TURMERIC

In India and Asia the turmeric plant has been traditionally used for hundreds of years as a food flavouring, food preservative and as a natural medicine. It has been extensively used for its anti-inflammatory properties and to cleanse the body.
The root of the turmeric plant is finely ground into a bright yellow spice (this is the main spice ingredient of curry and gives colour to the cooked dishes. The main active medicinal ingredient is curcumin, which researchers at the University of California believe helps protect against Alzheimer's disease. The researchers tested curcumin on mice, which had been genetically engineered to develop the brain lesions that occur with Alzheimer's disease. They discovered that the mice eating the food spiced with curcumin had much fewer lesions compared to the mice who did not receive the food containing the curcumin.
Research carried out by scientists at the Jamia Hamdard University in New Delhi, India shows that curcumin from turmeric can ease the stiffness and give substantial pain relief to arthritis sufferers.
 

ALOE VERA

Aloe Vera has been used for thousands of years to heal the skin. It is extremely rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids and sugars and was used by the Egyptians, Ancient Greeks and Romans. For medicinal applications, gel is scraped from inside the green fleshy leaf and the sticky juice is squeezed from the leaves.
During a study of 60 men and women suffering from the chronic skin condition Psoriasis, it was found that the aloe vera cream helped tremendously. Half of the people were treated with the topical aloe vera cream and half with a placebo cream – the aloe vera cream produced much better results!
Also early research suggests that aloe latex – the dried inner lining of the leaf may be effective as a laxative.
For many years now, people have used aloe vera successfully to treat sunburn, as they believe it speeds up the healing process. Some studies suggest the aloe vera gel applied to the skin may help heal minor burns.
 

NATURAL ANTISEPTICS

Tea Tree oil has been used for generations by the aboriginal people of Australia to treat many different ailments and conditions. This may come in the form of pure tea tree oil or in a cream base mixed with other antiseptic ingredients. The smell is exceptionally strong and clean with great cooling properties.
Manuka honey, which originates in New Zealand, is another popular antibacterial and antiseptic medium. This usually comes in a gel form and is spread onto the skin before applying a dressing. Both these antiseptics are well known for their great healing powers.