These wonderful herbs: Heal ye, heal ye!

Our ancestors all used herbs to heal certain ailments without really understanding how they worked.   I remember an incident during my childhood when I loved to bake with my lola.  During one baking session, in my excitement to take the cake out of the oven, I pulled the pan out without mittens for a split second, slightly burning my fingers.  My lola ran to the garden and came back with aloe vera (sabila) and rubbed the sap of the plant on my burned fingers.  It soothed the burns, but she did not bother to explain why aloe vera was good for burns and I wasn’t curious to find out.  Now, I know that aloe vera contains allatoin that allows burns to heal faster.  A pharmacist once told me that if you look at the labels of prescription and non-prescription drugs, a lot of them contain active ingredients derived from plants and herbs.  Here are 10 herbs I most commonly use to heal whatever ailment I have: 

• Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme are four herbs that are hummed together in the song of Simon and Garfunkel Are you Going to Scarborough Fair?  They are not just good for cooking, they have healing properties as well.  Parsley has traditionally been used to treat indigestion plus it is high in vitamins A, and C, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and riboflavin.  Sage improves both mood and cognitive functioning in a 2005 study. Patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease who were given sage extract scored better on cognitive tests than a group given placebo, based on a study published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. Rosemary, aside from giving more taste to food, has a lot of antioxidants that help prevent cancers and support heart health.  It contains carnosol and rosmarinic acid, two powerful antioxidants that destroy carcinogens implicated in cancers. Thyme also contains antioxidants but traditionally, it is used to relieve mild gas, coughs, and muscle spasms.

• Chamomile: Melanie Vasseur, nutritional cosmetic chemist and author of Under My Skin, says that chamomile tea bags make the perfect eye de-puffer: Put two tea bags in a half cup of hot water. Place the tea bags in the freezer for approximately 20 minutes before applying to the eye area.  The cool temp as well as the herbs will reduce the swelling.

• Aloe vera: Not only does it treat burns when you rub it against the burnt area; if you mix it with honey, it can also act as a skin mask to soothe irritated skin.  Aloe vera is also used to stimulate hair growth, so it is good to massage the sap on your scalp.  I use sabila on my scalp all the time to thicken my hair.

• Ginseng: It is probably the most effective herb for almost everything! Drink a cup of ginseng tea every day and these are the benefits you get: increases the libido and improves sexual performance, prevents hair loss, improves oxygen absorption, thus improving blood circulation and helping the body adapt to stress.  It is also good for rejuvenation and works against fatigue, boosts the immune system, acts as an aphrodisiac, reduces the risk of cancer, helps counter arthritis, asthma, and diabetes, and protects the liver from the adverse effects of medication.

• Oregano: This superb herb is very rich in antioxidants, phytochemical flavonoids, and phenolic acids.  Oregano oil has been classically used as a disinfectant, an aid for ear, nose and throat/respiratory infections, candida, and any sort of bacterial or viral conditions.

• Dill: contains calcium and iron, has a number of beneficial healing properties for the digestive system, and has been used since ancient times to treat heartburn and diarrhea.

• Mint leaves: counteract nausea and vomiting, promote digestion, calm stomach muscle spasms, relieve flatulence, and ease hiccups. Menthol, the aromatic oil in peppermint, also relaxes the airways and fights bacteria and viruses. Menthol interferes with the sensation from pain receptors, thus it may be useful in reducing headache pain.  Always have mint candies in your bag or mint leaves in your ref.  Boil some mint leaves and drink it as fresh mint tea for an after-dinner drink. It is so good for the digestive system.

I firmly believe that God has put healing properties in plants and herbs to prevent diseases and heal ourselves naturally.  All we need is to educate ourselves on their healing power. 

— Source: Natural Remedies for Good Health by H.K. Bakhru

Guide to Some Common Herbs that Heal by Lee Gobbins