Cranberries have been used for centuries for a multitude of medicinal reasons. Some of these uses need to be credited to the Native Americans as they first introduced the European settlers to the cranberries in the form of food but also taught them the many other ways the Natives used the cranberries. The Native Americans valued cranberries as an aid to treat fevers and they were used to treat blood poisoning in the form of poultices that were placed over the wound to draw out the infection. We now know, thanks to modern research, that cranberries contain a lot of vitamin C.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera has been one of the most important plants used in folk medicine. The Egyptians referred to aloe as the "plant of immortality" and included it among the funerary gifts buried with the pharaohs. The healing benefits of aloe were recognized in the ancient Indian, Chinese, Greek, and Roman civilizations. Aloe vera benefits the body because it contains amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, which encourages digestive regularity, aloe vera can strengthen digestive health, thus detoxifying the body naturally. The aloe vera from the plant’s inner leaf is naturally rich in minerals like iron, zinc, selenium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. It also delivers vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and folic acid.
Anise Seed
Anise has been used for centuries by the Greeks who understood that it had health benefits – even if they didn’t have scientific laboratories to test their theories.Anise is a carminative. That's a scientific way of saying that it helps to relieve gas. As a result, it's helpful for problems such as flatulence and colic. It can also help to reduce bloating that comes from gas.
Fennel seed
A study published in the Journal of Food Science found that chewing on fennel seeds helped increased the nitrite content in saliva, making it a great natural way to keep a check on blood pressure levels. Apart from this, fennel seeds are also a very rich source of potassium and since potassium is an essential component of cells and body fluids, it helps control your heart rate and blood pressure. Anything that is rich in fiber and antioxidants is always going to help with weight loss because the fiber fills you up and improves digestion, while the antioxidants keep your body functioning at optimal levels, potentially converting more fat to energy. Most Indian families eat a pinch of fennel seeds towards the end of their meals to enhance digestion and to combat bad breath post a meal. Fennel seed contains nutrients like potassium, calcium, zinc, manganese, vitamin C and magnesium.
Rhubarb
For over 2,000 years, rhubarb is used as a laxative to treat constipation. Rhubarb root contains sennosides that must transform into rheinanthrones by good bacteria in the colon to give a laxative effect. Antibiotics destroy good bacteria of the colon. When good bacteria are not available, rhubarb is not effective. Eating yoghurt or taking an acidophilus supplement can reinstate good bacteria if taken after a course of antibiotics. Rhubarb root can help in the treatment of diarrhoea but in smaller doses. Rhubarb roots are also used to improve digestion, increase appetite, and has been used to treat intestinal parasites, including pinworms, ringworms, and threadworms. If you are looking for an all natural cure for your acidic stomach and acid reflux, rhubarb is an excellent idea. Rhubarb contains dietary fiber which helps to counterbalance the acidity, making your indigestion a thing of the past.
Liquorice
Liquorice has antibacterial properties and has been found to help relieve stomach ulcers (many of which are caused by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria). Germany's Commission E approved the use of liquorice root for treating ulcers.Liquorice root is beneficial for digestion and helps soothe irritation and inflammation of your digestive tract. It is approved for treating painful spasms associated with chronic gastritis by the German Standard License, and in France, liquorice root may be used to treat bloating, impaired digestion and gas.An extract of liquorice was also found to alleviate symptoms of functional dyspepsia (upset stomach), and a combination of extracts from liquorice, chamomile, silverweed, angelica, blessed thistle and wormwood is effective in relieving indigestion and mild gastrointestinal complaints, including vomiting.
Buckthorn
Buckthorn is known as a panacea, or cure-all, in many parts of Eastern Asia and Russia. It’s been used for thousands of years to treat all sorts of health issues and illnesses. With modern science and the history of trial and error that made sea buckthorn popular in the first place, we’re now uncovering the true health benefits of this super fruit. Buckthorn has an impressive nutritional profile that indirectly heals and fortifies the entire body. With 14 essential vitamins, Omega's 3, 6, 9, the rare Omega 7, supercharged antioxidants, hundreds of other nutrients, and anti-inflammation properties.
Gentian
Gentian is used to support digestive health since it helps with stimulating bile, increasing the appeal of food, and detoxing the liver, gallbladder and other organs. Other benefits of Yellow gentian include fighting inflammation, supporting the nervous system, boosting endurance and aiding in heart health. Gentian, one of the “bitter” herbs, has been used by herbalists for over 2,000 years to help stimulate liver function. It was named as a tribute to Genius, an Illyrian king who was believed to have discovered that the herb had tonic properties. He used the herb for treating wounds and as a natural antidote for various types of poisons. Traditional folk healers believed that gentian root could improve the digestive process by stimulating the flow of saliva, bile, and stomach acids if you took the herb before your meal. During the Middle Ages, it was used as an antidote to certain poisons.
Psyllium Husk
Psyllium (Plantago ovata) is a native plant of India. The hydrophilic mucilloid, water-soluble fiber derived from psyllium husk and seed had been used since ancient times as vital curative agent for constipation, mainly as a part of the traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine. Psyllium is a form of fiber made from the husks of the Plantago ovata plant's seeds.Rich in soluble fiber, psyllium husk is rich in gel-like mucilage , making your stomach feel full but not uncomfortable. The fiber causes fullness which helps turn off the brain's hunger mechanism by reducing your appetite.
Konjac Glucomannan
Glucomannan, from konjac root, is a form of beneficial soluble fiber that can improve bowel health, blood sugar and lipids, and other health conditions. It can also help you lose fat and stay lean by improving satiety and appetite hormones. It’s a beneficial, soluble and fermentable dietary fiber derived from the root of the konjac plant, which is native to Asia. People in East Asia have used konjac fiber, also known as glucomannan powder, for thousands of years as both food and traditional medicine. The indigenous people of China have used konjac to treat asthma, breast pain, coughs, hernias, burns and various skin disorders. Fast-forward to present day and scientific studies have revealed that supplementing with konjac glucomannan can significantly lower plasma cholesterol, improve carbohydrate metabolism, encourage bowel movements and promote a healthy colon.
Calcium
It plays an important regulatory role in the maintenance of normal body weight, and can even promote fat loss under the right scenarios. Diets that are deficient in calcium stimulate the increased release of parathyroid hormone, which seeks to ensure that enough calcium is circulating in the blood for metabolic purposes. This comes at the expense of bone and other fixed structures, leaching calcium out of these cells and into the blood. Parathyroid hormone is somewhat of a “starvation” hormone since it stimulates production and increased storage of fat, a mechanism built into our primal DNA to ensure we survive hard times. All this as a result of calcium deficiency, which sends the wrong signals to your body. Diets that are rich in calcium promote fat loss and use of fat as fuel through calcium-gated channels.
Vitamin C
Over 80,000 chemicals exist in furniture, cosmetics, cleaners, and food. Most haven’t been adequately tested for their impact on human health.Detoxification isn’t something that happens a few times a year (although a professionally designed plan can help elevate your body’s ability to detoxify). Your cells constantly detoxify so providing them optimal amounts of nutrients becomes crucial. Among them includes vitamin C. One animal study found that high doses accelerated the excretion of lead, one of the most toxic heavy metals, compared with low doses of vitamin C.As an antioxidant, vitamin C can neutralize and remove environmental pollutants, the damage that occurs due to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and other pollutants. One study found healthy young adults low in vitamin C had significantly increased levels of oxidative stress and reduced antioxidant capacity. Vitamin C is only one player in the antioxidant arsenal. Others include vitamin E, glutathione, and carotenoids (vitamin A). For instance, vitamin C can help reduce oxidative damage to the skin combined with vitamin E.
Lactobacillus Acidophilus
L. acidophilus is a probiotic bacteria that naturally occur in the human gut and other parts of the body. This bacteria helps the digestive system break down sugars, such as lactose, into lactic acid. Trillions of bacteria and other micro-organisms live in every person's gut. Research indicates that consuming probiotics can help improve the balance between the beneficial and harmful bacteria that live in the gut. This may help to support digestion as well as provide other health benefits, such as boosting the immune system.
