HEALTH + WELLNESS
Botanical Healing
PHOTOS BY LUCY MOHR
OUTSIDE YOUR OWN BACKDOOR , NATURE IS THRIVING WITH MEDICINAL REMEDIES AND PREVENTATIVES FOR MANY COMMON AILMENTS . FAVERSHAM ’ S MEDICAL HERBALIST , MILENA MOORE , WHO OWNS THE BEAUTIFUL HERBAL PHARMACY , APOTHECA , TALKS TO insideKENT ABOUT THIS ANCIENT CRAFT AND HOW IT STILL HAS SO MUCH TO OFFER IN TODAY ’ S SOCIETY .
The past year has shaken all that we knew before and has changed life in many unexpected ways . This , along with Brexit , has highlighted just how easily supply issues can occur . One of the many advantages of Western herbal medicine is its sustainability and accessibility . Yes , we use some herbs which are imported from far horizons ( like ginger , turmeric , ginseng ), and some are imported from Europe , where they are grown because of the warmer climate and larger surface areas of affordable farming land , but many are – or can be – grown in the U . K . and many more crafted in the wild , which you can then harvest . This is commonly known as ‘ wildcrafting ’.
Plant Power
A lot of our most valuable medicinal herbs are found in gardens , roadsides , meadows and hedgerows and are often considered as weeds because they grow easily , spread quickly and survive or even thrive in unfavorable conditions . This can be a nuisance for land owners and anyone with a garden but it ’ s an incredible advantage for people who use these plants .
Most people will know of plants ( or weeds ) like nettles , elderflower ( and berry ), dandelion , hawthorn and lemon balm but perhaps do not realise that they have been used for millennia as medicines . Medical herbalists like myself , combine traditional knowledge with modern scientific research , in order to provide a holistic form of herbal medicine , which is increasingly popular due to the struggles faced by the NHS and the low level of holism offered by modern medicine in the treatment of chronic health problems .
Everyday you will be surrounded by the natural healing properties in nature but may not even realise it , especially some of the more inconspicuous plants like cleavers , meadowsweet , comfrey , motherwort , mugwort and St John ’ s wort , all of which are used to treat common ailments . Many of us have heard of St John ’ s wort as an antidepressant , but not everyone is aware that they have probably walked past it many times in nature or on the road-side here in Kent .
Did You Know ?
Stinging nettles are probably one of our most despised weeds and the enemy of children and gardeners alike , but nettles are rich in iron and other minerals , so they are helpful in irondeficiency anemia and restoring general strength after bleeding or illness . They have an antihistamine effect in the body ( ironic when they cause such histamine release with their sting !) so they are useful for allergies too and are a diuretic , which means they help to reduce fluid retention . The medicinal benefits of this vilipend ‘ weed ’ do not stop there however , as the roots of nettles have even greater medicinal properties and a number of scientific studies have shown that they are useful in cases of enlarged prostate ( BPH – Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia ) and also prostatitis .
Wild-Crafting in Kent
Although Kent is relatively highly populated , built-up and has many fields being used for intensive cultivation , there is still an abundance of medicinal herbs growing here and people like myself who deeply value them .
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