TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran has ranked fourth for publication of articles in the field of traditional medicine and medicinal plants in the world, ISNA quoted Nafiseh Hosseini, a Health Ministry official, as saying on Friday.

Iran also gained a fifth place for knowledge production in traditional medicine and medicinal plants in the world in 2020, however this year, the country improved and placed fourth after India, China, and the United States, Hosseini added.

The progress has been made over the past 10 years, she noted.

“By trying in the right direction of research and science, there is a possibility of producing effective traditional Iranian medicine.”

The Vice Presidency for Science and Technology has so far registered 120 national standards for medicinal herbs and traditional medicine to support the industry.

Earlier in September, ten national plans have been defined to promote the culture of production and consumption of medicinal plants by the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology.

Iranian traditional medicine is one of the most ancient forms of traditional medicine. It is grounded in the concept of four senses of humor: phlegm (Balgham), blood (Dam), yellow bile (Safra’), and black bile (Sauda’). The concept of four senses of humor is based on the teachings of Rhazes and Avicenna into an elaborate medical system.

Iranian traditional medicine strongly focuses on prioritizing health maintenance and disease prevention over treatment.

8,000 herbal species grow in Iran

So far, about 30,000 plant species are identified in the world, with Iran’s share of about 8,000 species that its plant diversity is more than the whole of Europe.

Currently, about 2,300 species of medicinal plants have been identified in the country, accounting for one-third of the medicines used in human societies, the share of world trade in these products is about $124 billion and Iran’s share is $570 million, which is only 0.5 percent of the total.

The per capita consumption of medicinal plants in Iran is about one kilogram of dried plants. In other words, 83,000 tons of medicinal plants worth 1.2 trillion rials (around $29 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) are consumed in the country, while in Europe this amount is 900 grams and in the United States is 2.5 kilograms.