"SLC S21 WEEK1/ Comprehensive Guild To Herbal Medicines".

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Introduction.

Hello steemians welcome to week1, of the new SLC S21WEEK1, The lectures are great and beautiful we Thank the lecturer for a wonderful work put in before delivering this we commend your commitment as you do more.

Health is wealth as they usually say, there are many ways of treating illment by so doing many ways are deployed either the use of modern ways of the use of herbs, which brings us to today lesson, which is comprehensive guide to Herbal medicine.

Research and write a history of herbal medicine in your culture or region.

I'm From Nigeria in Africa, here in Nigeria herbal medicine has been in existence prior to the colonial Era before our independence in 1960, as it was considered a source of medication for Many people today as we speak there is a great dominance of western medication but Many still patronizes the herbal medicines.

Health is wealth and also a healthy man derives lot's of joy as health itself is a source of happiness traditional herbs is used in Nigeria to solving lot's of health crisis as it is seen as a natural way of treating illness, it has been used from generation to generation, to eliminate physical, and mental instability.

Member's of our native community derived their perception in 1996 which is about 28 years ago after the British colonization, the use of herbs within my region goes beyond just treatment of sickness, it highlights great important in solving spiritual problems, preserving us from the manace of wild animal's etc. here in Nigeria we have great trust in traditional medications close to 70% of our population will surely prefer using the traditional means.

When traditional means is used there is a great prevention of diseases that affects the body like malaria, fever, tuberculosis etc, in NIGERIA in the year 2002, I vividly remember the first ever launch courtesy traditional medical strategy which beautiful aim was to.

• Evaluation of great policies that will help /assist in regulating the overall use of traditional medicine.

• Creating great proofs and vivid evidence of traditional medicine been produced, when people see evidence they are bond to believing.

• Making sure that the herbal medication is very much available and affordable for public consumption.

• Documentation of Herbal Medicines as a result of various illness it has cured, When there is proper documentation it brings physical, spiritual, and cycological comfort.

In NIGERIA looking back in the year 1993, the traditional herbs Men and women got their knowledge through heredity, calling one another and sharing of new herbal trend's which they render in form of what is called community service, the intake of herbal medication limits some brands of food's, different ethnic nationality have their name's as it is associated to traditional medicine's for the yorubas they are called Babalawo, the igbo are called Dibia, while the Hausa are called Boka.

Traditional herbs Men generally relies on vegetables, Roots, and some animal part's to prepare their medications, then prayer's and incantations can be made depending on who is preparing it, herbal medication is very impactful in our native communities and villages this I perceive will be the absence of funds to access the Western medication.

Include examples of common herbs used historically.

These are common Herbs used historically in Nigeria they are used to cure lots of sickness including malaria, typhoid fever, and all Kinds of bacteria that is in the body.

The above listed Herb's are used like, cooked together with other Herbs to cure sickness,. It is historical as people within my locality are very much conversant with it.

These two beautiful Herbs are fresh Herbs they function the most when it is cooked in it's current state, allowing it to dry off makes it loose value.

This is pure historical Herb, there are other countries which malaria is seeing as an epidemic, but here in Nigeria malaria is seeing as a normal thing reason been that there are lots of mosquitoes here in my country.

Cooking the two Herbs together helps to reduce abuse and risk expecially when it come's to taking herbal medication excessively.

Create a table comparing the benefits and side effects of modern medicines vs.herbal medicines.

For the Ailment, the important view here is cold and headache, these two ailments come's from the body with different causes, there are lot's beautiful Benefits that come's from the use of either herbal medicine or Modern medicine.

Just as they say anything that has advantage also has disadvantages too as well, there are side effects too, Herbal Medicines are made through leaves, roots, vegetables etc, while modern medicine are made from research done in various laboratory scientifically, below are the various comparison's.

Aspect	Benefits Of Modern Medicine.	Side Effects Of Herbal medicine.
Options	There are pritorial options for the treatment of an Ailments, e.g the intake of medicine 💊💊, or the intake of injection.	The Option is Limited looking more like a one-way traffic system, which brings forth for a potential Toxicity.
Science	Modern medicine is texted in the lap with the use of science related equipment's before consumption so it guarantees safety.	Is spiritual guaranteed as most time's Leads to kidney and liver damage, because of lack of adequate certification.
Volume	Modern medication has a very high rate of efficiency and efficacy.	Herbal Medicine is very uncertain and has low potency.
Availability	Modern medicine is very much Available in Urban Areas.	Herbal Medicines are mostly available in Rural Areas.
Acceptability	Modern medicine is widely accepted in Nigeria due to global trend 21st century beliefs.	Herbal Medicines are declined in various part's of the globe as a result of low spiritual belief Among people.
Cost	Modern medication are very expensive.	Herbal Medication are cheap and very affordable.

The Aferomentioned are very sacrosanc, modern medicine and herbal medication are very good depending on how you see it, your beliefs and geographical location, there are people in Nigeria they don't take the modern medicine.

There are also people in Nigeria they don't take the herbal medicine, reason been that beliefs are different and people in general have their various views depending on how they feel and think.

Choose 3 herbs from your kitchen like mint, ginger, or turmeric and list their health benefits.

There are three main know kitchen Herb's which includes, Mint, ginger, and tumeric. These three kitchen Herb's are very important for our day to day activities as they improve our health benefits overall. First I go with Ginger.

^{Ginger Herb.}

There are so many health benefits associated to ginger herbs and some of them includes.

Ginger

• i. Ginger is very important to the health as it serves as Anti-inflammatory, which means it helps to reduce pains and swollen skin.

• ii. After eating your meal and you discover some indigestion discomfort quickly take some ginger, it will help digestion and along the process relief nausea.

• iii. Consuming ginger is very good in the health as it helps to protect your cells in the body from damage, it also prevents you from having cancer.

• iv. For women ginger helps to reduce menstruation cramps and reduces irregular bleeding.

• V. Intake of Ginger helps to smoothen throat, and relief cold in the body.

Mint

Mint is another Herb recipe that is very essential to the human health, as it plays a good role for the well been and development of human lives, all these herbs are all Agricultural products, some are in form of grases, vegetables etc.

^{Mint Herbs.}

Some of the health benefits are listed below and they include.

• i. Mind help's to aid good breath expecially for those who usually have difficulty in breathing.

• ii. It helps in freeing the nerves in order to aid relaxation, and calm anxiety.

• iii. It fights anti-bacteria, and viruses in the body thereby providing health stability.

• iv. It accelerates digestion in human and relieves nausea.

Turmeric

As at the time of writing this post I didn't access the the photo of turmeric, but just as I know turmeric is very important to the health of any human, the health benefits cannot be overemphasized, some are listed below.

• I. It helps to reduce regional pain's and arthritis.

• ii. It also prevents cancer, and protect the cell wall in the human body.

• iii. It makes the brain function faster thereby preventing it from Alzheimer.

• iv. It reduces blood pressure in human, it also reduces the level of cholesterol.

• V. It boost's the immune system thereby reduces any form of infections in the body system.

Mention the recipes where you have used these herbs.

One beautiful recipe where one of the Herbs was used was ginger glazed recipe where roasted plantain, yam, and potatoes, was combined together in my country Nigeria we call it Bole.

The plantain will be roasted on fire, then kept in a bowel, so as yam and potatoes, after that you add your red oil, and pounded onions and ginger, you also add your Mint leaves, pounded everything together, mixed with the oil then you are good to go.

Combining these recipe together is perfectly good for consumption as anyone can eat, including male, and females, not skipping children of age, there are lots of good health benefits that come's with These recipes just as I listen here.

I have also used these recipes in cooking fresh fish, honestly I prefer eating natural things than artificial/Man made, things grown naturally like The three herbs recipes have lot's of values to the health than man made herbs.

Once upon a time I added these recipes to a pounded yarn, WOW boil your yam, add it up, put it into your Malta use pistle and poud everything together, then eat with you Egusi soup trust me you will love it.

Write about the different forms of the herbs.

Herb's come's in different forms depending on the usage, some can come in form of roots, leaves, tablet form or dried form, depending on the characteristics In use.

Fresh Herbs.

• These comes in-form of leaves, vegetables, roots, that are fresh and ready to be processed.

• After the processing is been done, the outcome turns out to been what the patience will then consume in the end.

• As They are fresh they require preservation maybe with the help or aid of a refrigerator, because Fresh things are usually perishable.

Dried Herbs.

• These are roots, stems, or vegetables that has been dehydrated, it can be used in various forms just to serve a common purpose.

• Dried leaves for instance can be cooked in form of a tea, for drinking.

• it can last longer since it's leaves are dried off, it needs lesser preservation mechanism.

powdered Herbs.

• These types of herbs can be used raw, since is already in a powdered form.

• It can also be stored easily, basically in a cool dried area, in a room with low temperature.

• Herb's in a powdered form which have been preserved for such a long time due to delays May loose aroma.

Tablets.

• Most Herb's come's in form of capsules and Tablets, consuming this types of Herbs you just need only water they you swallow it that's all.

• Stored in a cool dry place and also it should be kept out of the reach of children.

• These Herb's since is in tablet form shouldn't be taken out of dosage, there should be adequate regulation as per the dosage of intake.

Pick one herb and research any potential side effects and how to avoid them.

Just as they say anything that has advantage also at the same time have disadvantages too, but generally ginger is considered save, to answer this question I will be using ginger Herbs.

After all my intensive research I realized that there are few side effect courtesy the intake of Ginger, some of the side effect are as follows.

• Heartburn: Excess of everything is generally bad, when ginger is taken excessively it lead's to heartburn disease and bloating gas.

• It causes itching and swelling on the skin if you are allergic to it, these are some of the dimerits of Ginger.

• It causes stomach abnormality like diarrhea, and swollen in the outer stomach.

• Headache, and fatigue, general tiredness, mouth and throat smell.

These are some of the side effects of Ginger, these side effects normally come's when you take it excess, before you consume some medications seek for medical advice and attention to avoid mistakes.

How to avoid side effects

• Avoiding side effects is very simple, when you are given this herbal recipe, gradually take the dosage, I may not specify it but gradually take it, then as time goes on you make an increase.

• I will advise you go for ginger that has already been cooked, instead of consuming the Raw ones, thereby reducing consuming it in excess form.

• As you take ginger please keep an eye on the velocity of your blood sugar, monitor it very well as generally you all know ginger reduces blood sugar, this is essential for those that has diabetes.

• Frequently consult medical practitioners, tell then everything about the overall intake of Ginger, they will help profile adequate medical advice for you, by so doing you will reduce some side effect.

• Do a combination of Herbs, for instance cook ginger with other herbs, in order to reduce the overall side effects.

CONCLUSION.

• As the the homework task went on I was able to highlight the history of herbal medicine in Nigeria, prior and Post the colonial Era, at some point in my country Herbal medication is their only source to gaining medical attention and help.

• I spoke about ginger, mint, and tumeric, based on my understanding I listed most of the very important health benefits just as the question demands I answered adequately.

• Note All the images I used is watermarked, they are all my personal photos, Thank you very much my teacher for this wonderful course outline been presented i really appreciate God bless you as i await your review.

• I use this medium to invite @axeman, @stef1, and @rme. Please you all should join.