SLC S21 Week 4 - Herbal Remedies for Energy, Pain Relief, and Mental Clarity.

Greetings and welcome to my blog. Am glad to participate in this weeks learning challenge. Thanks for this great lecture. Here’s my home work.

Create a tea or add a powder (like ginseng or ashwagandha) to your drink for energy and write about its benefits

Getting the ginseng herb around here was quite a Herculean task. I had to go to the herb market and after some search, I saw it but only one person was selling it and it was quite expensive but I had to buy it.

I love to take milk and warm water as it helps me unwind and relax and for this homework, I prepare my milk drink with warm water and I added my ginseng powder.

Benefits of ginseng

Ginseng is a very potent herb known for its numerous health benefits;

• Ginseng is beneficial in boosting our energy level and easing fatigue. This is due to its components like oligopeptides and polysaccharides that lowers stress due to oxidation and increases the production of energy in cells.
• Ginseng boosts our immune system due to the anti fungal, anti bacterial and anti-viral properties it possesses.
• Ginseng helps to improve the function of the brain like our mood, memory and behavior and enhances the brain function of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Ginseng helps in blood circulation and it promotes the production of nitric oxide which is a compound that aids relaxation of muscles.
• The ginsenosides in ginseng has anti oxidation and anti inflammating properties hence it’s helpful in preventing the growth and production of abnormal cells which lowers the risk of cancer development and it’s helpful in reducing chemotherapy side effects.

Make an oil for the pain relief by using herbal ingredients and describe how it helps with pain.

I prepared the oil for pain relieve using Tumeric, garlic and olive oil.

I sliced roots of garlic and Tumeric and out them into a pan and added olive oil to it.

I simmered it on fire for about 7-10 minutes for the herbs to infuse into the oil and my pain relief oil was ready.

How Tumeric and garlic oil helps to remove pain.

Tumeric and garlic possesses anti inflammatory properties that helps with pain relieving. This is administered by massaging the oil into the parts of the body that is stiff, tender or swollen.

The Curcumin contained in Tumeric is anti oxidation and anti inflammatory hence it reduces inflammation. It can be used to reduce arthritis pain like osteoarthritis. Garlic too is used in treatment of pains like tooth ache. Hence a combination of both as an oil for pain relieve is very effective.

Make a herbal remedy for the mental clarity from the herbs which are commonly found in your area. Write down its benefits for the health and how it helps in mental clarity and why?

The herbs I used for the herbal remedy for mental clarity is Rosemary and Tumeric.

Procedure

I sliced my Tumeric and added the rosemary with it into the pot and added water.

I allowed it to boil for a while and then sieved into the cup.

Health benefits of Rosemary

Rosemary as a herb is rich in anti inflammatory and anti oxidanting compounds hence they neutralize free radicals in the body thereby prevents stress due to oxidation.

Rosemary is good for the skin as it helps with some skin conditions that has to do with inflammation.

Rosemary have cancer fighting properties and stops carcinogens activation and reduces inflammation caused by tumors hence suppressing the growth of tumors.

Rosemary comes in handy as a pain reliever (mildly) as in treating pains as a result of nervous system dysfunction and its anti bacterial properties helps wounds that are infected to heal faster.

Rosemary helps for skin health, and to boost mental and cognitive abilities of the brain.

Health benefits of Tumeric

Tumeric’s have medical bio active compounds and it’s an anti oxidant. It’s active compound is Curcumin, an anti inflammatory compound which is very useful in the fight against inflammation in the body.

The endothelium functions in the body is improved by Tumeric and it’s protects the body against various types of heart disease and issue’s because of its Curcumin content.

Tumeric fights against Alzheimer’s disease and helps to improve the cognitive ability of the brain by inhibiting inflammation and oxidation.

Tumeric inhibits metastasis and can be helpful in the fight cancer cells growth.

It’s improves our mood generally due to its Curcumin content.

How Tumeric and Rosemary helps in mental clarity and why

• Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that helps with thinking, concentration and our memories. Rosemary in increasing the acetylcholine level in the brain helps to improve mental clarity.
• Dopamine and sorotomin are chemicals in the brain that helps to control our behavior and mood, curcumin contained in Tumeric helps to increase their level in the brain hence aiding mental clarity as the neurotransmitters are boosted.
• The compound 1,8-cineole contained in rosemary on inhalation gets into our blood stream and helps to prevent acetylcholine breakdown.
  *Since Curcumin fights inflammation, it helps to ease depression symptoms and the amount of chemicals causing inflammation in the brain.
• Curcumin in Tumeric encourages the plasticity of the brain.
• Rosemary has positive effects on the brain waves as it increases the beta activity of the brain frontal region thereby helps brain cognitive function.
• Tumeric helps to improve mental clarity through reducing oxidative and inflammatory stress and improving the BDNF(brain derived neutrophic factor) of the brain.
• Tumeric aids mental clarity by increasing the DHA synthesis of the Brain which is an important fatty acid that helps in brain protection and development.

Thanks for reading through. I ask @ruthjoe, @ninapemda and @vickeyson to join the challenge.