Understanding plant medicine will benefit your life right now more than ever! It’s important to understand what properties and medicines which plants hold will help you treat daily ailments from fatigue, to inflammation, anxiety, and much more.
CBD or cannabidiol, is currently a popular plant medicine especially when treating anxiety and chronic pain, but which plants contain CBD? Most of us know hemp and cannabis hold cannabidiol, but is there a way to obtain CBD through other plant medicine?
The simple answer is yes, other plants beside hemp and cannabis do contain cannabidiol! That’s why we’ve created this guide for understanding both plant medicine and CBD.
Echinacea
Echinacea or coneflower is a rather well-known medicinal plant, that’s often used to combat similar illnesses as cannabis.
Like cannabis or hemp, echinacea contains a strain of a cannabimimetic compound that aid in the treatment of things like chronic pain, fatigue, and common cold symptoms like nausea. These plant properties affect our cannabinoid system similarly to cannabinoids!
Echinacea has been used for centuries across the globe so its medicinal properties are tried and true. The herb is also rather versatile in its use, you can dry the herb to make capsules, add it to recipes, make tea out of it, tinctures, and really anything you’d like! This plant is especially great for beginners to add to their homeopathic practice.
Liverwort
Liverwort or Radula Marginata, a plant native to New Zealand doesn’t necessarily contain CBD or cannabinoids but it does hold perrottetinene acid which reactions to the bodies CB1 receptors almost exactly the same way as THC. Though because it’s non-psychoactive it’s usually used to treat things like cold symptoms, and bronchitis.
Liverwort is also a strong detoxifier for both the gallbladder and bladder, which makes the herb an important addition to any homeopathic practice.
Black Truffles
Truffles are usually talked about for their value and prestige within the culinary community but a recent study shows that they contain a chemical called anandamide, which when connected to the CB1 receptors of the brain, releases a sense of joy throughout the body similar to cannabinoids.
Truffles also show up in the world’s recorded history almost 54 million years before Cannabis does, suggesting that truffles may have predated the popular plant medicine.
Black Pepper
Black pepper is another currently popular plant medicine, similar to echinacea! This herb contains the same chemical drug-sniffing dogs pick up in Cannabis, B-caryophyllene. Black pepper is a fantastic herb to treat anti-inflammatory ailments like sore or torn muscles, pain management, and circulation aid.
In more recent studies, it seems like black pepper when used in conjunction with modern medicine may increase the effectiveness of certain kinds of drugs.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is not commonly thought of when thinking of CBD in plants but don’t be fooled! Flaxseed is interesting, versatile plant medicine. It can easily be made into a number of products and ingested in a number of ways. Another interesting fact about flaxseed is it contains similar cannabimimetic and compounds as CBD oil.
Research studies also show that flaxseed dressing may soon be introduced to modern medicine practice for things like wound healing. Not only is this plant medicine useful in treating similar ailments as CBD and cannabis but it can also help treat things like constipation, due to its high fiber levels.
Cacao
Yes, now you have yet another excuse to indulge! It’s well-known that cacao is a superfood and aphrodisiac, it actually holds a number of beneficial qualities for both body and mind.
Cannabis and cacao react very similarly in our brains, they are a few of the rare plants that release chemicals that fit into our brain like a “lock and key” system. Cacao contains anandamide, similar to black truffles, and when this chemical reacts with our brain receptors we experience a sense of joy. Plus, when you ingest anandamide through plant fiber it lingers longer in the body!
While cacao isn’t psychoactive and, obviously, isn’t as potent as cannabis it still has a beneficial effect on, not only, the body but the mind as well.
Sunflowers
Okay, the sunflowers you might have growing in your garden may not contain CBD or cannabimimetic properties but over 600 species of keeribos hailing from the sunflower family do contain these properties. Specifically, Keeribos, a sunflower native to southern Africa contains cannabigerol and has been in studied for cannabimimetic properties since 1979!
Keeribos is known for its mood-stabilizing properties and its aid in treating depression and anxiety but this herb is not for the faint of heart or beginner practices. This African plant medicine has hallucinogenic properties and is mainly used in ritual ceremonies.
Electric Daisy
Electric daisy or Acmella Oleracea, hailing from the Amazon is known as the “toothache plant”. Recent research studies show that this power plant medicine is able to block pain receptors at nerve endings. This is because it contains cannabimimetic-like chemicals that stimulate the CB2 receptor in the brain which is effective in combatting shooting pain.
Amazon natives have used this plant as a painkiller gel for centuries, but with more studying is now proving to be useful in modern dental medicine.
Adding Plant Medicine to Your Daily Life
Lots of other plants besides just cannabis contain properties that interact with our endocannabinoid system, similar to but not exactly reacting like the psychoactive THC. Interacting with this system through plant medicines can influence our bodily functions on a cellular level.
There are versatile, beneficial plants like black truffles even beginners can easily introduce to their diets and plant medicine practices that can help aid in anti-inflammatory, depression, anxiety, and a number of other treatments. Your bodily functions need enrichment from a number of sources and your endocannabinoid system is no different.
Diversifying your cannabinoid intake as your diet will not only make you healthier but can also make you happier!
If this research was helpful to you please explore the rest of our site for more homeopathic advice and insight.
