Fennel

What is fennel?

Fennel is one of nine herbs that are considered to have miracles in Anglo-Saxon. It can live from the lowlands to an altitude of 1,800 m above sea level, but will grow better in the highlands.

Fennel comes from the eastern Mediterranean region (Italy to the east by Syria). It has the form of herbs that smell nice, bright green, upright, and can reach two meters in height. The leaves grow to 40 centimeters long, ribbon-shaped, with the last segment in the form of hair, approximately 0.5 mm wide.

Benefits of Fennel

There are many useful substances contained in such fennel essential oils, anetol, anisat acid, fenkon, pinene, anisaldehid, serposterin, etc..

credit image: jamu-jago.blogspot.com

Some of the benefits of fennel are:

A. As seasoning that can improve the flavor dishes, is also often used utuk mixed salad and substitute celery for the soup.

2. It can help to facilitate and increase breastfeeding.

3. It can help relieve menstrual pain, improving menstrual, and cope with irregular menstruation.

4. Fennel seed can be distilled into fennel oil that can be used to warm babies and children.

5. As an anti-inflammatory, diuretic and antimicrobial.

6. As an herbal medicine that can cope with various kinds of diseases such as abdominal bloating, nausea, diarrhea, jaundice, loss of appetite, coughing, asthma, hernia, insomnia, kidney stones, arthritis, and even to improve vision.

Garlic

What is garlic?

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a herbaceous plant that is widely used as a spice in cooking. This plant is widely grown in the fields in the mountainous area that gets enough sunlight.

Garlic has been known to humans since about 4000 years ago. In a papyrus dates to 1500 BC found records that the Egyptians believed that garlic has a 22 benefit to treating disease. No wonder if the garlic found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun of Egypt, and consumed by the builders of the pyramids to increase stamina and prevent disease.

In the past, the Greeks and Romans used garlic to treat leprosy and asthma, as well as dispel the scorpion. While in Lebanon recipes, garlic has long used as a recipe for diet.

Benefits of Garlic

Garlic, among others, believed to have benefits as lowering cholesterol levels. Ajoene substance contained in garlic, which is a compound that is anti-cholesterol and help prevent blood clots.

Garlic can also help prevent cancer as evidenced by research conducted by the University of Minnesota. The study showed that the risk of cancer in old age is reduced by 50 percent when eating garlic regularly. No wonder the current food supplement of garlic is also very salable in the market.

Garlic is known to have a content of more than 100 species of naturally occurring chemicals that can cure various diseases. Garlic contains vitamins A, B, C, calcium, potassium, iron, antioxidants, carotenoids, selenium, and various other active ingredients.

The most important elements of healing in garlic is an amino acid alisin. Alisin able to prevent the accumulation of platelets in the arterial wall that usually cause blockage and eventually lead to stroke or heart attack.

Chemical Content of Garlic

Garlic contains volatile oil, which is anti bacterial and antiseptic. Allicin and aliin related to the anti-cholesterol. This power can prevent coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and others. Stem tubers contain substances such as calcium, saltivine, diallysulfide, alilpropil-disulfide, sulfur, protein, fat, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, B1 and C.

Turmeric

What is turmeric?

Turmeric is an herbal plant that spread throughout the tropics, especially in South and Southeast Asia region. Turmeric plant grows wild around the fertile and forest / garden. Turmeric is thought to have originated from India and had spread to Southeast Asia, Australia to Africa.

This plant is widely cultivated in South Asia especially in India, South China, Taiwan, Indonesia (Java), and the Philippines.

Turmeric is included in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Turmeric has a local name in each country, such as Turmeric (UK), turmeric (Netherlands), Turmeric (Indonesia and Malaysia), Kunir (Java), Koneng (Sunda), Konyet (Madura).

Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric is widely used as potent herbs for soothing, clean, dry, relieves itching, and tingling heal.

The main benefits of turmeric plants, namely: as an ingredient of traditional medicine, industrial raw materials of traditional medicine and cosmetics, spices. In addition, the rhizome of turmeric plant is also useful as an anti-inflammatory, anti oxidant, anti-microbial, cancer prevention, anti-tumor, reduce blood fat levels and cholesterol, as well as a blood purifier.

Turmeric extracts can be used as a dietary supplement in capsule form. Curcumin and essential oil contained in turmeric works for the treatment of hepatitis, antioxidants, digestive disorders, anti-microbial, anti cholesterol, anti-HIV, anti-tumor (induces apostosis), inhibiting the progression of breast tumor cells, inhibits tumor cell ploriferasi the colon, anti-invasion , anti-rheumatoid arthritis (arthritis), diabetes mellitus, typhoid fever, appendicitis, dysentery, leucorrhoea, menstruation is not smooth, stomach pains during menstruation, facilitate breastfeeding, tonsils, mucous stools, morbili.

Chemical content of Turmeric

Turmeric contains medicinal compounds, called curcuminoid consisting of curcumin, desmetoksikumin as much as 10%, 1-5% bisdesmetoksikurkumin and other beneficial substances such as essential oils are composed of sesquiterpene ketones, turmeron, tumeon 60%, 25% Zingiberen, felandren, sabinen, borneol and sineil.

Turmeric also contains as much as 1-3% fat, carbohydrates as much as 3%, protein 30%, 8% starch, 45-55% of vitamin C and mineral salts such as iron, phosphorus, and calcium.





source:
http://www.warintek.ristek.go.id/pertanian/kunyit.pdf
http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunyit

Ginger

What is Ginger?

Ginger is a spice that is very popular. Ginger rhizome is often used as a medicine than as a spice in cooking. It has a distinctive flavor, crisp, and spicy as it contains compounds called ketones zingeron. Ginger has been existed since ancient times, and for many years been used as a natural remedy that can cure various diseases.

The origins of ginger is uncertain. However, it is thought to have originated from India and then taken to China, Southeast Asia to the Middle East.

Ginger can only flourish in the tropics, such as Southeast Asia, Brazil, and Africa. Largest producer of ginger in the world are Brazil and Ecuador.

Ginger thrives at an altitude of 0 to 1500 meters above sea level, except for the type of ginger elephant in height from 500 to 950 meters.

Ginger requires rainfall 2500 to 3000 mm per year, 80% humidity and moist soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0 and the high nutrients in order to grow optimally. Land used for cultivation of ginger should not be inundated.

Types of Ginger

There are three types of ginger are popular on the market:

1. Elephant ginger / rhino ginger
Ginger is the type most favored in the international market because of its big, fat, and it’s not too spicy.

2. Yellow ginger
Yellow ginger is widely used as a cooking spice, particularly for local consumption. Its flavor and aroma is quite sharp. Its rhizome size medium and has a yellow color.

3. Red ginger
Red Ginger has a high content of volatile oil and the spicy flavor, making it suitable for pharmaceutical basic ingredients and herbs. Red ginger rhizome has the smallest size and has a red skin, fibers greater than ordinary ginger.

Benefits of Ginger

Here are some of the benefits of ginger for our health:

1. Eliminate nausea during motion sickness.
2. Treating low back pain and back.
3. Treat rheumatism.
4. Treat stomach cramps.
5. Lowering cholesterol.
6. Relieve flatulence.
7. Cope with bad breath.
8. Lowering blood pressure.
9. Treating colds and nasal congestion.
10. Treating thrush etc..

Ginger advantage is that no side effects. Because it is a natural substance that is safe for consumption in the body. So that ginger can be durable and long lasting, you should choose a subtle ginger, no wrinkles and not moldy. Then peel it first, save it in plastic and place in freezer. In this way the ginger can last a long time and can be used anytime when needed.

Ginger ale is very popular in western countries. While China and Japan really like the pickled ginger. Society of China, Europe and Japan are also very fond of ginger syrup.

What about in your country?