Nature as a Medicine

When I was a little girl, I often visited my grandmother Maria. It was a carefree, happy childhood but sometimes it happened that I would get hurt, catch a cold, or complain of a stomach ache. There was only one doctor in the village and it was not easy to get to him. Therefore, my grandmother treated my minor ailments with folk remedies. She made me warming compresses, brewed herbal tea or fed me fresh chicken broth to restore strength.

My grandmother had a book about medicinal plants that grow in the Ukraine. It was called “Gifts of the Forests.” I loved to leaf through it, looking at photos of plants. Once, I put plant leaves between the pages of the book and more than forty years have passed and they have survived as a memory of my childhood and my grandmother. Now this book is kept by my parents, being a priceless heirloom for us and our children.

One of the most common medicinal plants in Ukraine is elderberry. In spring, the elderberry bush is covered with beautiful white flowers. A decoction of these flowers is used for colds to eliminate coughs, inflammation and relieve chills. The elderberry plant is unique in that people use almost all of its parts to treat diseases: flowers, fruits, bark, leaves and even roots. Elderberry also has a diuretic effect, treats gastrointestinal diseases, strengthens the immune system, and has a positive effect on the nervous system. Jam is made from the black berries of this plant which also has many useful properties. I also made jam from elderberry and for me its taste was quite pleasant. To diversify the taste of the jam, you can add lemon or orange to the elderberry berries.

Jam is also made from dandelion flowers and sometimes it is called dandelion honey. It is used as a choleretic (bile stimulator and also increases immunity, removes toxins from the body and gives strength after illnesses. My dad made a very unusual, but healthy and pleasant-tasting jam from young pine cones. We added it to tea when we had a cold and I still remember this amazing coniferous aroma.

As a medicine, our family really likes to use viburnum. The red berries of this plant are dried and then brewed into tea. Viburnum tea helps with flu, colds, treats coughs, and reduces fever. An alternative is to crush the ripe berries, leaving just the juice, and then sugar is added and stored in jars in the refrigerator or cellar. When visiting our parents, we always received such a jar as a gift. I added these berries to tea when I had the flu. This is a good antipyretic (fever reducer).

Viburnum is a national and ethnic symbol of Ukraine. The name of this bush comes from the word “to harden”, which means to give fortitude and endurance. Viburnum berries are really very resistant to different climatic conditions. They retain their red colour in heat, cold and even frost and have long been considered a symbol of happiness, love, beauty and respect. If you take a seed out of its berry and look at it carefully, you can see that it resembles a small heart. It is also a symbol of the native land and parental home.

Viburnum was often used in Ukrainian folklore. For example, in the song “By the Valley, a Viburnum Bush” part of the lyrics sung are, “By the valley, a viburnum bush leaned towards the water. Tell me, viburnum, how did you get here...” The great Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko has a poem about viburnum: “The Red viburnum bloomed in the valley, As if the Girl-child laughed”.

In Ukraine, I often collected medicinal herbs, a hobby I got from my dad and my dad got it from my grandmother Maria. I collected and dried chamomile, mint, St. John’s Wort (lat. Hypericum) and others. Walking in the forest, you can often find strawberry leaves which also have medicinal properties and have a very wide range of effects. Tea from these leaves helps to cope with heart disease, gastrointestinal tract, lowers blood pressure and is a general tonic for the body. Blueberry leaves can also be dried and brewed into tea. They have a beneficial effect on vision, the cardiovascular system, strengthen the immune system and are antioxidants.

During the cold and flu season, as an auxiliary remedy, our family used simple products that every housewife always has at home. For example, you can chop an onion, sprinkle it with sugar and hold it in a hot frying pan for a while until the onion juice appears. Then squeeze the onion and take the remaining syrup in a teaspoon for coughing, and also to strengthen the immune system. You can make garlic oil by chopping garlic, then add vegetable oil and after a couple of hours lubricate the inside of the nose with this oil to prevent a runny nose.

For a cough, you can heat milk, add a piece of butter and honey to it. If the cough is “wet”, make a warming compress before going to bed. For example, there is a recipe in which you need to mix equal parts of vegetable oil, dry mustard and flour, then add a little water. Put this mixture on a thin cotton cloth or gauze, and then on the inflamed area in the chest area. Hold for 15-20 minutes, rinse with water. For a “dry” cough, do inhalations from boiled potatoes in their skins with the addition of essential oils or soda. All this can be done in the absence of a high temperature.

To reduce a high temperature and remove the heat, use vinegar diluted with water. A towel soaked in this solution is applied to the forehead, and the solution is also rubbed onto the feet and hands. You can try to relieve a sore throat with freshly squeezed beet juice by adding a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of juice (200 ml) and gargling with this solution. It is also good to gargle with a warm soda solution.

Our family also loves to use Aloe Vera. My dad cured his gastritis with this plant. He mixed Aloe with honey and took a tablespoon a day in the morning on an empty stomach. He also recommends this remedy for a long cough. The only condition is that the Aloe Vera should be at least 1 year old. I also love using this plant as it can be used in cosmetology, for example, by adding it to a face mask. Aloe promotes wound healing by applying a piece of Aloe to the sore spot and sealing it with a band-aid. The wound should not be open and bleeding.

In many Balkan countries, as well as in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, the drink Slivovitz is widely popular. This drink, made from plums, is considered healthy. A popular drink in Ukraine is Hrenovuha (horseradish vodka). It can rightfully be called authentic, since it has been prepared since the times of the Cossacks. This drink is made from vodka and horseradish root, and is infused for several days. Honey, lemon zest, and black pepper are often added to it. Hrenovuha is considered antibacterial by the people and is used as a preventative medicine for colds and flu. It is also used as an aperitif. When meeting guests, they would offer a glass of Hrenovuha and sandwiches made of black bread with a thin slice of lard. This is for the prevention of the spread of infections and for a good mood, relaxation, and pleasant friendly communication.

Treatment with folk remedies is not always a full-fledged replacement for pharmacological drugs, and these drugs have a number of contraindications. Before using these methods, you should consult with your doctor.

Natural medicines are a natural, environmentally friendly means of helping our body. Walking in nature, inhaling the aroma of herbs and flowers also helps us heal ourselves. What nature gives us is a priceless gift for our health and well-being.

Be healthy!