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An Interesting Herb Fact
Honeysuckle: An Ancient Healing Favorite
Honeysuckle is one of the oldest medicinal herbs in known history. Sometimes referred to as woodbine, European honeysuckle was once used widely to treat urinary complaints, asthma, and during childbirth. However, in traditional Chinese medicine, honeysuckle has been used medicinally for thousands of years. The first known reference to the honeysuckle plant as a medicinal plant is in the Tan Ben Cao that was written in A.D. 659. In traditional Chinese medicine, honeysuckle is considered one of...
Cleansing Herbal Remedies Made from Burdock
The Burdock plant has
long been used in herbal remedies to treat a variety of ailments.
Burdock has traditionally been thought of as a good plant for creating
cleansing remedies. The Burdock plant is well known of its hooked
burrs, which are notorious for attaching themselves to clothing. This
aspect of the Burdock plant is registered in its Latin scientific name,
Arctium lappa, which is derived from the Greek lappa, which means to
seize. Burdock has also traditionally been used as a blood purifier. In
the past it has often been combined with dandelion and burdock wine to
create a healing tonic for indigestion. In China, the seeds of the
Burdock plant are known as niu bang zi, and it is used to get rid of
fevers and evil spirits. It is also used in Chinese medicine to lower
blood sugar levels.
Three parts of the Burdock plant is used to create herbal remedies: the
root, its seeds, and its leaves. The root of the Burdock plant is often
used by the Japanese to treat a variety of ailments. They think of the
Burdock root as a vegetable that they call godo. Western herbalists too
also consider the root of the Burdock plant to be the most important.
In the West, herbalists use the Burdock plant root as a cleansing and
eliminative remedy. It is often used in cases where a buildup of toxins
is suspected. Symptoms of toxin buildup include skin problems,
digestive ailments, arthritic pains, or overall sluggishness. Parts of
the Burdock root are often used externally to treat infections and skin
sores. The Burdock root is most commonly harvested in the fall.
Another commonly used part of the Burdock plant is the seeds. The seeds
of the Burdock plant are used in several healing remedies of many
healing traditions. For instance, the American Eclectic school of
healing has traditionally integrated the Burdock seeds as a diuretic or
to create healing skin tonics. In traditional Chinese medicine, the
seeds are often used to treat common colds that are characterized by an
unproductive cough and sore throat. The seeds of the Burdock plant are
traditionally harvested in late summer.
The leaves of the Burdock plant are also harvested to create several
herbal remedies. In general, however, the leaves of the Burdock plant
are thought to be less effective than other parts, especially the root.
The leaves of the Burdock plant are most commonly used to create a
healing tonic for common stomach complaints, including indigestion and
overall digestive weakness. The leaves of the Burdock plant are
harvested before or during their flowering.
To create an herbal remedy using the Burdock plant, one easy way is to
infuse the Burdock plant leaves to create a hot tea to treat
indigestion. It is recommended that Burdock tea be used to treat
indigestion and that it be taken in half-cup doses before meals.
Burdock tea can also be taken as a mild digestive stimulant. Another
herbal remedy you can make from the Burdock plant is to take the root
of the plant and create a poultice that can be applied to skin sores
and leg ulcers. |
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