Mullein is a valuable decongestant that helps restore free breathing. It is a time-honored remedy for asthma, hay fever, and bronchitis and is a champion expectorant that loosens a dry, unproductive cough. In the process of clearing congestion, mullein soothes irritation in the throat and bronchial passages, too. As an antispasmodic, mullein can relieve stomach cramps and help control diarrhea; paradoxically, it is mildly laxative. This herb also acts to reduce glandular swellings and is a mild sedative that fights insomnia.
DESCRIPTION AND PARTS USED
Mullein is a striking looking plant that attains a height of four to eight feet by the time it’s two years old. (more…)
Pau d’arco, pronounced pow-dar-co, is a heroic natural medicinal that reportedly fights cancer—including leukemia—tumors, AIDS, liver disease, rheumatism, diabetes, ulcers, allergies, and all types of infections. It has even proven useful against candidiasis (yeast infections), warts, and smoker’s coughs.
DESCRIPTION AND PARTS USED
This handsome tree reaches for the sky. It can attain a height of 125 feet. Native to Brazil, pau d’arco has large trumpet-shaped rose to violet-colored flowers that bloom in profusion just before the new leaves appear in the spring. There are around 100 Tabebuia species native to tropical America, but this one—T. avellanedae—is the one with the power. The bark is the portion of the tree that is used medicinally. (more…)
Peppermint is a noted digestive aid that stimulates the salivary glands, helps eliminate nausea, eases heartburn, promotes burping, and calms stomach spasms and cramps. Because of its action on the gastric lining, peppermint actually shortens the amount of time food spends in the stomach. This herb is traditionally used to cleanse and strengthen the entire body, including the heart muscle. Because of its stimulating and warming properties, peppermint tea is a favorite old-time remedy for chills, colds, colic, and rheumatism. It can even help relieve the nauseated feeling that often accompanies a migraine or “sick” headache. (more…)
