BY CLAIR WHITTY
Dandelions, are they weeds or herbal healers? According to ancient folklore dandelion is helpful as a bitter tonic, a laxative, and was valued for liver, gallbladder, and urinary problems. It was traditionally used to treat warts by applying the milk from the stem a couple of times a day. Today it’s used in herbal medicine to stimulate the flow of bile and to improve liver function and. Many use it as a natural diuretic. Dandelions are a source of potassium, calcium, manganese, sodium, and phosphorus.
I think nearly all of you will have been stung by a nettle at some point. They cause a pretty painful sting. Many people consider nettles a weed too, but they’ve have been used for centuries in herbal medicine. Nettles stimulate the kidneys and are known for their diuretic properties. They are used to purify the blood, stimulate metabolism, and flush out waste products from the body. They are also used to reduce over-acidity in the blood making them useful for some arthritic conditions like gout, and can help some skin conditions like eczema. They’re reputed to have natural anti-histamine-like ingredients, which makes them useful for urticaria, or nettle rash as it’s commonly called and hayfever symptoms. If you have nettles in your garden or in a field near your house, spring time is a great time to bring some in to make a brew or to add them to soups or stews. Nettles are a natural source of iron.
As well as gathering dandelions and nettles from your garden when in season, you could also try some ready-made herbal teas. I always choose Salus Haus herbal teas when I want a tea which is of a good strength. For something more potent you could take a look at Salus Haus Herbal Juices. The difference between these juices, plants from the garden, and herbal teas is that these juices are freshly squeezed from the plant. Nothing taken away, you all the goodness of the plant in the bottle. These plant juices capture the whole synergistic complex of healing ingredients from the plant. Off course some of you will prefer tablets or capsules and these are available all year round.
If you love nature, you’ll be interested to take a look at this range of juices.
Shop online at www.naturalhealthstore.ie where you’ll be able to take a look at these brands.
Natural Health Store, Market Cross Shopping Centre
Phone: 056 7764538
Email: info@naturalhealthstore.ie
