Medicinal plant knowledge thread.

[Shoki]

I thought it might be interesting to start a thread about medicinal plants that have proven effects. With, homeopathic, new age and holistic treatments taking the spotlight as natural alternatives to commercial medicines, rather than rely on hearsay, folk remedies and old wives tales, it would be nice to know what plants will actually treat what ails you in the wild when you don't have your first-aid kit handy. I've read several threads about plants like Jewelweed and Coltsfoot treating certain maladies but have found very little significant evidence, (wikipedia, medical and biochemistry journals, etc.), to back up the claims that these plant remedies actually do what they are purported to do and oft wondered just how much flora can seriously be used if there are no other alternatives.
So, the first three that come to mind for me that might be used in a survival scenario are Clove, Meadowsweet and Melaleuca. None grow in my area but all are proven to have medicinal value. Meadowsweet being the basis of Aspirin, Clove being an anodyne, and Melaleuca oil being a highly effective antifungal and antibacterial. For me, dulling the pain and staving off infection are right up there with preventing diarrhea and vomiting on the list of treatments I'd find extremely valuable in a survival situation.
As a relative newb to plant medicines, I'd like to hear your input. I would ask that there be some documented evidence that your remedy works, other than "I chewed this root and my foot didn't hurt anymore". I think herbs are a mystery to many of us and it would be nice to have a 'final word' on several remedies we've heard about.

 

[kgd]

The question is what do you call 'proven' evidence? The nature of plant medicinals is that their efficacy is based on traditions, personal experience and evidence that is not very up to snuff when it comes to scientific trials involving large statistical sample sizes, controls and placebo's. To do that kind of research requires big dollars and usually involves extracting the active ingredients in order to better control dose which forms the basis of modern pharmaceuticals. If you reject all knowledge aside from journal sanctioned scientific evidence than this will be a really short thread. If you accept personal experiences (which is less powerful stuff and a mixture of anecdotal/placebo/truth) then maybe the thread might progress.

A real difficulty with plant medicines, especially when used internally, is that dosage is non-specific. Just because you've identified the species doesn't mean one plant has the same concentration of active ingredient than another. There are genetic factors and environmental factors that strongly influence these attributes. For that reason, I'm a bit wary of widespread use of internal natural medicines unless they are basic things. Most tea's are said to be good for kidney function and I think that is largely because they help hydrate you and make you urinate more.

I've had some good luck with skin irritations using poultices. I've been told by several independent sources that plantain leaves work well on insect stings, bites, rashes, poison ivy. I've used such poultices with good effect on mosquite bites but haven't tested the other aspects.

Same with yarrow. I'm told it acts as an astringent helping to decrease bleeding in a wound and also acts as an antibiotic. I've certainly had luck with the bleeding part, but my personal experience does not really allow me to verify its antibiotic efficacy. I believe there is some truth to that though (but its a belief in the folks who told me more than experiential evidence).

 

[abo4ster]

Here is one for you...

[youtube]2iRwoelCThw[/youtube]​

Here is a little science behind the tea with the source linked below it...

""The White Pine was used in medicinal applications by several North American Indian tribes. The dried inner bark of the White Pine contains a glycoside, an oleoresin, a volatile oil, mucilage and tannin. Brewed as a diuretic and expectorant tea, it was used to treat diseases of the mucous membranes and respiratory problems such as colds, coughs and sore throats. White Pine bark powder and White Pine bark tea are still sold commercially for this purpose. As a poultice, the inner bark was used to treat skin complaints including wounds, burns and boils.""
http://www.sierrapotomac.org/W_Needh...ine_060326.htm

""White Pine Bark is an old and trusted remedy for colds and flu. It helps loosen and expel phlegm from the respiratory tract, easing bronchitis and lung congestion, and its warming qualities stimulate circulation, which may ward off colds and flu before they settle in. The high content of nature's most powerful antioxidants (proanthocyanidins/PCSs/OPCs) in White Pine Bark have made it the focus of much attention in the area of combating free radicals, arteriosclerosis and strokes.""
http://www.herbalextractsplus.com/white-pine-bark.cfm



Also of interest from the first link...
""The inner bark of White Pine Bark (cambium) is the source of resveratrol, a polyphenolic phytoalexin, which is produced in plants that is reputed to have antifungal properties.

According to recent research (2008) from Peninsula Medical School, England, the resveratrol found in Pine Bark, Grape Skin and Red Wine can protect against cellular damage to blood vessels caused by high production of glucose in diabetes, claiming resveratrol's antioxidant effects are well documented. But the new research establishes a link between high levels of glucose, its damaging effect on cell structure and the ability of resveratrol to protect against and mend such damage. Moreover, resveratrol could be a factor in blocking the damaging effect of glucose, which, in turn, might combat the often life-threatening complications that accompany diabetes and potentially be a basis of effective diet-based therapy for the prevention of vascular damage caused by hyperglycemia in the future.

In 2008, Italian researchers reported in Phytotherapy Research that supplements of Pine Bark extract may reduce the pain associated with arthritis of the knee by about fifty-five percent. The study also indicated an improvement in all osteoarthritis symptoms by fifty-six percent.

White Pine Bark is considered a diuretic, and as such, encourages the flow of urine, which is said to be very helpful in cases of urinary tract infections and kidney problems.""

I got a couple more at my youtube channel...
http://www.youtube.com/user/abo4ster