TEHRAN – An official with the Ministry of Health has said that Iranian traditional medicine highlights the importance of lifestyle for keeping people in shape.

Experts of Iranian traditional medicine recommend that people should maintain health by adopting appropriate habits on diet, sleeping hours, mood, and other health-related issues, IRNA quoted Nafiseh Hosseini Yekta, the director of the health ministry’s office for Iranian traditional medicine, as saying.

Accordingly, traditional medicine practitioners offer lifestyle consultations to individuals based on his or her special conditions, she added.

For the time being, 48 government-owned and 19 privately-owned traditional medicine centers are offering services, she noted, saying that more than 32,300 individuals referred to the centers last year (March 2022-March 2023).

More than 100 research and technology projects on the development of traditional medicine have been implemented in the country.

In this line, the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology has supported the printing and publishing of books and encyclopedias on Iranian traditional medicine, IRNA reported.

Previously, Hosseini Yekta said Iran ranks fourth worldwide in the production of science in the field of traditional medicine, and the remarkable achievement will improve in the coming years.

Over 17,000 books have so far been published about Persian traditional medicine, which has been recognized by the World Health Organization, she noted.

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

It 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 the four senses of humor is based on the teachings of Rhazes and Avicenna in an elaborate medical system.

So far, about 30,000 plant species have been identified in the world, with Iran's share of about 8,000 species which is more than the whole of species found in Europe.

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 $4 million) are consumed in the country, while in Europe this amount is 900 grams and in the United States is 2.5 kilograms.

The 6th National Festival and Exhibition of Medicinal Plants, Natural Products, and Iranian Traditional Medicine was held in Tehran on November 1 to 4, 2022.

The event introduced technological and scientific achievements of knowledge-based and creative companies in the field of medicinal plants.

It also created a reliable bridge between people who are active in the ecosystem of medicinal plants and traditional medicine.

It hosted knowledge-based companies, investors, research and technology funds, creative and innovation houses, banks, and venture capital funds in order to provide a path for development in the country.

More than 70 creative companies and a number of innovative houses presented their capabilities and products at the festival.

From 2006 to 2021, the publication of Iranian articles in the field of traditional medicine has increased by about ten times, according to data released by the SCImago Journal of Traditional Medicines.

The number of articles published by the country has increased from 59 in 2006 to more than 500 in 2021.

By providing the structure in the Ministry of Health, and the establishment of traditional medicine colleges in 2006, the number of articles in the field of traditional medicine increased by about 10 times in 15 years.

The Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC) put the share of Iranian articles in the field of medicinal plants and herbal medicine in the world at 5.9 percent.

MG