LINUM USITATISSIMUM
FLAXSEED
Flax is a group of annual and perennial plants from the Linaceae family. Several varieties of one species, L. usitatissimum, are grown primarily for their fiber, used in making linen, or for their seeds, the source of linseed oil. The seeds contain a remarkable healing oil which can be used both internally and externally. Flaxseed is also known as linseed, but should not be confused with the “boiled” linseed oil available from building merchants. As far back as Hippocrates, flaxseed tea has been used to treat sore throats, hoarseness, and bronchial spasms.
USES
Apply the oil to sprains to reduce inflammation and ease the pain.
Mix flaxseed with lime water to reduce the pain of burns.
Flaxseed (linseed) tea can be used for mild constipation, and to encourage kidney function. The tea also works to ease kidney pains and cramping.
The tea can be drunk during bouts of bronchitis to reduce inflammation of the lungs and prevent spasm.
Add lemon and honey to flaxseed tea to encourage its action and improve taste.
PROPERTIES
Mildly laxative
Tonic for the kidneys and encourages their action
Encourages healing
Analgesic
Antispasmodic
CAUTION
Commercially produced linseed oil is used in protective coatings such as paints and varnishes because it has a drying action. It is not suitable for human consumption.
MALUS SPECIES
APPLE
The apple has many uses in traditional medicine, and the old adage “To eat an apple going to bed will make the physician beg his bread” has been justified by its many health-giving properties. Research shows that apples are excellent detoxifiers, and apple juice—even store bought—can destroy viruses in the body.
USES
Eat raw apples regularly, as a detoxificant, for gout and rheumatism.
To prevent viruses from settling in, and to reduce their duration, eat an apple (or drink a glass of apple juice) three times a day.
Raw, peeled, and grated apples can be used as a poultice for sprains.
For indigestion, heartburn, and other digestive disorders, eat an apple with meals.
Use an apple poultice for treating rheumatic and weak eyes.
Two apples a day can reduce cholesterol levels by up to 10 percent.
As a treatment for intestinal infections, hoarseness, rheumatism, and fatigue, increase your daily intake to as much as 2lb. (1kg).
For curative purposes, as an alternative to eating the whole fruit, drink 2 cups (500ml) of naturally sweet apple juice a day.
PROPERTIES
Cleans teeth and strengthens gums
Lowers cholesterol levels
Antiviral action
Detoxifies
Protects from pollution, binding to toxins in the body and carrying them out
Neutralizes indigestion
Prevents constipation
Soothing and antiseptic
NASTURTIUM OFFICINALIS
WATERCRESS
Watercress is a floating or creeping water plant of the mustard family, Cruciferae. A perennial, it grows best in fresh water, particularly in cool streams and ponds, and in wet soil. Its round, edible leaves are pungent to the taste, and commonly used as salad greens or as a garnish. It is a rich source of vitamin C.
USES
Sometimes recommended for gall bladder complaints and anemia.
The bruised leaves are said to remove pimples and to fade freckling. Eat to help skin eruptions.
Eat fresh daily: may help to prevent migraine. Eat with a meal if you have a tendency toward heartburn or dyspepsia.
High levels of potassium may help to prevent insomnia—eat some fresh leaves an hour before bedtime, and often throughout the day.
Watercress may help in the treatment of edema.
It is used to treat respiratory ailments such as coughs, catarrh, and bronchitis—eat fresh until symptoms improve. It can be useful as a preventive measure for chronic respiratory conditions.
Watercress may strengthen the whole body system in cases of debility caused by chronic illness.
PROPERTIES
Contains benzyl mustard oil, which is powerfully antibiotic, but does not harm our healthy bacteria (flora)
Beneficial to the health of the intestines
Encourages immune activity in the body
Provides good supplies of the vitamins C, A, and B (thiamine and riboflavin), iron, potassium, and calcium
Stimulates digestion
OLEA EUPOPEA
OLIVE
The olive is a handsome, long-lived, evergreen, subtropical tree, and has been cultivated for at least 4,000 years for its edible fruit and valuable oil. It is native to the eastern Mediterranean region, where its culture may have been begun by Semitic people as long ago as 3500 B.C.E. Its leaves and the oil of its fruit are used in cooking and medicinally, and studies show that it has powerful anticholesterol action in the body, making it a useful addition to any home medicine cabinet.
USES
Rub olive oil into patches of eczema, dandruff, and psoriasis to reduce itching and encourage healing.
Olive oil, taken daily, can reduce the risk of heart disease and help to slow down the degenerative effects of aging.
Drink a little extra virgin olive oil to cure a hangover.
Olives and olive oil, as part of a daily diet, will help to prevent and treat circulatory problems, and lower cholesterol levels.
Eat olives for constipation.
Olives are said to counteract poisoning from mushrooms or fish—drink a little extra virgin, cold-pressed oil when symptoms present themselves.
PROPERTIES
Antioxidant
Anticancerous
Emollient—particularly useful for skin conditions
Olive oil can be used to treat constipation
Soothes the itching of eczema, and moisturizes dry skin, hair, and scalp
Olive oil is rich in vitamin E, and is now known to help lower cholesterol levels in the body
It may reduce the risk of circulatory disease and nervous disorders
Useful in the treatment of gastric disorders because it reduces the secretion of gastric juices
OYRZA SATIVA