Medicinal Plants
Health Support
Not only do plants help heal illnesses, but they are also effective in preventing them and supporting health.
Embrace the wisdom of using food as medicine and freely indulge in their abundant vitamins and minerals to boost your immune system and invigorate your body.
Antioxidant-rich herbs like parsley and chives support bone and heart health, while dill and lavender promote restful sleep.
Echinacea, thyme, and lemon balm, strengthen your immune system, especially during the cold season when viral infections are prevalent.
Rosemary benefits the cardiovascular system and its aroma enhances memory and concentration; chamomile decreases anxiety and lowers blood pressure.
Ginger, garlic, cayenne, turmeric, cinnamon, cilantro, basil, mint, almost every herb and spice that makes food delicious promotes health too, so season your dishes generously and enjoy good health.
Serious Medicine
Before pharmacology plants were the only hope for healing.
Their potent ingredients are just as useful today, and serve as a reminder that there is a delicate balance between medicine and poison.
Here are some power players of the green pharmacy.
Foxgloves and lily of the valley are cardiotonics, with compounds that offer powerful heart medicine but can be fatal if mishandled.
Atropine is derived from belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade.
While the aloe plant may seem innocuous, it is a strong laxative when ingested, and should be used carefully.
Valerian and linden are sedatives that can be harmful if taken in excess or combined with antidepressants.
The lovely poppies are well-known and don't require an introduction.
Although barberry is poisonous, its active compound berberine is known to cure bacillary dysentery.
Extracted from datura, scopolamine is so dangerous it has earned the nickname Devil's Breath. Ingesting any part of this gorgeous plant is lethal, but it offers a unique topical solution for treating poison ivy.
Wormwood is effective against intestinal worms, and false hellebore acts as an antihypertensive.
The quinine tree offers a remedy for malaria, even the poisonous black henbane has medicinal applications as a muscle relaxant.
Don't try any of these at home. Most are lethal outside the pharmacy lab.
And Out
The same herbs that heal internally also work on the skin, but some have earned their reputation by being effective wound healers.
Yarrow helps stop bleeding, broadleaf plantain, arnica, comfrey, and boneheal reduce bruising and promote cell regeneration, while marshmallow, lavender, and aloe soothe and protect damaged tissue.