Extraordinary Facts of Plants: May 2015

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Plants to Take Care of Your Teeth and Mouth

In everyday life, we make use of toothpaste, mouthwash, or other dental and oral care products as a rule to purify our teeth and mouths. However, did you know there are also plants that can be used to practically and naturally take care and clean them? The benefits and results are not inferior to those of the modern products sold in today’s markets. These plants are indeed the materials used in generating dental hygiene and oral care products available at this point in time. Somehow, not only traditional societies who make use of the plants, many modern populations in the world use them in spite of everything. Here are some of the types of the marvelous plants:

1. Siwak (Salvadora persica)

There are not many people use Siwak as a dental and oral care tool in the western world, but in some parts of the world like Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, Siwak, a small twig taken from the roots of Arak (Salvadora persica), is commonly used as a daily teeth cleaning ‘key’. This is because, in addition to cultural factors, siwak also scientifically contains anti-bacterial and anti-fungal acid. Some people may think of it as an old-style thing, but not for the users of Siwak. The soft and fibrous twig is felt comfortable when being rubbed on the teeth while it effectively kills germs at the same time. In addition, Siwak's typical fragrance remains unchanged inspite of its repetitive use. Universitas Indonesia’s research journal has shown that essential oil content in a siwak trunk can stimulate rapid salivary flow. With the rapid flow of saliva, the decreasing of dental plaque pH can be inhibited, because saliva contains bicarbonate as an effective defense against acid production of cariogenic bacteria. Siwak has a bactericidal effect against some bacteria in the dental plaque, including acid-producing bacteria. Due to the effect, the foods metabolism by the bacteria does not occur. As a result, the acid production is not formed and the pH of the plaque is not decreased. In addition, gargling with a liquid of siwak extract two times a day is effective in improving the pH of dental plaque and increase the pH of saliva.

2. Betel leaf (Piper betle)

Many traditional societies, especially those who are living in Asia still use this plant as a dental and oral treatment solution. It’s not for the reason that the toothpaste and mouthwash are not there, but this branching vine is believed to be hereditarily able to overcome various problems arise in many parts of the body, especially the teeth and the mouth, such as toothache, canker sores, oral thrush, and bad breath. Chewing betel leaves regularly maintains healthy teeth and gums. This is consistent with research that shows betel leaf has its benefits as an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-larvae, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory. It also confirms that gargling with boiled betel leaf water can eliminate plaque and pain as effective as mouthwash, because eugenol contained in the betel leaves is analgesic. It is a medicinal plant which has been traditionally passed through the generations of Asian societies.

3. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)

Besides as the main substance for producing tobacco and as a cooking spice, clove can be utilized effectively to clean and taking care of teeth, especially in removing tartar. Rubbing the finely grounded cloves which have been mixed with betel leaves onto the teeth, is believed to naturally eliminate tartar, and makes breath more fresh and fragrant. Scientifically, cloves are the most potent source of eugenol, the eugenol level contained by a clove is fantastically high. Eugenol which serves as an antimicrobial and antiseptic is widely used as raw materials of antiseptic liquid such as mouthwash and toothpaste. Mouthwash containing eugenol can inhibit the growth of bacteria that can cause dental plaque. Moreover, almost all oral microbes can be suppressed by the eugenol compound.

4. Peppermint (Mentha)

Many benefits contained in peppermint, one of which is to eliminate bad breath. The way how peppermint works is basically the same with betel leaves and cloves. Peppermint is associated with the aroma and freshness because it contains menthol, which consists of natural anti-bacterial. Menthol, besides causes a cooling sensation and provides health benefits to breathing, is an antiseptic material generally used in producing bad breath reliever candies plus a good quality painkiller. Even toothpaste is now made by adding menthol. Chewing peppermint leaves may reduce the growth of bacteria in the mouth by stimulating the production of saliva and keep the mouth moist.

Those are the plants which can practically be used to naturally maintain teeth and oral health. Care to try them or apply them to the daily life? It is your choice to select.:)

Friday, May 22, 2015

Spinach for Your Body

Spinach: ©Copyright www.tempo.com

Tearing down buildings with bare hands, lifting cars, and moving up houses are trouble-free for him, the sailor man of goodness and strength, Popeye. He absolutely has what it takes to do them all. But here, we will not discuss about the cartoons. However, all of Popeye movie goers surely know where his strength came from; spinach, yes, spinach. This article will discuss about that incredible plant, one of the simplest plants of rich advantages. This high-energy plant is a source of food that has a wide range of benefits for our bodies. Not only energy, spinach also contains a variety of nutrients needed by the body. It does not make you able to lift cars, houses, or planes on the spot as Popeye does, but anyhow, the dramatization in the movie is adapted from the fact that eating spinach makes a lifeless body in shape once more and makes lackluster stamina bounce back. Spinach is very suitable as a supplement for those who work hard often, or those who have high mobility and other activities that drain a lot of calories. Above and beyond those amazing facts, spinach can also be used as pharmaceuticals, an ornamental plant, and even as animal feed. Here are the contents of every 100 g of served spinach:

No	Content	Weight
1	Water	91,58 g
2	Energy	22 kcal
3	Protein	2,86 g
4	Total fats	0,35g
5	Carbohydrates	3,5 g
6	Fiber	2,7 g
7	Waste	1,72 g
8	Calcium	99 mg
9	Iron	2,71 mg
10	Magnesium	79 mg
11	Phosphorus	49 mg
12	Potassium	558 mg
13	Sodium	79 mg
14	Zinc	0.53 mg
15	Copper	0.13 mg
16	Manganese	0.897 mg
17	Vitamin C, Ascorbic Acid	28.1 mg
18	Thiamin	0.078 mg
19	Riboflavin	0.189 mg
20	Niacin	0.724 mg
21	Pantothenic acid	0.065 mg
22	Vitamin B-6	0.195 mg
23	Folate	194.4 mcg
24	Vitamin B-12	0 mcg
25	Vitamin A	672 mcg_RE
26	Vitamin E	1.89 mg_ATE

The plant is thought to originate from the tropics in America, but there is also alleged that the origin is from India. The plant is composed of stems, flowers, leaves, seeds, and roots. The colors vary and it grow in tropical and subtropical region. Some species are able to grow in the lowlands and highlands with diverse structures and various kind of land. Spinach life cycle is relatively short and the plant has a very high adaptability to various ecosystems and habitats, there is one which inhabits the water and one that lives in drier habitats.

The classifications of the plant are as follows:

Kingdom	Plantae
Division	Magnoliophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Order	Caryophyllales
Family	Amaranthaceae
Upfamily	Amaranthoidoae
Genus	Amaranthus L

There are spinach that wildly grows and the one which is deliberately cultivated for consumption and for commercial purpose. The wild spinach can be found in places that are damp or as a weed in farmlands. The wild plant grows fast and grows increasingly fertile in the rainy season. Cultivating the spinach is very simple, which is by evenly spreading the seeds on the productive ground. However, to avoid being carried away by the rain or irrigation water, the disseminated seeds should be covered with a layer of soil.

Wild Spinach : ©Copyright faktaherbal.com

Cultivated Spinach : ©Copyright jirifarm.com

The idea of spinach cultivation is commonly triggered by commercial or consumption purpose. This is because the benefits come from consuming the plant are undeniable. Some of the benefits of consuming a daily serving of spinach are as follows:

Boosting brain power
Improving the efficiency of muscle
Maintaining bone health
Maintaining eye health
Maintaining a healthy heart
Preventing gum disease
Preventing premature aging
Preventing cancer (ovarian, lung, and colon cancer)
Serving to aid digestion
Good for anemia

There are many ways of how to consume spinach. It can be made soup or processed into other types of cuisine. The examples of the cuisines made from spinach are as follows: