Growing medicinal herbs has gone on for as long as there have been people.
Doctors were few and far in-between not to mention the days when there were none, so people had to make do with what they knew how to do. This generally involved the use of herbs – knowledge that was passed down from generation to generation, and still occurs today, though likely not on such a large scale as it once was.
Nearly everywhere you look there are advertisements pitching one thing or another as the next great miracle cure. None however, stand the test of time as herbs do. In fact, there have been many studies conducted at one time or another that show that these medicinal herbs actually do what the claims say they do. Let’s look at a few here.
Growing Medicinal Herbs – Chamomile
Chamomile is named for a dried flower that is used most often in making tea. Drinking it relaxes you and is said to have a sedative-like quality and has the ability to help you get to sleep.
It has been said that chamomile helps to ease inflammation as well as fever, yet there have been no studies conducted to prove this benefit. Still, stories date back for centuries making the claims. There have been studies conducted that have shown chamomile to have aided in ridding the stomach of ulcers that are caused by bacteria.
Some people do indeed have allergic reactions to the pollen of the chamomile herb however it is for the most part safe and causes no adverse side-effects for those that use it.
Growing Medicinal Herbs – Echinacea
One herb that is a perennial, Echinacea, has been the subject of numerous studies. It is considered to be an immune system aid, but science has yet to put any validation to the claim. Still, these studies have shown it to be effective and it is also help when there are problems with your upper respiratory system that are the cause of a cold.
Research has shown that it is instrumental in shortening the life of a cold. It is also known to help with the symptoms of a cold, as well as perhaps being instrumental decreasing the possibility of contracting as many colds in a given season. While it is perhaps difficult to prove that this is the case, the herb is indeed safe to use, and the “old-timers” swear by its use. There is one word of caution with the use of this herb, and that is that those with diabetes should speak with their physician before using this one.
Growing Medicinal Herbs – Feverfew
This herb is best known for its use in treating inflammation as well as severe headaches. This is a very common herb that is found in medicinal gardening. This one however, should not be taken lightly. It is known to have side effects that can be quite sever, and it is also known to prevent blood from clotting. Among the side effects are the potential of mouth ulcers and perhaps inflammation of the skin. For those who have issues with their blood pressure, this one should be avoided because it is also known to increase the heart rate. These herbs contain parthenolide and glycoside and it can also hinder iron absorption in the body.
Growing Medicinal Herbs – Ginseng
The use of ginseng is actually tracked back to ancient times. It is most commonly used in China and India, but can be found growing wild nearly anywhere. There have been studies that have shown ginseng to reduce blood sugar and to increase the HDL cholesterol levels (this is a good thing).
There has been no evidence to show that it actually has the ability to enhance your sex life, though you can find it for sale in many places for that very reason. If nothing else, perhaps the belief that it will is what increases the libido. Although a very safe herb, pregnant women and those that are breastfeeding should avoid any use of it because there are compounds within the herb it that mimic estrogen.
Taking too much of this herb can also cause asthma attacks and it has been known to significantly reduce blood sugar levels to a point where it is unhealthy.
If you intend to grow these herbs in order to avoid going to a doctor, then you need to gather as much information as possible to get a clear idea of what you are perhaps getting yourself into. This means you need to do a lot of research. Medicinal herbs have been around for centuries. Even those “back in the day” were well schooled on the effect of each herb on the body.
Medicinal herbs can be grown indoors or out, but are most commonly grown in pots, inside so that there are ready supplies of them available when they are needed.
Growing Medicinal Herbs for home and health.