Virginia Snakeroot is a fibrous root plant that is native to and widely found in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky, southwest states, Louisiana to Texas, of the U.S.A. It is a perennial plant that has tarnish and fibrous roots. The roots have many scars, these brown roots are about 3 inches long. It smells like ginger, and a little bit bitter.
Stems are jointed upright and sinuous about 1 to 2 feet high. The leaves are unique and oval with a length of 3 inches and a width of 1 inch. Virginia snakeroot flowers are brownish purple when blooming and usually these flowers bloom from June to July. The flowers are attached to short rooted stems.
Plant Description
Virginia snakeroot is a rhizomatous plant that blooms at a specific time. It blooms in June and begins to produce capsule-shaped fruit in July. The flowers are very close to the ground or above the ground and the mouth of the flower is like a corpse flower. This genus of plants has complex characteristics.
The pollination method is very unique, when insects come into flowers, they will be imprisoned with pollen. The insects that enter will not be able to get out and these flowers will fall and become new plants on the ground. Virginia snakeroot is a plant with small, closed, self-pollinating flowers.
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Health Benefits of Virginia Snakeroot
1. Cure for snakebites
Snake bites are very dangerous because they are poisonous, but this plant is very good and effective for treating snake bites. Native Americans used this plant for herbs to treat snake bites. They chewed the roots of the plants and smeared them or sprinkled the snake bites.
2. Treating symptoms of colds
Virginia snakeroot is a plant that can promote sweating. These include natural ingredients to make diet drinks that can encourage the release of lots of body fluids, so that we are encouraged to drink lots of water to compensate for this.
The virginia snakeroot plant is very useful for affecting the kidneys and it can cure the symptoms of colds and colds.
3. Useful for increasing appetite
Snakeroot or virginia snakeroot is very suitable as a plant to increase body weight. This plant can stimulate gastric acid secretion. Increased stomach acid will drive the body to consume more food so that more ingredients can be digested. This is what causes stomach sounds to signal that a person is hungry and needs food to digest. So, the bowel movements that cause stomach sounds are due to stomach acid.
4. Menstrual health
The virginia snakeroot plant is an herbal plant that is an alternative medicine in traditional Chinese medicine. Consuming the ingredients of snakeroot is useful for improving blood flow so it is very useful for smooth menstruation. It is stated that the acids present in the snakeroot plant work very similarly to snake venom in inducing excess blood flow.
5. As a natural aphrodisiac
There are now many uses of toxic chemicals in improving public health, treating diseases and improving conditions. The virginia snakeroot plant has become one of the traditional recipes for an aphrodisiac. Apart from that, it also acts as a powerful stimulant to improve bodily functions as it improves blood flow.
6. Snakeroot increases blood flow
One of the health benefits of the virginia snakeroot plant is to increase blood flow and it is beneficial for many conditions. If the blood flow is smooth and good, the body’s health will also improve overall.
One way to get this benefit is by consuming snakeroot leaf stew. The leaves of the virginia snakeroot plant are dried like tea and then brewed with hot water. The leaves contain active substances called Flavonoids. The benefits of flavonoids are very good for cardiovascular health. So, it can lower blood pressure and treat atherosclerosis.
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7. Benefits of snakeroot for treating seizures
Seizures are diseases that cause involuntary muscle contractions and have also been linked to epilepsy or disorders of the brain. By consuming snakeroot, the secretion of toxins in the bloodstream can be removed. Perhaps this is the effect of the aristolochic acids present in the leaves or plants of Virginia Snakeroot.
8. Cure rabies
Rabies is a disease caused by a virus, this virus causes inflammation of the brain in mammals including humans. The anti-inflammatory content in this plant is claimed to be the cause of decreased or healed inflammation of the brain.
9. Treating disease problems
As we mentioned earlier that this plant is rich in anti-inflammatory properties. So, skin problems caused by inflammation can be overcome by using snakeroot. These include skin rashes or eczema. Health problems like this are very well treated with virginia snakeroot, besides it is rich in anti-inflammatory properties, it also contains flavonoids so it is very good for skin care.
10. Good for digestive health
The content of Aristolochic acids in virginia snakeroot can stimulate the digestive tract. It speeds up the digestion process and strengthens digestion itself. That is why this plant is good for dieting and is used as herbal tea in improving the health functions of the body.
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Uses
The way this plant cures poison is very good so it is very good at fighting snake venom. The herb reaction of this plant is very fast, it acts as a nerve stimulant and is widely used in the nervous system of stress or fatigue. It usually occurs in the late stages of smallpox, fever and pneumonia. Menstruation that is restrained due to colds will usually be resolved by drinking virginia snakeroot leaf tea.
Consuming V. Snakeroot in the right dose will be useful for stimulating appetite, improving digestion. Herbs virginia snakeroot is not good for consumption in excessive amounts because it can cause side effects. If consumed in excess it will cause vomiting, vertigo, purging and can cause irritation.
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Dose
Take 5-20 drops three times a day. As an infusion, 1 teaspoonful of the granulated root mixed with a cup full of hot water, steeped 30 min.
Medicinal uses
- Useful for treating skin, circulatory and kidney disorders
- The root of the plant is an antidote, bitter medicine, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and it can remove toxins through sweat.
- To increase sweating, chew it or put it in tea. It is also useful for stimulating appetite, and increasing expiration.
- Native Americans used this herb as an infusion to treat soreness, sharp pain in the breasts, rheumatism, and good for headaches.
- Extract from the root of the virginia snakeroot plant is good for relieving stomach aches.
- Plant decoction or root decoction is made as a fever medicine
- Treating snake bites by chewing the roots or leaves of the snakeroot plant.
- Crush the root and place it on the cavity to treat sore teeth.
- The whole plant decoction is used to treat fever
- Herbal tea from the virginia snakeroot plant is used as a mouthwash
Precautions
- If used in large doses, it will cause nausea, abdominal pain and others.
- Use internally, but must be under the supervision of experienced practitioners
- If you experience an allergic reaction, then stop immediately, visit a doctor or health professional for help.
References:
https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/virginia-snakeroot/