Arthritis and Arthrosis are symptoms of pain and stiffness in the joints; ligaments and bones, both are affected in both cases. It is an inflammatory condition and as such can also influence skin and muscles as well as certain organs. Arthrosis is one of the most common kinds of Arthritis. In this case the cartilage, which is a kind of slippery buffer tissue in between the bones, is affected. Often when people age, this cartilage loses its function and in some cases vanishes totally. Then the contact between bones becomes a problem – pain, swelling, stiffness are the usual consequences….
Tag: inflammation
German Chamomile Oil – Caring and Motherly
Chamomile ‘matricaria’ contains the latin word ‘matrix’ in its botanical name – meaning ‘caring for the womb’. This finds its echo in folk medicine which has always emphasized Chamomile’s emmenagogue properties and its connection with the female system. The word ‘Chamomile’ is derived from Greek ????? (chamaí) ‘on the ground’ and ????? (m?lon) ‘apple’ hinting at a connection of the fragrance of the Chamomile flower similiar to some kinds of apples. The surprising blue colour of the essential oil is due to a specific oxygenation process of compounds which happens during distillation. The matricine compound changes into chamazulene, a sesquiterpene….
Cardamom – Healthy Breathing, Healthy Feeding
Cardamom is a perennial plant and grows up to 2-3 metres in height. It has white flowers with reddish stripes in the centre. The fruit capsules (pods) grow near the ground and contain the seeds which are used as spice. They are gathered before they are ripe to prevent bursting during the drying process which would lead to loss of the essential oil. The essential oil is gained through steam-distillation of the seeds. The main producing country today is Guatemala where Cardamom cultivation has been introduced in the last century and where most of it is grown for export as spice…
Neem – The sacred tree of Ayurveda
The Neem tree (Azadirachta indica) is a tropical evergreen tree native to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Burma. It belongs to the plant family of the Meliaceae related to the Mahagony tree. It is a fast growing tree that can reach a height of up to 35-40 metres. Its leaves have a very bitter taste, whereas the small, white flowers exhale a very sweet, Jasmine-like fragrance that can be smelled from miles away. And then the oil from the fruits… such a contrast! Unlike numerous other vegetable oils, Neem oil has developed sulfur compounds over its long plant evolution. And these…
Rose – Making A Myth Our Fragrant Reality
Mankind has given to the Rose the name ‘Queen of the Flowers’ – and this is certainly not a misnomer… Rose, this wonderful floral being has always – and particularly since the beginning of historical writing – held a particular fascination in the awareness of mankind. It inspired men of so many cultures to create countless stories, myths, legends, fairy tales, ballads etc. Musicians didn’t get tired to praise its beauty in immortal melodies, painters presented their enchantment in works of art and poets captured their enthusiasm in heart-rending poetry. Throughout times Rose symbolized love – but since the Rose…
Ginger – An Ancient Universal Healer
The name Ginger stems from the Sanskrit word “shringan” meaning “horn of a dear”. It refers to the special form of the Ginger rhizomes which have been used in Asian cooking and medicine over thousands of years. Ginger has abundantly been used since old in the Ayurvedic kitchen of India. Confuzius has already praised the virtues of Ginger in China long before the Christian era. In the middle ages Ginger was used for brewing beer and as a spice in certain dishes for the more prosperous people. It is definitely known to the Western world since at least 2 000 years….
Vetiver – The Golden Root of Mother Earth
This herbal grass with its Latin name Vetiveria zizanoides is a strong, resistant and aromatic plant native to south India, China, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, today also grown in Réunion, the Philippines, the Comoro Islands, Japan, West Africa and Latin America. Vetiver is a perennial plant with a straight stem, a plentiful network of underground roots – and it can reach a height as tall as a man. The aromatic fragrance of the roots have been favoured by people since antiquity. Vetiver was and still is used it to keep away vermin from their domestic animals. And the filaments of…
