Herbal Heroes: Spotlight on Underrated Plants with Surprising Health Benefits
Posted by Hari S on
In the world of wellness, some herbs and plants tend to make headlines more often than others. Some of the most popular herbs include; Turmeric, ginseng and chamomile all of which are popular herbs with many health benefits. However, there are probably countless numbers of lesser-heard-of herbs for which the average person is yet to be introduced. Many of them are loaded with vitamins and minerals and their healing qualities are the same or even better than those of the well-known superfoods. Now is the time to turn the spotlight on some of these perennial plant helpers and discuss some of their unexpected uses for health.
1. Gotu Kola
An herb with the hat of ‘the herb of longevity’ in both Ayurveda and Chinese medicine practices, gotu kola is a brain food and skin nourishment at that. Loaded with antioxidants, this little-known herb is also beneficial for the brain, memory, and mental acuity. And also, it is used for stress and anxiety depression. Due to its uses in promoting wound healing when used externally and skin firming, gotu kola is a common addition in beauty products .
2. Moringa
Besides being called the drumstick tree, moringa is rich in vitamins A, C, and E, calcium, and potassium. It also contains ample amounts of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory marker nutrients. Moringa leaves are an unheralded legend that boosts the immune system, helps with digestion, and maintains blood sugar regulation. Billions of people around the world will benefit from moringa in many ways as it can go straight into our pantry or food bowl.
3. Holy Basil (Tulsi)
Whereas, basil, is famous in the kitchen, holy basil, also known as tulsi, is an herb, which has many healing properties in Indian society. Tulsi is also called adaptogens, these are substances which help the body to adapt to any condition in the environment. It is also a great cleanser for your liver and benefits your breathing in general. Benefits of taking tulsi tea are increasing immunity, reducing cortisol levels, and improving health in general.
4. Nettle Leaf
Nettle leaf is very often regarded as an annoying sort of plant, but it is actually full of nutrients. This herb contains vitamin A, C, K, and group B vitamins, and minerals including the iron, calcium and magnesium. Nettle is most helpful to people who have joint or arthritic conditions because the herb has anti inflammatory properties. This, however, improves the health of the kidneys and as an added bonus, it relieves seasonal allergies, thus making it one of the best kept secrets in the world of natural healing.
5. Ashitaba
Also known as ashitaba, this rather unknown herb originally comes from Japan. It also contains a rich substance with chalcones that have high efficacy regarding anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Ashitaba is well acknowledged to have the effects of cellular renovation, improving energy levels and functional heart health. This is only suitable as its name means “Tomorrow’s Leaf” because, after being harvested, new leaves grow rapidly, implying regeneration.
6. Milk Thistle
Another underrated star is milk thistle which has great value for the liver. This includes silymarin which has an impact of shielding the liver from toxins and encouraging tissue repair. Not limited to liver conservation, milk thistle also plays an active role in regulating diabetic status and skin health due to effects on inflammation and oxidation.
Why Embrace These Herbal Heroes?
There is no harm when it comes to using some of the overlooked herbs to improve your health naturally. These hidden superfoods not only consist of a lot of nutrients, but they also help the body to recover on its own. By taking different herbs, you are providing your body with the unique opportunity to get a hold of other healing components as well.
How to Get Started
You do not need to complicate the addition of these herbs to your diet in any way whatsoever. It is easy to add most of them to your diet in the form of teas, capsules or powders. For example, you may enjoy tulsi tea when you are having a lot of work to do, put moringa powder in a morning smoothie, and prepare nettle leaf tea in the event of allergies.
The next time you think of taking a trip to consume herbal wellness look for something different. These overlooked spices are not only overshadowed diet treasures, but real honorary herbs which should gain a considerable appreciation for their valuable health effects.
