Plants have been used medicinally for thousands of years in practically all human cultures, from the traditional medicine of ancient China to Ayurvedic remedies in India to Native American healing salves. Plant-based medicine has been a staple of healing in the ancient world, but there is a huge place for it even today. Still flourishing in a marketplace flooded by chemicals and pharmaceuticals, medicinal plants have irreplaceable roots in all human medicine. In fact, 80% of the….. Read more
Tag Archives: Immune System
5 Endangered North American Plants With Significant Medicinal Benefits
Lion’s Mane
Lions Mane Mushroom Lion’s Mane Mushroom Benefits Lion’s mane mushroom is a medicinal mushroom. It has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine as a brain tonic and as a treatment for many health conditions. This mushroom is known to boost the strength of the immune system, helping your body to fight off sickness and stay healthy. It is also good for digestive and colon health, as it contains beta glucan polysaccharides, polypeptides and fatty acids. Lion’s….. Read more
Chamomile
Chamomile Benefits As a medicinal plant, chamomile has been in constant use since the times of ancient Egypt. German chamomile is the most common and has been studied more extensively than the Roman or English variety. The health benefits listed on this page refer to German Chamomile. Chamomile was often used as a remedy for nausea, diarrhea, gas, anxiety, fevers, asthma, colic and a host of other conditions. Most often, it was taken as a hot tea. For skin conditions….. Read more
Deer Antler Velvet – The Anti-Aging Miracle
Using deer antler velvet in the use of medicine is really something that started with the Chinese in ancient times. Where the Chinese used deer antler velvet to its advantage is the fact that they used it to promote wellness to their people as a whole even before they became sick. The standard American way of medicine involves treating someone after they have already become ill. See the difference? With that said, the Western medical world has begun to see the benefits of deer….. Read more
Green Tea Benefits
The people of China have known about and consumed green tea as a medicine for over four thousand years. Legend has it that the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was drinking a cup of hot water when some tea leaves fell into his cup by accident. He drank it and found it tasted good. He continued to make the tea and discovered it’s many healing properties. Shen Nung’s discovery spread all throughout China and soon became the most popular drink in the country. Modern science has….. Read more
Fo-Ti
Fo-Ti Benefits Fo-Ti or He Shou Wu is considered a powerful longevity herb in the system of Chinese Medicine. It has been used for thousands of years to promote long life, nourish blood, strengthen bones, tendons and muscles as well as many other purposes. Fo-Ti is widely used to strengthen the lower back and knees. This is especially helpful to older people. It is probably best known for it’s ability to turn grey hair dark again. Fo-Ti is believed to also help reverse hair….. Read more
Amla
Amla Benefits Amla, better known as Indian Gooseberry, is widely used in the Ayurvedic medicine system of India. Amla is extremely rich in vitamin C, having thirty percent more than oranges. It’s packed with many vitamins, minerals, tannins and other helpful nutrients. This herb is a very powerful antioxidant, preventing damage from free radicals that cause cell oxidation. Antioxidants are important for anti-aging and preventing diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart….. Read more
Burdock
Burdock Benefits The Burdock plant is related to the Dandelion and Echinacea family. The seeds, greens and roots were used by the ancient Greeks as a medicine to heal many common ailments. The root is mainly used in today’s Burdock health supplements. This herb is mainly used for digestive and liver problems but also has some other health benefits, such as a skin cleanser to treat acne, treatment of urinary tract infections, to boost energy and stamina, treat ulcers, cleanse the….. Read more
Suma Root
Suma Root Benefits Suma root has been used for hundreds of years for it’s medicinal properties. It is considered an adaptogen, a substance that strengthens and protects the body and mind against stress. The natives of South America would consume it daily to increase their physical strength, energy and stamina. It promotes balance of the hormones and strengthens the adrenal glands. It is a powerful immune system booster. Many people use suma to treat illnesses like skin….. Read more
Siberian Ginseng Benefits
Ginseng comes in three main varieties. American ginseng, Siberian ginseng and Korean ginseng. While all are considered adaptogens and very beneficial to health, they each have their own unique properties. Today, let’s talk about Siberian ginseng. Though called ginseng, it technically is not a true ginseng. It does not belong to the same genus of plants that Korean and American ginseng do. Never the less, it has many of the same properties of ginseng. Siberian ginseng’s real….. Read more
Holy Basil Tea Health Benefits
Holy Basil is a plant that grows mostly in warm areas of Asia. It has been used for many hundreds of years as food seasoning, tea and medicinal herb. This herb has a very rich aroma and makes a wonderful caffeine-free herbal tea. It not only tastes great, it also has some impressive medicinal properties. It has historically been taken to calm the mind, as it has a relaxing effect when taken. It is a great remedy for stress and anxiety. The Ayurvedic medicine system used in….. Read more
5 Medicinal Mushrooms That Can Improve Your Health
Most of us have probably cooked with and eaten mushrooms. But did you know that some of them have very potent healing properties too? We may have tried the more common mushrooms like button and portabella, but there are some less well known mushrooms that are even better for us healthwise. Medicinal mushrooms, though sometimes flavorful, are not used for cooking like common mushrooms. They are most often made into tea or dried and ground into a powder and put into….. Read more
Holy Basil
Holy Basil Benefits Holy Basil is great for reducing depression, stress and anxiety. It promotes health and wellbeing and protects the mind and body in a very positive way. It is an adaptogen, meaning it brings balance to the entire body and protects it from stresses of all kinds. It increases strength, stamina and endurance and allows the body to utilize oxygen more efficiently while it promotes proper protein synthesis in the body. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is a very important….. Read more
Chamomile Health Benefits
The herb Chamomile has been in constant use for thousands of years. It has been used to treat a plethora of ailments and health troubles, such as stomach upset, diarrhea, gas, insomnia and even anxiety. Most of the time Chamomile is taken as a hot tea, but can also be used externally for skin problems, like lesions and hemorrhoids. The flowering tops are the part of the Chamomile plant that is used for it’s medicinal properties. These are what are used to make the healthy….. Read more
Schizandra
Schizandra Benefits Schizandra (sometimes spelled Schisandra) berries are a powerful adaptogen. This means that they will help you adapt to your environment allowing you to better handle stress, whether mental or physical. An adaptogen is used as an overall wellness tonic. It is beneficial to the whole body. Like any adaptogen, Schizandra exerts a normalizing effect on the entire body. It will take you from any extreme back to a balanced state. In China, it is said to be the….. Read more
Bee Pollen
Bee Pollen Benefits Bee pollen consists of 20% protein, 25% carbohydrates, 14% fiber, 4.5% fats and 3% minerals and trace vitamins. It has a very high nutritional value due to it’s vitamin and mineral profile. It is easily digested and highly absorbable. It is said to be the most nutritious foods on Earth. It’s often used by athletes to increase energy before an event. It’s high B-vitamin content helps combat stress and anxiety. It also contains a good source of vitamins A,….. Read more
Goldenseal Benefits For Your Health
Goldenseal or “the yellow root” as it is sometimes called, is a perennial woodland herb that grows in the North Eastern region of the U.S and is part of the Buttercup family. Goldenseal is used for it’s many medicinal properties in a variety of ways both topically as well as internally. This herb has been in constant use since the mid nineteenth century and continues to have a strong following due to it’s effectiveness in treating many ailments. It is one of the most widely used….. Read more
The Benefits Of Rhodiola Rosea Tea
In this article about Rhodiola Rosea, we’ll be discussing some of the benefits and side effects of drinking tea made from this herb. Rhodiola Rosea is an extremely tough plant. It can thrive in the harshest of environments even though it only has one root. It has many medicinal benefits too that we’ll soon take a look at. Rhodiola is generally found in the high, cold mountains of Siberia. For hundreds of years, people have gathered the greenish blue leaves of this plant and….. Read more
Maitake
Maitake Mushroom Benefits Maitake is considered a medicinal mushroom and is classified as an adaptogen. An adaptogen helps the body resist all forms of stress, either mental or physical and has a normalizing function on the body. Unlike common mushrooms, Maitake is packed with healthy nutrients, such as powerful antioxidants, Vitamins B, C and niacin, minerals like iron, zinc, potassium, selenium, protein, amino acids, and fiber. Many medicinal herbs don’t taste good and have….. Read more
Echinacea
Echinacea Benefits This herb works wonderfully for colds and flu. Drinking a tea made from echinacea can greatly reduce the severity and duration of these two illnesses. It’s also widely used for treating upper respiratory tract infections and sore throat. It’s also an effective anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibiotic and detoxifier. Echinacea is one of the most researched herbs in existence. Millions of people have used it to boost the immune system to help fight off viral,….. Read more
Shiitake
Shiitake Mushroom Benefits Shiitake is used as an anti-cancer drug in Japan and sanctioned for this purpose by their FDA. It has many health benefits, such as it’s ability to lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol. It possesses powerful antioxidant properties that help the body fight the damage of free radicals. It is also known to reduce inflammation. It also has many beneficial vitamins and minerals. This mushroom contains Lentinan. Lentinan is used by some to treat….. Read more
Reishi
Reishi Mushroom Benefits Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma Lucidum) is a medicinal mushroom that can be helpful in combating many different health conditions. A well known benefit of consuming Reishi is it’s beneficial effect on the immune system. It promotes a strong immunity to disease. While some pharmaceutical medicines lose their effectiveness after a time, Reishi does not. It can be taken daily with no build-up of tolerance. Reishi enhances the immune system, helping the body….. Read more
Spirulina
Spirulina Benefits Spirulina has all the health benefits of any nutritious whole food. It is packed with protein, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals. It’s often taken be people who lack a good source of protein in their diets, such as vegetarians. It’s even been said to ward off several types of cancer, especially mouth cancer. Rather than take synthetic multi-vitamins, many people take Spirulina tablets. The nutrients in this healthy blue-green algae are more easily….. Read more
Korean Ginseng
Korean Ginseng Benefits Korean ginseng (Panax Ginseng) is considered an energizer, normalizer and stress reducer. It has been used traditionally to ward off fatigue and stress. It’s also used as a general tonic to invigorate a person mentally and physically. It is considered to be an “adaptogen”. An adaptogen is a substance that can increase resistance to stress of any kind, either mental or physical and can invigorate the user in a non-specific way. The root must be at….. Read more