Your Medicinal Plants

Ephedra

Familia de Ephedraceae

This herb grows in almost all tropical and subtropical areas. For medicinal purposes the whole plant is used. It has an action similar to that of adrenaline.
The scientific name of this herb is Ephedra distachya.
Ephedra belongs to the family of plants Ephedraceae.
Ephedra is a shrub with erect branches up to 1.5 m., ridged longitudinally organized in nodes and internodes.
It grows on lime-rich soils, dry and very sunny.
The leaves of this herb are small, scaly membranous and without chlorophyll, located at the nodes.
Flowers are unisexual Ephedra bit showy.
This plant has protected seminal primordial after fertilization scales that become fleshy and acquire a red color simulating a whole berry.
Sun-loving bushes and evergreen forest fringes planifolia inland of the Mediterranean Region.
I enter the active ingredients of ephedra are: protoalcaloicles, flavonoids, proantocianidoles. The branches containing macrocyclic oxazolidone and alkaloids.
Medicinal properties: Sympathomimetics, expectorant, bronchodilator, vasoconstrictor, cardiotonic, antihistamine (allergy), central nervous system stimulant.
This herb is used in cases of: asthma, bronchitis, rhinitis, dyspnea, emphysema, persistent cough. Allergies: hay fever, vernal conjunctivitis, urticaria. Migraine. Heart block.
Distachya Ephedra can produce side effects such as pupil dilation, vomiting, headache, sweating, abdominal pain, tachycardia and hypertension.
Ephedrine (Ephedra compound) can cause anxiety, tremors, insomnia, and more rarely, toxic psychosis, is considered a natural amphetamine, for its intense stimulant-euphoric effect.

Recipes from this medicinal plant:

Infusion infusing one teaspoon per cup of ephedra. Drink two cups a day.

Infusion: 2% infuse 10 minutes, drinking two or three cups a day after meals to prevent allergic reactions.

Caper

Familia de Capparaceae

The scientific name of Caper is Capparis spinosa.
This medicinal plant belongs to the family Capparaceae.
The caper also can be called with the name: capers, alcaparrera, alcaparrero, alcaparrilla, alcaparronero, Caparra Caparrones, Capri, bean devil tapenera, Devil Bat, among others.
This medicinal plant is a shrub native to the Mediterranean.
With drooping branches that can reach 22 cm or more in length, has thick, rounded leaves. The branches of this herb have very sharp spines, up to 1 cm long.
Capers are medicinal plants that have white flowers with long stamens born at intersections of leaves with the stem, supported by regular stems.
Each plant Caper can produce between 0.5 and 3 kg of fruits (capers). When they are ready for collection, are the size of a grain of corn, and dark green.
Used this herb for medicinal purposes, its root, bark and flower buds.
The Capers are tonic, and whet the appetite. They have a sour taste, salty, sour and spicy.
Basically, this herb is used for food, but has some healing properties, some of their uses are: diuretic, tonic, vasoconstrictor and hemorrhoid. Also used a root extract of this medicinal plant in cosmetics to strengthen hair.

Recipes from this herb:

Capers can accompany onions, radishes, mustard, etc.
They are used in the preparation of: sauces and mayonnaise, spicy dishes that accompany fish, tuna, poultry and rice.

The salted or pickled capers are used as an appetizer or salad dressing. They are a common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine.

Also consume the fruits of the Caper, called capers. It is pickled in a vinegar and salt and are a delicious condiment in pizza, smoked salmon, salads and pasta dishes.

Ivy

Familia de Araliaceae

Ivy is a medicinal plant from Europe, Africa and Asia.
This medicinal plant belongs to the family Araliaceae.
The scientific name of this herb is Hedera Helix L.
Poison ivy is a woody climbing plant, is a medicinal plant that grows to 3 to 30 m in length.
The natural habitat of the Ivy air is bleak, very common in gardens.
It is very common herb grows in all directions, so you can stick in walls, windows, and even in other plants or trees.
It is a medicinal plant which has a pleasant aroma. Its flowers are yellowish-green, and the fruit is deep black. The fruit of this herb can be used to dye fabric and to dye black hair.
The leaves of these medicinal plants are very green color and heart shaped.
Ivy is a medicinal plant which is recommended to treat sores, wounds, antirheumatic, anti-inflammatory, and vasoconstrictor. This herb also has expectorant effect, bronchodilator and antibacterial.
It must be very careful with the ingestion of the fruits of these medicinal plants, as they are very toxic in large doses and can cause vomiting and diarrhea. You must also be careful when touching the herb because it can cause reactions.
The part of this plant used medicinally is the leaves, which are rich in saponins, among other compounds.

Recipes from this herb:

Place 20 g of dried and chopped leaves per liter of water. It is indicated for cases of bronchitis and will take 2 cups per day.

It is recommended the decoction of this herb in cases of cellulite. It should be boiled in three liters of water, fresh leaves of ivy, for 2 h, and the decoction obtained is used for bathing.