"Steemit Engagement Challenge season 8 week 2: My Traditional Medicine"

Hello friends,

It is an honour to be here with us again. I trust we all are doing great? I will be sharing with us some tips about traditional medicines. I don't know it you know any in your culture or country.

Because I love roots and herbs, I have come to know a lot of traditional medicines in Africa. But I will be sharing with us few of them because time would not permit me to list all, they are too numerous.

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[created from pixellab]

Traditional Medicines are medicines based on beliefs and experiences of individuals of different cultures, used in the maintenance, improvement and treatment of health.

Although some individuals believe in traditional medicines while some does not believe in it. They see it as poison, that their health will become worst once taken. But they forgot that roots and herbs are very essential to our body.

Most of our English medicines are chemically made and excessive intake of most of them causes a lot of damages to our health. I love taking herbal(traditional medicine), because I trust their workability.

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Names of Traditional Medicines in my Country

•MORINGA PLANT

source

Moringa plant is a very popular plant around Africa. It is also referred to as the "miracle tree". Moringa is very effective and essential, it's uses cannot be overemphasized. It is rich in amino acids, minerals, and vitamins.

USES

•It is used to fight swollen parts due to it's high contents that reduces protein in the body.
•It is also used in reducing glucose in the body.
•For treatment of infections.
•Very good for the eyes.
•Used to treat fatigue.

WATER LEAF PLANT

Water leaf is a very popular medicinal plant in Nigeria. It comes mostly in raining seasons. You can also call it "Philippines spinach, or fluoride spinach".

USES

•Regular eating of water leaf, helps to boost immune system, most especially for those who feel weak often.
•High in fiber when used to make vegetable meals.
•Advisable for people with liver enlargement.

SCENT LEAF OR BASIL PLANT

Scent leaf is another popular medicinal leaf in Nigeria. It is majorly home grown plant.

USES

•Used in the prevention and treatment of cough, catarrh, malaria, etc.
•It helps in digestion.
•squeezed scent leaf can be used in the treatment of ringworms.
•It is used to prepare meals.

BITTER LEAF PLANT

Bitter leaf as the name implies, is a very bitter plant grown across Africa. It has a lot of detoxification properties that helps the body fight diseases.

USES

•It helps in fertility.
•It is used to treat malaria, typhoid, fever, etc.
•It helps to manage sugar level.
•Also helps to stimulate stomach ache.

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Recipe for making Malaria and Typhoid medicines

In this recipe, we have some items that are mixed together or boiled together to get this medicine.

We have, ginger, uda, onions, scent leaf, unripe pawpaw, mango leaf, lime, lemons, utazi, uziza,. All these ingredients might not be available, but make sure that 75% of the listed materials are present.

Procedure

Peel ginger and onions, slice pawpaw, lime and lemon and set aside. Now wash all the leaves (scent leaf, utazi, uziza,) and put into a pot. Add an amount of water and set on fire to boil for 30minutes. Allow to cool off. Blend the pawpaw, lime, lemon, add to the boiled mixture. Blend ginger and onions and add to the boiled mixture. Mix all together and sieve.

Now your traditional medicines for malaria and typhoid is ready to drink.

Note: If you wish to bath with the mixture, do not sieve, just mix everything and bath with it.

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Uses of some of these herbals

I have earlier mentioned some uses of some herbs. I will mention some use of few herbs that were not previously mentioned.

TUMERIC
Uses: Prevention of cancer, Prevention of several skin diseases, Reduces arthritis pains.

ALEO VERA
Uses: Maintenance of hair scalp, Heartburn relief, lower sugar level, fights breast cancer, etc.

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Negative effects from some of the herbs

•Excessive intake of tumeric, causes stomach pains.
•Constant taking of scent leaf, can cause heart/chest blockage. Leading to breathing problem.
•Bitter leaf is not meant to be taken the first water when squeezed, it could be very dangerous to health.

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Conclusion

Traditional medicines are not bad at all. In fact most of the drugs we take are generated from herbs but after refined, it's no longer herbs. Although too much of everything is bad, so one should be conscious of the herbal intake.

[selfie with my prepared medicine]

I invite @Thomisin @chant @mesola