Prevalência no uso de plantas medicinais pela população usuária do SUS de Santa Bárbara, MG, Brasil

Abstract

Phytotherapy is a widespread practice, whether for financial alternatives, inherited popular custom, lifestyle or other reasons, with medicinal plants always present in the lives of families. In this scenario of the search for plant therapeutics, this ethno-directed research, with a quantitative, observational and cross-sectional approach, aimed to analyze the use and habits related to folk medicine by users of the Unified Health System in the population of Santa Bárbara, MG. Between August and September 2022, 180 semi-structured questionnaires were applied, in the format of interviews, to patients in the waiting rooms of health centers, with a total of 146 people claiming to use medicinal plants, mostly women and over 65 years old. There were 90 different species reported, 30 of which are included in RENISUS and the 10 most frequent were lemongrass, mint, boldo, papaya, orange, melissa, chamomile, plantain, rosemary and lemon. Tea was the most cited form of preparation and the leaves are the part of the plant most used by the interviewees. In addition, the respondents mentioned that they mainly look for plants to obtain a sedative effect and to treat colds and flu. Misconceptions were identified regarding the use of the species Citrus × sinensis (L.), Osbeck (orange) and Plantago major L. (plantain). This study shows the need for training health professionals and initiatives that bridge academic teaching with the community, in order to guide the safe and rational use of medicinal plants.