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.

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.

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.