Topic: Growing and using plants medicinally

[goodlife]

I was wondering..does any of you grow any plants for medicinal purposes..if not quite to remedy any problems on its own but help you 'get along' or as 'pick me up'?
I'm not using any myself as such, though I'm aware and actively looking different properties with things that I grow.
Learning about plants and bit of 'witchery' is in my family (but that is another story..)
 Not long ago my mother told me about my gran who one time was convinced that she has cancer. Nobody didn't take her seriously and she certainly didn't show any signs of symptoms for it nor did doctors find anything in check up. Family just took it as one of her 'whims'.. she wasn't in quite right minds anymore anyway. But the old girls would not give up and she did insist to get this 'black root' so she could medicate herself. Every body was running around circles to full fill her demands and all sorts of 'roots' were purchase for her to try.. some was bought from Russia form some 'weird' source. Eventually they manage to order right 'stuff' from pharmacy (this she decided by taste only ).. dried and ground up root of this particular plant from which she brew a concoction/tea that she sipped few times a day for months.
I got interested of her 'tale' and her 'black root' and came across publication of old folk remedies in Finland.. and after finding her 'black root' mentioned there and what its popular Finnish name is, I could find what its Latin name is..
Turned out her remedy was Comfrey root!
Anyhow...couple of years afterwards, my gran had to go to scan for something else and they found a lump on her breast. It was investigated and indeed she have had some sort of growth in her but it wasn't 'alive' anymore, just dried up 'left overs'.. and no need for treatment  Even comfrey is said to be too potent/dangerous to be taken internally.. not recommended anymore.. there is reports from all over the worlds for it being used to treat cancer. Not medically proven of course, but used for it.
After finding all that out.. I'm ever more interested of plants and their uses..one never knows when it comes useful.

[GrannieAnnie]

In my humble retired-nurse opinion, it can be a tricky business. Herbs, though "Organic" still are made up of chemicals which can adversely effect such things as kidney and liver function. And can work against some prescribed medications. A healthy person can probably ward off most ill effects of herbal concoctions, but in an elderly or unhealthy person it might be thought of as Russian Roulette. Just my 2 cents.

[goodlife]

In my humble retired-nurse opinion, it can be a tricky business. Herbs, though "Organic" still are made up of chemicals which can adversely effect such things as kidney and liver function. And can work against some prescribed medications. A healthy person can probably ward off most ill effects of herbal concoctions, but in an elderly or unhealthy person it might be thought of as Russian Roulette. Just my 2 cents.

Oh absolutely.. herbals are not necessary 'gentle'. One do have know what they are doing (I wish I would have know about my gran..few words would have been said)
But as a person who more and less suffers with side effects of any given pharmaceutical medicines..they are not very safe neither.
I'm more intrested more of therapeutical ailments rather than curing and managing any serious conditions..but its all very interesting to learn what ever way plants are used. Now and then I do like to try new things and have occasionally drank some in 'tea' form...fennel, mint, lemon verbena, birch, heather etc. mainly as a just a nice hot drink, but all of those do have medicinal purposes too , to aid and calm digestion, nerves, aid sleep, help water retention etc.
I'm going to try some Yacon leaf tea this year..should be 'good' for diabetics for to help managing their blood sugar levels...

[grannyjanny]

Not a plant but a product of one. Eldest daughter has 'mature on set asthma'. How can it be that when even her mother isn't mature . She picked a severe cold this week & was coughing so badly her OH wanted to take her to the doctors but she said she just wanted to try some fragonia oil that I had got for her. She inhaled every 30 minutes for a couple of hours & felt so much better. She said it felt as though she had had a dose of antibiotics & has been inhaling each day. Fragonia has lots of heeling properties. Propolis from bees if used as a mouthwash is amazing on mouth ulcers & according to an old dentist of mine is great on burns.

I have ME & fibromyalgia & 'medicines' react on me so the complementary route is the safest way for me. I am careful of contraindications though.

[Bing]

I herd of Binweed cures cancer too, google it and you can read more.

seems these strong root plants are source for medication.

I know rhubarb root is very popular in Chinese traditional herb medicine.

[Nigel B]

Its not that long ago, ALL medications came from plants and bark, leaves and roots etc.  A heck of a lot of 'modern' drugs come directly from them still.
I won't list them, they are easily available on t'internet for those interested.

Just take care though. 'Natural' doesn't necessarily mean harmless.

I am a firm believer in the old adage that 'For every illness there is a natural cure', even though I don't have the encyclopaedic knowledge needed to choose this plant for that ailment etc.
All I have is some incredibly convincing anecdotal evidence, but that's not 'science', so I couldn't possibly recommend anything to anyone else other than my immediate family. :-)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Some natural remedies are seriously powerful. There was an episode of 'Midsomer Murders' where people were being poisoned with valerian, the suff in 'natural' sleeping remedies, and they weren't joking.

[Digeroo]

Goosegrass (Cleavers) is supposed to have some good effects, I use it to make tea.  I use valarian leaves to help me sleep, then I found it was the root which is supposed to do the job.   Not heard about Bindweed for cancer, seems to be more about it being a laxative.

as a person who more and less suffers with side effects of any given pharmaceutical medicines..they are not very safe neither

  Same effect here.    They never test medicines on people like me.   I once took 'something to help me sleep' and only took half a tablet and woke up three days later.   Even if the doctor prescibes something, I normally bottle out of trying it as I am too scared of the side effects. 

[grannyjanny]

I think valerian was banned for a time. One of our girls is taking valerian tea to help her sleep but she can't sleep because it's given her nightmares.

[goodlife]

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Even if the doctor prescribes something, I normally bottle out of trying it as I am too scared of the side effects.  Snap!.. I do not trust doctors anymore.. what ever they want me to do or take.. I get the instructions down on paper first, come home and do lot of reading and researching, consult my sister who is trained pharmacist and work for pharmaceutical company...I get her to check some more info from her works database.. strictly confidential of course .. and after all that, I may make decision, to start the prescribed medicine or not.

Sitting down for nice smelling hot brew is much better option when wanting looking for some aid for manor complain rather than popping some 'white' pills...where is the pleasure in that?

[Digeroo]

Peronally I like ginger and lemon tea.  I find it a good cure all.    I have tried growing it on the windowsill.  Stinging nettle tea also has a good effect for me.   

They say gardeners stay healthy if they pull up weeds without gloves on.

I always have a good strong curry if I have a cold, cough or flu.

And garlic is supposed to have various good effects too.

[Nomspatch]

Get yourself a copy of Culpeppers Herbal AND a copy of Mittons Herbal...cross reference the two and bobs your thingies cousin as they say....there are some things it is best not to overdo but generally herbal tissanes  (teas) are farly unlikely to upset a person in normal health  .
I wouldn't trust a doctor as far as I could drop one (there are some good ones out there though) if they will recommend we take vaccinations containing MERCURY , FORMALDEHYDE etc they are peddaling DANGEREOUS POISONS  , heavy metal poisons at that! proven to be inimical to animal life....
However having said all that ....IF you are on medications do not go dosing yourself with herbal remedies as they can seriously work against each other....

[GrannieAnnie]

Having just had pneumonia, I see things differently. I'm heartily thankful for my sweet and intelligent doctor, the availability of a high powered antibiotic, expectorants, chest x-rays. What a medical blessing to live in this century with vaccines. I would have died in childhood without antibiotics had I lived in another century.
 

[goodlife]

Oh we are blessed for be able to dabble in the both 'worlds' and pick the best out of each. I suspect I would not be alive if I could not access modern diabetic medicins... but as well I suspect I would not have much long to go if I would have stayed taking some pharmaceuticals that doctors described.. side effects were horrid.
Although I've had the usual vaccinations I do refuse taking any extra ones...because of the so called 'preservatives' that is in vaccinations.. the list mentioned by Nomspatch. Last time I had flu jab.. I've never had worst winter of being ill with coughs and sniffles, lasted months and wore my health really down.. since that I've refused of offer that jab. All those 'poisons' can lower ones immune system and cause more harm than the jab is suppose to deliver.
Regular doze of garlic during winter will do the jab job as well for me if not even better...
I'm sure there is many very good doctors out there, trouble is that there is also many doctors that are blindly following kind of 'manual' and they cannot think for themselves...there is list of drugs and that's it..no further thinking needed.. ..and lot of doctors don't know much about the drugs they prescribe partly because their training only need bare minimum for it and they don't take the training any further or follow reports what is 'happening' with the drugs. They blindly trust what pharmaceuticals wish to tell them. Actually many nurses are much more up to date with medicines and their good and bad effects as they see the results in their patients in day to day basis.  I would dare to say that as regarding medical professions.. I would trust nurses opinion more than doctors.

[goodlife]

I do have herbal encyclopedia that list the all possible uses for them.. ..one of favourite 'bed time' reads, but it can all be bit mind boggling ..and there is such amount of warning too. Not to mix/use with 'this and that' and only be used certain period of time, not for people with 'kind of problems' etc, etc...  It would be definitely so easy to make somebody very ill with herbal remedies...   ....     

And talking about herbs.... I bought some Clippers 'sleepy tea' for OH as he is not very 'clever' with long night sleeps...and that has some Valerian (amongst other herbs and spices) in it. He was pleasantly surprised that it actually has helped him to settle down and give him slightly longer sleeping periods than without  It will be our regular product in cupboard, unless I start making the dry ingredients concoction myself...hmm...some thinking needed there...now, where could I fit some more plants...

[Ellen K]

Try him with any old herb tea GF, and see if there is any difference.

But yes, I would agree that nurses are more conservative because they deal with the after effects but they dont see the benefit. 

I see it in the warfarin clinic - they are very very careful about increasing the dose because patients might bleed but they cant see all the strokes they are preventing.

But I too was ill last year and if it weren't for doctors doing horrible things to me, I would without a doubt be dead now and no amount of herb tea would have made any difference to that.  So I'll have all the drugs please and leave the plants for now.

And you know, patients should  be treated according to the protocol which shows the best outcome for that condition and I'm reassured by that too.

[goodlife]

Try him with any old herb tea GF, and see if there is any difference.

Oh apparantely there is, 'sleepy tea' did have effect and as he does drink other sort of herb teas to, those don't have 'the effect'.
 Personally I don't need any 'sleepy teas'..if I would use some, I propably would turn into proper sleeping beauty.. and never wake up. (NO KISSING while I'm sleeping, if disturbed I'll turn into crumpy old hag    )

[GrannieAnnie]

Our doctor actually urges people to take valerian tea when they have sleep problems. He is a regular medical doctor but sees benefit in some herbal things. Maybe he is a rarity in that.

[Nomspatch]

Granny Annie...you are lucky to have such a doctor...
Goodlife...There are beneficial medicines and beneficial herbals OUR problem really ....is knowing which is which!

I don't know how much people commenting here know about ALKALYSING the blood system (we are all veggie gardeners which helps do that , if you eat properly) but it is the most important (to my mind) health aid there is...

I include this link for your information...
http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Lbakingsoda.htm

A diabetic friend took this info on board and has been able to 'balance' his blood himself without his drugs for the last 10 months (he keeps a close eye on it still though) and it is worth knowing how much difference simple steps can make.

[TonyD]

prior to 1948 when the NHS began very few people could afford to  go to a doctor with their health problems. my grandmother had a herb garden with which she doctored  all our family.  my grandfather had a brain hemourage when he was 81 in 1946 they could not afford to take him to  hospital. so all the neighbour women got  together to nurse him. he died at the age 96.
the only remedy i can remember and still use is for a bad sore throat.you  know the one where you can't speak and it hurts  to  swallow anything.   take a large strong onion slice it as thin as possible, put a layer of onion at the bottom of  a cereal bowl, sprinkle this layer with brown sugar,  repeat this untill your out of onion, cover the bowl. put in a dark place and leave  for  about an  hour. when your ready to go to work take 2 teaspoons full of the brown juice that  will have formed, and your sore  throat will be better. the juice will last for about three day's if kept in the fridge.
the main variety of onions i am growing this  year are sturon as  i am told  they  are very strong.  if  any  of you know  of  a stonger one  please  post it.