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The plants used in CHM can be analysed scientifically. This shows that the plants contain active ingredients. The active ingredients are the bio-medical constituents of the plant. The active ingredients are what stimulates the body by producing a chemical reaction.

Most pharmaceutical drugs are derived from plants. When constructing a pharmaceutical drug the plants bio-medical structure is analysed and one of the active ingredients is ‘isolated’. The ‘isolated’ ingredient is then synthesised in the laboratory if this is possible. This is then used as the drug. The result of this process is that unwanted side effects are produced. The active ingredient consumed in the form of the plant does not produce the side effects. This is because other active ingredients contained within the plant are there to minimise any side effects being produced by the various essential active ingredients. The process of removing these essential ingredients unbalances the molecular structure and obviously will lead to the unwanted side effects being produced.

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