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An Interesting Herb Fact
Herbal Remedies and the Ancient Tradition of Ayurveda
Ayurveda is one of the world's oldest healing traditions, and it is famous for incorporating a number of herbal traditions. The term Ayurveda is derived from two Indian words: ayur, which means life, and veda means knowledge. Thus the term Ayurveda translates as something like the 'knowledge of how to live well.' In Ayurvedic medicine, illness is often seen in terms of imbalance. This leads to the use of herbs and dietary controls to restore equilibrium to the mind and body. The earliest...
Antioxidant Rich Milk Thistle Herbal Remedies
The plant milk thistle
got its name because it has traditionally been used to stimulate milk
flow from nursing mothers. The plant's scientific name is Silybum
marianus and it has been used to make healing herbal remedies since the
Middle Ages. The leaves of the milk thistle plant are distinctive for
their white streaks, and they are said to symbolize milk. Milk thistle
was also once used as a highly versatile vegetable, and today the plant
is highly regarded by herbalists as an important restorative and
tonifying plant.
The seeds of the milk thistle plant are used in many herbal remedies.
The seeds themselves are rich in silymarin. Silymarin has been shown to
help combat the symptoms of liver disease. Herbalists to help treat
cirrhosis of the liver as well as hepatitis often use the extract of
the milk thistle seeds. The seeds of the milk thistle plant can also be
used to treat high cholesterol levels and to help soothe gall bladder
inflammation. Recent medical studies have found that milk thistle
indeed has several health benefits. Studies have shown that milk
thistle contains more antioxidants than vitamin E. The seeds of the
milk thistle plant have also been known to help prevent damage caused
to the body's tissues because of free radicals.
The flowers and leaves of the milk thistle plant are also harvested and
used to create herbal remedies. The flower heads of the milk thistle
plant are often eaten even before the flower opens up. The flower heads
are often prepared in much the same way as artichokes are prepared.
They are often used to help stimulate the digestive system and the
liver. The leaves of the milk thistle plant are eaten in much the same
manner as spinach. The leaves are often eaten in order to stimulate the
milk flow in mothers, and they can also be consumed in order to ease
menstrual problems.
The milk thistle plant is prepared in many kinds of herbal remedies.
The seeds can be turned into a tincture by taking 20-50 drops of milk
thistle seed oil combined with water to treat gall bladder and liver
problems. The milk thistle plant is also widely available in capsules.
Most herbalists recommend that only one to two 200 mg milk thistle
capsules be taken each day to treat liver or gall bladder problems.
Milk thistle capsules can also be taken before drinking alcohol in
order to combat hangovers.
The milk thistle plant seed can also be turned into a powder to dust
over swollen skin ulcers. The seeds can be infused and drank as hot
tea. This infusion is a good herbal remedy for treating gall bladder
problems. The milk thistle seeds can be combined well with vervain. It
can also be combined with St. John's Wort and lady's mantle to treat
the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. The flowers and leaves of the
milk thistle plant can also be used in an infusion. The milk thistle
hot tea is used to stimulate milk production in nursing mothers, as
well as to treat digestion problems. |
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