For thousands of years, man has looked to nature to cure disease. In the last decade particularly, medicinal plants have been catapulted into mainstream culture, with the popularity of plant medicines such as ayahuasca, ibogaine and cannabis making headlines for their powerful healing abilities against some of today’s most prominent illnesses. However, these plant medicines come with illicit conditions in most countries.
千百年來人們在大自然中找尋可治病的東西. 特別是過去幾十年, 藥草漸漸進入主流文化, 死藤水，伊博格鹼和大麻以強大的療癒力履次成為報紙標題在報導. 很可惜的是這些藥草在大多數國家卻是禁止栽種的.
The good news is, some of the most common weeds in our backyard yield amazing healing abilities, and they are all legal! Here are ten weeds which possess interesting medicinal properties. (Note: Consult with your health professional before self-medicating with these plants)
好消息是我們後院可栽種很普遍的藥草具有驚奇的療效, 而且它們是合法的. 這裏我們介紹十種藥草, 具有有趣的藥效. (不過請注意喔, 一定要先諮詢過你的專業醫師)
Chicory (Cichorium intybus),
the light blue flower frequently seen along roads, provides the main commercial source of the compound inulin. Patients take inulin to fight high blood fats, including cholesterol and triglycerides, according to WebMD. Research published in Diabetes & Metabolism Journal suggests that inulin intake benefits women with type-2 diabetes by reducing the rate of blood sugar increase after eating. Inulin promotes the growth of certain bacteria in the intestines. While some believe this can help digestion, others suffer serious flatulence when the inulin-fed bacteria build up. Some people add the dried and roasted root to coffee. Chickory coffee is especially popular in New Orleans.
(1) 菊苣
白 色帶藍的花, 常在路邊看到, 提供複合菊粉的商業來源. 病人服用複合菊粉是要治療高血脂, 包括膽固醇與三酸甘油脂. 一項由糖尿病與新陳代謝期刊發表的文章, 複合菊粉可以有益於第二型糖尿病患者, 降低飯後血糖值. 複合菊粉會促進腸道某種細菌繁殖. 有些人相信可幫助消化, 舒解易有脹氣現象的人. 有些人把乾燥烤過的根放到咖啡裏, 在紐奧良很受歡迎
Red Clover (Trifolium pretense)
contains chemicals known as isoflavones. These chemicals can act like the female hormone estrogen in the body. Doctors have examined the clover chemicals as a treatment for hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. However, doctors warn that women with a history or risk of breast cancer should avoid isoflavones, since estrogen-like chemicals have been associated with the increased incidence of some cancers.
(2) 紅三葉草
含一些化學物質, 如異黃酮. 這些物質作用有如女性體內的雌激素. 醫師會檢視這些化學物質來判斷熱潮紅, 與其他停經後症候群. 不過醫師也警告女性有潛在乳癌好發者應避免服用異黃酮, 因為類雌激素的化學物質與某些癌症有關連性
Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) has a 2,000 year history as a liver medicine. Modern research has looked at thistle extracts as a treatment for alcohol-induced liver damage. Substances in milk thistle, particularly the chemical silymarin, may protect the liver from damage after a person takes an overdose of other medications, including acetaminophen (Tylenol). Milk thistle may also be an antidote to poison from the deathcap mushroom (Amanita phalloides). Animal studies found that milk thistle completely counteracted the poison if given within 10 minutes of poisoning, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
(3) 水飛薊
有兩千年歷史, 作為保肝藥草. 現代研究發現水飛薊的萃取能治療喝酒過多所引發的肝損害. 水飛薊裏的物質, 水飛薊素能保護服用了很多西藥後的肝, 包括Acetaminophen. 水飛薊也可當誤服有毒菇類後的解藥(毒鵝膏). 使用水飛薊可在誤用有毒物質十分鐘內完全解毒
Milkweed - Native Americans used the milkweed (Asclepias sp.) as a contraceptive, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The milky white sap that gives the plant its name, served to remove warts. However, milkweeds also contain chemicals known as cardiac glycosides. These chemicals can cause severe illness in humans and livestock. Monarch butterfly caterpillars eat milkweed and build up high concentrations of glycosides, which makes the insects nasty tasting to predators.
(4) 馬利筋
根據美國農業部, 美洲原住民把這草當避孕藥. 白色乳汁液, 正如其名, 能有助去除疣. 不過這草含有強心苷的化學物質, 會造成人或牲畜的重病. 帝王蝶幼蟲吃馬利筋而有高濃度的強心苷,
Horsetail - Ancient Greeks and Romans used horsetail (Equisetum arvense) to stop bleeding, heal ulcers and wounds, and treat tuberculosis and kidney problems. It’s also been known to help in weight loss. The tea has a mildly bitter flavor, similar to chamomile. Research published in Ethnopharmacolgy found that horsetail tea increases urination, suggesting that the plant is a diuretic. However, doctors recommend taking a multivitamin when drinking significant amounts of horesetail tea, because it can flush nutrients, such as vitamin B1, thiamin and potassium, out of one’s system as well.
(5) 木賊
古希臘羅馬人以木賊止血, 治療潰瘍與傷口, 還有肺結核與腎臟方面的問題. 它也以有助於減重著稱. 木賊茶有種微微苦味, 跟甘菊的味道有點點像. 研究發現木賊茶會利尿, 醫生建議喝很多木賊茶時, 需服用一顆綜合維他命, 因為它會流掉一個人體內的維他命B1, 硫胺素，鉀
Dandelion - In the past, Europeans used remedies made from dandelion (Taraxacum sp.) roots, leaves and flowers to treat fever, boils, eye problems, diabetes and diarrhea, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine take dandelions for stomach ailments and breast problems, such as inflammation or lack of milk flow. Dandelions have a bitter taste and contain vitamins A, B, C and D, along with iron, potassium and zinc.
(6)蒲公英
以前歐洲人用蒲公英的根, 葉與花做藥方, 治療發燒, 眼睛, 糖尿病與腹瀉等問題. 傳統中藥的臨床記載, 服用蒲公英治療胃發炎, 與胸部缺少母奶等問題, 蒲公英有苦味, 含維他命A, B, C, D, 與含鐵, 與鉀與鋅
Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
can put the hurt on a hiker in shorts, but historically the plant has served to treat aching muscles and joints, eczema, arthritis and gout. People still use the plant to treat joint pain, and some studies have suggested that the plant can treat arthritis. Another study found that capsules of dried stinging nettle may reduce the symptoms of hay fever. Europeans frequently use stinging nettle root to treat bladder problems. Boiled nettle makes a side dish similar to collared greens. For those who brush alongside stinging nettle, a remedy to the sting is often found growing nearby. Applying crushed up dandelion, horsetail, Aloe vera, jewelweed or the leaf of a dock or lock plant can counter the acid in the sting.
(7)蕁麻
這種植物可治療肌肉, 關節酸痛, 以及濕疹，關節炎和痛風. 人們仍會採用這植物治療關節痛, 一些研究發現他能治療關節炎. 另外的研究則發現乾燥蕁麻粉裝膠囊後能治膀胱. 燙蕁麻可做配菜. 那些沿著蕁麻叢走的人會被葉子刷到有點刺痛, 那個可治刺痛的處方也長在附近. 可用搗碎的蒲公英，木賊，蘆薈來舒緩這樣的刺痛
Purslane - Like many of the medicinal weeds in this list, purslane (Portulaca oleracea) also makes a healthy snack. The plant contains a high content of omega-3 fatty acids. I ate some that grew in my yard and found it was somewhat sour. A little bit was good, but too much would be overpowering in a salad. In traditional Chinese medicine, purslane treats genito-urinary tract infections. Research published in Phytomedicine found that the plant reduced problems with cognition in older mice.
(8)馬齒莧
就像很多藥草一樣, 馬齒莧可做健康甜點. 含有高度omega3脂肪酸. 我吃了一些長在後院的, 發現有點酸. 一點點還不錯, 吃太多放沙拉會味道太重. 在傳統中藥中馬齒莧治療泌尿生殖道感染
Plantain - Since the age of the ancient Greek doctors have used plantains (Plantago sp., the weed in sidewalk cracks, not the fruit) to speed wound healing. In the training manual Survival, Evasion and Recovery, the U.S. Department of Defense recommends plantain as a poultice on wounds or as a nutrient-rich tea to treat diarrhea.
(9)車前草
古希臘醫生就知道用車前草來加速傷口的癒合. 美國國防部在訓練手冊中有提到, 可用來做傷口膏藥, 或富含營養可治腹瀉的花草茶喝
(10)牛蒡
Burdock Traditionally, healers use burdock (Arctium sp.) to clear toxins from the blood and increase urination, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The plant also is used to treat skin ailments, such as eczema, acne, and psoriasis. The leaves and roots of burdock are edible and contains inulin, like chicory, so they may aid digestion and/or cause a nasty case of flatulence. Burdock also contains high quantities of antioxidants that can prevent damage to cells.
傳統治療者以牛蒡清血液中的毒素. 這種植物也用來治肌膚的問題, 如濕疹, 面皰, 疥瘡. 葉子與根的部份能吃, 含菊粉，像菊苣那樣，可有助於消化和舒緩胃腸脹氣的問題。牛蒡還含有大量的抗氧化物，能防止細胞受損。
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