Posts Tagged ‘Plant’

What are the health benefits of betel leaves?

Betel leave is an aromatic leaf which is from the Piperaceae family; its botanical name is Piper betel. Other members of this family include pepper and also kava. It is a very beneficial leaf, commonly known as “PAAN” in India. Betel plant is a creeper plant and has a slender look. The leaves of the betel plant are heart shaped and are very shiny in appearance. Various medicinal properties are associated with betel leaves which are going to be discussed in this article along with the health benefits of betel leaves. Following are some health benefits of betel leaves:
• The first and most common benefit of betel leaves is that they are used as a body deodorant. By drinking one cup of warm water in which the betel leaves are soaked removes body odor. It is also used as a mouth freshener in the form of Indian paan due to the aroma it has.
• Betel leaves are very helpful in relieving cough and cold. Mustard oil in which betel leaves are soaked can be applied on the chest to treat chest congestion so that you can breathe freely. Sore throat can also be relieved by the application of betel leaves. When crushed and taken along with honey it proves to be very beneficial for the irritation of the throat.
• Wounds on the body can be treated using the betel leaves. The juice extracted from the leaves can be applied on the wound as an ointment and the leaf can be wrapped around the wound like a bandage. Even deepest wounds are said to be healed in at least two days. Apart from treating wounds betel leaves are useful in treating boils as well. For treating boils, castor oil is coated on a betel leaf after the leaf is softened by boiling it. With the help of the betel leaf the oil is spread on the inflammation area. After spreading the oil, the leaf is kept over the inflammation area and is replaced at regular intervals. Doing this will rupture the boil and secrete out all the matter inside the boil.
• Debility and nervous exhaustions and pains are also said to be treated by betel leaves. The juice of betel leaves taken along with honey twice a day proves to be very effective for nervous pains and other such problems.
• People suffering from nose bleeding can also be treated with the help of betel leaves. This can be done by inserting the rolled betel leaves into the bleeding nose until the bleeding stops.
• Betel leaves can be used for easy urination also. It is said to have diuretic properties. When taken along with diluted and sweetened milk, it can ease urination in a person.
• Betel leaves can relieve irritation on the body when the water in which some betel leaves are boiled is applied on the affected area. It can also relieve the redness of the eyes. This can be done by cooling the boiled water in which betel leaves are soaked and splashing this water on the eyes.
• Betel leaves are very beneficial for the lower back pains, arthritis and also orchitis. The application of betel leaves on the inflammation can provide relieve from arthritis and orchitis and the application of a mixture of coconut oil and juice of betel leaves can relieve lower back pain. Ear aches can also be treated by putting some drops of betel leaf juice into the ear.
• When the paste of betel leaves is applied on the face it can treat acne and pimples due to its cooling effect.

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What are the health Benefits of Aloe Vera? Sometimes called a wonder plant.

Aloe Vera belongs to the family of Xanthorrhoeaceae. Aloe Vera is a mouth-watering plant in the category of Aloe that is mostly utilized as an herbal medicine. Aloe Vera requires parched and dry climate to grow with the soil being fertile and fast draining as Aloe Vera consists of a lot of water inside it. There are around 250 species of Aloe Vera plants in the world. The size of the Aloe Vera plant varies as per the climatic conditions in which it grows; the known sizes are from one inches to two foot diameter depending on the colonies they grow in. The most commonly found species of Aloe is Aloe Barbadensis. Some of the aged Aloe Vera plants blooms with the tall back shielded by bright colours petals, creating a beautiful flower.

Origin: Aloe Vera is largely produced in the countries of India, Nepal, and Africa. The adapted positions of this genre take place in southern part of Arabian Peninsula, Sudan, and North Africa along with Cape Verde, Canary, and Madeira Islands. It also grows in the tropical and temperate regions of Belize, Nigeria, US, Australia, Barbados and Paraguay. It is said that from the 17th century, this species of Aloe Vera was introduced to China and various other parts of the southern part of Europe. As per modern usage, Aloe Vera Gel has become very popular in cosmetic industry and it is being required at a large scale for the countries like Cuba, Bangladesh, Mexico, Kenya and South Africa.

Medicinal Usage: The organic compound presents in Aloe Vera’s extracts are mannans, anthraquinones, polysaccharides and lectins which are the reasons for its beneficial uses. The Extracts of Aloe Vera may be useful in treating wounds, burn marks, sebaceous cysts, minor skin contaminations and raised blood fatty acids in human body. Aloe Vera Gel is largely used as an ingredient in various lotions, beverages, Yogurt and desserts as well. When a person consumes Aloe Vera Juice, it brings relief in congestion and digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome and heartburn in spite of the fact that it is not advisable to have it orally. As per the recent studies in 2007, it is revealed Aloe Vera can also be used in soothing process of first degree to second degree burn cases.
Aloe Vera also improves the blood glucose levels in patients who are suffering from diabetes, liver disease with hepatitis and lower blood lipids in hyperlipidaemia. A Study has also concluded that Aloe Vera may lower down the symptoms, itching, irritation and swelling in patients with ulcerative colitis. As a matter of medical fact, Aloe Vera extracts are employed as immune stimulant that benefits in struggling against cancer in cats and dogs, which has not been human tested. According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Aloe Vera is a proven natural food flavouring agent that can be counted in healthy diet too.

Aloe Vera in Cosmetic Industry: Cosmetic companies add fluid or other extracts from Aloe Vera to various products like soaps, moisturizers, makeup, sunscreens, incense, shampoos and shaving cream. Aloe Vera extracts have antifungal and anti-bacterial activities, which furthers helps in the fight against skin infections. Since it has anti-irritant properties, it can be used to reduce chafing of nose of patients with cold or hay-fever. It can be used for re-twisting dreadlock hair, to make biofuels from Aloe Vera seeds, a natural agent for vegans.

Precautions: Aloe Vera loses its beneficial compounds when chemicals are used while processing it. It is advisable to grow Aloe Vera at your own nursery to get assured pure form of Aloe Vera.