Medicinal food plants in Brahmanbaria district, Bangladesh

Abstract

Various traditional medicinal systems in different parts of the world follow the Hippocratic adage “Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.” Bangladesh is no exception and although usages of food as medicine and medicine as food are not so common, yet such practices exist. Such use can be beneficial in both reducing treatment cost and increasing the acceptability of a given medicine, given the high costs and associated adverse effects of many modern i.e. allopathic medicines. A survey conducted in a village in Brahmanbaria district, Bangladesh revealed that a folk medicinal practitioner (FMP) is using several food plants for treatment or prevention of gastrointestinal disorders, allergy, and abscess in eyes. Scientific validation of such traditional uses can prove to be of value not only in discovery of new drugs but also provide more confidence in the efficacy of traditional medicines.