Common Uses For Medicinal Herbs

Even with all the new discoveries, inventions and innovations in the field of science, people are still enthralled by the conventional way of life! The medical field is no exception in this obsession taking over the world. The field of medicine is making exceptional progress with high-end technology and state-of-the-art strategies. But people are still fascinated by the medicinal properties inherent in herbs. Herbs can be utilized effectively for medicinal purposes by following simple procedures for making teas, decoctions, tinctures, oils and ointments.

Herbal medicines are a wise choice over modern-day medicines mainly because of the excessive use of antibiotics in the available medicines. Such medicines are made with the motive of hunting for and destroying harmful germs inside our body. But we should not forget the fact that our bodies naturally have the capacity to fight many undesirable entities. Antibiotics can disrupt the natural defense mechanism of our bodies and make them less effective over time. This could prove fatal, not only for the current generations, but also for generations to come!

Herbs synthesize substances that prove vital in the nourishment of health in human beings. These substances serve as plant defense mechanism against harmful microorganisms, insects and herbivores. The seasoning herbs used by humans also yield beneficial medicinal compounds.

Herbs can easily be grown at home and used for medicinal purposes. Herbal remedies often include roots in their formula. Roots will keep indefinitely if they are prepared correctly and preserved in an air-tight container. Herbal teas are prepared by adding water to a pot of dried herbs. This can be boiled for about 5 minutes for an herbal tea; boiling is prolonged to get an infusion. The liquid can to be strained from the roots or leaves before ingestion.

The root, bark, or seed of an herb is used to make a decoction. A decoction is made by placing these in cold water and the solution must be brought to boil. After reducing the temperature, the solution must be boiled until its quantity is reduced to about one quarter of its original amount. Ointments can be prepared by mixing 10 parts of petroleum jelly with one part dried herbs. This mixture is simmered, so as to let the healing trait of the herbs to completely blend with the jelly.

A tincture is prepared with dried herbs and spirits, mostly vodka. Alcohol is poured directly over dried herbs in a container and the container is closed. After about two weeks, a tincture is obtained by straining the herbs. Essential oils are also extracted from herbs, but it is a very expensive and taxing process.

Apart from these uses, herbs also act as remedies for various ailments. Some of them are listed below:

Ï Acne – Aloe Vera, Dandelion, Primrose, Green Tea, Lemongrass
Ï Anti aging – Broccoli, Ginkgo, Green Tea
Ï Cancer-Colon – Broccoli
Ï Cancer-General – Aloe Vera, Periwinkle
Ï Kidney stones – Chervil, Dandelion, Fennel, Goldenrod, Parsley, Uva Ursi

Herbs can easily be cultivated at home and can be used for medicinal purposes. But one has to be very careful about the formula, since some herbal combinations could be very dangerous.

By: Jackson Woods

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

For more free articles about growing medicinal herbs ,and also a really informative FREE mini-course about herb gardening, just click on the following link,www.herbgardenresources.com.