At 't Lof der Kruiden we love to share as much knowledge about herbs as possible. If you want to deepen your herbal knowledge on your own, you'll fortunately find a number of reliable sources online.
Due to strict regulations on health claims, we unfortunately cannot provide detailed information on our website about the effects of plants or herbs. Yet we'd like to help you get started with a few free and accessible online sources. It sometimes takes some searching, but the harvest is often surprisingly rich.
A true treasure trove of information about plants and herbs. You'll find hundreds of articles about both well-known and forgotten plants, often with historical, folk medicine and scientific explanations. Tip: use the unobtrusive search bar in the top left to search for an herb specifically.
Mens-en-gezondheid.infonu.nl/natuurgeneeswijze
This website contains concise herb monographs based on the work of Geert Verhelst, author of the Comprehensive Handbook of Medicinal Plants. Unfortunately there is no search function by herb, so browsing is the way to go, but the content is worth it.
Herbal Medicines – European Medicines Agency (EMA) (English)
An official, medical EU source with monographs of medicinal plants, compiled by the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). You'll find scientific evaluations, applications, side effects and dosages. Highly reliable, although the language can sometimes be rather technical. Click on "Herbal Products" to open an alphabetical list of medicinal plants.
WikiPhyto (French)
For those who understand French, this extensive database is highly recommended. For each plant you get in-depth information about active ingredients, therapeutic use, dosage and scientific evidence. Very suitable for those looking for medical or pharmacological depth.
Self-study about herbs takes some patience and detective work, but with these sources you'll get quite far.
Let yourself be inspired, read critically and above all: remain amazed by what nature has to offer!
Do you have any tips about free and reliable internet sources yourself, let us know via a comment on this blog post