When you buy through links on our site , we may earn an affiliate commission . Here ’s how it works .
Wild Medicine
In a living exhibition call " Wild Medicine , " 500 herbs with healing property are on display at the New York Botanical Garden through Sept. 8 , 2013 . Click through to register about seven of the powerful plants featured in the show .
Rosy Periwinkle
Rosy periwinkle , sometimes scream Madagascar periwinkle , has been used in traditional Indian and Taiwanese medicines to do by a wide ambit of ill from diabetes to deadening . But more than four ten ago , scientist isolated the plant ’s alkaloids Oncovin and vinblastine , which are today used in chemotherapy treatments and accredit with increase the survival charge per unit for childhood leukemia .
Henbane
The plant life Hyoscyamus niger , or black stinking nightshade , pictured here is highly poisonous . In Shakespeare ’s " Hamlet , " Claudius kills Hamlet ’s don by pouring a tincture of " excommunicate hebenon " ( thought to be henbane ) into his ear . The plant also has psychoactive properties . As legend has it , Hyoscyamus niger was used in witch ’s ointments to make hallucinogenic sensation of flying . It also contains the chemical hyoscyamine which has been incorporated into ethical drug drug that can ease muscle spasms and symptoms of Parkinson ’s disease .
Foxglove
Foxglove ’s swag pinkish or ashen bloom may be pretty , but they can be highly toxic . Eating any part of this plant can cause sickness , puking , cramps , diarrhea and a change in heart rate . But those effects of foxglove , whose conventional name is Digitalis purpurea , have long been harness to handle disease . In the 18th century , foxglove was used with surprising succeeder in extract to treat hydrops , a disease now known as edema that can make swell up forged enough to rip open up the skin . chemical substance from the plant have also been used to create digitalis medicine such as digoxin , often distribute to patients with congestive center nonstarter .
Citrus
Alone , citrus fruit like lemons , calcium hydroxide and orange offer the muscular antioxidant vitamin C. But citrus fruits also offer a powerful example of how sealed works can dramatically vary the impression of other drugs . Notably , Citrus paradisi juice can increase the potency of certain drugs — examples range from cholesterol - lowering lipid-lowering medication to sure unwritten contraceptives — because it contains a chemical that can incapacitate enzymes that would otherwise break down medications in the digestive system .
Opium Poppy
Perhaps no plant has a more intricate worldwide history than the opium poppy . The flora was used for medicinal aim inChinafor centuries . In the early 19th century , the soft herb gave boost to the powerful analgesic morphia that is still used to kill pain today . But opium has a black side . It ’s also the informant of the body - bust up drug diacetylmorphine .
Cacao
The seeds of the cacao tree are the source of the coffee we find in our candy bars today . aboriginal to the South American tropics , the plant life was used by the Maya and Aztec for 100 to treat fevers , coughs and even the pain sensation of childbirth . Several late studies have discover that Theobroma cacao has compounds that can have cocksure effects on heart health , such as lowering blood line pressure and preventing the solidification of artery . Yes , that means a trivial bit of burnt umber , especially dark chocolate that ’s high in cacao , can be dependable for you .
Kava
Some Pacific Islanders grind up kava root to make a potent drink that is used during rituals like weddings and even during the settlement of disputes . Recent survey have exhibit that kava can indeed help oneself relieve anxiousness and strain . The dynamic chemicals of the plant are compounds called kavalactones , which have alike effects to drugs like Xanax .
