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Benifits of
Medical plants
By : Aditi

Medicinal plants, medicinal herbs, or simply herbs
have been identified and used from prehistoric
times. Plants make many chemical compounds for
biological functions, including defence against
insects, fungi and herbivorous mammals. Over
12,000 active compounds are known to science.
These chemicals work on the human body in
exactly the same way as pharmaceutical drugs, so
herbal medicines can be beneficial and have
harmful side effects just like conventional drugs.
However, since a single plant may contain many
substances, the effects of taking a plant as
medicine can be complex.

Medicinal plants are widely used to treat disease in
non-industrialized societies, not least because they are
far cheaper than modern medicines. The annual global
export value of pharmaceutical plants in 2012 was over
US$2.2 billion
Dioscorides's 1st century De materia
medica, seen here in a c. 1334 copy
in Arabic, describes some 1000 drug
recipes based on over 600 plants.
Main articles: History of herbalism
and History of pharmacy

Prehistoric times
Plants, including many now used as culinary herbs and spices,
have been used as medicines from prehistoric times. Spices
have been used partly to counter food spoilage bacteria,
especially in hot climates and especially in meat dishes which
spoil more readily. Angiosperms (flowering plants) were the
original source of most plant medicines .Human settlements
are often surrounded by weeds useful as medicines, such as
nettle, dandelion and chickweed .Humans were not alone in
using herbs as medicines: some animals such as non-human
primates, monarch butterflies

The Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 BC)
from Ancient Egypt describes the
use of hundreds of plant medicines

7 Medicinal Plants You Can Use to Benefit Your Health
Below is an excellent starting point to learn how to
harness the power of medicinal plants. This is only a
small sample, of course, and once you get your feet
wet, you'll likely be inspired to explore more and more
uses for these healing wonders.

The pain-relieving potential of ginger appears to be
far-reaching. Along with help for muscle and joint
pain, ginger has been found to reduce the severity
of migraine headaches as well as the migraine
medication Sumatriptan – with fewer side effects.
Ginger also shows promise for fighting cancer,
diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, asthma,
bacterial and fungal infections, and it is one of the
best natural remedies available for motion sickness
or nausea (from pregnancy or chemotherapy, for
example).

Many people enjoy ginger tea on a regular basis,
and this is one of the simplest ways to use it.
Simply chop off a couple of inches of ginger root
and let it steep in hot water for fresh ginger tea.

2. Garlic
Eating a clove or two of fresh garlic a day may
indeed keep the doctor away, in part because it
has immune-boosting, antibacterial, antiviral, and
anti-fungal effects. Many of garlic's therapeutic
effects are derived from its sulfur-containing
compounds, such as allicin, which are also what
give it its characteristic smell. In general, garlic's
benefits fall into four main categories

Allicin, in turn, rapidly breaks down to form a number
of different organosulfur compounds. So to "activate"
garlic's medicinal properties, compress a fresh clove
with a spoon prior to swallowing it, or put it through
your juicer to add to your vegetable juice.
A single medium-size clove or two is usually sufficient
and is well-tolerated by most people. Black garlic,
which is basically fermented garlic, and sprouted garlic
may contain even more antioxidants than regular
garlic.

3. Peppermint
Peppermint offers benefits to the
respiratory system, including for
coughs, colds, asthma, allergies,
and tuberculosis. In terms of
digestive health, peppermint oil
capsules have been described as
"the drug of first choice" in IBS
(Irritation Bowel Syndrome)
patients, and peppermint oil is an
effective alternative to drugs like
Buscopan for reducing colonic
spasms

It may also relax the muscles of your intestines,
allowing gas to pass and easing abdominal
pain. Try peppermint oil or leaves added to tea
for gas relief. Inhaling the peppermint aroma
may offer memory enhancement and stress
relief, and peppermint oil acts as an
expectorant and decongestant, and may help
clear your respiratory tract.

Lavender oil is known for its calming and
relaxing properties, and has been used
aromatherapeutically for alleviating insomnia,
anxiety, depression, restlessness, dental
anxiety, and stress. It has also been proven
effective for nearly all kinds of ailments, from pain
to infections.

Aside from having mental calming properties, chamomile is
also good at relaxing sore muscles and It can ease menstrual
cramps and back aches, as well as relax the digestive system
to ease upset stomach or indigestion issues.
When applied topically to the skin, it soothes redness and
irritation. For this reason, it is a common ingredient in
skincare. It also eliminates itchiness and is good for those with
allergic reactions. Sometimes chamomile is used on rashes.
Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it can work to
take down swelling caused by rashes or skin irritants."

Dandelion greens, which you can
prepare simply by blanching them
in boiling water for 20 seconds to
help remove their bitter flavor
(they can also be added to
vegetable juice), contain many
nutrients, including vitamin C,
vitamin B6, thiamin, riboflavin,
calcium, iron, potassium, and
manganese. They are a
particularly good source of
vitamin A and may also have
cancer-fighting properties

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