Medicinal herbs can help cure common ailments like colds, coughs, headaches, indigestion, anxiety, stress, and much more. Medicinal herbs are also added to dishes to add flavor. These herbs contain health-promoting compounds that can help prevent and cure diseases and other health problems. These compounds include antioxidants, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and carminative properties. Growing these medicinal herbs at home will guarantee that you have fresh and organic herbs always available in case of an emergency.
Some of the useful medicinal herbs you can grow at home include:
Mint
Mint can do well in shaded, moist, and sunny places. Mint plants grow quickly, therefore, ensure you plant them in large pots. They also require constant watering and small quantities of liquid fertilizer.
Medicinal Properties: Mint is rich in antioxidant, antiseptic, digestive, anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic (persuades perspiration), and expectorant (encourages the clearance of mucus from nostrils).
Medicinal Uses: It can help treat headaches, indigestion, fever, heartburn, sores abdominal pain, chest pain, vomiting, irritable bowel, heartburn, and bad breath.
Sage
Sage is a herb that has both medicinal and culinary uses. It thrives in well-drained fertile soils and direct sunlight. You can move it indoors during the winter and ensure it’s in an area that is dry.
Medicinal Properties: Sage has antibiotic, stimulant, carminative, astringent, tonic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, and antimicrobial properties. It also has high levels of Vitamins A and K, flavonoids, and volatile oils.
Medicinal Uses: Sage can help treat stomach pain, loss of appetite, depression, asthma, gingivitis (gum disease), heartburn, gas, cold sores, excessive sweating, and painful periods.
Basil
Basil can easily thrive in your backyard or garden. It is a common cooking herb that has medicinal properties. Plant basil seeds in sunny and warm areas and ensure they are watered regularly. You will need to plant indoors or cover it to ensure it is not affected by cold during winter.
Medicinal Properties: Basil contains antiseptic, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also rich in nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, C and K, calcium, magnesium, iron, and copper.
Medicinal Uses: Basil can help treat headaches, acne, flatulence, gas, scrapes, coughs, nausea, lack of appetite, kidney stones, cuts, and much more.
Rosemary
Rosemary thrives in well-drained sand or gravel soil that has a neutral pH or alkaline properties and medium levels of fertility. Ensure you grow it in places with direct sunlight and ensure it is not exposed to frost or water logging.
Medicinal Properties: Rosemary contains anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, stimulant and diaphoretic properties as well as essential fatty acids and health-promoting phytonutrients. It is also rich in vitamin B6, calcium, and iron.
Medicinal Uses: Rosemary is aromatic and it helps treat colds, indigestion, headaches, muscle pain, gout, depression, rheumatism, dandruff, premature baldness, and neuralgic conditions.
Parsley
Parsley has a great taste and you can grow it effortlessly at home. The best conditions for parsley to thrive are moist soils with direct sunlight. You can use big pots or plant it directly in the ground and occasionally add some organic fertilizer. Ensure it is protected during winter by either
placing it indoors or covering it.
Medicinal Properties: Parsley is rich in antioxidants, volatile oils, flavonoids, folic acid, and Vitamins A, B-12, C, and K.
Medicinal Uses: Parsley helps treat diabetes, indigestion, kidney stones, urinary tract infections (UTIs), coughs, high blood pressure, asthma, gas, colic, jaundice, and osteoarthritis.
Thyme
Thyme can easily grow at home. Thyme plant will thrive in a dry and well-drained light soil and in a place where there is direct sunlight. It will actually do well under any climatic conditions but during winter it will be appropriate to protect it by erecting a cover.
Medicinal Properties: Thyme is a potent antiseptic, antioxidant, expectorant, and has antibacterial properties. Thyme is also rich in iron, fiber, vitamins A and C, copper, and manganese.
Medicinal Uses: Thyme can help treat indigestion, bronchitis, sore throat, coughs, congestion, mild diarrhea, gas, arthritis, acne, and infected toenails.
The above medicinal plants are easy to grow and have practical uses in treating common ailments. Some of these plants are used to treat specific ailments but others can be used on a regular basis since they have comprehensive health benefits to the human body.
