Free medicine in your backyard

You may not need a trip to your local pharmacy to find the medicine you need for aches, pains or insomnia. Medicine is all around us. For centuries, people found all of the medicine they needed on the land, using plants to treat a variety of ailments and conditions.

According to Dr Orlando Thomas, medical doctor and functional medicine practitioner at Thomas Medical and Shockwave Centre, there are five plants that are in your backyard that can help with various diseases and ailments, including hypertension, diabetes, some cancers, and even your nervous system. These plants also provide much- needed vitamins and minerals that your body needs on a daily basis.

The moringa plant has many important vitamins and minerals. The leaves have about as much potassium as a banana, and about the same amount of vitamin C as an orange. It also has calcium, protein, iron, and amino acids, which help your body heal and build muscle.

It is also packed with antioxidants, substances that can protect cells from damage and may boost your immune system. There is some evidence that some of these antioxidants can also lower blood pressure and reduce fat in the blood and body.

“It is well known that the leaf or dried powder is used in smoothies and soups. There are almost 60 nutrients, including minerals, vitamins, amino acids that can be used to treat over 300 diseases. These include malnutrition, diabetes, hypertension and many cancers,” Dr Thomas said.

Mango

Many people are familiar with the sweet, tropical fruit that comes from mango trees, but you may not realise that the leaves of mango trees are edible as well.

Young green mango leaves are very tender, so they are cooked and eaten in some `cultures because the leaves are considered very nutritious. The leaves are also used to make tea and supplements.

“The leaf of almost any mango tree is very powerful and can be used to boost your immune system. If you shaking or have tremors, you can take three to four leaves and use them to make tea; taken once per day for two weeks, it can reduce your tremor by 90 per cent in the long term,” Dr Thomas said.

Guava

Guava fruit and leaves contain nutrients, including vitamin C and potassium, that may help support your heart, digestion, and other body systems.What is more is that guava leaves are used as an herbal tea and the leaf extract as a supplement.

“The fruit of this plant is very powerful, but the leaves are even more powerful. The leaves are useful to lower blood sugar, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and it is absolutely amazing if you have chronic diarrhoea. Tea made with just three to four leaves can cut any diarrhoea within hours,” Dr Thomas said.

Avocado

Avocados contain a wide range of nutrients that may include improving digestion, lowering the risk of depression, and preventing bone loss.Though the avocado fruit gets most of the limelight, the leaves of the avocado tree are a lesser-known powerhouse of nutritional benefits. Utilised across a multitude of cultures for their potential medicinal properties, these leaves are packed with health-boosting compounds.

“The avocado may be one of the most powerful fruits on the planet. The leaves have medicinal properties, including but not limited to the treatment of diarrhoea, lowering blood sugar, and lowering cholesterol. It can also be useful for many types of pain, including back pain, joint pain and headache,” Dr Thomas said.

Soursop

The benefits of soursop leaves are gaining the attention of many health enthusiasts and researchers. Soursop leaves are rich in nutrients and used as a natural remedy for various ailments. This plant is primarily used for treating inflammation, rheumatism, hypertension, diabetes, parasitic infections, and other similar conditions.

“The leaves of the soursop tree have many medicinal purposes. It is an adjunct to chemotherapy in the treatment of many cancers, as it improves the immune system function and helps your body to kill cancer cells. Soursop leaf is also a natural tranquilliser, so it relaxes and calms the nerves and gives you a good night’s rest. It is also useful for pain management, joint pain from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis,” Dr Thomas said.

According to Dr Thomas, there are so many options that you can use that are free of cost, and we do not always have to resort to medication for many of our ailments; so let’s get picking and using our leaves to make the various teas to heal our bodies.

As an added bonus, Dr Thomas said you can combine the leaves of these plants to make a rich chlorophyll drink that is loaded with magnesium. So, a green smoothie from the leaves of these plants may well be the most amazing thing you can do for your body.

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com