by Glory Lennon

Created on: April 30, 2009   Last Updated: May 03, 2009

The first medicines were all from plants. Eons ago people used medicinal herbs to cure illness, revive constitutions and lessen pain. To this day many of the plants those long-gone people used are still being used in the same manner by apothecaries, naturalists and home-remedy enthusiasts. The herb garden, in essence, has replaced the medicine cabinet and the drug store, for some folks, anyway.

People seem to be continually astonished to find this out. They scoff at the notion of relying on a bunch of herbs made into a tea. They even worry about those who shun drugs made with great expense, much testing and extensive work by big-name pharmaceutical companies in leu of the "natural" ways. They obviously don't have a problem with nasty side-effects from these powerful drugs. Well, naturalists do.

The skeptical are, in fact, questioning the effectiveness of herbal applications. It seems these people don't know that there are many medicines currently on the market derived from common everyday plants. They may even have some right this minute in their pocket, purse and medicine cabinet.

Want to learn about some of them? Here they are.

Valerian.

Commonly known in Apothecary circles as the best herbal stress reducer, calmer of nerves and to help insomnia, Valerian is the active ingredient for many over-the-counter sleep aides and tranquilizers.

Aloe Vera.

Creams, lotions and other cosmetics number in the thousands with Aloe as an ingredient. Perhaps that is because it works well to heal burns, cuts, scrapes, wounds and soothe sunburn and hemorrhoids.

Alfalfa.

The sprouts may be good in a salad but it is the leaves that have been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels which in turn helps with heart disease and stroke. Alfalfa also seems to cling onto carcinogens in the intestine and colon and helps eliminate them more quickly. It's even good for bad breath.

Allspice.

Not just for spice cookies, Allspice acts as a mild antioxidant, anesthetic, pain reliever and digestive aid.

Anise.

Though liked for its pleasant licorice taste, Anise also is useful for treating bronchitis, coughs, digestive disorders and asthma. It can reduce menopausal discomforts, too.

Apples.

Apples can help with diarrhea, constipation, to control blood sugar levels, reduce blood cholesterol and to eliminate toxins in the body. Ben Franklin was right. Watch for the seeds though. They contain high levels of cyanide.

Sweet Melissa.

Also going by the name Lemon Balm, this herb soothes menstrual and intestinal cramps

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