What is Baptisia?
Throughout the wide plains and grasslands of eastern and southern North America, you can often find a small flowering plant with purplish-blue flowers. This is actually one of the many species in the Baptisia genus, which is a member of the legume family.While this plant is a food source for some types of animals, it is far more famous for its herbal potential, and it has been used in alternative medicine for hundreds of years by indigenous people and herbalists. It is also widely used by farmers who keep horses, as flies do not care for the smell, so a bundle can be attached to a horse’s harness to prevent these insects from annoying or infecting these animals. The powerful health effects of baptisia are attributed to the unique mixture of organic compounds and chemical components found in its root. Here are some baptisia benefits.
Health Benefits of Baptisia
Health benefits of baptisia includes:
Gastrointestinal Health
Those who have ever suffered from an ulcer know that it can be extremely painful and difficult to treat, so a natural solution is obviously quite valuable. In traditional medicine, baptisia was frequently used to treat gastric ulcers, due to its anti-inflammatory abilities and specific antioxidant effects that caused a reduction in size of ulcers and helped to prevent their further development.
Respiratory Health
If you are suffering from a sore throat or an inflamed respiratory system, which often happens with conditions like bronchitis or the flu, baptisia can act as an expectorant, eliminating mucus and phlegm that can build up in your respiratory tracts and catch bacteria and pathogens.The anti-inflammatory effects of baptisia can also help to reduce irritation in the tracts and speed the healing process following a respiratory illness.
Lymphatic System
It can be difficult to treat certain organ systems of the body, and baptisia cannot always do it alone. This herb is commonly combined with other herbal substances, such as pokeroot and cleaver, for issues of the lymphatic system, such as inflamed lymph nodes, which is often the sign of an infection. Again, the naturally antiseptic and antibacterial nature of baptisia can help prevent these small issues from progressing into something more serious.
Skin Health
Although skin ulcers are not the most common form of this condition, they do occur, and need to be treated. Topical application of baptisia herb can help to alleviate this condition and treat the underlying cause as well.In terms of other skin conditions, such as irritation, age spots, wrinkles, and blemishes, baptisia can also be used to soothe inflammation.
Pain Relief
If you have concentrated pain in any area of your body, you can topically apply baptisia and the analgesic properties of the herb will take over. In traditional medicine, this was commonly done to the nipples for women with sensitivity in that area. This can also be used for those with wounds, post-surgery pain, and arthritic symptoms.
Cancer Prevention
When it comes to immunotherapy of cancers, a great deal of research has appeared in recent years, particularly on herbs from Chinese traditional medicine, and baptisia falls within this category. Studies have shown some anti-tumor activity of this herb and immunomodulatory effects on cancerous cells and proliferation, which is a very exciting development in the alternative medicine community.
