Traditional Medicine: An ancient remedy rediscovered.

The medicinal plant power is often neglected or underestimated. In fact, many people ignore that most of the drugs they use come from plants. A large amount of herbal products have been used in traditional health care since prehistory, being employed for the first time in ancient China. Plants are still the most important health care source for the vast majority of the population around the world. Traditional Medicine implies the use of plants and/or active principles because of their curative properties, easy availability and poor side effects, or because other drugs are inaccessible; therefore, herbal remedies are gaining importance and expanding throughout the world. This review focuses on the importance of plants from South America.