Herbs To Maintain Good Health

Medicinal plants, herbs, spices and herbal remedies are known to Ayurveda in India since long times. The value of medicinal plants, herbs and spices as herbal remedies is being lost due to lack of awareness, and deforestation. The result is many valuable medicinal herbs are becoming rare and precious information is lost. Less pollution we make, more ecological balance we maintain, will add to happiness of humankind. Preserve the knowledge of medicinal plants, herbs, spices and herbal remedies, which humankind has received from the past generations, for posterity.

History of herbal remedies is very old. Since old times before modern medicine, people became ill and suffered from various ailments. In absent of modern medicinal remedies people relied on herbal remedies derived from herbs and spices. There are many medicinal herbs and spices, which find place in day-to-day uses, many of these, are used as herbal remedies. Many cooked foods contain spices. Some minor ailments like common cold, cough, etc. may be cured by herbal remedies with use of medicinal properties of spices. Herbal remedies can be taken in many forms. Infusions are steeping herbs or spices, with parts like leaves and flowers with boiling water for some time. Filtered or unfiltered use this water extracts of spices as herbal remedies. Decoction is boiling roots, bark and hard parts of herbs and spices with water for along time. Infusion and decoction both are known as herbal teas. Some times essential oil of herbs and spices are also used as herbal remedies. Action of herbal remedies may vary from human to human and care should be observed in using it. Always inform your healthcare professional while taking any of the herbal remedies
or consuming large quantity of medicinal herbs or spices as medicinal product.

An herb is a plant with no woody stem above ground distinguished from a tree or a shrub. However, that is meaning as per botany. In general, terms any part of the vegetable species that can be used for medicine, cosmetic, culinary or such purposes are known as herbs. The roots, leaves, bark, fruits, flowers, stem or any part of the plant can be used for such purposes. Herb seeds are equally important. Many of the chemicals of present day have been derived from the plants, studied and then such molecules have been synthesised.
The chemicals are product of last several hundred years. The humankind has relied on vegetable for thousands of years. The herbal information collected from the experience has been passed on from generations to generations. We have tried to put some of that herb information here

Medicinal herbs are much in demand. Herb gardens are taking place of ornamental gardens. Herbs and spices are different. Though spices are herbs, they are mainly used for culinary purpose. They enhance the food flavour or taste along with giving medicinal benefits of the herbs. They are herbs for cooking. Chinese herbs are the herbs native to china. Growing herbs is not very difficult; with little understanding of gardening, many herbs can be grown easily in backyard of the kitchen. Natural herbs are herbs found in the nature, such as found in the forest, along hillside etc. Vitamins and herbs have many correlations many synthetically produced vitamins and enzymes can be easily found and obtained from the herbs. Healing herbs have healing properties, some times which looks like a miracle. Drying herbs is very easy; most of the herbs are dried in sunlight. Weight loss herbs will make a person slim, only thing is that one must be prudent on how to use it. Bulk herbs and herbal supplements, herbal and much other herbal medicine are available through many herb stores

Prevent SandalWood trees

The wood scented by the gods 

Believed to be scented by the Gods, Sandalwood or Chanda as it is called in Hindi, is considered sacred by most of the Indians. It is the wood from which idols and prayer beads are made. The Parsis feed their sacred fires with it.

Being a wood with a heavenly smell, it is extensively used in cosmetic and soap manufacturing. The beauty-conscious Indian women used to rub their bodies with a sandal and turmeric paste for a blemish-free skin much before the western cosmetic industry made inroads into India. In many parts of the country, brides still have their ritual bath with sandalwood paste. 

Growing the Sandalwood 

Sandalwood grows mainly in India in the state of Karnataka. The state accounts for about 70 per cent of the production, the rest mainly coming from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The tree grows naturally in fertile tropical forestlands with abundant rainfall. It is also cultivated.

The tree is a root parasite. Soon after germination, the seedling finds a host and derives nourishment from it. It grows about 10 meters high, has a girth of one-and-a half- meters and lives for over a 100 years. 

Only trees older than 30 years are exploited for wood. India has over 70 varieties of this exotic species. About ten of them have been found to be hardy and are cultivated. A 30-year-old tree usually yields 100 to 250 kilograms of scented hardwood and the quantity increases if the tree is older.
History of Sandalwood Tree in India 

Till 1916, Karnataka, then the princely state of Mysore, was exporting sandalwood to France and other European countries for the extraction of oil. But during World War I when huge stocks of wood piled up in the state, an oil-extraction unit in Mysore and another one at Shimoga was set up. Since then, Mysore became synonymous with sandalwood oil.
Sandalwood Legends 

A popular saying is that no other tree can grow where the sandalwood does. The reason for this belief could be the fact that the root of the tree is supposed to suck in all the required nutrients needed for its growth from the nearby trees. Another belief says that the smell of the wood is so intoxicating that snakes are said to wrap themselves around the tree