Diuretic
Stimulant
Clears nasal passages
Antiseptic
Stimulates blood flow
TIP
Too much horseradish taken internally can cause night sweats and occasionally diarrhea and abdominal cramping.
AVENA SATIVUM
OATS
Oats are a cereal plant, and are both extremely nutritious and useful therapeutically. Oats are one of the best sources of inositol, which is important for maintaining optimum blood cholesterol levels. Eaten daily, they provide a wealth of excellent effects.
USES
Eat raw oats as a source of fiber to ease constipation.
Oatmeal (unrefined) can be eaten on a regular basis to reduce the effects of stress and nervous disorders.
Cooked oats will relieve fatigue.
A compress of oatmeal or an oatmeal bath soothes eczema and other problem skin conditions.
Boil a tablespoon of oats in ½ pt. (250ml) of water for several minutes and drain; use as a nerve tonic and for its nourishing properties.
Use the tincture for stress, addictions, eating disorders, and depression.
Eat oats dairy to lower blood cholesterol and to experience tonic effects.
PROPERTIES
A tonic for general debility, and used in the treatment of anorexia, also helpful for convalescence and fatigue
Oats lower blood cholesterol levels
Oats help to control hormonal activity
Cleansing—internally and externally; may protect against bowel cancer when taken internally
Used in the treatment of eczema
Extremely rich in B vitamins and minerals
Antidepressant, and can be used to treat depression, stress, and nervous disorders
CAUTION
Oats contain gluten, which causes an allergic reaction in some individuals.
ASPARAGUS OFFICINALIS
ASPARAGUS
A herbaceous perennial of the Liliaceae family, asparagus is cultivated for its tender shoots, which appear in early spring. In 1806, the French chemist Louis Nicolas Vauquelin, who discovered the elements chromium and beryllium, isolated asparagine, the first amino acid to be discovered, from the asparagus plant. Asparagus is a liver tonic, and promotes elimination (through the urine).
USES
Drink asparagus water (the water remaining after steaming asparagus spears) for urinary complaints, arthritis, and rheumatism.
Freshly cooked asparagus will tonify the liver, and may be used in cases of liver congestion and conditions such as hepatitis to encourage healing.
Asparagus tincture can be added to food and drinks to encourage the elimination of urine.
PROPERTIES
Encourages the flow of urine, making asparagus a useful diuretic
Acts as a tonic to the liver
Aids digestion
May help control the symptoms of PMS, including breast tenderness and abdominal bloating
CAUTION
Asparagus is high in purines, and anyone suffering from gout should avoid it.
BRASSICA OLCRANEA
CABBAGE
Cabbage has traditionally been used for medicinal purposes as well as for cooking. It has anti-inflammatory properties, and contains chemicals which can prevent cancer. The ancient Greeks used fresh white cabbage juice to relieve sore or infected eyes, and juice from the cabbage stem is a good remedy for ulcers.
USES
Make cabbage a regular part of your diet to reduce the risk of cancer.
A cabbage poultice can be applied to boils and infected cuts to draw out the infection and disperse pus.
Applied to bruises and swelling, macerated cabbage leaves will encourage healing.
Dab white cabbage juice on mouth ulcers, and gargle for sore throats.
A warm cabbage compress, on the affected area, reduces the pain of headaches and some kinds of neuralgia.
PROPERTIES
An excellent anti-inflammatory
Cabbage contains lactic acid, which acts to disinfect the colon
Used to reduce the pain of headaches and rheumatic disorders
Soothes eczema and other itching or weeping skin conditions
Anticancerous
Red cabbage leaves are the basic ingredient of a good cough syrup
CAUTION
Do not eat red cabbage raw, because the high levels of iron can interfere with gut absorption and irritate the gut, causing constipation. Avoid cabbage if you suffer from goiter, or take maoi antidepressants. Red cabbage (cooked) can cause constipation and irritation of the colon, due to the large quantities of iron.
CAMELLIA SINENSIS
TEA
Tea is the beverage made when the processed leaves of the tea plant are infused with boiling water. Native to Southeast Asia, the tea plant is a small, shrub-like, evergreen tree that belongs to the family Theaceae, its seeds contain a volatile oil, and its leaves contain the chemicals caffeine and tannin.
USES
The fluoride in tea may be beneficial in preventing dental caries.
Tea may help in the treatment of diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis, and gastroenteritis.
The flavonoids contained in tea may destroy harmful bacteria and viruses.
Cold, steeped tea bags placed over the eyes will soothe soreness and irritation. Tea’s astringent properties also make tea bags useful for treating minor injuries and insect bites.
The leaves of green and black tea may be beneficial in the prevention of heart disease and stroke.
PROPERTIES
Provides folic acid (vitamin B9), some potassium, and also magnesium
Contains fluoride (a trace)
Acts on the nervous system to control the respiratory and digestive systems
Diuretic and astringent
Antioxidants called polyphenols have beneficial effects on the circulatory system, while flavonoids act on the immune system
CAUTION
Tea can interfere with the effectiveness of drugs such as allopurinol (for the treatment of gout), antibiotics, antiulcer drugs, and the drug theophylkline, prescribed for asthma. It can prevent the absorption of iron and interfere with the effectiveness of