Your Medicinal Plants

Viper’s Bugloss

Familia de Boraginaceae

The Viper’s Bugloss is a wild grass, is biennial, it reaches only 1 meter tall and has blue flowers pretty. Its name arises because the shape of this plant is similar to a coiled snake, but is also known as beef tongue and beef tongue. It grows in mountain areas and grasslands, embankments and roadsides in Europe. Its scientific name is Echium vulgare and belongs to the family Boraginaceae. Other Common Names: Blue Devil, Blueweed, Common Vipersbugloss, Havaciva Otu, Slangenkruid, Viborera, Viper’s Bugloss, Blueweed, Blue weed. The Viper’s Bugloss can be used for medicinal purposes use the leaves and stem. It has proven effects as an emollient, diuretic, cleansing, expectorant and sudorific. Some of the conditions for which this herb are used for rheumatic pains, to treat skin redness and damaged, as well as boils and abscesses, grain, snake bites, dermatitis, cold, fever, headache.
It is also effective in improving conditions and nervous disorders and respiratory diseases, gout, inflammation, edema, fluid retention, urinary disorders.

This plant has a medium level of toxicity that should not be consumed orally for a long time as it can be toxic to the liver. The dose should be prescribed by a professional to not take any chances with toxic substances which owns the plant. Never self-medicate with plant-based preparations in particular children, pregnant women and people with chronic diseases to avoid unwanted effects. This is the only contraindications it has; you should always consult a physician before using home remedies based on plants to prevent harmful health effects.

Recipes from this medicinal plant:

Gastronomy: The Viper’s Bugloss borage is similar to so you can eat boiled leaves as a vegetable, combined with other vegetables to improve the taste and it’s a little bitter.

Infusion: You can also make a tea with leaves and stems 30 grams per liter of water, you can take 2 to 4 cups a day.

External use: can be made poultices, compresses washed and crushed to the ground and the last infusion.

It is also possible to get juice, tincture and wine based on this plant.

Jimsonweed, Datura stramonium

Familia de Solanaceae

The Jimsonweed is a shrub or small tree that can grow to about 3.5 m. high, and comes from the Andes. Its trunk is wood and branches.
This plant belongs to the Solanaceae family and its scientific name is Datura stramonium.
The medicinal parts used are the leaves and flowers.
The Jimsonweed is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens and greenhouses.
But the use of this herb is not recommended for drinking, for their toxic effects that have hallucinogenic properties. The Jimsonweed has been used in the Old and New World since ancient times for medicinal, ceremonial and religious. South American Indians used them in religious ceremonies and as drugs. During the Middle Ages many preparations used for witchcraft containing extracts of these medicinal plants.
But instead another pharmacological action of the Jimsonweed is using the dried leaves or flowers, and inhaling the smoke burned is antiasthmatic, or while smoking a cigarette.
The leaves of this evergreen tree are medicinal oblong, smooth edge.
The importance of its showy flowers, very large and tubular forms, which have solitary and pendulous, are very fragrant at night, and white. They bloom all year round.
The Jimsonweed is used as a medicinal plant in external use, such as anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory, emollient, and is also used to make oils and ointments.

Recipes for this medicinal plant:

Jimsonweed oil or ointment, for rheumatism and friction in the joint. Emollient for pimples, boils, etc.
Preparation: Place 500 d.c. olive oil, 150 gr. fresh leaves and crushed in a bowl. Then the mixture is heated in a water bath for 3 to 4 hours.
Then strain and remove excess water (if available).
Instead you can use oil or creed fat unsalted butter, to create an ointment.

Fresh flowers of this herb, crushed in a mortar with fat, used to prepare a kind of soft paste, which has the same properties as oil or ointment.

Fenugreek

Familia de Fabaceae

Fenugreek is one of the oldest medicinal plants. This plant is native to the Middle East, and grows between the arable lands.
The scientific name of this herb is Trigonella foenum graecum. This herb belongs to the plant family Fabaceae (Leguminosae).
Fenugreek is an herb branched root, stem straight, cylindrical and hollow. Leaves alternate, compound, trifoliate, with leaflets lanceolate, finely toothed edge. This plant can grow to two feet in height. It produces long, narrow pod sickle-shaped, which contain within 10 to 20 yellow seeds. The seeds of this money are used for medicinal purposes. The flowers of Trigonella foenum graecum are sessile, pale yellow and have the bell-shaped calyx. The whole plant emits a smell generally not very pleasant.
Fenugreek seeds are rich in proteins and mucilage. Internal use of this herb has a mild laxative and emollient.
The seeds of this herb also the cause increased appetite and fat naturally, so they are very desirable for people no appetite, very thin and anemic. It has been used successfully in people with tuberculosis convalescence.
Furthermore, the decoction of fenugreek seeds is used in cases of hemorrhoids (applying it directly on affected as a poultice). Also for skin conditions, as topical wounds, ulcers, cracked nipples and lips, applying a poultice helps in the healing of these areas. It is also used in healing pimples, boils. And also for the treatment of cellulite (favoring the draining and cleaning of the skin), arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Recipes for this herb:

Infusion: An infusion of 20 gr. of seeds per liter of water is an effective febrifuge and debugs cases of flu, or catarrhal conditions. It should drink 3 cups per day.
Cooking: Fenugreek is attributed to the properties of sexual tonic, especially in cases of male impotence. To this end, we recommend a decoction of 40 gr. of seeds per liter of water, which is boiled for 10 minutes, strain and take one cup before breakfast, another before lunch and the third before dinner.

Decoction for internal use: decoction with a teaspoon of flour seeds Trigonella foenum graecum for each cup of water. It takes the form of porridge or mashed potatoes. You can add honey or brown sugar.

Decoction for external use: a decoction is made of 100 gr. of crushed seeds (or flour) Fenugreek per liter of water. Boil for 15 minutes. It is applied as a poultice on the affected area (cold for the treatment of hemorrhoids, hot (not too) in other external treatment).