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The medicinal New Zealand flax (Phormium sp.). Phormium species are used traditionally by Māori people to treat a wide range of conditions, including skin, respiratory and gastro-intestinal problems.

Many scientists raise a skeptical eyebrow to traditional herbal treatments, but a new phylogenetic study suggests that such remedies may hold promise—for both medicine and drug development.

In the study, researchers from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom found that many medicinal plants used by nearly 100 cultures on different continents are related. Because these distant groups of people likely identified their plant therapies independently, such herbal treatments may be legit, the researchers argue, and the plants likely contain bioactive compounds that scientist could exploit for new drug therapies.

To read the full, original article click on this link: Rethinking Herbal Medicine | The Scientist