Peru is one of the few countries that have a large pantry of natural supplies, capable of preventing illnesses, alleviating all kinds of ailments, and even gradually curing various chronic diseases. All these Peruvian medicinal plants, many from the Peruvian Amazon, have been surprising the world with the multiple benefits it offers the body. Peruvian medicinal plants are proof of this, several have reached high international demand for being considered as new natural alternatives to alleviate pain or discomfort that affects health.
The flora of Peru for its multiple ecological floors and ecosystems allows having more than 20,000 plant species, they constitute approximately 8% of the total existing on Earth; a large part of these plants are found in the Peruvian Amazon or the east, some of them have not even been botanically determined so far.
Some tours in Peru, where you can find this plants are: 4 day Inca Trail Tour, 2 day Inca Trail, Machu Picchu 3 day hike, 2 day Inca Trail with camping, One day Inca Trail, Lares Trek to Machu Picchu, Choquequirao to Machu Picchu Trek, Choquequirao Trek 4 Days, Choquequirao Trek 5 Days.
An important aspect is the medicinal, nutritional, and ritual use made by the Peruvian population of many of these Peruvian medicinal plants, approximately 5,000 plants have been identified botanically: most of them are native to our country (about 4,400) and some 600 species are introduced. Likewise, most of the native species used are wild and about two thousand are cultivated.
In traditional medicine, Peruvian medicinal plants have played a fundamental role as a means of curing diseases in people. Currently, especially rural communities use them, accumulating ancestral practices of selection, management, and conservation of knowledge that they have transmitted from one generation to another. This information has been important for the discovery of different medicines that we use today made from plants.
Here we leave you a list of medicinal plants of Perú, both native, including medicinal plants from the Peruvian Amazon, and widely used in this place although they are not native.
Next, we will see the properties and benefits of some medicinal plants of Perú:
Among the medicinal plants of Perú known throughout the world, the plant cat’s claw or Uncaria tomentosa stands out. It is usually taken in decoction, tincture, capsules, pearls, tablets and powder, both from its bark and from its leaves and flowers. It contains alkaloids such as hirsutine, rincofilina, mitrafilina, also tannins and heterosides. Thanks to this composition, these are the properties, benefits and uses of cat’s claw.
Thanks to its high content, alkaloids, vitamins, tannins and acids have strong immunostimulatory and antioxidant properties, which is why it is used to improve defenses or immunity, both to prevent infections and to treat them, and also to help reduce cancer tumors.
For these same properties and for being especially powerful against viruses, accelerating its cycle to eliminate them or preventing them from entering and affecting the body, it is used to treat and prevent viruses. It is used to help treat the flu, herpes, and even as a supplement in the treatment of AIDS symptoms.
Due to its high antioxidant content, its powerful anti-inflammatory effect and its ability to stimulate immunity, it is also used to relieve the pain of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, gastritis and gastric ulcers. If in your case you suffer from osteoarthritis, we recommend this other article from Green Ecology on the best medicinal plants for osteoarthritis.
To take epazote or paico as one of the medicinal plants of Peru, it is prepared in tea or infusion of its root, branches and leaves, or various parts of the plant are crushed. It should be noted that its consumption is not recommended for pregnant women or lactating women.
The medicinal properties and uses of epazote are as follows:
One of the best known medicinal plants of Perú worldwide is maca or Lepidium meyenii or Lepidium peruvianum. It is a native plant of the Peruvian Andes, which is why it is also known as Andean maca or Peruvian maca and, in addition, it has other common names such as maino, maca-maca, ayak willku, ayak and chichira.
Its root is usually used to benefit from its properties and its active ingredients are: alkaloids, amino acids, fatty acids, ascorbic acid or vitamin C, group B vitamins, saponins, riboflavin, thiamine, terpenoids, sterols, tannins and mineral salts (phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, potassium and sodium). If you want to know more, pay attention to the medicinal properties of maca and its benefits.
This plant is known worldwide and is one of the most widely used medicinal plants in Perú. Its scientific name is Portulaca oleracea L. and it contains vitamins A, B and C, saponins, omega 3 fatty acids, mucilages, mineral salts and calcium oxalate. It is usually taken in infusion and extract, as well as eaten fresh. Take note of the properties, benefits and medicinal uses of purslane:
We continue with the list of medicinal plants in Perú and stop to talk about the famous valerian, one of the most used. It contains active ingredients such as essential oil with valerinate, camphene, pinene, limonene, valeranone, valepotriates, bornyl acetate, valerianic and formic acids and alkaloids. Valerian or Valeriana officinalis L. is taken as a decoction or infusion, (maximum of 3 cups daily), powders, tincture, fluid extract, pills and essential oil. These are the medicinal properties of valerian, its benefits and uses:
This medicinal plant has a pulp of a very characteristic deep red or orange color. This pulp and its leaves are used in natural medicine because they have very interesting medicinal properties. Achiote has the active ingredients: flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamins of complex B, A and C, leutein, pectin, norbixin and apigenin glycoside.
Scientific name Curcuma longa L., these are another of the most widely used medicinal plants in Perú. Among its main components it has curcumin, curcumoids, resins and essential oil with zingiberene and tumerone. Its root or rhizome can be consumed fresh or in powders, tincture, decoction or infusion and fluid extract. Take note of the properties, benefits, and medicinal uses of turmeric:
