Oregano is not just for the rustic salad

There is no Greek and Italian - and not only - who does not recognize its characteristic smell and taste. After all, oregano as it is very common (as its name Origanum vulgare says - Oregano is common) has tasted and accompanied many of our dishes. But apart from the common, that is, it is very tasty, very fragrant and also has many beneficial properties, according to experts. Indeed, oregano as a spice and its beneficial medicinal properties have been known since antiquity and through tradition have reached even today. 

We may have seen grandmothers recommend oregano drinks when we are tired of diarrhea or remember the thin branches of the plant that were recruited - instead of earrings - to keep the holes in the little girls' eyes open and free of germs. So let's get to know this aromatic herb that is so common in our country.

Her identity

Oregano is a perennial plant, up to 80 cm high and has a characteristic, pleasant and pungent odor. He is a native of the Mediterranean and Central Asia. Very common in our country, oregano in Greece is considered one of the best in the world in terms of quality. In recent years, as its consumption has increased, both in countries where it is not native to the United States, such as the US, and because it is difficult to collect and requires a lot of labor, it is often an organized crop. The oregano shoot is upright, square and multicolored. Its leaves are dark green in color. Its flowers are pink in color and are found in dense inflorescences. We find oregano in clusters of shrubs, hills, limestone soils and generally in dry and stony areas. Its collection usually begins in July after the feast of St. John of Reagan or Clidonas (June 24) and is usually done early in the morning or late at night, but be careful not to uproot the perennial plant. It is then tied in bundles and dried, hanging upside down in a dry, dark place.

The oregano properties

The oregano, from which we use the flowers and leaves, is a plant both aromatic and medicinal. It is considered tonic, antioxidant, antiseptic, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, diuretic, laxative, antitussive, expectorant and antiseptic.

How it is used

Oregano can be used both internally and externally.

Indoor use

• Oregano inhalations help with respiratory diseases (thanks to its expectorant and antitussive action).

• Oregano decoction (in a pot boil a cup of water with a teaspoon, strain it and drink it) has several properties and applications. It is used to soothe cough, it helps to treat diarrhea and is thought to reduce tooth pain.

• With oregano decoction we can also do mouthwashes to soothe irritated and red throat. Also, oregano blocks help with antiseptic and therefore oral and dental hygiene

External use

• With regard to external use we should be aware that oregano can help with the antisepsis of injured skin. Also, the oregano decoction in the bath soothes and tones the skin.

• However, in addition to the oregano use in our kitchen or as an alternative herb, oregano is also used by industry. Its essential oil is used both in perfumery and in the manufacture of soaps and toothpaste and in the treatment of plant diseases.

Cotton use as medicinal plant for various disease

Cotton is a small shrub that grows up to 1.5 meters tall Brenches and Brenchlets: Branchlets terete, glabrous, and rarely smooth. The broad cardiac leaflets are divided into 5-7 short bracteoles. The glandular dots are seen in the leaf plane. The large yellow bisexual flowers are 2doreble.
The centre of the flower is purple. The fruit is 2 green, round-shaped crystal In the fruit divided into chambers, there are gray or white seeds in the middle of the stuffing. Cotton Malvaceae is 2 species of botanical plant that is more widely used in the textile industry than in medicine.

According to local botanical sources, five species of Gossypium are found in Sri Lanka, all of which are native to Sri Lanka. However, according to historical sources, when Prince Vijaya arrived in Si Lanka more than two thousand years ago, ‘Kuveni ‘ was carving cotton Does this mean that the history of introducing cotton to Sri Lanka dates back to the Vijaya-Kuveni era? It would be interesting to see if there is something else.


Several sources of medicine mention several types of cotton. There are three categories of real cotton and one type of wild cotton, and another classification of yellow cotton, red and black. They are s2id to be equal in quality.

Cotton use as medicinal plant for various disease

Cotton leaves, roots, flowers, nuts and bones are used to treat airborne diseases, uterine diseases, menstrual problems, urinary bladder, heart disease, pandemic, scorpion poisoning It is said to have cotton pain relievers, planting ulcers, stimulating nerves, bleeding cotton leaves, bones and bladder. In particular, cotton blossoms have been shown to have anti-inflamma2tory and anti-inflammatory properties, while root bark has anti-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory properties


In the case of painful menstruation and arthritis, cotton swabs are treated with scalding or decoction. The first tincture is applied at birth. Urinary tract use of seed spore or leaf form. Pandu gives the cotton flowers to grind and drink with halftones. Cottonseed is used to make a water-resistant capsule used for vomiting that accompanies dysentery. It is said that breast milk develops when the roots of came and cane are mixed with vinegar. When the thoms of men and cattle are pierced, they are tied together with cotton leaves, bullocks, kovaca leaves, pear leaves. Filasu poisons are rubbed with cotton swabs.






In addition to medication, Eastern and Western medicine uses cotton cloth (2s wound suture and bandages) for treating and treating wounds.

Local villagers throw cotton seeds into the well to clean water In particular, cotton seeds are among the materials used in the Sinhala New Year rituals. Also, the people of this country use cottonseeds for various rituals such as Shanthikarma. For eye-bite problems, the cotton swab is sealed into 2 container of water, which is obtained before the crows cry in the morning. It is the experience of the villagers that the watery eyes are visible on the eyes and mouths of young children.

Herbs of the World - Ginger

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is widely grown as a spice and medicinal plant in tropical parts of Asia and Oceania, Africa and Central America. It contains the active ingredients gingerol and shogaol.

Traditional medicine

Ginger is not only an indispensable part of the Far East kitchen, but above all a medicinal plant and a traditional component of many therapeutic therapies for thousands of years. E.g. Indian Ayurveda highlights it as "a wonderful and universal cure," and the old Indian proverb says "everything that is good can be found in ginger.
" Traditionally, ginger promotes digestion, relieves pain, and helps treat colds, sore throats, and infections. Chinese medicine also uses ginger when dealing with Yang energy (feeling cold in the body).

What is the effect of ginger?

Contemporary scientific tests have confirmed many previously tested uses of ginger and have shown that most of its good properties include gingerol.

Ginger has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, suppresses pain, helps fight infection , relieves pain and inflammatory joints of osteoarthritis, relieves menstrual pain. This is because gingerol affects the vanilloid receptors found in the nerve endings and reduces the perception of pain. Studies at the University of Georgia in the US have shown that it also reduces muscle pain after physical exertion.

Diseases, joints, pain

Ginger has a calming effect on the digestive tract, relieves inflammation and helps digestion. What is very important is to relieve nausea, including morning sickness. Studies have shown that ginger also promotes ulcer treatment. In 2011, secretary scientists confirmed that a single use of 1.2 g of ginger extract would cause the gastric contents to move to the intestines in people who suffer from dyspepsia (chronic and recurrent digestive disorders).

Thanks to its antioxidant properties, ginger helps maintain normal brain activity even in older age.

Recent studies have shown that ginger can lower cholesterol and can help treat type 2 diabetes.

In 2009, scientists have found that ginger has an effect on serotonin receptors and helps regulate insulin secretion. During testing, ginger therapy led to a 35% decrease in blood glucose levels with a 10% increase in insulin plasma concentration.

In 2012, Sydney University researchers confirmed that ginger-rich ginger can regulate blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Using gingerol-rich ginger for a longer period of time can increase glucose uptake into muscle cells without insulin help.

Use / indication of ginger

• Difficulties with digestion
  
• Ulcers
  
• Nausea
  
• Poor absorption of nutrients
  
• Arthritis, arthritis
  
• Pain (menstrual, back, head)
  
• Respiratory tract infections
  
• Diabetes type 2
  
• Feeling cold in the body

Dosage of ginger extracts

The amount of ingested extract, eg in capsules, should be regulated according to the manufacturer's recommendations (Ginger Hepatica).

It is recommended to use ginger extracts that have a significantly higher ginger content than found in fresh ginger.