Ashwagandha - Withania somnifera
„Ashwa“ (horse) „gandha“ (root smell), the name itself points to the plant's ability to provide strength and vitality (animal strength hidden in the root). Known by names „Indian ginseng“ (similar root shape), also „winter cherry“ (fruits resemble cherries). From the small bush with yellow flowers, mainly the root is used in traditional medicine. Given its calming effects, it's appropriately named Withania somnifera, sleepy or dreamy. The Latin name somnifera also reveals its sleep-inducing property.
The First of Vitamins - B1
Maybe it's burnout ... that's the current description of the state when we feel different. When the coffee we loved no longer works and in the afternoon we are overwhelmed by unbearable fatigue, when in the evening we have no strength for anything, neither for sports nor for friends. And certainly not for another day at work. A nutritionist would describe this state with further findings of our diet with the words - „ You have a lack of thiamine (B1), which is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system and the conversion of food into energy. Your diet is full of processed carbohydrates, but almost without B1. And when the body doesn't have enough thiamine, you can feel fatigue, forgetfulness, irritability, and even anxiety. And caffeine? It depletes thiamine in the body even more!“ We certainly wouldn't think that this state could be caused by a “triviality”. After all, many of us don't register thiamine, I admit it was also my case. This first of the discovered vitamins in 1912 was named by the Polish biochemist Funk with the term vita (necessary for life), amine (substances that contain nitrogen). Since then, it has gained more names, like aneurin, and for 25 years we have called it thiamine. It is essential, meaning it cannot be synthesized and must come from the diet. It sounds almost frightening that without it we wouldn't survive longer than a few days, at most weeks. This is because the body cannot store it for long and it is necessary to ensure its intake regularly, as it is irreplaceable for the proper functioning of the organism. On the contrary, its abundance helps improve concentration and memory.
Iron - the Elixir of Youth
Anyone who admires the muscular Arnold Schwarzenegger has surely seen the documentary Pumping Iron about his complex transformation from a skinny teenager to an absolute physical Olympian. His musculature is still admirable today. And it was ordinary iron that helped him achieve it. Of course, it's a joke; he mainly lifted iron. However, to make his muscles look like Hercules', he needed iron in a completely different form.
Lady's Mantle - Woman's Cloak
Common Alchemilla is a perennial herb that originates from England but has spread worldwide. Its leaves and flower tops have been used for centuries primarily to alleviate menstrual problems, hence it is often called "woman's cloak". It is also suitable for men as it effectively helps with diarrhea, laryngitis, bleeding gums, or as a gargle for inflammation of the larynx. Its name comes from Arabic, from the word al-kimia. Alchemists tried to make gold by transforming various metals, as well as incredibly ordinary things. One of the secret ingredients in gold-making was water, caught in the leaves of this plant. As far as we know - it didn't work...
