10 MEDICINAL PLANTS THAT YOU CAN FIND IN YOUR GARDEN
In your garden, in your patio, and even in your kitchen there are plants that yield unexpected benefits.
Health is closer than one might think. In fact, you may find it in your very, perhaps in that lush rosemary that grows on your backyard, or in the basil you keep in your kitchen. Here are 10 common plants that have healing properties you may not have known about:
Dandelion
It is an overly proven diuretic and your livers best friend; it helps detox your entire body. It also contains potassium, and some have used it to treat eczema, intestinal problems and arthritis. Its leaves also help to regulate blood sugar.
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Rosemary
This is one of the oldest plants in our diet. According to recent studies, rosemary can help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s decease. Also, its oils naturally fight bacteria and fungi in your body and home. Ofelia’s famous words in Hamlet “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance,” refer to the plant’s ability to strengthen memory by improving blood circulation in the brain.
Lavender
Since classical antiquity, people have used lavender for its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. But its very fragrance can help with anxiety, migraine, insomnia and depression.
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Aloe Vera
For years, people have used the secretions of this plant to treat burns, cuts or superficial infections. It’s great for digestion, also, if you take it with juice.
Thyme
The citric variation of this herb (Thymus citriodorus) is known for its positive effects on children’s digestion and its antibiotic and antifungal properties, particularly used for healing superficial wounds.
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Celery
Better known for its sweet zest, celery is also a great diuretic. The seed extract of this vegetable reduces blood pressure in animals and yields sedative and anti-convulsive effects for humans. However, excessive consumption may cause photodermatitis.
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Sunflowers
According to the Medical Horticultural Society of Massachusetts, “a tea made from the leaves of sunflowers is an astringent, a diuretic and an expectorant, and it also works to reduce fevers.” Consuming sunflowers helps alleviate cold symptoms, and its ability to remove toxic substances lead the Russian Government to use it for cleaning the floors at the Chernobyl Power Plant after the nuclear disaster.
Mint
Headaches, skin irritations, nausea, pain, diarrhea and bloating are some of the many symptoms that mint alleviates. It also helps with digestion and chest congestion. Some studies suggest that it has antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Nepeta cataria
This plant, whose common name changes depending on where you are (cat mint, catnip, cat’s basil) is famous for inducing hallucinatory states of mind in cats. But people can chew its leaves to alleviate toothaches, fevers (because it causes sweating) and as a sedative. It is also known to repel mosquitoes much more effectively than store bought repellent.
Basil
This is another medicinal tradition inherited from the Mediterranean; basil was first used in the Greco-Roman world to repel insects and as an antidote to scorpion’s poison. People in India commonly use it to treat stress, diabetes, and asthma. New studies also suggest that basil has antiviral and antioxidant properties.
