The nation of Venezuela had witnessed political and social turmoil and food and mineral shortages as far back as 2014. Its hard to believe it was six years after the death of Hugo Chavez from cancer.
Venezuela’s central bank declared at the end of the year that the country had entered a recession because of plummeting oil prices, their biggest asset.
Food shortages were so severe between 2015 and 2016, that Venezuelans lost an average of 19 pounds! It was only due to general lack of food.
Due to the incompetence of their socialist administration, Maduro has been re-elected despite remaining at the helm in this mess. Now, Venezuelans battle shortages, intermittent power outages and the threat of a civil war. Conditions don’t appear to get any better.
This nation’s poor people have lost their physicians and drug supply lines and medical services are now in jeopardy. For those who appreciate the natural world, there comes in the form of plants their only hope in coping with injury and disease.
Let’s look at 6 common plants that are used by Venezuelans to support themselves during this growing crisis.
1. Wormwood
The wood plant known as wormwood is a popular natural medicine, becoming an effective tea and tincture. This plant can be used to treat issues such as inflammation. You may be curious about the name and yes it can be used to treat parasites and worms in our intestinal tract.
You may also use wormwood to relieve the pain in the stomach, which is also something that we need to remember when dealing with a collapsed area where food and water are possibly contaminated.
Another fascinating thing about wormwood is that a mild antidepressant may be used. Venezuelan people definitely could use some help with depression.
Related: The Health Benefits of Prickly Ash
2. Moringa
The deciduous moringa tree is an impressive tree of survival that fails to get the airtime it deserves. This tree is full of edible parts and parts of it can also be used to purify water! The powdered seeds can be used for drinking water purification.
The Moringa tree is a multi-use way of coping with injury and disease on the therapeutic side of things.
The Venezuelans who know about moringa will use the leaves as a tonic for dealing with stuff like bronchitis, UTIs and stuff like diarrhea and dysentery. Moringa seeds possess antifungal and antibacterial properties.
It’s a versatile, multiuse tree that every survivor should learn about.
3. Aloe Vera
An economic recession is something of a harbinger. Disease and infection are all of those issues. We get very used to stuff like band aids and triple antibiotic ointment. So much so that infection is hardly a problem, as we know that we can get a prescription filled with antibiotics.
Conditions are more serious for the Venezuelan people. When the physicians and nurses file out of town, and the medical services stop pouring into town, you’re practically alone. People can die on their hands from simple cuts almost as quickly as they can die from the flu.
Aloe Vera, being a well-growing plant in Venezuela, is an excellent choice to deal with cuts and burns. It’s also a great aid with sunburn that might be helpful to those who don’t have shelter. This is yet another economic crisis symptom.
Apart from its topical uses, aloe can also be consumed and used to improve the intestinal flora. That’s the gastrointestinal tract to pump up. There are many explanations why it would be beneficial. The most critical is to deal with the strange; inconsistent and potentially dangerous diets of the struggle of Venezuelan to survive this situation.
Related: Sour Tea Helps You Avoid High Blood Pressure
4. Lemongrass
This powerful and natural astringent is well known for its powerful antiseptic properties. It is found in Venezuela and is likely helping people deal with one issue.
While lemongrass is one of those strong plant medicines that works on all kinds of ailments, the Venezuelans are likely to use lemongrass to deal with gastrointestinal problems. That is how its tea and other medicinal types are most effective.
You see, without food or clean water, people are putting items into their bodies that can cause digestive system havoc. Whether its bad water or rotting foods are both packed with pathogens that can destroy the digestive system, or even death-end illness, if left untreated.
To deal with bad water quality and food quality lemongrass is a great option to help with digestive upset and gastrointestinal illness.
5. Rosemary
A herb brought to Venezuela by colonizers, rosemary is hardly a native plant. And in Venezuela, it’s just as good a healer.
This woody stemmed perennial a strong place in the herbal medicine cabinet. Rosemary can help with your circulation, your digestion, and even your nervous system. In Cuba, it’s burned to chase away bad spirits and burnt rosemary has a tremendous scent.
It is certainly being used in Venezuela to avoid such as lice due to the lack of personal hygiene and resources. You see, a decoction or essential oil may be used to help things like lice and fleas along with dealing with mild aches and pains and headaches. This can be taken as a tea or used as a rinse to tackle all the issues inside and outside the body.
Related: 16 Free Alternative Pain Meds
6. Common Plantain
The Venezuelan people are certainly profiting from the astringent and antiseptic properties of the local plantain. You see, they have suffered from resource scarcity for years now, and have been forced to learn from the land what can be of use.
Popular plantain in its poultice form is a great means of healing wounds and also helps when coping with such issues as wounds.
One of the most dangerous things in a fallen society like Venezuela is infection. They may not have a reliable supply of antibiotics so they must be handled with great care for simple cuts and wounds.
Common plantain is one of the few plants capable of acting as a bandage and as a poultice for rapid healing.
We don’t need to experience some form of economic crisis or failure to call on plant medicinal products in our lives. Actually, there are many people who rely everyday on items like salves and decoctions!
Such 6 plants are only a small piece of self-reliance in full depth that all of us are so keen to achieve. What would it take absolute fear for us to get answers back into the natural world? Until taking simple action we have to remove all other ways of convenience.
At most, these plants processing involves some chopping and simmering, or some chopping and steeping in alcohol.
Do not wait until America is in calamity to get to know your own range of wild medicines. This year you can also grow a bed full of them in your yard!
