50 Medicinal Plants and Their Healthier Uses

The medicinal plants Can have numerous uses to improve physical and mental health. Usually, they are used to relieve an ailment or pain.

There are thousands of medicinal plants. In fact, it is believed that all the properties of those that are known have not yet been explored and that there are still many more to discover.

medicinal plants

The use of these has its origin in the first civilizations, in which the collection of plants and fruits allowed the discovery of their properties, thus giving birth to an ancestor of medicine, herbalist.

Although in its beginnings the use of medicinal plants was related to magic, now it is known that its curative effect comes from its active principles and even scientific studies are carried out to verify its effects on the body of the human being.

You may also be interested in viewing 11 medicinal plants good for the prostate .

List of 50 medicinal plants to alleviate daily affections

1- Bitter chicory

  • Parts that are useful: Leaf and root.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Assist in the digestive tract to eliminate impacted stools.
  2. It decreases the appetite and reduces the stress of a diet.
  3. Prevents fluid retention caused by excessive consumption of sodium.
  4. Detoxifies the blood.
  • Side effects: Prolonged use may form kidney stones.

2- Aloe Vera

  • Parts that are useful: Pulp within the leaves.
  • How to use: As food fresh or directly on the skin.
  • Benefits:
  1. Decreases the healing period of wounds.
  2. Decreases dryness of the skin.
  3. Decreases urticaria caused by insect bites or allergies.
  4. Reduces inflammation of urticaria and wounds.
  5. Natural laxative.
  6. Assist in the treatment of colitis by allowing the release of accumulated gases.
  7. Increases appetite.
  • Side effects: Diarrhea for prolonged use.

3- Arnica

  • Parts that are useful: Petals of her flower.
  • How to use: Only outside.
  • Benefits: It diminishes the pain and the inflammation, be it by blows, muscular tears or mild rheumatic pains.
  • Side effects : Toxic when ingested.

4- Boldo

  • Parts that are useful: Leaf and fruit.
  • How to use: Infusion or ingestion of the fruit.
  • Benefits:
  1. It increases intestinal transit, eliminating constipation and gas accumulation.
  2. Decreases inflammation.
  3. Relaxing of the nervous system.
  4. Detoxifies the blood.
  5. Removes excess fluids from the body.
  6. Aids in the treatment of urinary tract infections.
  • Side effects: Kidney stones and abortion in pregnant women.

5- Pumpkin

  • Parts that are useful: Fruit pulp.
  • How to use: Eat the fruit.
  • Benefits:
  1. Eliminates excess fluids in the body.
  2. Detoxifies the blood.
  • Side effects: Diarrhea for prolonged use.

6- Canchanlagua

  • Parts that are useful: Stems and flowers.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Detoxifies the blood.
  2. Disinflamant stomach and intestine.
  3. Reduces high blood pressure.
  4. It helps to reduce the fever.
  • Side effects: Kidney stones and prolonged use diarrhea.

7- Garlic

  • Parts that are useful: Head or teeth.
  • How to use: In infusion, whole, chewed.
  • Benefits:
  1. Prevents infections by strengthening the immune system.
  2. Decreases high blood pressure.
  3. It lowers cholesterol levels.
  4. Strengthens bones.
  • Side effects: Bad breath and sweating impregnated with pain to garlic.

8- Chaya

  • Parts that are useful: sheet.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. General analgesic.
  2. It helps digestion.
  3. It increases intestinal transit, thus eliminating constipation and gas accumulation.
  4. Removes excess fluids.
  5. Excellent source of iron.
  6. Prevents diabetes.
  7. Strengthens the airways.
  • Side effects: None known.

9- Chinahuatillo

  • Parts that are useful: Leaf and spike.
  • How to use: Infusion to take or to wash wounds.
  • Benefits:
  1. Deflates the bronchi (Auxiliary in the treatment of asthma).
  2. Disinfects wounds.
  3. It decreases or prevents the formation of acne.
  4. Decreases the symptoms of rust.
  • Side effects: Constipation and dryness on the skin.

10- Epazote

  • Parts that are useful: leaves
  • How to use: As seasoning or infusion
  • Benefits:
  1. It acts as an aid in the treatment of parasitosis.
  2. It increases intestinal transit, eliminating constipation and gas accumulation.
  3. Assist in the treatment of menstrual cramps.
  4. Reduces stress.
  • Side effects: Kidney stones and decreased heart rate for prolonged use.

11- Guajilote

  • Parts that are useful: Bark, root and fruit
  • How to use: Infusion and fruit pulp
  • Benefits:
  1. Natural laxative
  2. Removes excess fluids
  3. Assist in the disintegration of kidney stones and urinary tract infections
  4. Prevents and relieves symptoms of respiratory diseases
  • Side effects: diarrhea.

12- Maize

  • Parts that are useful: Hair of corn.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Assist in the treatment of infections.
  2. It helps the circulatory system.
  3. Prevents oral diseases.
  4. Helps reduce urinary tract and kidney infections.
  5. Disinfects wounds.
  6. It prevents gastrointestinal diseases.
  • Side effects: Diarrhea and nausea.

13- Guayule

  • Parts that are useful: Leaf and flower.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits: Decreases flu symptoms and allergies.
  • Side effects: Dryness and bleeding of mucous membranes and constipation.

14- Passionflower

  • Parts that are useful: flower.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Relaxing (against anxiety, nervousness, hysteria...).
  2. It reduces the symptoms of asthma.
  3. Decreases cardiac arrhythmias.
  4. Relieves muscle pain (analgesic).
  • Side effects: Decreases heart rate and causes drowsiness

15- Achiote

  • Parts that are useful: seeds.
  • How to use: Chewing, infusing or putting ground seeds directly into the wound.
  • Benefits:
  1. Dry out superficial wounds by helping to heal.
  2. It eliminates the headache.
  3. Contraveneno in poisoning by natural sprocket.
  • Side effects: Burning in the wound and feeling thirsty.

16- Tepozán

  • Parts that are useful: Leaves and root.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. It decreases the fever.
  2. Eliminates retained fluids.
  3. Serves as an antiseptic to disinfect wounds.
  • Side effects: Not known.

17- Copal

  • Parts that are useful: dry leaves.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. It acts as an aid in the treatment of infections: respiratory, skin, wound...
  2. It decreases the fever.
  3. Helps the healing process.
  • Side effects: Diarrhea and drowsiness.

18- Chipil

  • Parts that are useful: leaves
  • How to use: infusion
  • Benefits:
  1. Decreases symptoms of intestinal infections such as nausea and vomiting
  2. Decrease high blood pressure
  3. Helps control sore throat in respiratory infections
  • Side effects: Constipation, feeling thirsty, decreased heart rate and fainting.

19- Tlaxcalishuat

  • Parts that are useful: Leaves with stems.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. It increases intestinal transit, eliminating constipation and gas accumulation.
  2. Decreases respiratory infections.
  3. Disinfects wounds and burns.
  • Side effects: Constipation and dryness on the skin.

20- Artichoke

  • Parts that are useful: Leaves and flower bud.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Decreases fatty liver.
  2. Eliminates fluid retention.
  3. Assist in the disintegration and expulsion of kidney stones.
  • Side effects: Feeling thirsty and excessive sweating.

21- Altea

  • Parts that are useful: Whole plant.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Calms the nervous system (stress and nerves).
  2. It decreases the symptoms of the flu.
  • Side effects: drowsiness.

22- Shepherd's bag

  • Parts that are useful: The whole plant without the roots.
  • How to use: Infusion and water for washing.
  • Benefits:
  1. Assist in the treatment of vaginal infections.
  2. Reduces pain due to arthritis.
  3. It lowers cholesterol.
  • Side effects: Mareros and drowsiness

22- Borage

  • Parts that are useful: The whole rootless plant.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits: Decreases symptoms of gastrointestinal infections such as vomiting, diarrhea and nausea.
  • Side effects: constipation.

24- Calendula

  • Parts that are useful: flowers.
  • How to use: Infusion and ointment.
  • Benefits:
  1. Removes the cloth caused by pregnancy.
  2. Helps heal wounds faster.
  • Side effects: Dry skin.

25- Horsetail

  • Parts that are useful: The whole plant minus the root.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Helps disintegrate and expel kidney stones.
  2. It controls excessive menstrual flow.
  • Side effects: diarrhea.

26- Chichira

  • Parts that are useful: Whole plant.
  • How to use: Infusion and plaster.
  • Benefits: Eliminates toothache.
  • Side effects: Anesthesia of the area where the patch is used.

27- Gigantón

  • Parts that are useful: Whole plant.
  • How to use: Infusion for washing.
  • Benefits: Removes dandruff from the scalp
  • Side effects: Dryness of the scalp

28- Cancer herb

  • Parts that are useful: Whole plant.
  • How to use: Infusion for washing.
  • Benefits: Disinfects wounds.
  • Side effects: Burning in the wound when applied.

29- Muña

  • Parts that are useful: leaves.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits: Eliminates stomach pain from gastritis.
  • Side effects: Not known.

30- Malva

  • Parts that are useful: The whole plant minus the root.
  • How to use: Infusion for drinking and gargling.
  • Benefits:
  1. It decreases the fever.
  2. Eliminates sore throat from infection.
  • Side effects: Not known.

31- Manzanilla

  • Parts that are useful: Flowers and leaves.
  • How to use: Infusion for drinking and washing.
  • Benefits:
  1. It eliminates infections of the eyes when washing them.
  2. Calms the nervous system (stress, nerves...).
  3. Decreases stomach pain by overeating.
  • Side effects: constipation.

32- Anise

  • Parts that are useful: Stars.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits: Helps to get the gas accumulated in the intestine.
  • Side effects: Diarrhea and drowsiness

33- Romero

  • Parts that are useful: Stems
  • How to use: Infusion for washing.
  • Benefits:
  1. Decreases hair loss.
  2. Decreases muscular pain.
  • Side effects: Dry skin.

34- Eucalyptus

  • Parts that are useful: leaves.
  • How to use: Infusion to smell and drink.
  • Benefits: Airway decongestion.
  • Side effects: Not known.

35- Melissa

  • Parts that are useful: Flowers and dry leaves.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Helps to absorb nutrients
  2. Eliminate diarrhea
  3. Eliminate Colic
  • Side effects: Constipation, gastritis and colitis, in prolonged use.

36- Balsamina

  • Parts that are useful: leaves.
  • How to use: Infusion for bathrooms.
  • Benefits: Eliminates itching in hives and chickenpox.
  • Side effects: Dry skin.

37- Lemon

  • Parts that are useful: Juice and pulp.
  • How to use: Fresh ingestion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Eliminates retained fluids.
  2. Increases appetite.
  3. It increases intestinal transit, eliminating constipation and gas accumulation.
  4. It prevents respiratory diseases.
  • Side effects: Increases heartburn.

38- Nettle

  • Parts that are useful: leaves.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Detoxifies the blood.
  2. Eliminates retained fluids.
  3. Improves blood circulation.
  4. It increases intestinal transit, eliminating constipation and gas accumulation.
  • Side effects: diarrhea.

39- Acanto

  • Parts that are useful: leaves.
  • How to use: Infusion and ointment.
  • Benefits:
  1. Eliminates mild diarrhea.
  2. Disinflames the adenoids.
  3. Disinflame spider bites and mosquitoes when used on the skin.
  • Side effects: constipation.

40- Fennel

  • Parts that are useful: Branches.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Stimulates milk production during lactation
  2. Eliminates gas from the intestine
  3. Eliminates fluid retention
  4. Decreases menstrual cramps
  • Side effects: constipation.

41- Salvia

  • Parts that are useful: leaves
  • How to use: Infusion and plasters
  • Benefits:
  1. It decreases the fever.
  2. Help against infections.
  3. It stops bleeding.
  4. Eliminates infections in wounds.
  • Side effects: Not known.

42- Mint

  • Parts that are useful: leaves.
  • How to use: Chewed, infused and stuffed.
  • Benefits:
  1. Antivatory.
  2. Eliminates bad breath.
  3. Decongestes airways.
  4. It increases intestinal transit, eliminating constipation and gas accumulation.
  • Side effects: Not known.

43- Gentian

  • Parts that are useful: root.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Treatment against anorexia.
  2. It increases intestinal transit, eliminating constipation and gas accumulation.
  3. Eliminates flatulence.
  4. Stimulates the thyroid.
  • Side effects: Not known.

44- Good grass

  • Parts that are useful: leaves.
  • How to use: Chewed or infused.
  • Benefits:
  1. Stops vomiting.
  2. Eliminates bad breath.
  3. It increases intestinal transit, eliminating constipation and gas accumulation.
  • Side effects: Not known.

45-Limoncillo

  • Parts that are useful: Branches.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Natural digestive.
  2. Eliminates fluid retention.
  • Side effects: Not known

46- Lavender

  • Parts that are useful: flowers.
  • How to use: Infusion for drinking and washing.
  • Benefits:
  1. Calms nerves and stress.
  2. As a wash, it eliminates the bad odor of the feet, fights infections in genitals and infections in the skin.
  • Side effects: Not known.

47- Turmeric

  • Parts that are useful: Leaves and stems.
  • How to use: ointment.
  • Benefits: Disinflame joints and muscles.
  • Side effects: Not known.

48- Caraway

  • Parts that are useful: leaves.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits: Stimulates the production of milk during lactation.
  • Side effects: constipation.

49- Jamaica

  • Parts that are useful: flower.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Eliminates retained fluids.
  2. It lowers cholesterol levels.
  3. Strengthens the immune system.
  4. Regulates blood sugar.
  • Side effects: Not known.

50- ether

  • Parts that are useful: leaves.
  • How to use: infusion.
  • Benefits:
  1. Detoxifies.
  2. Desinflama urinary tract.
  3. Reduces stress.
  4. Disintegrates kidney stones.
  5. Reduces cholesterol.
  • Side effects: Dizziness and decreased blood pressure

Aspects to consider

As you can see from the benefits of most previous herbal plants, most have side effects that need to be taken into account before consuming them. However, these effects are common only when used for prolonged periods or in excessive amounts.

In addition, it should not be forgotten that the different forms of preparation also influence the results obtained, because it is not the same an infusion as an ointment or a dressing that a washing.

All of the above are vehicles or excipients, which are substances that are mixed with the drug to give it consistency, shape, flavor and thus facilitate its use.

In general, researching and knowing the uses and benefits of plants is necessary and positive, not only for culture, but because it can cover a need when going to a pharmacy or drugstore is not possible.

In addition, many of these plants are priced much cheaper than a pharmaceutical product, and being products of natural origin, are less likely to cause an allergic reaction.

Other characteristics of medicinal plants

Some characteristics common to medicinal plants are as follows.

  • Synergy with drugs : Can be combined with other drugs, even if they are of synthetic origin (drugs and drugs)
  • Auxiliary of allopathic medicine : May supplement or even replace medical treatment. Today, more and more doctors prescribe the use of medicinal plants as auxiliaries in the treatment of various sufferers.
  • It serves as a preventive measure .

Many of the medicinal plants need a preparation process to have the desired effect, such processes are often as simple as preparing an infusion or, more elaborate as preparing an ointment.

In most cases, specific parts of a plant contain the active ingredient needed to achieve an effect in the body, while the rest of the body has no relevance.

In the last decades, there has been an increase in the consumption of medicinal plants, because after the popularity that the synthetic medicines had, today there is a strong awareness campaign to avoid the excessive use of these.

Therefore, in most of the media, medicinal plants are offered as"natural or home remedies".

This has encouraged the indiscriminate use of medicinal plants and although they are not synthetic or created in laboratories, their effects can be as harmful as those of any drug if we do not know how to administer them.

In spite of this, it must be taken into account that most medicinal plants are more accessible than a medicine, since they can be found in local markets and at economical prices.

References

  1. Medicinal Plants of the World, Volume 3, Chemical Constituents, Traditional and Modern Medicinal Uses by Ivan A. Ross. 2005 Humana Press Inc. 999 Riverview Drive, Suite 208 Totowa, New Jersey 07512.
  2. Impact of Cultivation and Gathering of Medicinal Plants on Biodiversity, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations by Forestry Department, retrieved from fao.org.
  3. Medicinal Plants and their uses, Botanical-online-S.L 1999-2017. Retrieved from botanical-online.com.
  4. Ben-Erik van Wyk, Michael Wink, retrieved from researchgate.net by University of Johannesburg and Universität Heidelberg.
  5. PDF Book MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE AISA-PACIFIC: DRUGS FOR THE FUTURE? By CHRISTOPHE WIART. University of Malaya, Malaysia. Published by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. 5 Toh Tuck Link, Singapore 596224 USA office: 27 Warren Street, Suite 401-402, Hackensack, NJ 07601. Retrieved from: worldscientific.com.
  6. Medicinal Plants of the World. An Illustrated Scientific Guide to Important Medicinal Plants and Their Uses. Ben-Erik Van Wyk and Michael Wink. 2004. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. Pp.480 + photos, figures, appendices.
  7. Healing plants around the world, May-Sept 2008, by the new york botanical garden, retrieved from nybg.org.


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