Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs

Medicinal herbs have been used for thousands of years by civilizations all over the world. The host of herbs that grow in the rainforests of Latin America have recently been evaluated, documented and classified by the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine.

Classifications

• In the year 2007, Douglas Sharon and Rainer Bussmann, researchers from the Museum of Man in San Diego and the University of Hawaii, published the results of their study of over 510 medicinal plant species found in the rainforests of Peru. The researchers classified the herbs in the study in four different categories including: common exotic medicinal plants; plants used by laypersons for common ailments --- known as "everyday remedies;" specialized plants used by traditional healers and "highly specialized" plants used for shamanic psychotropic purposes.

Healing Properties

• The various plants found in the rainforest are known to treat a variety of ailments and conditions. Conditions and ailments treated include, but are not limited to: anxiety, arthritis, bacterial and viral infections, Crohn's Disease, dementia, depression, exhaustion, hypertension, inflammation, insomnia and low libido.

Popular Rainforest Herbs

• While the list of over 500 plants identified by researches and determined to possess healing properties is too vast to list here, there are various plants that are widely used and known internationally for their healing properties. Some of these plants are cat's claw, an anti-inflammatory; muira puama, used for reproductive disorders and exhaustion; catuaba, for stress relief and impotence; sarsaparilla, for skin disorders; acai berry, an anti-oxidant; amor seco, used for respiratory disorders and embauba, used as a decongestant and for heart health.