The geranium is not only a colorful garden plant, it also has a long history of medicinal uses, especially in its native Africa. All the parts of many species of geraniums have been used to treat a variety of disorders: the root for diarrhea; powdered leaves for minor wounds and burns; tubers boiled in milk to treat digestive disorders; teas for nausea and dysentery; infusion of leaves for kidney aliments and oil from geranium as a relaxant and respiratory remedy.
Sassafras trees may grow to be 60 feet tall, spreading into groves by lateral runner roots. The trees produce small drupes that are a favorite food of many birds and small animals, which help distribute the seeds. Historically,...
Sassafras albidum is the botanical name for the sassafras tree, which produces an ingredient that may have certain medicinal properties. This herb played a role in Native American medicine as a type of cure-all in the treatment...
Your adrenal glands lie above your kidneys and play an important role in your body's response to stress. There are two parts to each gland: The inner adrenal medulla regulates short-term stress response, and the outer adrenal c...
Two separate species of plant are known as marigolds, both edible, but you'll get different results with the two. One is medicinal and not very palatable, the other makes a nice salad ingredient, but it won't cure what ails you...
There are approximately 750 plant toxins, according to the 2008 book "Mind-Altering and Poisonous Plants of the World" by biologist Michael Wink and botanist Ben-Erik van Wyk. Yet, many of these toxins have powerful medicinal p...
Hydrangea is a commonly prescribed herbal remedy for a variety of health complaints. Dr. William A. Mitchell Jr., a naturopathic physician, expert herbalist and author of "Plant Medicine in Practice," writes that hydrangea is a...
Treatment, which prevents the development of potentially life-threatening complications such as heart disease, often comprises drug therapy and dietary measures. Herbs and other types of alternative medicine may also help regul...
Many plants possess medicinal properties that can help your immune system. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, your immune system comprises cells, tissues and organs that work in concert to wa...
Ellagic acid is found primarily in walnuts, red raspberries and strawberries, as well as pecans, cranberries and pomegranates. You might take trimethylglycine or ellagic acid for a variety of medicinal purposes, but you should ...
This method uses a variety of plants and herbs to create herbal compounds for healing. The particular plant's properties can determine whether the spagyric is made into a tincture, essence, extract or other herbal combination. ...
According to Nutritional-Therapy.org, spagyric medicine involves separating the components of plants, purifying them and then recombining them again. This refining process results in a new, more fully integrated reformulation, ...
Traditional Ayurvedic practitioners call it by the Hindi name amla and use it for treating a variety of disorders, according to an article in the "Research Journal of Medicinal Plant." No clinical research supports the use of ...
According to DoctorFungus.org, fungi, which are plant-like organisms that lack chlorophyll, exist as budding yeasts or molds. According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, yeastlike fungi include Candida and Cryptoc...
While medicinal plants are often overlooked in Western culture, other societies place great value on their healing powers. Recently, nutrition has gained a great deal of attention, with foods such as ginger, green tea, walnuts...
These genes are meant to transmit certain advantages to the new organism, for example, to allow for greater pest resistance in crops or greater milk production in animals. GMOs are used extensively today in the fields of agricu...
Ficus deltoidea Jack, also known as mistletoe fig or mas cotek, is native to Malaysia. Preliminary research shows that it may be useful for a variety of conditions, but human trials showing the herb's effectiveness in these ar...
Most people consider the prickly bull thistle an annoying weed. The wildflower’s stem, leaves and branches are covered with spikes. This plant, technically named Cirsium vulgare, can reach six feet tall and blooms from Ju...
The main focus of Ayurveda is balancing the body in a mental and physical way. This involves several components, including a focus on massage, yoga and the use of traditional indigenous Indian herbs. The use of the Ayurvedic sy...
The spiral aloe has the same healing properties as its upright cousins, and it is used under the name "muthi" for African tribal medicinal and magical purposes.
The use of medicinal plants is not new. In fact, if you take aspirin or drink green tea, you are using medicinal plants. According to the Rainforest Information Centre, approximately one-quarter of the drugs used today were der...
You can take yarrow orally or use it topically for a variety of medicinal purposes. Yarrow can help to treat gastrointestinal ailments, menstrual problems in women, minor wounds and bleeding, as well as colds, flu and fevers. ...
This plant can be cultivated both indoors or out, and thrives in both soil and hydroponic growing mediums. The female plants produce the marijuana used for its psychoactive properties.
About 400 million years ago, stands of giant horsetail plants, as tall as trees, grew in the lush primeval forests where dinosaurs walked. Today, horsetails are much smaller, but are otherwise very much like their prehistoric a...
Vitex negundo is native to the Mediterranean and central Asia, but also flourishes in hot and mild climates in North America. The medicinal uses for vitex negundo have existed over centuries in its native region, and these uses...
The use of medicinal plants for healing is nothing new. People discovered nature's garden of medicine a long time ago, and to this day, medicinal plants are used to treat illness and other health problems. You can obtain the he...
Some people believe that medicinal plants or herbal remedies are not to be trusted, and while that's true for a good number of them, there are some that have been backed up by clinical trials. More herbs and plant-based medicin...
It is based on the principle that like cures like---using like substances for cure. Homeopathic remedies are made from minute doses of substances obtained from plants, vegetables and minerals.
Lorazepam is prescribed for short-term anxiety caused by panic, stress or trauma. It is a benzodiazepine, a class of drugs that depress the central nervous system. The Mayo Clinic states that lorazepam can be addicting and have...
Many plants possess medicinal qualities and are used in dietary supplements. Some are folklore remedies and others have been cultivated for use in office and hospital settings. The effectiveness of these supplements is not alwa...
When the Spanish Conquistadores began invading deep into South America, they died mysteriously, felled by blow darts and arrows that had even struck near vital structures. These 15th-century conquerors had no time to learn what...
They grow naturally in the eastern United States and Canada, and can be added to yards and gardens as ornamentals. Witch hazel extract also has topical medicinal uses.
However, it has a much more respectable history among culinary and medicinal plants all over the Northern hemisphere where it is abundant. All parts of the dandelion are edible, and both the root and the leaves have uses in her...
