Other Names: Ocalipto, eukalitu, blue Gomero

Eucalyptus is a tree native to Australia belonging to the family of Myrtaceae, but cultivated worldwide. Its evergreen leaves and essential oil (eucalyptol) are used for therapeutic purposes.

The diluted oil for internal use or own property fumes expectorant and soothes sore throats and larynx in addition to being an important antiseptic of the respiratory tract. In this mode you can also combine with lime and chamomile. In a decoction of a teaspoon of leaves per liter of water acts as a hypoglycemic.

Both deccoción of the leaves as the essential oil are febrifuges and expel intestinal parasites. They are healing wounds and skin diseases as eszemas external use.

Infusion leaves helps reduce blood sugar as it is integrated into treatments for diabetes. No excesses over a cup of tea a day.

ATTENTION: Eucalyptus oil should be used carefully, since the consumption of only 3.5 ml of oil can cause serious problems. It is best to check its internal use a qualified professional. Should not apply to infants or children under six years and in people with asthma or in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

We can also add other features to promote the acceleration of liver metabolism and help reduce body fat and cholesterol. It is also a great debugger, detoxifying and even a mild antidepressant. Stimulates digestive secretions facilitate digestion.

Advised to drink a cup of tea after every meal. To experience your property must be respected slimming diet based on vegetables-raw, steamed or boiled, “and fruits. It is recommended to follow any diet under the supervision of a nutritionist or dietician.

Not recommended that you consume children, pregnant women and persons subject to ongoing medical treatment or heart rhythm disturbances. Nor is recommended for patients with ulcers, anemia, insomnia or nervousness.

To make a cup of Red Tea infusion sufficient 3 gr. to which is added almost boiling water, steeping for 2 to 5 minutes. Often come in sachets or packets that facilitate this process.

China Traditional Medicine has shown efficacy in the treatment of skin diseases, from a totally different to that provided by Western medicine, with its methods focused on energy rebalancing as acupuncture, moxibustion, ear acupuncture, scraping, cupping, as external methods, and herbal medicine both internally and externally, coupled with diet and exercise therapy, physical therapy, and Chi Gong.

These methods allow the body to restore balance naturally and ensures that conditions related to the skin, with features of chronicity, effectively resolves them in avoiding the side effects of synthetic medications, as far more important are relapses.

Should take into account work in conjunction with conventional medicine, if they are already doing with this medicine treatments to achieve the best results between them.

Clinical trials in Chinese medicine for skin disorders have suggested that Chinese herbs have the following effects on the body, such as:

• Anti-inflammatory, ability to reduce the inflammation characteristic of conditions such as cases of acne, dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema.

• Anti-proliferative, ability to reduce the volume by rapid cell proliferation, new skin cells in psoriasis.

• Immuno-modulating, act by regulating the immune system when it attacks its own cells, not to recognize that is the case of autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, eczema and vitiligo.

Some of the plants used in traditional Oriental medicine treatments have proven effective and relevant to our health. Today we will talk of gotu kola, one of those products that seem to have a wide range of properties and uses.

Try to run a bit of false myths of plants that can do everything. In this alternative medicines should not put more expectations than they need and we can go to them ever since common sense and knowledge.

The gotu kola is a popular ingredient in the cuisine of Sri Lanka. Why yes, a plant can be eaten in salads or taken as an infusion. In addition, it can also be used as a poultice or incorporate intothe diet with concentrated tablets. Also present is found in Many cosmetics of daily use.

The best-known properties are:
* Skin rejuvenation
* Skin and wound healer
* Relaxing
* Increases mental focus
* Diuretic
* Cellulite
* Anti-Aging

The pharmaceutical industry uses gotu kola for skin anti-aging products, products of firmness of the skin, cellulite, tonics, mouthwashes or gels intimate.

Furthermore, gotu kola is rich in vitamin B and vitamin K. It has discussed the possibility that gotu kola contains Vitamin X longevity. However, no studies clarifying its existence in the gotu kola.

Other Names: Samento savéntaro, Tambor Huasa, Hawk Claw, Scribble, Peace and Justice, Bejuco cat.

It is a large woody vine. Belongs to the Rubiaceae family and native to tropical South America. Its most popular name that is known is because their spines that seem to nail. There are several types of cat’s claw in the world. Uncaria tomentosa variety is the most studied and attributed to him more properties.

It has been used in the treatment of asthma and to promote wound healing process. It is known to use for joint pain (anti-inflammatory property), stomach problems. It is an anticoagulant (blood fuidificadora property) that is indicated for people with poor circulation problems (atherosclerosis) by preventing cardiovascular events.

It has been used to treat urinary tract disorders, inflammation, cirrhosis, gonorrhea and diarrhea. There have been good results in external applications (decoction of the bark) in muscle and joint pain, acne, fungus, arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Cat’s Claw has a low toxicity (remember that the vast majority of medicinal plants to a lesser or greater incidence are hepatotoxic, so you should never exaggerate consumption). According to recent studies, the juice of the stems and roots strengthen the immune system.

Caution: Do not give children or pregnant or lactating women. High doses can cause diarrhea, low blood pressure, dizziness and bruising or bleeding gums.

Known to interact with some drugs such as lovastatin, ketoconazole, itraconazole, fexofenadine, triazolam.

Other Names: Ocalipto, eukalitu, blue Gomero

Eucalyptus is a tree native to Australia belonging to the family of Myrtaceae, but cultivated worldwide. Its evergreen leaves and essential oil (eucalyptol) are used for therapeutic purposes.

The diluted oil for internal use or own property fumes expectorant and soothes sore throats and larynx in addition to being an important antiseptic of the respiratory tract. In this mode you can also combine with lime and chamomile. In a decoction of a teaspoon of leaves per liter of water acts as a hypoglycemic.

Deccoción both the leaves and the essential oil are febrifuges and expel intestinal parasites. They are healing wounds and skin diseases as eszemas external use.

Infusion leaves helps reduce blood sugar as it is integrated into treatments for diabetes. No excesses over a cup of tea a day.

ATTENTION: Eucalyptus oil should be used carefully, since the consumption of only 3.5 ml of oil can cause serious problems. It is best to check its internal use a qualified professional. Should not apply to infants or children under six years and in people with asthma or in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

In short, the conventional wisdom about the healing properties of plants is part of the cultural heritage of peoples. Ethnobotany denominating the part of the science that deals with the study of the information accumulated over many years.

More modernly, from this knowledge, science begin to investigate the curative or therapeutic actual usable plants, determine their chemical composition and separate the different active principles.Why and for what? Because the activity of a drug depends, first, the active substance containing a majority but they are often accompanied by other principles that power-or better-modulate the action of the former. The proportion in which they find each other is highly variable. It is also great variability exists with regard to the chemical formula of each principle in isolation. And considering that just by changing a chemical group position pharmacological activity can be completely opposite and that some principles are simple but sometimes other substances are complex mixtures (such as essential oils) it is clear that the most practical from scratch is not and look at what already exists and further work. And that it is best to observe nature.

Then, once separated the active and successful experience relevant evidence, scientists agree that this plant can be used with curative intent.

The pharmaceutical industries in the laboratory to synthesize a new drug, it often from these active and then proceed to “improve” their activity by altering its chemical formula or with other synergistic principles (to enhance the action), regulatory or remedial and other substances-natural or non-dependent characteristics and the dosage form to use (so-called pharmaceutical form).

In general, the trend today is to manufacture industries called herbal drugs, which can become very complex mixtures of active ingredients from natural sources (plants) of similar or different pharmacological action for the treatment of certain diseases. In some cases, correcting the undesirable traits such as odor or unpleasant taste (organoleptic correction) – adding other drugs or early demulcent (soothing) to those that are irritating, and so on. Sometimes he uses the full drug (leaves, flowers, roots …), others use only a few more active and more active ingredients are mixed in the same or different plants.

It is encouraging that now, to the misuse and abuse of synthetic drugs, their side effects and contraindications and interactions with other drugs (although many plants possess these disadvantages are not so frequent at therapeutic doses) is chosen increasingly by a medicine that uses natural agents based on the Hippocratic principle, “Primum non nocere (above all, do no harm) and to stimulate the life force of the individual, medicatrix Vis Naturae.

credit to: Maria Jose Valcarcel

Phytotherapy is the use of plants or parts thereof for therapeutic purposes and has been used by animals and man himself from prehistory. In fact, the majority of current drugs are based on active principles of plants. We therefore introduce readers to this amazing world in the belief that they will be really useful. And we will hand our companion Maria Jose Valcarcel, Bachelor of Pharmacy and naturopath.

It is called ACTIVE to any substance with pharmacological activity. The active principles are usually secondary metabolites of the plant, ie that are not central to it (most often reserve substances, products to repel or attract insects for pollination, etc.)..

HERB plant is equipped with all active substances with pharmacological activity that can be exploited from the therapeutic standpoint.DRUG is the part or parts of the plant used to contain most of the active ingredients, and / or containing in proper proportion. (Not to be confused with “drugs” that are the subject of drugs). For example, the drug of buckthorn bark is aging, so are bearberry leaves the barrel cactus fruits, from gentian root, and so on. It should be noted that sometimes different parts of a plant have different active ingredients so they will have different pharmacological actions also (we have several drugs of the same plant).

MEDICINAL PLANTS

Phytotherapy is the use of plants, or parts of it-and for medicinal purposes is as old as man himself. Back in prehistory, when the earth was full of plants, flowers and herbs, our ancestors probably came to them, “noting the habits of animals and decide to imitate in order to alleviate their ailments. And so, thanks to the experience to witness so much as cures poisoning caused by accidental ingestion-sometimes-of various plant species, man was learning the healing powers of some of them and the toxic actions of others. He thus came to possess great insight and selectivity “that we have lost-to choose just that plant to neutralize the poison of a snake, that flower to stop bleeding from a wound or chewing this root to calm the pain colic …

When the man went to live in gregarious societies, this knowledge would become an element of power and was restricted to the witch doctors and priests of the tribe, in whom his fellows went to lodge the responsibility of caring for the health of the whole. From there to the use of such knowledge do in ritual magic or religious complexion there was only one step.

credit to: Maria Jose Valcarcel