ABSTRACT
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................195 Dietary Aspects ..............................................................................................................................196 The Herbal Remedies.....................................................................................................................197 Future Directions............................................................................................................................198 References ......................................................................................................................................200
The Caribbean region comprises one of the most diverse archipelagos in the world. Its natural vegetation is predominantly tropical forest, including an estimated 20,000 vascular plant species; about 7000 of these are endemic, mostly in Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica. More than 10% of these plants are naturalized, including several medicinal species brought in — especially since the 17th century — from Europe, Africa, and India (Davis et al. 1997).
