Herbalism and its Contribution to the Digestive System Health in Tu´un savi and Mé´pháá Indigenous Peoples in Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero, México

Medicinal plants to treat digestive system diseases are used by traditional peoples who have ancient herbalism that constitutes the basis of their health system; it coincides that these communities lack health services of biomedicine, such as the Mé´pháá and Tu´un savi Indigenous peoples of Ayutla. This research analyzes the use of medicinal plants to cure digestive ailments in two Indigenous peoples of Ayutla. Through semi-structured interviews with 36 key informants, we identified 31 plants used to treat eight digestive system diseases. Mentha arvensis L. and Chenopodium ambrosioides L. are the most widely used plants whose benefits have been scientifically proven with laboratory studies found in experimental databases. The use of herbalism is essential for the health and life of peoples, so it should be considered by public health policies.