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Bitter Stomachic
Stomachic is a historic term for a medicine that serves to tone the stomach, improving its function and increase appetite. While many herbal remedies claim stomachic effects, modern pharmacology does not have an equivalent term for this type of action. Herbs with putative stomachic effects include: * Agrimony * Aloe * Anise * Avens (''Geum urbanum'') * Barberry * Bitterwood (''Picrasmaa excelsa'') * Cannabis * Cayenne * ''Centaurium'' * ''Cleome'' * Colombo (herb) (''Frasera carolinensis'') * Dandelion * Elecampane * Ginseng * Goldenseal * ''Grewia asiatica'' (Phalsa or Falsa) * Hops * Holy thistle * Juniper berry * Mint * Mugwort * Oregano * Peach bark * Rhubarb * White mustard seeds * Rose hips * Rue * Sweet flag (''Acorus calamus'') * Wormwood (''Artemisia absinthium'') The purported stomachic mechanism of action of these substances is to stimulate the appetite by increasing the gastric secretions of the stomach; however, the actual therapeutic value of some of these comp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tonic (physiology)
Tonic in physiology refers to a physiological response which is slow and may be graded. This term is typically used in opposition to a fast response. For instance, tonic muscles are contrasted by the more typical and much faster twitch muscles, while tonic sensory nerve endings are contrasted to the much faster phasic sensory nerve endings. Tonic muscles Tonic muscles are much slower than twitch fibers in terms of time from stimulus to full activation, time to full relaxation upon cessation of stimuli, and maximal shortening velocity.Kardong, K. 2008. Vertebrates: Comparative Anatomy, Function, Evolution. 5th edition. McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math. These muscles are rarely found in mammals (only in the muscles moving the eye and in the middle ear), but are common in reptiles and amphibians. Tonic sensory receptors Tonic sensory input adapts slowly to a stimulushttp://caspar.bgsu.edu/~courses/Glossary.htm and continues to produce action potentials over the duration of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ginseng
Ginseng () is the root of plants in the genus ''Panax'', such as Korean ginseng ('' P. ginseng''), South China ginseng ('' P. notoginseng''), and American ginseng ('' P. quinquefolius''), typically characterized by the presence of ginsenosides and gintonin. Ginseng is most commonly used in the cuisines and medicines of China and Korea. Although ginseng has been used in traditional medicine over centuries, modern clinical research is inconclusive about its medical effectiveness. There is no substantial evidence that ginseng is effective for treating any medical condition, and in the United States, for example, its use has not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a prescription drug. Although ginseng is commonly sold as a dietary supplement, inconsistent manufacturing practices for supplements have led to analyses showing that ginseng products may be contaminated with toxic metals or unrelated filler compounds, and its excessive use may have adverse effec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sweet Flag
''Acorus calamus'' (also called sweet flag, sway or muskrat root, among many common names) is a species of flowering plant with psychoactive chemicals. It is a tall wetland monocot of the family Acoraceae, in the genus ''Acorus.'' Although used in traditional medicine over centuries to treat digestive disorders and pain, there is no clinical evidence for its safety or efficacy – and ingested calamus may be toxic – leading to its commercial ban in the United States. Description Sweet flag is a herbaceous perennial, tall. Its leaves resembles those of the iris family. Sweet flag consists of tufts of basal leaves that rise from a spreading rhizome. The leaves are erect yellowish-brown, radical, with pink sheathing at their bases, sword-shaped, flat and narrow, tapering into a long, acute point, and have parallel veins. The leaves have smooth edges, which can be wavy or crimped. The sweet flag can be distinguished from iris and other similar plants by the crimpe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rose Hip
The rose hip or rosehip, also called rose haw and rose hep, is the accessory fruit of the various species of rose plant. It is typically red to orange, but ranges from dark purple to black in some species. Rose hips begin to form after pollination of flowers in spring or early summer, and ripen in late summer through autumn. Propagation Roses are propagated from rose hips by removing the achenes that contain the seeds from the hypanthium (the outer coating) and sowing just beneath the surface of the soil. The seeds can take many months to germinate. Most species require chilling (stratification), with some such as ''Rosa canina'' only germinating after two winter chill periods. Use Rose hips are used in bread and pies, jam, jelly, marmalade, syrup, soup, tea, wine, and other beverages. Rose hips can be eaten raw, like berries, if care is taken to avoid the hairs inside the fruit. The hairs are used as itching powder. A few rose species are sometimes grown for the ornament ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White Mustard
White mustard (''Sinapis alba'') is an annual plant of the family Brassicaceae. It is sometimes also referred to as ''Brassica alba'' or ''B. hirta''. Grown for its seeds, used to make the condiment mustard, as fodder crop, or as a green manure, it is now widespread worldwide, although it probably originated in the Mediterranean region. Description White mustard is an annual, growing to high with stalkless pinnate leaves, similar to ''Sinapis arvensis''. Distribution Most common in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, it can be found worldwide. It has been found as far north as Greenland, and naturalized throughout Great Britain and Ireland. Culinary uses The yellow flowers of the plant produce glabrous or sparsely bristled seed pods. Each fruit (silique) contains roughly a half dozen seeds. The plants are harvested for their seeds just prior to the seed pods becoming ripe and bursting open (dehiscing). White mustard seeds are hard spheroid seeds, usually ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is the fleshy, edible stalks ( petioles) of species and hybrids (culinary rhubarb) of ''Rheum'' in the family Polygonaceae, which are cooked and used for food. The whole plant – a herbaceous perennial growing from short, thick rhizomes – is also called rhubarb. Historically, different plants have been called "rhubarb" in English. The large, triangular leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid and anthrone glycosides, making them inedible. The small flowers are grouped in large compound leafy greenish-white to rose-red inflorescences. The precise origin of culinary rhubarb is unknown. The species ''Rheum rhabarbarum'' (syn. ''R. undulatum'') and '' R. rhaponticum'' were grown in Europe before the 18th century and used for medicinal purposes. By the early 18th century, these two species and a possible hybrid of unknown origin, ''R.'' × ''hybridum'', were grown as vegetable crops in England and Scandinavia. They readily hybridize, and culinary rh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peach
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties), nectarines. The specific name ''persica'' refers to its widespread cultivation in Persia (modern-day Iran), from where it was transplanted to Europe. It belongs to the genus ''Prunus'', which includes the cherry, apricot, almond, and plum, in the rose family. The peach is classified with the almond in the subgenus '' Amygdalus'', distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated seed shell (endocarp). Due to their close relatedness, the kernel of a peach stone tastes remarkably similar to almond, and peach stones are often used to make a cheap version of marzipan, known as persipan. Peaches and nectarines are the same species, though they are regarded commercially as different fruits. The skin of nectarines lac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oregano
Oregano (, ; ''Origanum vulgare'') is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It was native to the Mediterranean region, but widely naturalised elsewhere in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Oregano is a woody perennial plant, growing tall, with opposite leaves long. The flowers are purple, long, produced in erect spikes in summer. It is sometimes called wild marjoram, and its close relative, '' O. majorana'', is known as sweet marjoram. Both are widely used as culinary herbs, especially in Turkish, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Mexican, and French cuisine. Oregano is also an ornamental plant, with numerous cultivars bred for varying leaf colour, flower colour and habit. Etymology Used since the middle 18th century, the Spanish word ''orégano'' is derived from the Latin ''orīganum'' and ultimately from the Classical Greek (''orī́ganon''). This is a compound Greek term that consists of (''óros'') meaning "mountain", and (''gános'') meaning "brightness ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mugwort
Mugwort is a common name for several species of aromatic flowering plants in the genus ''Artemisia.'' In Europe, mugwort most often refers to the species '' Artemisia vulgaris'', or common mugwort. In East Asia the species '' Artemisia argyi'' is often called "Chinese mugwort" in the context of traditional Chinese medicine, or () in Mandarin. ''Artemisia princeps'' is a mugwort known in Korea as () and in Japan as (). While other species are sometimes referred to by more specific common names, they may be called simply "mugwort" in many contexts. Etymology The Anglo-Saxon ''Nine Herbs Charm'' mentions . A folk etymology, based on coincidental sounds, derives ' from the word "mug"; more certainly, it has been used in flavoring drinks at least since the early Iron Age. * Other sources say ''mugwort'' is derived from the Old Norse (meaning "marsh") and Germanic languages, German ''wuertz'' (''wort'' in English, originally meaning "root"), which refers to its use since ancient ti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lamiaceae
The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, hyssop, thyme, lavender, and perilla, as well as other medicinal herbs such as catnip, salvia, bee balm, wild dagga, and oriental motherwort. Some species are shrubs, trees (such as teak), or, rarely, vines. Many members of the family are widely cultivated, not only for their aromatic qualities, but also their ease of cultivation, since they are readily propagated by stem cuttings. Besides those grown for their edible leaves, some are grown for decorative foliage. Others are grown for seed, such as ''Salvia hispanica'' (chia), or for their edible tubers, such as ''Plectranthus edulis'', ''Plectranthus esculentus'', '' Plectranthus rotundifolius'', and '' Stachys affinis'' (Chinese artichoke). Many are also grown orn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa, throughout parts of West Asia, western, Central Asia, central and South Asia, southern Asia, east to eastern Tibet in the Old World, and in the mountains of Central America. The highest-known juniper forest occurs at an altitude of in southeastern Tibet and the northern Himalayas, creating one of the highest tree lines on earth. Description Junipers vary in size and shape from tall trees, tall, to columnar or low-spreading shrubs with long, trailing branches. They are evergreen with needle-like and/or scale-like leaves. They can be either monoecious or dioecious. The female Conifer cone, seed cones are very distinctive, with fleshy, fruit-like coalescing scales which fuse together to form Juniper berry, a&n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Holy Thistle
''Cnicus benedictus'', known by the common names St. Benedict's thistle, blessed thistle, holy thistle and spotted thistle, is a thistle-like plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, from Portugal north to southern France and east to Iran. It is known in other parts of the world, including parts of North America, as an introduced species and often a noxious weed. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus ''Cnicus''. Other species once included in the genus have largely been reclassified to ''Cirsium'', '' Carduus'', and ''Centaurea''. The related genus ''Notobasis'' is included in ''Cnicus'' by some botanists; it differs in slender, much spinier leaves, and purple flowers. Growth It is an annual plant growing to 60 cm tall, with leathery, hairy leaves up to 30 cm long and 8 cm broad, with small spines on the margins. The flowers are yellow, produced in a dense flowerhead (capitulum) 3–4 cm diameter, surrounded by numerous ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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