Interesting article on the medicinal use of herb and flowers...and the article points out that concentrated oil versions should be used cautiously...I don't think I'll be using the garlic on my feet anytime soon, but found the statement interesting in the fact that it could offer some relief to lessen the effect of the common cold...BD  

imageAlmost everybody’s heard of chamomile tea, but not everyone knows that the herb — which grows well in Pacific Northwest gardens, by the way — has traditional uses that go far beyond relaxing with a hot “cuppa” after a hectic day.

While herbal medicine certainly has its scoffers, some medical professionals have come to acknowledge that, while not a substitute for medical-school trained practitioners, carefully used homegrown remedies also have their place. He uses “integrated medicine” in his practice and also supports the growing and use of herbs by individual gardeners, but offers a caveat: While backyard herbs can be valuable for health maintenance and illness prevention, the therapeutic use of herbs, which often takes the form of alcohol-based tinctures — potent distillations of herbs measured by the drop — should be approached more cautiously.

Some of the simplest herbal remedies — such as cayenne pepper — come as a surprise to many people, Sierralupe said. Besides being an invaluable spice in many cuisines, “Cayenne is one of the best medicines in the world. The ancient Aztecs and Mayans used it for everything,” she said. “It’s good for deep tissue cuts, and it stops pain. It’s an antimicrobial; when you put it on, the blood rushes to the (affected) area, and it does its job.”

Going to bed after rubbing crushed garlic on the bottoms of the feet to lessen the severity of the common cold “sounds really weird, but you’ll wake up feeling much better — although you’ll have to put up with smelling like garlic the next day.”

Natural resources: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore.

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