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Health Benefits of Pumpkin Image Source:  "Traugers-farm-bucks-county-large" by Frenchtowner - I, Licensed under GFDL via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Traugers-farm-bucks-county-large.jpg#/media/File:Traugers-farm-bucks-county-large.jpg The pumpkin, a member of the Cucurbita family including squash and cucumbers, got its name from the Greek  word "pepon" for large melon.  Seeds from related plants have been  found in Mexico, dating back over 7000 years to 5500 B.C. Mostly known for being a part of Halloween decorations or a pie filling, pumpkins are also packed with  nutrition and offer a wide range of health benefits. Pumpkins are a storehouse of vitamins, mineral and  other healthy nutrients. Whether it is the pulp or the seeds, pumpkins are great for your health and can  offer some incredible benefits. High Carotenoids Content-Pumpkins owe their bright Orange color to the high amount of carotenoids  present in them. Carote...

Queen of Spices Image Source:  "Elettaria cardamomum capsules" by Stephantom - de.wikipedia uploaded by Stephantom. Licensed under CC BY-SA  3.0 via Commons -  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elettaria_cardamomum_capsules.jpg#/media/File:Elettaria_cardamomum_capsules.jpg Health Benefits Of Cardamom Botanical Name: Elettaria Cardamom Common Name: Elaichi, Kapulaga, Elam, Cardamom, Enasal, Grawahn Indian: Chhoti elachi, e(e)lachie, ela(i)chi, illaichi English: Cardamon or Cardamom French: Cardamome German: Kardamom Italian: Cardamomo, cardamone Tamil: Elam Indonesian: Kapulaga Origin: India (Malabar Coast), Sri Lanka, Thailand, Papua New Guinea Cardamom is said to be the . It is a  perennial herb with thick, fleshy rhizomes or underground stems, shooting leaf roots and white or pale green  three-celled flowers. The flowers produce green husklike pod capsules that contain seeds. The seeds are  small black and sticky. Cardamom is commercially used as th...

Health Benefits of Neem Image Source:   "Neem (Azadirachta indica) in Hyderabad W IMG 6976" by J.M.Garg - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via  Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neem_ (Azadirachta_indica)_in_Hyderabad_W_IMG_6976.jpg#/media/File:Neem_ (Azadirachta_indica)_in_Hyderabad_W_IMG_6976.jpg Neem commonly called �Indian Lilac� or �Margosa�, belongs to the family Meliaceae. Neem is the most  versatile, multifarious trees of tropics, with immense potential. It possesses maximum useful non-wood  products (leaves, bark, flowers, fruits, seed, gum, oil and neem cake) than any other tree species. Neem is one of the most powerful blood-purifiers, detoxifiers and immune system boosters known. Hundreds of  diseases have been shown to respond favorably to neem. Neem leaf can be taken as tea or in capsules. Neem  oil can be applied externally or a few drops can be put in an empty capsule and taken internally. Neem was �discovered� in the weste...

Health Benefits of Ginger Image source: "Ginger in China 01" by Anna Frodesiak - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Ginger_in_China_01.jpg#/media/File:Ginger_in_China_01.jpg Ginger (Zingiber(officinale) has been prized for centuries for its benefits to human health and well being.  Ginger originated in Asia, and was used widely as both a culinary and a medicinal herb in not only Asian but  Indian and Arabic traditions as well. The plant is famous for its concentrated, spicy aroma, which can be a tributed to the fact that it is composed of up to 3% natural essential oils. The important active components  of the ginger root are thought to be these volatile oils and pungent phenol compounds. 1. Ginger has carminative properties (anti spasm) and can be used to calm in upset stomach, providing!relief  for the relief of bloating and gas. 2. The intake of ginger helps stimulate the secretion of mucus, quieting your co...

Bananas-The Fruit With A Peel! Image Source :   "Bananas white background DS" by Augustus Binu. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bananas_white_background_DS.jpg#/media/File:Bananas_white_background_DS.jpg Creamy, rich, and sweet, bananas are a favorite food for everyone from infants to  elders.Sports enthusiasts appreciate the potassium-power delivered by this high  energy fruit.  Bananas contain three natural sugars-sucrose, fructose and glucose-and fiber,  which together give an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research  has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute  workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading  athletes. 1. Bananas are one of our best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for  maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Since the average banana  contains a whopping 467...

PREBIOTICS AND PROBIOTICS Image Source : "Lactobacillus sp 01" by Photo Credit: Janice CarrContent Providers(s): CDC/Dr. Mike  Miller - This media comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public  Health Image Library (PHIL), with identification number #1048.Note: Not all PHIL images  are public domain; be sure to check copyright status and credit authors and content  providers.English | Sloven�cina | +/-. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons -  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lactobacillus_sp_01.png#/media/File:Lactobacill us_sp_01.png Prebiotics promote the growth and proliferation of beneficial bacteria in the digestive system. Probiotics have been defined as live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. Unlike probiotics, which are live organisms, prebiotics are components of food that are not otherwise easily digested by humans and these food components essentially feed ben...

Amazing Super Food-Maca Maca is a hardy perennial plant cultivated high in the Andean Mountain at altitudes  from 11,000-14,500 feet. Maca was domesticated about 2000 years ago by the Inca  Indians. To the Andean Indians, Maca is a valuable commodity. Because so little else  grows in the region, Maca is often traded with communities at lower elevations for  other staples like rice, corn, and beans. The dried roots can be stored for up to seven  years. Native Peruvians have traditionally utilized Maca since before the time of the  Incas for both nutritional and medicinal purposes. Maca is a member of the Brassica family of plants (cabbage, cauliflower, turnip,  watercress) and consists of an above ground leafy component and a below ground root  component. It is the root component that is primarily used and studied. An adaptogen is a substance which helps the body adapt to a variety of situations. Some  adaptogens, like Ginseng, have an abilit...

ADULSA: Malabar Nut Adhatoda vasica is one of the two Indian species of genus Adhatoda of the family Acanthaceae known for its medicinal properties. Adhatoda vasica is commonly known as Adulsa, Arusa, Bakas or Malabar nut tree. It is dominant vegetation of hilly areas and throughout the planes of India. The "drug use" from the fresh or dried leaves of the plant. Leaves contain an alkaloid vasicine, and an essential oil. The chief use of vasaka is as an expectorant; it is given in the form of juice, syrup or decocation, It softens the thick sputum, facilitates its coming out and thus bring about quick relief in bronchitis. The expectorant activity is due to stimulation of bronchial glands. Larger doses can, however, cause irritation and vomiting. Cattle do not eat this plant as the leaves emit an unpleasant smell. The leaves of this plant are also utilized as green manure and for yielding a yellow dye. Due to the presence of certain alkaloids, the leaves are not easily attacke...

Health Benefits of Henna Henna grows as a shrub with small, brown, capsule-like fruits. Henna has traditionally been used in festivals and celebrations in many parts of the world and in India since olden times, to apply mehendi on the hands, feet, arms and legs especially during weddings and festivals. Widely known for it�s use in hair dye also, it is popular all over India and is slowly gaining popularity in the West as well. Henna has been used in hair dyes, cosmetic products and hair products to provide a bright red colour to the hair without damaging it as it is a wonderful conditioner for hair, making it thick, shiny and more manageable. It restores the natural acid-alkaline balance of the scalp. Being a natural cleanser it does not alter the chemical structure of the hair. Henna flowers are used to make perfume. Since ancient times henna has also been used to dye wool, silk as well as leather. It is used in the preservartion of cloth and leather. It also repels some insects and m...

Health Benefits of Holy Basil(Thulsi) Image source: "Ocimum tenuiflorum2" by en:User:GourangaUK - http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Image:Tulsi02.jpg. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Ocimum_tenuiflorum2.jpg#/media/File:Ocimum_tenuiflorum2.jpg Holy Basil, also known in Ayruvedic tradition as Tulsi, and formally named Ocimum  sanctum, is an indigenous plant in India and Southeast Asia.  Numerous ancient systems  of medicine value this plant for its medicinal properties, including Ayurveda, Greek,  Roman, Siddha and Unani. In India, Holy Basil�s name of Tulsi translates to "incomparable one" and is considered  sacred anywhere it is grown It is the most sacred plant in the Hindu religion.  Holy Basil is an important part of  religious ceremonies. Like a number of other medicinal herbs from other parts of the  world, it is thought to provide protection for homes where it is cultivated.  The smell...

Health Benefits of Aloe Vera Image Source: "Aloe Vera". Licensed under GFDL via Commons -https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aloe_Vera.jpg#/media/File:Aloe_Vera.jpg Aloe vera is a succulent prickly plant of the Lily Family which grows in warm, frost- free climates and which has been known for centuries as a potent medicinal plant  according the �folk medicines� of cultures around the world. Any nearly pure Aloe vera  liquid product, whether called Gel, Juice or Whole Leaf Extract, comprises the fluid  obtained by breaking up the structure of the Aloe leaf and separating off the solid  residues to leave a more or less clear solution. The Egyptians called Aloe the �Plant of Immortality� because it can live and even bloom   without soil. Aloe has been used medicinally since at least the first century C.E. and  continues to be used extensively worldwide. In Egypt, aloe was called �the plant of  immortality� and was given as an offering at the funerals ...