Plants rule!

Plants rule!

It’s true, without them we’d all be toast. We couldn’t breathe and we couldn’t eat.  Plants provide us with food, shelter, clothing, energy, oxygen, medicine and much of the beauty that we experience in nature.  Current estimates put the number of plant species at around 400,000.  This number is a little fuzzy since new plants are found every day and others are wiped off the face of the earth with bulldozers and chainsaws.  Don’t get me started.  Of the plants we know about, some are so small they are barely visible and some like the giant redwoods stand over 290 ft. tall and 30 ft. around.  Small or tall, plants quietly provide almost everything necessary for life on earth.

Plants are the only organisms that make their own food.  They are primary producers.  All animals depend either directly or indirectly on plants for food.  Animals, including us, that eat plants are primary consumers.  Animals that eat the primary consumers are secondary consumers and so on.  If you want to experience the power of plants as a primary consumer try Makeit Real, Make it Raw , a new one week detox program by Thomas Radtke and Rachelle Ansly.

We all know that plants produce oxygen through photosynthesis- totally necessary for life on earth!  But did you know that 50-80% of all medicinal drugs originate from chemical compounds found in plants?  And, only about 2% of plants have been tested for their medicinal properties.  Think of the potential as 1 ½ acres of rainforest each second are destroyed because someone doesn’t see its value.  Some plants, like garlic, fill several roles.  It’s a food, or seasoning found in many dishes, but did you know that it is one of the best natural antibiotics?  And while incredibly beautiful in the garden, foxglove is also used to make digoxin for heart patients.  Many powerful plants are considered weeds.  Take for example the common dandelion which actually has many culinary and medicinal uses. Eaten, it is very nutritious and has more vitamins and minerals than many vegetables.  Medicinally, it has antibacterial properties, purifies the blood, strengthens the kidneys and is a strong diuretic.  

Truly powerful plants can be found everywhere.  A great place to learn about them is The Ark Herb Farm near San Jose Costa Rica where, with the help of an incredibly knowledgeable guide, you can taste and smell hundreds of medicinal, culinary and aromatic plants from around the world.

At Breathe Deep Naturals we love plants and we are constantly learning about new ways to use them.  Share your discoveries with us and we may use them in new products!