Do you know what the Vaporub Plant is? Discover all its benefits
The Vaporub Plant belongs to the Lamiaceae group and consists of about 1000 described species, of which only 325 have been accepted, the other 650 without simple weeds.
In general, they are distributed in Tropical Africa, Asia, Japan, Australia and some Pacific islands, they are described as annual or perennial herbs that, in most cases, are usually aromatic and hairy.
The herb vaporub or as its scientific name Plectranthus oloroso is a perennial species belonging to the family of labiatae, it is a slow-growing climbing type plant, which can reach a height of around 60 cm, produces small flowers of pink-lilac color in summer and is called this way due to its characteristic odor that resembles the famous vick vaporub ointment, the leaves of this plant are fleshy in appearance and expel their odor when rubbed between the palms of the hand, it has properties medicinal products highlighting nasal decongestion among many other benefits.
The vaporub plant can have two blooms a year, one in late winter or early spring and another in early fall, its leaves also serve as a repellent for mosquitoes and other insects due to its minty smell, so which, in addition to its medicinal uses, is also often used on terraces and gardens as a repellent, especially during summer days.
This plant is easy to grow, it can be planted in gardens or pots, it grows easily and does not require much care, you just have to place it in a place where it receives partial sun and shade throughout the day.
Uses of the Vaporub Plant
Surely you are wondering…
What is the vaporub plant for?
According to various studies, some scientists concluded that the methanolic extract from the leaves of Plectanthus oloroso possesses a series of antibiotic characteristics that are useful for a large number of diseases and ailments.
Additionally, it has a wide range of antioxidants. Other chemical studies carried out on samples of the plant have shown that it also has the following secondary metabolites in its leaves: flavonoids, carbohydrates, phenolic compounds and steroids.
One of the best-known ways to extract the properties of this plant is to immerse the leaves in boiling water so that their natural oils are vaporized.
The next step will be to place a towel or some type of rag over the head to form a seal with the pot and in this way inhale the vapors, as a result it will help to clear the nasal passages and the respiratory tract
It also serves as an antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory element.
Tea from this plant can help eliminate clogged artery problems in an impressive way.
Vaporub plant recipes for different diseases
Sinusitis
6 vaporub leaves, 1 little thyme, 1 Lt of water.
Preparation: Boil the water, place the vaporub leaves and the thyme, cover and let it boil for only 5 minutes. Place the contents in a plastic container, place a towel over the head and inhale the steam, avoiding the escape of the steam.
Asthma
8 vaporub leaves, 200 ml of alcohol.
Preparation: In a glass bottle, place the 8 vaporub sheets and add the alcohol, cover and store in a dark place for a week. Once that time has passed, the alcohol can be rubbed on the lung area to alleviate the symptoms.
A cold
2 vaporub sheets, 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of honey.
Preparation: Heat the cup of water, add the vaporub leaves, the lemon juice and the tablespoon of honey, stir and drink while it is still lukewarm.
earaches
To avoid earaches we recommend using: 6 vaporub leaves, 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
Preparation: crush the vaporub leaves, place the result in a glass container and add the olive oil, let it macerate for a week in a dark place, then strain and store in a dropper.
Other recipes to use the vaporub plant
In some websites we can get other more generalized recipes without specifying what each preparation works for, we will give some examples of this below:
–Vick Plant tincture, place a branch of the plant that has approximately 10 to 12 leaves in a dark bottle with alcohol, this mixture should be left to rest for 7 days in a place that is quite dark, after that time it The content will be changed to a preferably dark-colored container to preserve the properties of the tincture, this preparation is used to rub on the body.
–Vaporub tea, place 1 or 2 leaves in boiling water and then let it rest for approximately 5 minutes, finally add lemon
on and honey and consume while the mixture is still warm.
– Vick Plant vapors, between 10 and 12 leaves of the plant should be put in a liter of boiling water, then the vapors are inhaled using a towel over the head to trap the vapors that come out of the pot.
How to grow the Vaporub plant?
The plant can be placed in pots or outdoor gardens, its growth is quite fast and requires little care, it should only be watered regularly and not exposed directly to the sun for long periods of time, however it will also grow without any problem if it can only water it 2 times a week.
Harvest
The collection of some plant species depends to a large extent on their characteristics, it can be done mechanized or manually. In the case of the Vaporub Plant it must be manual.
The moment in which the collection is carried out significantly determines the quality and quantity of the active principle, which is why a series of factors must be taken into account:
-Age of the plant: depending on the age of the plant, the potency of the active principle in the plant is determined, and therefore, its effectiveness.
-The time of year: both the seasons and the weather influence the amount of active ingredient.
-Part of the plant to be collected, it is necessary to know in which part of the plant the greatest amount of active ingredient is found in order to make the most of its healing properties.
-Moment of the day, not all plants have the same amount of active ingredient throughout the day.
Extraction methods to obtain the active principles of medicinal plants
–Distillation: allows the volatile components of a medicinal plant to be separated from those assets that are less or not at all volatile. In this method, a heat source such as boiling water is used.
–Extraction with Solvents: it consists of contacting the part of the plant that contains the active ingredient, which is the medicinal drug, with a solvent (ethyl alcohol) that is capable of solubilizing the active ingredients.
–Mechanical Extraction: allows to obtain the active ingredients dissolved in the fluids of the plant, which once extracted are called juice.
Drying of medicinal plants to preserve their active principles
Medicinal plants, when they are uprooted from their natural environment, see their metabolic balance altered and generate reactions and phenomena that deteriorate the part of the collected plant that contains the active principle.
The main responsible for the alteration of the medicinal plant, once collected, is the high presence of water, when the water levels decrease, the enzymes stop their activity and are inhibited in this way the part of the collected medicinal plant is preserved.
The procedures used to remove water are:
-Natural drying: slower, more economical and less effective procedure.
-Artificial drying: it is adequate because it allows controlling the temperature, the environmental humidity and the time that the process lasts.
-Lyophilation: it is an efficient method to reduce the water of the plant, of all the methods this is the most expensive.
How to store medicinal plants once collected?
After collecting and drying the medicinal plants, the active principle must be isolated from the part of the plant that has therapeutic effects, so that its healing properties are not degraded. Below we will present the most common storage methods:
–Store in a cool place: temperature is an important factor, since heat causes loss of active ingredients and excessive cold favors the proliferation of fungi and molds.
–Store in a dry place: excess moisture favors the deterioration of the active principle of the plant.
–Preserve from light: mainly from ultraviolet light that accelerates the deterioration of the vegetable drug
–Isolation: contact with air facilitates the oxidation of active ingredients, accelerates the decomposition of fats and facilitates the arrival of parasites and molds.
–Control the time: in general it should not exceed one year, but it may vary depending on
Properties of the Vick Vaporub plant
-Anti-inflammatory
-Anti-diabetic
-Decongestant
-Anti-anxiety
Those people who still do not have a Vaporub Plant in their homes after reading this article should be encouraged to get one since its healing properties could get you out of trouble without the need to spend a lot of money and time, additionally they can perfume their homes or gardens and at the same time they will scare away the annoying mosquitoes that we so want to avoid.