People have been using plants as medicine for the whole of human history. Often those plants are combined with others and chemically changed in order to make modern medicine, but there are still ways to use common plants to make you feel better. You might even be able to find some of these plants in your own garden!
Lemon Balm
- Lemon balm can easily be grown in gardens around the world and has a variety of medicinal uses.
- It's known to act as a helpful medicine if you are feeling anxious or sick to your stomach, and can also help your immune system fight off pesky viruses.
- The easiest way to consume lemon balm is to dry it and brew it into a tea, which has a lovely refreshing flavor, but you can also apply lemon balm to your skin in essential oil form.
Lemon balm makes a delicious tea!Courtesy of diyhealth.com
Rosemary
- Rosemary is a lovely herb that is easy to grow and maintain.
- It doesn't need much care in order to stay alive.
- Rosemary is commonly used in cooking, but has also been used medicinally to stimulate energy and ease digestive issues.
- It's delicious - you can gain health effects by seasoning your food with it, or you can use its essential oil as a more concentrated form of medicine.
Just a tip - rosemary tastes great with chicken!Courtesy of THOR
Thyme
- Thyme is, like the above, an herb that is often used in food and as medicine.
- Like many herbs, it is fairly hardy, and can be grown in most gardens, though it does best in hot, sunny locations.
- Thyme is known to have serious medicinal properties; thyme extract is frequently used as an antiseptic, and is often an ingredient in mouthwashes and natural hand sanitizers.
- Before the advent of modern medicine, oil of thyme was even used as a disinfectant on bandages!
- Thyme can be made into a tea that, when drunk, can relieve symptoms of sore throat and bronchitis.
Tea made of thyme can help ease your cough!Courtesy of healthyfig.com
Lavender
- Lavender is an herb well known as a beautiful scent, which grows most successfully in temperate climates.
- It is often used in perfumes and home sprays, but did you realize that the scent of lavender actually can serve a medicinal purpose?
- Lavender has a reputation for calming and relieving stress.
- An easy way for you to use lavender could be to make lavender sachets!
- You can pick and dry your lavender, after which you can sew it into a small cloth bag. You can put the bag under your pillow so that the scent can relax you at night, or in your drawers to make your clothes smell nice.
The smell of lavender can actually cause relaxation! Courtesy of flagstaffotos.com.au
Take a look in your garden, a friend's garden, or even the garden at school - chances are you will find one or more of these herbs! You could cultivate them as a school science project or simply to provide harmless herbal remedies to your friends and family; just make sure that you have someone helping you to pick herbs that are safe!
Have Your Say!
Have you every tried any herbal remedies? Comment below and share your tips with the other Kidzworld users.
