23 Medicinal Plants the Native Americans Used on a Daily Basis

[Dani]

I liked this article so thought I would share, some good to know information even though you would have to do a little more research on exactly how. A lot of these are growing wild around here and some I have growing out in the garden.

http://www.askaprepper.com/23-medicinal-plants-native-americans-used-daily-basis/
23 Medicinal Plants the Native Americans Used on a Daily Basis

By AnneMay 1, 2017 12:27


Native Americans are renowned for their medicinal plant knowledge. It is rumored they first started using plants and herbs for healing after watching animals eat certain plants when they were sick. In order to protect these plants from over harvesting, the medicine men used to pick every third plant they found.

The Native Americans had a spiritual view of life, and to be healthy, a person had to have a sense of purpose and follow a righteous, harmonious, and balanced path in life. They believed some illnesses were life lessons the person needed to learn and that they shouldn’t interfere. Many modern remedies and medicines are based on the Native American knowledge of the different plants and herbs they used for thousands of years.

Here are the most versatile plants the Native Americans used in their everyday lives:

#1. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

This fragrant, flowering plant has been used since Ancient Greece began using to stop excess bleeding. It is said the Greek hero Achilles used it on his wounds, hence the name. Pioneers and aboriginal people applied this on open wounds and cuts as a poultice made from the leaves to help clot the blood. They also combined fresh yarrow juice with water to help an upset stomach and for intestinal disorders. A tea made from the leaves and stems will act as an astringent.

#2. Sumac

This plant can be used for multiple medicinal remedies, but it is one of the only plants that the healers used in treating eye problems. A decoction from sumac was used as a gargle to relieve sore throats or taken as a remedy for diarrhea. The leaves and berries were combined in tea to reduce fever or made into a poultice to soothe poison ivy.

#3. Blackberry

The Cherokee used this plant for treating an upset stomach. They used blackberry tea for curing diarrhea and soothing swollen tissues and joints. An all-natural cough syrup to heal sore throats can be made from blackberry root mixed with honey or maple syrup. To soothe bleeding gums, they used to chew the leaves. This plant is also good for strengthening the whole immune system.

Related: How I Make My Own Cough Mixture

#4. Rosemary

Native American tribes considered this plant sacred. They used it mostly as an analgesic for alleviating sore joints. This herb improves memory, relieves muscle pain and spasm, and helps the circulatory and the nervous systems. It also improves the immune system and treats indigestion.

#5. Mint
The Cherokee used to make a mint tea to soothe digestion problems and help an upset stomach. They also made a salve from the leaves to relieve itching skin and rashes.

#6. Red Clover

This plant has been used by healers for treating inflammation and respiratory conditions. Recent studies have shown that red clover helps to prevent heart disease by improving circulation and lowering cholesterol.

#7. Black Gum Bark

The Cherokee used to make a mild tea from the twigs and black gum bark to relieve chest pains.

Related: How Cherokees Used Trees of Southern Appalachia for Food, Medicine, and Craft

#8. Cattail

This is one of the most famous survival plants the indigenous population used for food but also as a preventative medicine. Because it’s an easily digestible food, it’s helpful for recovering from illness. It is called the supermarket of the swamp as it can be used in multiple dishes.

Related: Delicious Recipes Using Cattails The Supermarket of the Swamp

#9. Pull Out a Sticker (Greenbriar)

This root tea was used as a blood purifier or for relieving joint pain. Some healers made a salve from leaves and bark mixed with hog lard, which was applied to minor sores, scalds, and burns.

#10. Hummingbird Blossom (Buck Brush)

The Native Americans used this plant for treating mouth and throat conditions as well as cysts, fibroid tumors, and inflammation. It can be made into a poultice to help treat burns, sores, and wounds. A diuretic that stimulates kidney function can be made using the roots of this plant.
The early pioneers utilized this particular plant as a substitute for black tea. Recent studies have shown that hummingbird blossom is effective in treating high blood pressure and lymphatic blockages.

#11. Wild Rose

The Native Americans used this plant as a preventive and a cure for a mild common cold. The tea stimulates the bladder and kidneys and is a mild diuretic. A petal infusion was used for a sore throat.

#12. Saw Palmetto

The native tribes of Florida, such as the Seminoles, used the plant for food, but medicine men used it as a natural remedy for abdominal pain. It also helps digestion, reduces inflammation, and stimulates appetite.

#13. Sage
Sage is commonly used as a spice, but it was a sacred plant for many indigenous tribes as it was thought to have effective purifying energies and to cleanse the body of negative energies. As a remedy, it was used for treating medical conditions like abdominal cramps, spasms, cuts, bruises, colds, and flu.

Related: How I Grow My Herbs Indoors

#14. Wild Ginger

Healers used this plant for treating earache and ear infections. They also made a mild tea from the rootstock for stimulating the digestive system and relieving bloating. It also helps with bronchial infections and nausea.

Update: One of our readers sent us original pictures of wild ginger to help people identify the plant easier. (Photo credit: Erik Nielsen, Rational Design Studio)

#15. Slippery Elm

The Native Americans used the inner bark to fashion bow strings, rope, thread, and clothing. Tea was made from the bark and leaves to soothe toothaches, respiratory irritations, skin conditions, stomach ache, sore throats, and even spider bites.

#16. Lavender

Healers used this plant as a remedy for insomnia, anxiety, depression, headache, and fatigue. The essential oil has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Infusions can be used to soothe insect bites as well as burns.

Related: 79 Edible Flowers in North America (with Pictures)

#17. Prickly Pear Cactus

This is another plant that has been used as both a food and medicine. Native Americans made a poultice from mature pads as an antiseptic and for treating wounds, burns, and boils. Tea was made to treat urinary tract infections and to help the immune system. Now research shows that the prickly pear cactus helps to lower cholesterol and prevents diabetes and diet-related cardiovascular disease.

#18. Honeysuckle

This plant has been used as a natural remedy by the Native Americans for treating asthma, but it has multiple healing purposes, including rheumatoid arthritis, mumps, and hepatitis. It also helps with upper respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia.

#19. Ashwagandha

This plant was an important plant for healers because of its many unusual medicinal uses. It treats bone weakness, muscle weakness and tension, loose teeth, memory loss, and rheumatism. It can also be used as a sedative. It has an overall rejuvenating effect on the body as it improves vitality. The leaves and the root bark can also be used as an antibiotic. If made into a poultice, it helps reduce swelling and treats pain. Caution is advised in the use of this plant since it is toxic.

#20. Mullein

A tobacco-like plant, it was mainly used to treat respiratory disorders. The Native Americans made concoctions from the roots to reduce swelling in the joints, feet, or hands. Here you can find more medical uses for mullein.

#21. Licorice Root

This root is famously used for flavoring candies, foods, and beverages. But it has also been used by healers to treat stomach problems, bronchitis, food poisoning, and chronic fatigue.

#22. Uva Ursi

Because of the bear’s affection toward this plant’s fruits, it is also known as Bearberry and Beargrape. The Native Americans used this plant mainly for treating bladder and urinary tract infections.

#23. Devil’s Claw

Although the name would suggest a poisonous plant, the Native Americans used it to heal various conditions, from treating fever to soothing skin conditions, improving digestion, and treating arthritis. The tea can reduce the effects of diabetes, while a concoction made from the plant’s roots reduces swelling and helps with joint disease, arthritis, gout, back pain, headache, and sores.

Remember that knowledge is the only doctor that can save you when there is no medical help around.

 

[Dani]

I had to take out some of the photos in the link above to allow it to post. The ones gone are the most commonly known but you can click on the link to see what they look like.

 

[DrHenley]

Saw palmetto (and also dwarf palmetto) berries improve prostate health.

 

[brandx]

The early settlers used sassafras root to make a tea for a "spring tonic". I guess to cleanse the system from the winter or some such nonsense. It does not cause diarrhea so I am not sure the reason, in any case, now they say to stay away from it as it is a carcinogen. Really?

 

[DrHenley]

Saffrole

The early settlers used sassafras root to make a tea for a "spring tonic". I guess to cleanse the system from the winter or some such nonsense. It does not cause diarrhea so I am not sure the reason, in any case, now they say to stay away from it as it is a carcinogen. Really?

The offending component is safrole. You can get sassafras tea concentrate that is safrole free, but that kind of defeats the whole purpose.

It's probably one of those "when fed massive quantities of safrole, some Canadian lab rats got cancer" kind of things. Post SHTF, people are going to be more worried about current health (as in staying alive) rather than what might happen 40 years down the road)

 

[DrHenley]

LOL, I was right:

Safrole is still regarded by FDA to be a weak carcinogen in rats. However, according to a 1977 study of the metabolites of safrole in both rats and humans, two carcinogenic metabolites of safrole found in the urine of rats, 1'-hydroxysafrole and 3'-hydroxyisosafrole, were not found in human urine. The European Commission on Health and consumer protection assumes safrole to be genotoxic and carcinogenic. It occurs naturally in a variety of spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper, and herbs such as basil. In that role, safrole, like many naturally occurring compounds, may have a small but measurable ability to induce cancer in rodents. Despite this, the effects in humans were estimated by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to be similar to risks posed by breathing indoor air or drinking municipally supplied water.

So why the ban? I think this might hold the clue:

Safrole is listed as a Table I precursor under the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Due to its role in the manufacture of MDMA, safrole and isosafrole, as well as piperonal, are Category I precursors under regulation No 273/2004 of the European Community.In the United States, safrole is currently a List I chemical.

 

[Dani]

Saw palmetto (and also dwarf palmetto) berries improve prostate health.

Those are one of the things that grow wild in our woods and because I liked how it looked transplanted a couple to grow around the cedar gazebo hunny built.
This is a good site to learn how to use

https://m.wikihow.com/Eat-Saw-Palmetto-Berries
How to Eat Saw Palmetto Berries
Saw palmetto berries are the fruits of a small palm bush that grows in the Southeastern United States. Though they were eaten by Native American peoples, the berries are consumed today mainly as a tonic for health. They are believed to contain compounds that can treat urinary tract infections, benign prostate conditions, and male pattern baldness. You can eat the berries raw, or make them into a tincture or tea.


Method One of Three:
Eating Saw Palmetto Berries RawEdit

1. 
   1
   Find a saw palmetto plant growing wild. Identify the saw palmetto by its small size of 7 to 10 feet (2.1 to 3.0 m), horizontal snaking trunk, and round crown of large, fan shaped leaves. Find the saw palmetto bush located in lowlands and savanna scrubs of the subtropical Southeastern United States, most commonly along the south Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Saw palmetto is especially common in Florida.[1]
   • Look for berries in the fall months of September and October when the fruits are ripe. You will know they are ripe by their dark brown to black color.
   • Make sure you find a plant that is wild and growing on public land. Saw palmettos are a cash crop in Florida and you can be fined if you are caught picking berries that are being commercially farmed.[2]
   
   
2. 
   2
   Pick a few of the ripe black berries. You can find the berries at the base of the palm fronds. Be careful when you reach in to pick the berries. The “saw” of saw palmetto refers to the sharp prickly frond stalks.[3]
   
   
3. 
   3
   Eat the berry slowly to get used to the strong flavor. Saw palmetto berries are similar in size and oiliness to a black olive. Like an olive, they have a pit. Take small nibbles of the sweet, peppery, and pungent fruit.
   • If you do pop the whole fruit into your mouth, remember that there is a pit.
   • The strong flavor of the berries was described in 1692 by shipwrecked Quakers as the flavor of rotten cheese steeped in tobacco juice.[4] Others say the taste is like a sweet, especially strong bleu cheese.

Method Two of Three:
Brewing a Saw Palmetto Berry TinctureEdit

1. 
   1
   Put 1⁄2 pound (0.23 kg) dried saw palmetto berries in a 1 quart (0.95 l) mason jar. Purchase dried saw palmetto berries online or at your local health food store. Usually the berries are already chopped up into small pieces. If not, chop the berries into quarter pieces or smaller.
   
   
2. 
   2
   Cover the berries with grain alcohol. Use 80 or 100 proof vodka or gin. It is important that the alcohol is made from grain, so check the label. Don’t worry about brand name, just get the cheap kind. Once the jar is full, tighten the lid and shake the mixture up for 30 seconds.[5]
   • As an alternative to grain alcohol, you can use unfiltered apple cider vinegar for your tincture.
   
   
3. 
   3
   Label and date the jar. Place a label on the mason jar and make note of the contents and the date. This is especially important if you plan on making multiple tinctures at a time.
   
   
4. 
   4
   Steep the mixture in a cool, dark place for 6 weeks to 3 months. For the first two weeks, shake the mixture twice a day. After that, let it sit. Over time, the alcohol will extract the properties of the berries. The longer you let it sit, the stronger the tincture will be. However, there is no real benefit after the 3-month mark.[6]
   
   
5. 
   5
   Strain the liquid from the berries. Pour the mixture through a mesh strainer or colander with a bowl underneath to catch the liquid. Discard the berries. Place the liquid in a dark bottle for storage.
   • You can purchase dark colored bottles with droppers online or at a health food store.
   
   
6. 
   6
   Take 2-3 spoonfuls of the tincture a day as a health tonic. This tincture can be taken for general prostate health, male pattern baldness, and urinary tract infections. It is important to see a doctor for specific symptoms to rule out any serious conditions that may require treatment.

Method Three of Three:
Making Saw Palmetto Berry TeaEdit

1. 
   1
   Boil 1 cup (240 ml) of water. Place the water in a tea kettle or pot and turn the burner to high. Wait for a full rolling boil and then pour it into your cup. It’s always best to make your tea with fresh, filtered water. Don’t use water that has already been boiled once.
   
   
2. 
   2
   Place 1 tablespoon (15 ml) dried saw palmetto berries in a tea ball. Purchase dried saw palmetto berries online or at the health food store. Usually the berries are already chopped up into small pieces. If not, chop the berries into quarter pieces or smaller. Place your filled tea ball into your cup of boiled water.
   
   
3. 
   3
   Cover your cup and let the saw palmetto berries steep. Wait 20-30 minutes. The longer you steep, the stronger your tea will be, both in flavor and medicinal strength.[7]
   
   
4. 
   4
   Flavor the tea to your taste. If this is your first time tasting saw palmetto tea, taste it without any additions first. Saw palmetto berries are considered sweet, but they are also pungent. You may want to use sugar, honey, or milk to create a flavor that you will enjoy.

Things You’ll Need

Brewing a Saw Palmetto Berry Tincture

• 
  Quart size mason jar
• 
  Dried saw palmetto berries
• 
  Grain alcohol or unfiltered apple cider vinegar
• 
  Mesh strainer or colander
• 
  Label
• 
  Dark bottle

WarningsEdit

• Saw palmetto can cause digestive symptoms or headaches.[8]
  
  Helpful?
• The consumption of saw palmetto berries is not recommended for pregnant or nursing women.
  
  Helpful?
• The use of saw palmetto to treat medical conditions has not been validated by the FDA. If you have any serious health concerns, you should always check with your health care practitioner before self-administering herbs

 

[lonewolf]

herbal/natural medicine is the way for me post SHTF, all this pharmaceutical crap has too many side effects.
in any case there wont be any pharma stuff around once all the stores and pharmacies have been looted and burnt.

 

[brandx]

LOL, I was right:

So why the ban? I think this might hold the clue:

AHA!