Basil, Chinese Onion, Pyrethrum, Shallot and Tremella: Powerful Medicinal Plants to Live an Organic Lifestyle (eBook)

Basil has shown positive effects against viral, fungal, bacterial and other infections. Basil leaves have been used in treatment of fevers, coughs, flu, asthma, bronchitis, influenza and diarrhea. Basil seed mucilage, commonly known as basil seed gum, can be considered as a thickening, stabilizing, surface-active, and emulsifying hydrocolloid as well as a fat substitute and texturizer. Pyrethrum flowers are used for the extraction of important insecticides, the pyrethrins, which are non-toxic to humans and other warm-blooded animals. Products containing natural pyrethrins are one of the major insecticide groups in organic farming and should be widely used in all countries, especially developing countries. Pyrethrins are the active ingredients derived from the natural insecticide pyrethrum, and pyrethroids are synthetic or manufactured versions of pyrethrins. The active constituents of pyrethrins are Pyrethrin I, Cinerin I, Jasmolin I, Pyrethrin II, Cinerin II and Jasmolin II. Shallots provide many health benefits. They reduce cancer risk, improve heart health, aid detoxification, help control diabetes, improve brain health, help to fight obesity, treat allergies, boost bone health, maintain vision health, boost immunity, improve skin health, increase abdominal health and keep hair healthy. The dominant medicinal properties of Persian shallots are their antibiotic properties, hypolipidemic properties, anticancer properties, antioxidant properties, hypoglycemic properties, kidney protective properties and hepatoprotective properties. Tremella mushrooms also provide important health benefits: they lower cholesterol, combat obesity, protect nerves, may fight cancer, and have anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. The most powerful nutritional constituents of Tremella are amino acids, vitamins, minerals, polysaccharides, glucurmomannan 1,3-alpha-glucan, epitope 9beta-D-glucuronosyl, glucuronic acid, glucurmic acid, glucuronoxylomannan, N-acetylglucosamine, flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids and organic acids. Nutrition therapy based on traditional Asian medicine is quite effective at treating common diseases.