Medicinal roots. The hunt for a natural treasures begins in autumn

Autumn is already in full swing and many of us enjoy the harvest. It should be quite rich again, right? But let us not forget the nature and the wild flora around us. That’s right, we are talking about wild herbs or shrubs we do not directly cultivate. In the following lines, we shall focus on plants that have healing roots. If know how to take advantage of these healing effects, you can benefit from it quite a lot. So let us take look not only at the types of the roots we can use, but also at other ways that can be useful.

What are the most famous medicinal roots?

There are many of them and we shall highlight the ones that are used most often.

Taraxacum officinale or simply the dandelion

The best way to use this plant is to prepare an extract from its root. You can find it everywhere. And if you remove it and use it for your own needs, you will also help your lawn. A cleansing solution or an extract made from one teaspoon of chopped root and a cup of water is great. Add honey and lemon to reduce bitterness and you are ready to go. Drink it twice a day for 3 weeks.

Elymus repens or cough grass

An extract from cough grass made through the use of boiled water is also an excellent choice if you want to cleanse your body. Use it three times a day for two weeks.

Cichorium intybus or common chicory

Again, the extract or macerate from chopped roots of this plant mixed with water is a great way to cleanse your body. Use in the same way as the previous two roots.

Photo: Pixabay

Althaea officinalis or the marsh mallow

Fine-chop about 3 teaspoons of the root and mix with 3 cups of cold, clean water and let the mixture infuse overnight, then strain it and drink during the day.

An extract or macerate?

It depends on the specific root. An extract is essentially a mixture of chopped root and cold water. This mixture is slowly brought to a boil and boiled for about 5 to 10 minutes. After boiling it is usually left to infuse for another 15 minutes. On the other hand a macerate is a mixture of chopped root and cold water. It is left to infuse overnight at room temperature. Macerate is only warmed up to a comfortable drinking temperature.

Photo: Pixabay

Dry the roots to have steady supply

Drying is not difficult at all. Just cut them into the thinnest possible slices and let them dry. The drying process will be slower than with leaves, but roots last longer. You can also use a dryer but do not exceed the drying temperature of 45 °C. Air drying is fine too of course. Just watch out for mould and store the dried roots in airtight containers

Photo: Pixabay