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Try these healing herbs with multiple uses from the Herbs A to Z (I - L) page. The pleasant flavor of lemon balm is used in teas and candy. The leaves of lemon balm can even be used as mosquito repellent if rubbed on the skin. Medicinally, lemon balm is used for its antibacterial, antiviral, and calming properties. Irish Moss has been used for bad breath and varicose veins. Irish Moss is also used as a skin softener and moisturizer. Used as a spice in European cuisine, juniper berries offer medicinal qualities as well. Some people use juniper berries to treat arthritis and to stimulate the appetite. In candy, licorice root is used to sweeten and flavor along with aniseed oil. The benefits of licorice include its use for inflammation, diabetes, and tuberculosis. It has also been used to kill the bacteria that causes most ulcers and stomach inflammation, Helicobacter pylori.
Surprisingly to some, kudzu root has been found to reduce hangovers and cravings for alcohol. Make lemon verbena tea, sorbet, and flavor dishes with this lemony herb. Tilia or linden flowers come from the linden tree and are used for perfume and as herbal tea for headaches and to calm. As a tea, jasmine flowers are used for coughs, sore throats, perfume, and potpourris. Use lavender flowers in potpourris and as a moth repellent or as a relaxing tea. Traditionally, lungwort has been used to aid breathing. Sometimes lemongrass tea is used for colds. Often it is used in Asian cuisine. The benefits of lemongrass include its use as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. The herb ladys mantle is considered a women’s herb for problems such as excessive menstruation. The nutrient rich lycii berry is considered a super food by some and has been used to improve blood pressure, cholesterol, nosebleeds, and diabetes.
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