Herbal Medicines And Their Uses

Remember my early articles about how herbal medicine can have as many side effects as Western medicine? Well with Western medicine and its medication treatments, you can't get paranoid about every last side effect. Even normal cooking herbs can keep you healthy, such as oregano, sage, basil, fennel, garlic, lemon balm, peppermint (of which I'm allergic to), rosemary, Echinacea, (which I cannot use due to autoimmune disorders such as hypothyroidism and type 1 diabetes), sambucus or elderberry, licorice, astragalas, ginger, ginseng, and dandelion. Starting with oregano, some swear by the fact that oregano, can deal with stomach flu quite well, while also reducing viral infection. Medicinal herbs can heal you but then again don't through the Western medicine baby out with the bathwater.

Oregano will be growing in the cooking section of my medicinal herb garden. A simple herb like oregano can fight bacteria, it may have anti-cancer properties, which would help in cancer prevention. Oregano and other herbs may decrease inflammation, while being easy to add to your diet, in the form of adding it to stews, dressings, sauces, meats, and more. Sage also has antiviral properties and so does basil. Fennel is a plant that tastes like licorice while decreasing inflammation. But going back to sage for a moment, sage is good for digestive problems including loss of appetite, stomach gas, stomach pain like gastritis, diarrhea, bloating, and heartburn.

Other properties of sage include reducing sweat, or saliva. It is used for depression, memory loss, and Alzheimer's disease. Sage improves alertness, but not attention or memory. Moving on to basil, basil can be used for medicinal purposes such as stomach spasms, loss of appetite, intestinal gas, kidney conditions, fluid retention, head colds, warts, and worms/parasitic infections. It can be used to treat snake and insect bites, while basil is also good for acne, by using basil, and sweet orange essential oils. With any herbal remedy, please do not misuse common sense, and don't substitute the Internet or this article for medical advice.

Fennel is something you can eat in recipes whole but is also an herb used to reduce digestive cramping, gas, and bloating. Fennel can help someone recover from stomach flu, food poisoning, digestive infections and hangovers, while also helping pain from a hiatal hernia, which can cause indigestion. Fennel as an herb can treat constipation, but may cause allergic reactions in the skin, and respiratory tract. Next on the list of herbs is garlic, a food I have personal experience with keeping me well, often eating it roasted/ straight up. Garlic is good for boosting your immunities but is not good to have for a hiatal hernia. Garlic can treat bronchitis, high blood pressure, tuberculosis, liver disorders, dysentery, stomach gas, colic, intestinal worms, rheumatism, diabetes, and fever. Back in 2009, garlic helped me not get the swine flu at all. Somehow I managed to avoid getting sick, my household was spared.

Garlic is a potent antibiotic that has been tested, according to a study cited in Medical News Today, published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, which states that garlic is 100 times more effective than two popular antibiotics in order to fight Camplyobacter bacterium, which in plain English is a stomach illness contracted by eating raw or undercooked chicken. Some of this illness could be taken care of by individual's immune system but others need antibiotic.

Moving on to lemon balm, which is a member of the mint family and an herb I may well be allergic to, along with peppermint, is useful for calming the body, as a way of reducing stress and anxiety. It can be used with valerian, chamomile, and hops to promote relaxation. Lemon balm is grown all over the world but is native to Europe, and is useful for insomnia and anxiety. Lemon balm comes in dried leaf form. Peppermint is also a member of the mint family, and comes in the form of an oil, which can be used to flavor foods. Peppermint is also used for irritable bowel syndrome, helping with indigestion as well as preventing spasms in the GI tract that is caused by an endoscopy.

Rosemary is another useful herb that has its uses when taken by mouth with food. Large amounts of rosemary can cause vomiting though. All herbs have side effects, and to prove this, you have to look at rosemary, because taking large amounts of rosemary leaf can cause vomiting, uterine bleeding, kidney irritation, and increase your sun sensitivity. It causes skin redness, and allergic reactions. But heed this warning: rosemary is not to be used during pregnancy under any circumstances as it can cause a huge miscarriage. When someone has a blood disorder, rosemary can also cause an increase in bleeding. Rosemary can treat baldness, and also circulation problems along with skin conditions like eczema.

Echinacea is something that those with autoimmune disorders should not be using although I used it in high school to prevent illness. Echinacea can help the immune system because it is made of antimicrobial substances. Echinacea can be useful against the flu because echinacea is a natural antiviral. Sambucus, or elderberry is something that I can have in small quantities as it may have effects on autoimmune disease. Sambucus is known for treating viral infections like the common cold or a flu, which means that it can also be useful for coronavirus.

Another herb on this list that could be useful for your immune system is licorice, that can treat upper respiratory inflammation, and a sore throat, bronchitis and a dry cough can be treated with licorice tea. But then again I can get this tea online if I need to, since I have to have my family grocery shop for me. Astragalus is another useful herb that is beneficial by protecting against heart disease, and also functions as an immune system stimulant, taking care of health problems associated with aging. Astragalus is a Traditional Chinese Medicine herb whose root is associated with medicinal use. But take care, because those with autoimmune disorders cannot take it, along with pregnant and nursing women, transplant recipients, and children.

It can bring energy to a body that doesn't have it, although because I have autoimmune system issues, I can't take it and I'm taking shelter in place seriously. Ginger is another herb that could be useful in times like these, because it helps fight the common cold and the flu. Ginger comes in many forms, such as fresh, dried, powdered, or as an oil or juice, with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Ginger is useful treating nausea, and morning sickness but cannot be used in large amounts if you are pregnant. Ginger can reduce muscle pain and soreness because it can help with osteoarthritis, when used topically on arthritic sites that are inflamed. Ginseng and dandelion are the last two herbs left for me to write about at this point. American and Asian ginseng is somewhat different from each other, biochemically, as a potent antioxidant that may reduce inflammation symptoms. I had a creative writing teacher swear by ginseng as a natural energy booster, because doses of 200 or 400 mg can influence mental performance. It would certainly spare me going back to caffeine if I ever needed a way to boost my energy without using chocolate. Dandelion is a natural herbal remedy that can supposedly have many vitamins such as A, B, C, and D, in it. It can be used in salads, sandwiches, and tea. The roots can be a coffee substitute, while the flower makes wine. It is used to treat stomach problems, appendicitis, and breast problems. It can be used as a mild laxative, taken in tincture, liquid, extract, teas, tablets or capsules. So here you are, a list of real herbal remedies including side effects but not limited to precautions that are necessary to take when using herbals.

Works Cited https://www.cdc.gov/campylobacter/index.html https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ginseng-benefits#section2 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/antiviral-herbs#2. -Sage

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-oregano-benefits http://www.herbaleducation.net/fennel https://www.rxlist.com/basil/supplements.htm https://www.rxlist.com/consumer_licorice/drugs-condition.htm https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265853#history

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266370 http://pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productid=107&pid=33&gid=000261 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/antiviral-herbs#10.-Sambucus https://www.rxlist.com/sage/supplements.html https://www.verywellhealth.com/astragalus-what-should-i-know-about-it-89410

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-ginger#section4 https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/peppermint-oil-uses-benefits-effects#1 https://www.webmd.com/heart/astragalus-root-heart-benefits-side-effects#1