Herbal medicines Print
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Saturday, 07 July 2007 09:54

Herbl Medicine

In earlier days, we were very much connected with nature. Everything was pure and safe for us. Initially even for diseases there was no need to seek for a doctor but the different herbs, spices, and other home products.

Herbal remedies represent alternative medicine,s, when prescription drug are too expensive and often carry a huge list of potential side effects. Herbal remedies are great as they do not contain any harmful substances.

It is not a new phenomenon, even though it has just recently come to light as an alternative to prescription drugs. In fact, many of the medicines that are given out by doctors of all types have herbal origins to them. Drugs that we use everyday such as aspirin and even penicillin were both derived from herbal medicines.

Herbal or natural remedies are based on plants and herbs that can treat most ailments without the cost or side effects of commercially-produced medications. Traditional medicines just suppress the symptoms while herbal medicines find the root cause of problems and thus eliminating it. Herbal medicines are prepared from the different parts of the plant and plant extracts. Herbal medicines are prepared by mixing various plant parts like roots, stems, leaves, bark, flower juices, etc.

 

Listed below is a range of medicinal herbs for common ailments.

It is recommended that a good reference book be used to obtain the herb’s full medical properties.

Common name

Species name

Common usage

Parts used

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Fever and cystitis

Aerial parts when in flower

Garlic

Allium sativum

Cough, colds, infection

Bulb

Aloe

Aloe vera

Burns

Leaf mucilage

Marigold

Calendula officinalis

Wound healing

Flower

Centaury

Centaurium erythraea

Bitter digestive tonic

Aerial parts in flower

Chamomile

Chamaemelum nobile

Sedative and indigestion

Flower

Echinacea

Echinacea purpurea

Immune support

Whole plant in flower

Californian Poppy

Eschscholzia california

Sedative and hypnotic

Aerial parts in flower

Meadowsweet

Filipendula ulmaria

Digestive tonic

Aerial parts in flower

Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare

Flatulence and colic

Seeds

Fumitory

Fumaria officinalis

Eczema

Aerial parts in flower

Cleavers

Galium aparine

Lymphatic tonic

Aerial parts

St Johns wort

Hypericum perforatum

Sedative, analgesic

Aerial parts in flower

Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

Calminative

Flower

White Horehound

Marrubium vulgare

Unproductive cough

Leaves and flowers

Peppermint

Mentha piperita

Indigestion

Aerial parts

Catnip

Nepeta cataria

Cold and flu

Leaves and flowers

Parsley

Petroselinum Crispum

Diuretic

Leaves and root

Ribwort

Plantago lanceolata

Mild bronchitis

Leaves

Raspberry

Rubus idaeus

Astringent

Leaves and fruit

Yellow dock

Rumex crispus

Skin complaints

Root

Elder flower

Sambucus nigra

Influenza

Flowers

Skullcap

Scutellaria laterifolia

Nerve tonic

Aerial parts in flower

Wood betony

Stachys officinalis

Tension headaches

Aerial parts in flower

Comfrey

Symphytum officinale

Externally on wounds

Leaves

Feverfew

Tanacetum parthenium

Migraine

Leaves

Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

Diuretic

Root and leaf

Red clover

Trifolium pratense

Skin conditions

Flower heads

Nettle

Urtica dioica

Ton

Aerial parts