Witch Hazel: Unnerving Name, Fantastic Health Benefits to You ... and an Interesting Background
by http://www.SixWise.com
The witch hazel that we're most familiar with in the U.S. usually comes in liquid form and, for many, conjures up images of a magic potion used to cure ailments or cast a spell. Others may simply know it as that stuff that's been sitting in grandma's medicine cabinet for years.
Witch hazel's many medicinal uses are quite real, however, and it is actually from a small shrub or tree found in Asia and several regions in the United States.
According to Harvard University, the early American colonists believed the branches of this tree could be used as divining rods, which are basically sticks used to search for underground water or minerals. A forked stick was usually used, and when it was held over ground that contained water or a desired mineral, the stem supposedly pulled downward. The old English word for pliable branches is "wych," which may be the real (though slightly less fun) reason why this member of the hazel family of plants is called "witch hazel" today.
The Medicinal Benefits of Witch Hazel
Witch hazel has long been used to treat eye inflammations, hemorrhoids, bites, stings and skin sores, diarrhea and dysentery, and a number of other conditions, according to Steven Foster, an author, photographer and consultant specializing in medicinal and aromatic plants.
Native Americans used it in poultices for swellings and tumors, and herbalists consider it to be one of the best plants to slow bleeding, both internally and externally.
Witch hazel can be used in a number of different ways:
Taken as a tea, it can help to slow internal bleeding.
As a liquid, it can be dabbed onto bruises, insect bites, sunburn, minor burns, poison ivy, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, stiff muscles, blemishes and more to relieve pain.
It can be applied as an aftershave.
It can even help to reduce bags and puffiness around the eyes by letting a cotton pad soaked in the fluid rest on your closed eyelids for 10 minutes.
The most common form of witch hazel used in the United States today is witch hazel water, a mixture of the plant extract with alcohol added. An extract of pure witch hazel is also used as an astringent ingredient in many toiletry products.
How does this plant work? Witch hazel contains active compounds such as flavonoids, tannins, small amounts of volatile oil and other components that likely are responsible for its astringent and anti-bleeding effects.
Even More Reason to Give Witch Hazel a Try
Several studies have found that witch hazel may be useful for much more than blemishes and burns. A particular form of extract may be useful in fighting the herpes virus, due to its potent anti-viral effects, and was found to be a powerful inflammation reducer.
Further, witch hazel has antioxidant properties and has been confirmed to be protective against radiation damage. Japanese researchers even suggested that witch hazel be studied for its potential uses in anti-aging and anti-wrinkle products.
So don't let the name scare you. Take advantage of this natural plant extract that's been around for hundreds of years, and discover your favorite uses for this "magic potion."
