Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica):
Stinging nettles have a high distribution and can be found anywhere across the United States and found in all habitats excluding Hawaii. It can be harvested beginning early spring, when new leaves emerge, or until late fall, when the flowers turn into seeds.It can be used for a wide variety of illnesses as well as internal bleeding, wound healing, and as a general tonic. A poultice using the above ground parts of the plant can be applied to the skin for muscle aches and pains. It can also be steamed and eaten as greens or brewed into a tea to apply medicinal properties.
It contains astragalin, a 3-O-glucoside of kaempferol, which is used as anti-bacterial, anti-virus, and clensing the body of abnormalities. High silicon levels in the leaves, stems and roots are used primarily to help speed the healing process of skin.
Juniper berries (Juniperus communis):
Located in
deciduous forests and sloped hills, juniper trees are available all year
round, however, it takes 2 to 3 years for the berries to ripen. The extract of juniper berry including the essential oil is used and applied directly to the skin to ease muscle and joint pains along with other wounds inflicted on the skin.
The oil extracted from Junipers is largely comprised of monoterpene hydrocarbons. Studies confirmed these effects of the oil which created the possibility of blocking the oxidation processes in yeast cells by increasing activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx).
Sources:
Stinging nettle: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings - WebMD. (n.d.). Retrieved September 5, 2015, from http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-664-stinging%20nettle.aspx?activeingredientid=664&activeingredientname=stinging+nettle
Urtica dioica. (2015, August 11). Retrieved September 5, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urtica_dioica
Pleasant, B. (2011). EBarbara Pleasant: Stinging Nettles. Retrieved September 5, 2015, from http://www.barbarapleasant.com/stingingnettles.html
Wolf College. (2013, June 07). Stinging Nettle: Harvesting, Processing and Recipes. Retrieved September 5, 2015, from http://www.wolfcollege.com/stinging-nettle-harvesting-processing-and-recipes/
Naturalmedicinefacts. (2015). Top plants containing Astragalin. Retrieved September 5, 2015, from http://www.naturalmedicinefacts.info/chemical/6761.html
Juniper: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings - WebMD. (n.d.). Retrieved August/September, 2015, from http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-724-juniper.aspx?activeingredientid=724&activeingredientname=juniper
Juniperus communis. (2015, August 31). Retrieved August/September, 2015, from https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FJuniperus_communis
MDPI. (2014). Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Juniper Berry (Juniperus communis L.) Essential Oil. Action of the Essential Oil on the Antioxidant Protection of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Model Organism. Retrieved August/September, 2015, from http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mdpi.com%2F2076-3921%2F3%2F1%2F81
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