5 Herbs That You Should Be Making Medicines Of For Home Based Treatments

Since ancient times, human beings have sought the refuge of medicinal plants and herbs to treat their illnesses. Even a few hundred years ago when allopathic medicines and treatments were not that rampant, people used  extracts from plants and herbs to produce medicines that helped them recover from common ailments like cough and cold to more serious ones like jaundice and malaria. Still now, ayurvedic treatment is one of the most sought after medicinal alternative to allopathic and many people place their trust on it, mainly because natural remedies don’t have side effects and are pretty inexpensive as well.

While herbal medicines are readily available online or in markets, you can make your job easier by growing the herbs at home- on your windowsill, balcony, porch, backyard or even the roof. This way you can enjoy their benefits whenever you need them and you don’t even have to spend money to buy them.

Here we have listed five extremely beneficial medicinal herbs that you can grow in your herb garden. They don’t take up a lot of space, so you can plant them in little pots and watch them grow.

1. Peppermint- Mint needs a beautiful sunny weather to thrive. Nevertheless it can grow in shaded areas too. It should be kept in a sunken pot on its own because it grows profusely and can suffocate the other plants. Remember mint loves water! So don’t forget to water it everyday.

Medicinal properties- Rich in Vitamin A and C, antioxidants, manganese, iron. 

Benefits- Soothes tummy troubles, relieves headaches, reduces inflammation. Can be used in food or infused in tea.

2. Aloe Vera- Aloe Vera is a wonder plant with multiple uses which has gained popularity in the beauty industry as a healing and moisturising agent. Aloe Vera grows under normal conditions in bright sunny weather. The gel that is extracted from its leaves can be applied on the skin externally and its juice can be consumed orally.

Medicinal properties- It contains minerals, Vitamins, amino acids and active enzymes. 

Benefits- Acts as an anti-inflammatory on the skin, useful for rashes, acne and eczema. When consumed it aids digestion, helps in weight loss, constipation and improves circulation.

3. Chamomile- Chamomile flower is known around the world for its usefulness in herbal teas but it has many other benefits too. This perennial plant requires occasional watering and needs to be placed close to the sun.

Medicinal properties- Rich in minerals, copper, zinc, iron, salicylic acid and Vitamins C and B1. 

Benefits- When added to tea, chamomile facilitates sleep, relaxes the mind and muscles and reduces stress. It is an anti-inflammatory that can be used on the skin to cure rashes and infections.

4. Lemon balm- This herb has a distinct minty citrus smell and can grow at an alarming rate, so the stems need to be trimmed regularly.

Medicinal properties- It is a natural antioxidant rich in flavonoids, rosmarinic and phenolic compounds. 

Benefits- When rubbed against the skin, the leaves heal insect bites, rashes, sores and herpes. The juice is beneficial for headaches, insomnia, fever, colds and depression.

5. Basil- This medicinal herb is used frequently in cooking. It cannot withstand cold so do not keep it outside in cold temperatures. Also, it requires regular watering and plenty of sun.

Medicinal properties- Contains antioxidants, vitamins, calcium and iron. 

Benefits- Basil is used to cure gas, lack of appetite, flatulence, cuts, headaches and kidney stones.

However before planting any herb, make sure the weather conditions are favourable otherwise the plant will not thrive like you want it to.

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Study Reveals Sitting Long Can Cause Liver Disease Also

As of now, it was very much known that sitting for long hours could cause obesity, heart disease and even diabetes, but recent study from North Korea shows that it can increase the risk of liver diseases also.

Researchers found in the study that people sitting for 10 hours or more daily have 9% greater chance of developing Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) than those who sit lesser than that or 5 hours on average.

Physical activity was also found to be interlinked with the development of NAFLD. Persons who are physically active are 20% less likely to grow the disease than those are less active, according to according to the study published on Sept. 15 in the Journal of Hepatology.

Dr. Seungho Ryu, professor of occupational and environmental medicine at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in South Korea and lead author of the study, told Live Science that in today’s date sitting has been increased tremendously. People are spending more time sitting in front of computer or television. More than 139,000 men and women were examined within the age range of 39.9 years for the study. They have reported their level of physical activity and sitting time as a part of the survey. The study suggests that regular physical activity does not fully protect against the risks associated with long sitting, he said. If the results of the study are confirmed, it will be important to encourage people to both increase their physical activity and reduce their sitting time to reduce the risk of developing NAFLD, he added.

Michael Trenell, a professor of metabolism and lifestyle medicine at Newcastle University in England wrote in an editorial that accompanied the study in the journal that human body is designed to move not to sit idle which is characterized by low muscle activity and has direct impact on physiology. "What remains less certain is the effect of inactive behavior on the liver," he said.

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Study Says Happiest Parents Have Many Kids

According to a new study in Australia, parents are happier and much more satisfied with at least four children. Despite of the chaos and expense, parents are in delight to have more children, Daily Signal reports.

Study Head Bronwyn Harman tells ABC News Australia that in case of big family they have social support within the family only. It is most beneficial for the kids itself, as they get never bored, they always find partners to play with and most importantly they get independence early on. This study is based on a total interview of 950 parents over a period of 5 years to assess flexibility, happiness level and social support.

As per the study lead, few parents deliberately planned out a large family as because they could get more reasons to celebrate and experience the joy of togetherness. Although Harman thinks that they should be stressed out, but as per them the house could always be full of laughter and they will never feel stressed out.

This article originally appeared on Newser: “Want Satisfaction? Have at Least 4 Children”

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Calculate Your Heart’s Age

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about 69 million adults have hearts that are 5 years older than their actual age. It has been found that most of the people are not as young at their heart as they believe they are.

CDC found 40% of adults had hearts that were five or more years older than their actual ages using a machine calculator which measures age, BMI, blood pressure. As per the CDC Director Tom Frieden to reveal a person’s risk of heart attack is best measured by the heart risk calculator. The Heart Age calculator test is designed to give you an overall idea of the health of your heart, and a general indication of how lifestyle related factors may affect your heart health. This test is not intended to be a medical diagnostic. But it will give you a good general indication of whether there’s more you can do to take care of your heart.

Heart age is an understandable simple tool for people to understand their heart risk," Frieden said. This type of study is the very first analysis of its kind which was examined on half a million adults aged between 30 and 74.

As per CDC, people can reduce their heart disease risk and make it younger by regular exercise, diet control and not smoking. More than 75% of heart disease cases can be prevented with certain lifestyle changes.

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