Ginger

Scientific name: Zingiber officinale

Description:

Ginger is a tuber grown for its pungent rootstock which is popularly used as condiment, spice or medicine.  Ginger is also a useful food preservative.  Turmeric, cardamom and galangal (Thai ginger) are members of this plant family.

Health Benefits and Medicinal use:

This familiar kitchen ginger can be processed into ginger brew powder, tincture, oil or syrup preparations.  These preparations are employed in various ailments as cough, colds, sore throat, dyspepsia, colic and high blood pressure.  It is also use as analgesics and antiseptics.

Ginger promotes the production of bile and is thus contraindicated in people suffering from gallstones.

Alleviates High Blood Pressure and Useful for Treating Heart Disease – Ginger have blood thinning and cholesterol lowering properties.  It also improves and stimulates circulation and relaxes the muscles surrounding the blood vessels thus facilitating the flow of blood throughout the body.

Diarrhea caused by E.coli – Ginger’s active compound Zingerone destroys the bacteria E.coli.

Ginger relaxes the stomach and relieves the feeling of nausea caused by seasickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy.

Brewed Ginger Tea is a remedy for colds. While Ginger ale and ginger beer are said to be used for indigestion.

Ginger is generally recognized as safe and is sold as an unregulated dietary supplement.
Adverse effects include allergic reactions, bloating, gas and belching when taken in powdered form.

Parts Utilized:

Fresh or dried rootstock

Indications and Directions for use:

1.    Morning sickness, Seasickness, Nausea and vomiting.
 Chew a piece of fresh or dried ginger to prevent motion and morning sickness.

2.    Common cold and Sore throat
Make a Ginger Tea by boiling chopped ginger and adding sugar.  You can add honey instead of sugar and also put in a sliced orange or lemon.
3.    Headache, muscle and joint pains
Slice a ginger. Heat or roast it and apply directly over the affected part.   It can also be applied as a paste to the temples to relieve headache.

4.    Acute Bacillary Dysentery
Thoroughly pound a fresh ginger and add brown sugar.  Mix well to form a paste-like mass.
   
5.    Rheumatism, Sprain
Heat oil filled with chopped ginger (5:1).  Massage oil unto affected part.


THOUGH THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG HAD BEEN TRIED & TESTED AND HAD BEEN USED AS FOLK/HERBAL MEDICINE IT IS STILL BEST TO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR.

Sweet Potato

Scientific Name: Ipomoea batatas

Description:

The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that spreads as a ground creeper.  It is a commonly grown rootcrop with enlarged fleshy, starchy, sweet tasting tuberous roots. Its flesh varies in color from white, yellow, orange, and purple.The heart-shaped or palmately lobed leaves and shoots are eaten as greens.

Health Benefits:

Sweet potatoes are rich in simple starch,complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene(dark orange variety), carotene (pink & yellow varieties) Vitamin B6, and vitamin C.

Because of its high beta-carotene and carotene content, sweet potatoes are recommended for those with Vitamin A deficiency.  It is also found to stabilize blood sugar and lower insulin resistance

Sweet potato is a good source of iron, calcium, potassium.  It also contains proteins and other trace minerals.

The leaves of the sweet potato are a good source of polyphenolic and phenolic antioxidants. Purple sweet potato have anthocyanins which is also an antioxidant.

The phytochemicals in sweet potato particularly flavonoids and phenols may have significant antioxidant and anticancer activities.

Indications and Directions of Use:

1.       Acne

Crush leaves and apply to acne.

2.       Constipation

Eat cooked sweet potato leaves preferably during supper.  This will work while you are sleeping.

3.       Dengue

Make a decoction using sweet potato leaves by boiling it in water for 5 minutes.  It is known to increase platelet counts.

4.       Diabetes

Include in your diet, sweet potato leaves and shoots especially the purple variety.

5.       Diarrhea

Boil roots and drink.

6.        Sores and Furuncles

 Pound fresh sweet potato.  Apply over affected area.

THOUGH THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG HAD BEEN TRIED & TESTED AND HAD BEEN USED AS FOLK/HERBAL MEDICINE IT IS STILL BEST TO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR.

Potato

Scientific name: Solanum tuberosum

Description:

Potato plants are herbaceous perennials with rough, pinnate leaves. They bear star-shaped flowers, 3-4 cm in diameter ranging from white, pink, red, blue, or violet flowers with yellow stamens. The roots produces several rounded tubers underground. For those with white flowers, the tubers generally have white skins, while pinkish skins from those varieties with colored flowers.

Nutritional and Medicinal Value:

The potato contains vitamins and minerals as well as phytochemicals, such as carotenoids and polyphenols.
It is high in carbohydrate content, predominantly starch which acts like a fiber in our body and prevents colon cancer.  The resistant starch content in potatoes improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.  Potatoes are also high on the glycemic index (GI) and it can lower plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentration.
The amount of resistant starch in potatoes significantly increases when potatoes are cooked and then cooled.

The protein content of a potato is mostly contained in a thin layer just under its skin.

Potatoes have Vitamin C and are high in Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Calcium.

Indications and Directions of use:

1. Scalds 
 Cut a thin slice of potato and place it on the affected area.

2. Mumps 
 Cut a thin slice of potato. Soak it in vinegar and place on the affected area.  Do this several times a day.


THOUGH THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG HAD BEEN TRIED & TESTED AND HAD BEEN USED AS FOLK/HERBAL MEDICINE IT IS STILL BEST TO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR.

Mulberry

Scientific name: Morus alba

                                                                                                                                                                  

Description:
Morus or Mulberry is a deciduous tree that grows to the size of about 2 to 6 meters.  The leaves are generally rounded at the base with serrated margins and pointed tips. The reddish or yellowish-brown bark exudes a milky-colored sap believed to be mildly hallucinogenic.
The fruits are oval. When immature, the fruits are white or green to pale yellow with the hint of pink. When they are ripening they turn to bright red while a fully ripened mulberry is dark purple to black.
It is grown for its fruits as well as for its leaves as this is ecologically important in the cultivation of silkworms for they are used as feeds.

Medicinal Benefits:

It is known to bring relief or even cure the ff:
Anemia, Cough, Chronic hepatitis, Constipation, High Blood Pressure, Influenza,
Neurasthenia, Rheumatism, Ringworm, Sore Eyes (Conjunctivitis), Sores

Parts used:

Fresh or sun-dried leaves
Fresh or sun-dried roots
Fresh or sun-dried tender shoots
Sun-dried fruits

Indications and directions for use:

1. Sore Eyes (Conjunctivitis)

Boil sufficient amount of the leaves in water until half of it has evaporated. Wash eyes with it while the preparation is still warm.

2. Ringworm
Apply milk sap to affected area.

3. Sores
Collect old, dried leaves and grind into powder. Sprinkle the powder over the sore.

4. Constipation

Combine the powdered dried leaves with the finely ground sesame seeds (1:1). Add honey to taste.  Take half a teaspoon 3 times a day.

5. Anemia, Cough, Chronic hepatitis, High Blood Pressure, Influenza,
Neurasthenia, Rheumatism

Cook the mulberry fruits by steaming it. Let it dry under direct sunlight. Once dry, boil 15 g of sun-dried fruits in 150 mL water until only half of the mixture is left.  Drink it 2 to 3 times a day.

Onions

Scientific name: Allium cepa

Description:  This is the common kitchen onion we know.

Medicinal properties and Health benefits:

Effective against conditions such as the common cold, cough, sore throat, gastroenteritis, high blood pressure and are used to heal blisters and boils. They are also believed to contain chemical compounds that have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties and cancer-fighting abilities such as quercetin, phenols and flavonoids found to reduce the risk of head and neck cancers as well as liver and colon cancers.

Rich in Vitamins A, B1, B2 and C

Parts Used: Fresh Bulbs

Indication and Directions for use:

1. Bee Stings – apply raw onion on the affected area.

2. Cough and Sore Throat
Blend onion juice with an equal amount of honey. Drink it 3 to 4 times a day.

3. High Blood Pressure
Blend onion juice with an equal amount of honey. Drink it 3 to 4 times a day.

4. Gastroenteritis
Get 1 onion and chop it finely.  Place it in 1 cup of water for 24 hours.  You may place it inside the refrigerator if you want to drink it cold. Strain before drinking. One-half of the preparation will do the trick. 

5. UTI
Make a decoction by boiling 2 cups of water with a medium-sized onion. Boil until 1 cup remains. Take it 4x a day. 

6. Blisters and boils - Swab the wound with sufficient amount of onion juice.


THOUGH THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG HAD BEEN TRIED and TESTED AND HAD BEEN USED AS FOLK/HERBAL MEDICINE IT IS STILL BEST TO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR.

Turmeric

Scientific name: Curcuma domestica Valet. Curcuma longa L

Description:

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous plant that reaches the height of 1 to 1.5 m.  This perennial plant belongs to the ginger family and the rootstock is round to cylindrical.  When broken it is bright yellow inside and the corms are succulent and has a reddish yellow interior. 

Medicinal Benefits:

Turmeric is also known as the Indian Saffron.  Its active ingredient is curcumin which has an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-coagulant, antiviral and antifungal actions.

Its tumor suppressing properties as well as its antioxidant capacity provides a neutralizing effect againsts free radicals in the body and protects the cell membranes from damage.

Turmeric helps to prevent atherosclerosis by reducing the number of platelets sticking together and forming blood clots.  Curcumin is also proven to inhibit the growth of Helicobacter pylori, which causes gastric ulcers.
The dosage level varies according to age and illness but the recommended level is usually between 400 – 600 mg daily.

Indication and Direction:

1.    Wound antiseptic
Wash the turmeric thoroughly to remove dirt.  Crush the fresh rhizome and apply over the wound to cleanse and stimulate recovery.

2.    Irregular menstruation, stomach pains
Wash the turmeric thoroughly to remove dirt. Cut into thin slices. Put in a steamer. Once done, let it dry under the sun before storing.

Use the dried rootstock as a tea by boiling them.

Counterindication: Should not be taken by pregnant women


THOUGH THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG HAD BEEN TRIED & TESTED AND HAD BEEN USED AS FOLK/HERBAL MEDICINE IT IS STILL BEST TO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR.

Dandelion

Scientific name: Taraxacum officinale Weber

Description:

Dandelion is a tap-rooted biennial or perennial herb native to Europe and Asia.


The leaves are 5–25 cm long or longer and arranged in rosette fashion around the central taproot. A rosette may produce several flowering stems at a time and each ending in a single flowering head. The flower heads are yellow to orange color and when broken it gives out a milky sap (latex). Upon maturity, the flower head is replaced by a white puffball containing many single-seeded fruits called “achenes”. Each “achene” is attached to an umbrella-like tuft of hairs.

When picking dandelions it is advisable to gather the whole plant when it is about to bloom, and the taproots around the colder months.

Health Benefits:

Dandelion leaves are believed to have a diuretic effect since they increase salt and water excretion from the kidneys. They also contain abundant amounts of vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamins A, C and K, and are good sources of calcium, potassium, iron and manganese. The leaves are a significant source of beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Dandelion leaves may also normalize blood sugar.
Dandelion flowers contain an antioxidant called luteolin.

Parts Used:

Whole plant or taproots (fresh or sun-dried)

Indications and Directions for use:

1. Otitis media
Pound the fresh plant until the sap is extracted. Use this sap as eardrops. A few drops of sap a day is recommended.

2. Mastitis 

Pound the dried dandelion taproot until it becomes a fine powder. Add Vaseline or a pasty plaster (1:1 proportion) to the powder. Rub the ointment over the affected area.

To make the pasty plaster:
Gather fresh dandelion plant and pound it or put in a food processor until a paste is created.


3. Warts /Scalds

Cut the end of the dandelion for the milk sap to come out.  Apply the sap on the wart twice or thrice a day. Rub the sap over the scalded area.

4. Mumps.
Pound fresh plant and add egg white and a little amount of sugar to create a paste.

5.  Kidney, gallbladder, and liver problems.
You will need dried herbs or roots in 1 quart of water.  Boil for 30 min. Drink every 3 hours.

6. Gastric and duodenal ulcers.
After each meal take a teaspoon of the  finely powdered, dried taproot, orally.  Take it with a glassful of water.


THOUGH THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG HAD BEEN TRIED & TESTED AND HAD BEEN USED AS FOLK/HERBAL MEDICINE IT IS STILL BEST TO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR.

Carrots

Scientific name: Daucus carota

Description:

From the Indo-European root word “ker” meaning horn. This cylindrical taproot vegetable is the familiar kitchen carrot we know. The carrot gets its characteristic bright orange color from β-carotene, which is metabolized into vitamin A. Aside from orange, carrots can be selectively bred to produce different colors like purple, red, white and yellow.

Lack of Vitamin A can cause poor vision while eating too many carrots can cause carotenosis, a benign condition that gives the skin an orange color.

Health Benefits:

This familiar garden vegetable is an excellent source of antioxidant compounds. It is also rich in Vitamins (A,C,K and B6, B1, B3) dietary fiber and minerals (potassium, manganese, molybdenum, magnesium)

Indications and direction for use:

1. Diarrhea
Peel and grate carrot and boil it in water. Wait for it to thicken.

2. Hyperacidity

Eat freshly grated carrots for breakfast.

3. Ascariasis (intestinal parasite)

Take 2 to 3 carrots a day for several days.

4. Hypertension

Make 100 mL of fresh carrot juices everyday. Drink two servings per day for 30 days.

5. Arthritis

Chop 1 grapefruit into small cubes and prepare equal amounts of carrots and celery preferably 8 ozs for each. Put into the blender. Blend well until smooth. Drink the juice once a day in between the meal time.


THOUGH THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG HAD BEEN TRIED & TESTED AND HAD BEEN USED AS FOLK/HERBAL MEDICINE IT IS STILL BEST TO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR.