Calcium bentonite is a type of clay that featured largely in the folk medicine traditions of indigenous North American, South American, African and Australian cultures for generations.

The aloe vera plant is a member of the succulent family. It originates from North Africa but has been naturalized in North America and Europe.

Back seeds, also called black cumin, are the seeds of the nigella sativa flowering plant, commonly known as fennel flower. Black seeds and the oil pressed from them have been used in traditional medical systems in different cultures for centuries.

Bee propolis, also referred to as bee glue, Russian penicillin and beeswax acid, is similar to resin that forms in the buds of cone-bearing trees. The substance is sticky and greenish-brown in color and has a faint aromatic smell. Companies collect propolis from beehives.

Many tropical plants have a long history of use in folk medicine, although modern medical science has yet to fully investigate and corroborate traditional claims.

Although the common cold often resolves without medical intervention, it can be miserable while it lasts. A cold is typically caused by one or more of a group of over 200 viruses.

If you are concerned about heavy metals and their effect on your health, eating certain foods may help to detoxify these toxic chemicals from your body.

There is more to roses than their beauty, as rose petals can also be used to make rose oil, which offers several benefits. Researchers at Srinakharinwirot University in Thailand tested the effects of rose oil massage on the human nervous system. The results of the study, published in the February 2009 issue of "

A sinus infection, also known as sinusitis, causes the lining of your nasal passages to become swollen or inflamed. Sinus infections are common and often follow a viral, bacterial or fungal infection that damages the lining in the nasal passages.

In the ancient medicine system of Ayurveda, ashwagandha is regarded as a powerful and health-promoting herb. Also known as Withania somnifera, this shrub’s root and small, berry-like fruit have been used medicinally in India since at least 6,000 B.C., making it one of the oldest known medicinal herbs.

Although you may have heard of alfalfa -- Medicago sativa -- you may know it as a farm crop used mostly as animal feed. A member of the legume family of plants, alfalfa is also dried and ground to produce a powdered supplement that's been part of herbal medicine for hundreds of years.

Fats and oils are essential to your health and many of your body's functions. The oils most important for brain, nerves and skin include the essential fatty acids, which are available in a variety of foods that include olive oil and avocados.