Plants have cultural histories, as their applications change over time and with place. Some plant species have affected human cultures in profound ways, such as the stimulants tea and coffee from the Old World, or coca and quinine from South America. Even though medicinal plants have always attracted considerable attention, there is surprisingly little research on the interface of ethnobotany and medical anthropology. This volume, which brings together (ethno-)botanists, medical anthropologists and a clinician, makes an important contribution towards filling this gap. It emphasises that plant knowledge arises situationally as an intrinsic part of social relationships, that herbs need to be enticed if not seduced by the healers who work with them, that herbal remedies are cultural artefacts, and that bioprospecting and medicinal plant discovery can be viewed as the epitome of a long history of borrowing, stealing and exchanging plants.

This safe and practical guide brings herbalism into the 21st century-an authoritative handbook to using herbs in your life, from the kitchen to the medicine cabinet to the dressing table. Popular interest in herbs is growing at a fast pace as scientists confirm what herb users have known for centuries: Herbs can play a significant role in healing and preventing disease. Long used as flavorful condiments in our favorite dishes, leading herbalist Kathi Keville uncovers the power pf herbs as health and beauty aids. With recommendations from a variety of specialists in natural healing, Herbs for Health and Healing is a comprehensive and authoritative health care guide filled with remedies that have a proven track record.

Medicinal Plants for Holistic Health and Well-Being discusses, in depth, the use of South African plants to treat a variety of ailments, including tuberculosis, cancer, periodontal diseases, acne, postmacular hypomelanosis, and more. Plants were selected on the basis of their traditional use, and the book details the scientific evidence that supports their pharmacological and therapeutic potential to safely and effectively treat each disease. Thus, this book is a valuable resource for all researchers, students and professors involved in advancing global medicinal plant research. Many plants found in South Africa are also found in other parts of the world. Each chapter highlights plants from other worldwide locations so that scientists can study which plants belong to the same family, and how similar qualities can be used to treat a specific disease. - The book details the scientific evidence that supports their pharmacological and therapeutic potential to safely and effectively treat each disease - Each chapter highlights plants from worldwide locations so that scientists can study plants belonging to the same family, and how similar species can be used to treat a specific disease - Use of traditional medicine as an efficient means to identify and further investigate South African, similar plants and plant-derived compounds in modern drug discovery - Includes a number of chapters dedicated to using medicinal plants to treat various skin disorders, which is often not covered in other books on medicinal plants - Organized by specific diseases, with vital evidence-based data related to the bioactivity, pharmacological potential, chemical structure and safety information

Are any of these plants dangerous, and do any of them really work? Where did they come from, and where are they available now? How can health-care practitioners gain the confidence of their patients to learn whether they are using alternative medicines for specific illnesses, symptoms, or injuries? Perhaps most intriguing, which of these plants might be waiting to take the place of known antibiotics as pathological organisms become increasingly resistant to modern miracle drugs?

Herbs for Health and Healing - The Healing Power of 10 Herbs, Spices and Healing Plants Table of Contents Introduction Cinnamon–Cinnamomum zeylanicum Best Time-Tested Remedy for Colds Making a Ginger and Cinnamon Decoction Cayenne – Capsicum minimum Cayenne Hot Oil Making an Infused Oil Lemon – Citrus lemonum Lemon for Fever Lemon Compress Lemon for Beauty and Health Skin Balm Lemon Body Lotion Cardamoms- Elettaria cardamomum For Caffeine Addicts Mind Clearing Potpourri Onions –Allium cepa Onion milk Onion Poultice Traditional Soups Garlic– Allium sativum Garlic Bread and Garlic Butter Garlic Rub Cloves – Eugenia Aromatica Analgesic Rub for Headache and Backache Fennel- Foeniculum Vulgare Fennel as a Diuretic How to Make Herbal Teas “Smoking” Fennel Seeds Parsley Healthy Parsley Soup Rosemary Making a Rosemary Tincture Rosemary Conditioner Conclusion Author Bio Introduction This 21st century world is full of toxic water, poisoned air, and chemical pollution. We are also very worried about the thinning ozone layer, because it is definitely going to have a bad after effect on our climate, and then correspondingly on our health. This is the reason why, we are looking towards the use of natural elements, to keep us healthy and fit. That is because we have understood the fact that chemical-based drugs are efficacious on a short-term basis, but they do not heal us long-term. Besides, there is always the chance of dangerous side effects. And so our health is ruined, because we could not prevent ourselves from popping that pill. Ancient remedies, on the other hand, have been passed down through centuries. Many of us consider these remedies to be quack remedies, because many of them have not been subjected to scientific research, and a stamp of experienced researchers telling you, all right, it is useful to add a lot of cinnamon to your diet, because that has been scientifically proven to cure 99% of bacterial and viral infections. Nevertheless, there are a lot of infections, which have been proven down the millenniums to be cured only by practical and natural remedies. Many of these practical remedies have been in use for thousands of years and are still in use because they have proved their time tested efficacy over and over again in solving your health problems and curing you. Best, you are going to be cured from the root, and the effects are going to be long-term. No matter what ailment you suffer from, you can always do something with a little bit of knowledge, and a little bit of help from nature to enhance your well-being and good health. Many of us living in the cities are terrified of picking up any useful herbal plant material growing wild and which we encounter when we are on open-air ambles, because we know that they have been contaminated from lead from vehicle exhausts, and also could have been sprayed with agri-chemicals. Also, we do not have the herbal lore, which was taught to our ancestors, by their ancestors. There was a time when every proud housewife worth her salt knew all about herbs, spices and natural remedies and had a still room in which she used to brew herbal remedies to keep our family healthy and happy, and natural ointments to keep them youthful looking. Gathering herbs from the wild can only be done by those botanists and herbalists will have extensive knowledge of the beneficial points of plants. So that is the reason why a large number of the plants which I am going to describe to you in this book can be easily found in your local market.

In The Healing Garden, Deb Soule, founder of Avena Botanicals, offers an inspiring guide to herb gardening and crafting herbal remedies that promote wellness of spirit and body. Soule combines her passion for plants gardens, and healing with her extensive experience working with medicinal herbs, flowers, roots, and berries. Her practical advice addresses each aspect of fostering a garden filled with helpful, healing plants: biodynamic gardening practices; gathering plants and setting up a drying room; and creating herbal teas, decoctions, tinctures, syrups, tonics, vinegars, essences, and more. A chapter outlining eighteen medicinal herbs provides detailed information on their cultivation and healing properties. Molly Haley's colorful photography showcases Avena Botanicals' lush herb gardens in all seasons. The Healing Garden is grounded in respect for the interconnectedness of all living beings and is an eloquent plea for spiritual awareness and the wholeness of individuals, communities, and our planet.

A resource organized by body system lists the key herbal remedies available, their uses, and cautionary advice, in a book that includes full-color photos, a glossary and several thematic indexes.

Fresh examinations of the role of medicinal plants in medieval thought and practice and how they contributed to broader ideas concerning the body, religion and identity. The important and ever-shifting role of medicinal plants in medieval science, art, culture, and thought, both in the Latin Western medical tradition and in Byzantine and medieval Arabic medicine, is the focus of this new collection. Following a general introduction and a background chapter on Late Antique and medieval theories of wellness and therapy, in-depth essays treat such wide-ranging topics as medicine and astrology, charms and magical remedies, herbal glossaries, illuminated medical manuscripts, women's reproductive medicine, dietary cooking, gardens in social and political context, and recreated medieval gardens. They make a significant contribution to our understanding ofthe place of medicinal plants in medieval thought and practice, and thus lead to a greater appreciation of how medieval theories and therapies from diverse places developed in continuously evolving and cross-pollinating strands, and, in turn, how they contributed to broader ideas concerning the body, religion, identity, and the human relationship with the natural world. Contributors: MARIA AMALIA D'ARONCO, PETER DENDLE, EXPIRACION GARCIA SANCHEZ, PETER MURRAY JONES, GEORGE R. KEISER, DEIRDRE LARKIN, MARIJANE OSBORN, PHILIP G. RUSCHE, TERENCE SCULLY, ALAIN TOUWAIDE, LINDA EHRSAM VOIGTS