Some common constituents include:

• antioxidants
• bitters
• flavonoids or bioflavonoids
• proanthocyanidin
• terpenoids

Check out further information on botanical medicine and the classification of herbs.