Topic: Growing and using plants medicinally

[galina]

Channel 4's Food Hospital was a 'must see' here.  The power of eating the right stuff for the right condition is in our hands and doctors are slowly (way too slowly) coming round to the idea that food has a lot to do with curing our illnesses or keeping them in check.   

http://foodhospital.channel4.com/conditions/

Allicin in garlic and onion is a well-known antibiotic and probably will offer considerable help when we run out of effective antibiotics.  They have tested garlic against MRSA and other super bugs and the results have been very encouraging. 

I had feverfew 'arrive' in the garden and a friend said it was one of those herbs you  must not get rid off, because it will have arrived for a reason, and that we might not yet know why we need it but the time will come.  Any ideas?  It spreads, but I am leaving one big plant just in case.

I love using hot peppers when I am all bunged up, Digeroo.

[goodlife]

I had feverfew 'arrive' in the garden and a friend said it was one of those herbs you  must not get rid off, because it will have arrived for a reason, and that we might not yet know why we need it but the time will come.  Any ideas?  It spreads, but I am leaving one big plant just in case.

Apparantely feverfew is 'good for' migraines. It can be eaten like salad leaves in sandwich or made into to tea. I haven't tried any in tea form..but the leaves taste foul so I doubt having in liquid form would make much nicer. But then again I don't suffer with migraines so  perharps knowing that one would have  nasty pain on its way, few leaves and their bad taste would soon be lesser evil.
Lets see what my book says...
"Internally for migraine caused by excess heat, headache, rheumatism, arthritis, minor feverish illnesses and digestive and menstrual complaints. Externally for insect bites and bruising.  Not given to pregnant women. Fresh leaves may cause dermatitis and mouth ulcers if consumed....
Parts used; whole plant, leaves."
Any use for you?
I like the flowers even if I the plant would not be any use for me. I had last summer couple of little plants on my allotment..don't know where it came from..with lovely double flowers..must see if its still there or if the pigeons have cured their kale hangover with it

[goodlife]

I'm sure garlic would not last thousands of years as just culinary plant if it would not be such potent 'medicine' as well.
Allium family is one that is research for medicinal properties over and over again and yet they still haven't recovered all their secrets.
Other year there was program where different foods and ingredients were tested with the groups of people for their properties.
Garlic was found almost as effective as Viagra Group of men(known to have some 'men' problems in 'that' department) took several cloves of garlic every day..after some period time they were 'researched' and they found that 8 out of 10 men have had some improvement to their 'performance'..one had some more serious issue that needed correction under knife and one didn't notice any difference. (I hope my memory is accurate with results...it was some time ago).
My gran used to take one raw garlic clove with water every day for all winter and hardly ever had any 'lurgies' other than odd little sniffle...but she did rub vodka in her feet and legs too...oh, I wish I would have asked about all her 'ailments'..she was bit odd bird

[grannyjanny]

I love this thread. Galina, I remember the food hospital programme & loved it. So many people are illl but are so used to feeling that way that they just don't realise. I read a great book a few years ago & it really opened my eyes. It was called We Want Real Food by Graham Harvey. It goes through the decline of the food chain & why & what we can do about it. There's such a lot of hormonal problems, male & female yet people don't realise that there are hormones in our tap water, milk & meat. I have ME & fibromyalgia, my health only started to improve when I changed my diet.

[Yorkshire Lass]

Feverfew is definitely good for migraine. When I was younger and suffered badly with migraines  I would pick feverfew leaves and brew them as a tea. No it wasn't pleasant but it worked and was better than the migraine.  One good thing of getting older is the migraines are not as frequent. ( The only good thing!!!)

[grannyjanny]

Does anyone know if golden feverfew is any good for migraines please. My youngest gets migraines every month. I have a spare that's growing under the hedge. I'll pot it up for her if it's the one.

[Nomspatch]

Feverfew according to Mittons Herbal...
Theraputic and culinary uses..
This herb is an easy aperiant without any griping action and it has always been favoured by women to 'bring on the menses'
Thus the instruction that pregnant women MUST not use it...
Culpeppers has much to say on this and I am not typing it all out..but suffice it to say it is widely used BY women for healing after childbirth etc..

[goodlife]

Does anyone know if golden feverfew is any good for migraines please. My youngest gets migraines every month. I have a spare that's growing under the hedge. I'll pot it up for her if it's the one.

Yes... It is all same as the usual green sort

[grannyjanny]

Thank you. I shall rescue it & pot it up .

[Digeroo]

I find feverfew very refreshing if just squeezed between the fingers and then breathed in.  Use it that way for headaches.  Find the taste unpalatable.

[galina]

Thank you all very much for the medicinal benefits of feverfew.  Next headache I will give it a try.

This is a bit spooky:  Years ago I used to get headache at the lower back of my head, every day for 9 months, was checked out by consultant for underlying cause, but nothing found.  Then from one day to the next it vanished and touch wood has stayed away the last 15 years.  This would have been a good candidate for feverfew had I known about it.