My granny went to a Chinese herbalist before they were considered either cool or necessary. She was constantly quoting what Mr. Wing said about this or that compound that we, or some ailing member of our extended family, should be taking for this or that problem.

I am sure to this day that not all of his remedies were well received by the patients in question, but my granny always swore by his recommendations.

Anything from Mr. Wing was, by definition, exotic and fascinating - sometimes strange-smelling or bitter tasting, but sometimes, as in the case of his herbal teas, ineffably fragrant. We were often amazed at some of the ingredients that he featured in the many powders and potions that came into our house.

They came dried and wrapped in leaves, powders to be tipped out of folded parchments, or decanted, one or two precious drops at a time, from small darkly-tinted glass bottles. Sometimes they were things of which we had never heard. Sometimes they were common blossoms and leaves from Mr. Wing's family gardens. Whatever the ingredients, whatever their provenance, they were always the beginning of another herbal adventure.

In their relative infancy in mainstream, urban North America, herbal remedies have been practiced here since the first woman discovered that an infusion of slippery elm bark could soothe her fevered child, or ease her menstrual cramping.

Early settlers brought their natural (and some very unnatural) medicines and food plants with them, in the seeds they carefully nurtured to life in their transplanted kitchen gardens.

One such addition to the local food chain is the dandelion. Anglicized to the form by which we know it from the original french version, Dent de lion, the rather fanciful name bestowed upon this tenacious interloper refers to the supposed similarity of either the jagged-toothed leaves, or of the many curved yellow petals, to the fangs of the jungle's lord, not to his mane, as many incorrectly surmise.

Originally grown for food and common, household remedies, this cheery harbinger of spring rapidly spread the length and breadth of the continent. Having no natural predators, the dandelion was able to successfully acclimate to its new surroundings, naturalizing with astonishing success, much like a later import, the kudzu vine has done in the many of the Southern Continental United States.

...and just try to eradicate the Dandelion from your lawn. you will learn a whole new definition of tenacious.

The Dandelion's fresh young leaves are highly prized as a salad green in many parts of the country, though. One of the first to show green after the snows recede. the dandelion's new shoots and leaves make a tasty dish for taste buds wearied by a winter diet of preserved foodstuffs. The young leaves were often steamed, sometimes in combination with fresh spinach, and served with a garnish of chopped onion and a squeeze of lemon for flavor to compliment their delicate flavor.

An official herb in the British Pharamcopceia, the Dandelion root was used in combination with other roots and herbs to treat stomach and liver complaints, A tea made by steeping the young leaves was prized for its both soothing nature and as an appetite stimulant.

Here are three common plants used in herbal remedies. We know these, or their more locally grown cousins, as flavorings for food or, in the case of Lemon Balm, as a cosmetic additive and mosquito chaser.

Let's take a closer look at what they may have to offer as natural medicines.

Dong Quai Angelica Sinensis

A member of the Parsley Family, this herb is a mild laxative used primarily for its uterine tonic, antispasmodic, and blood purifying effects.

It has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese Medicine to relieve symptoms of menopause and PMS, as well as to treat arthritis, kidney disorders, pernicious anemia and neuralgia.

Dong Quai is sometimes prescribed for women who are experiencing a lessening of their natural libido following menopause.

Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis

This member of the Mint Family has antibacterial and antiviral properties and is mildly sedating. Traditionally it has been useful in to relieve menstrual cramps, heal wounds, ease digestive upset, and prevent insomnia. Lemon Balm is also used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder, herpes virus, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Lemon balm is excellent for soothing the nerves and lifting the spirits. It is known to calm and soothes nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, colic, dysentery, colitis and stress-related digestive problems. The bitter properties of this herb gently stimulate the liver and gallbladder and enhance digestion and absorption.

This herb also relieves irritability and depression associated with PMS. It also helps regulate the menstrual cycle and has been used traditionally to relax and strengthen women during childbirth. As well, by helping to balance the hormones, lemon balm can help relieve depression during menopause and after childbirth.

Ginger Zingiber officinale

Ginger, the multitalented workhorse of your spice cupboard, is undoubtedly the most widely used herbal remedy on the planet. Billions of people, worldwide, use it every day as a food and a medicine.

Ginger, a tropical perennial growing to about two feet, has lance-shaped leaves with stalks of white or yellow flowers. Long the subject of fable and literature, Ginger was obtained from Arab spice traders, who protected their sources by inviting stories of ginger fields stalked by a fierce people called troglodytes.

Ginger is used either fresh or dried in nearly two thirds of all traditional Chinese and Japanese herbal formulas. Fresh ginger is used to relieve dryness and heat, while dried ginger is used to relieve dampness and chill. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, ginger is said to warm the energy channels and stop bleeding, especially uterine bleeding. It is a detoxifier, and is always included in formulas with potentially toxic herbs such as aconite, acorus, and pinellia.

Scientists have found evidence to support ginger's wide range of medicinal actions which include the lowering of cholesterol levels: relief for allergies and asthma: relief of arthritis, colds, and nausea; and protecting the digestive tract and liver against toxins and parasites

Ginger has been shown to inhibit cholesterol production in the liver, which makes up to 85% of the cholesterol circulating in the blood stream. It also relieves the pain of rheumatoid arthritis by stopping the immune system's production of inflammatory leukotrienes.

Ginger's effects against infection have also been confirmed scientifically. One ginger compounds kills the cold viruses at a concentration of less than one part per million, a concentration commonly found in raw ginger.

Ginger contains a chemical that dissolves parasites and their eggs. This anti-parasitic effect is put to use in the preparation of sushi. Sushi is traditionally eaten with pickled ginger, and ginger extract has been shown to kill the parasite sometimes carried in raw fish. In addition, ginger tea effectively treats schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease increasingly prevalent among tourists returning to North America, Australia, and Europe from lesser developed areas of the tropics.

Ginger, an age-old remedy for morning sickness, is especially useful in small doses in pregnancy. Chinese researchers have also reported some interesting results from using Ginger to treat breech birth.  A breech birth results when a baby is born feet-first instead of in the normal head-first position, which can make for a difficult and often painful labor. The researches found that applying a ginger paste to a specific acupuncture point resulted in a 77-percent correction of breech position, compared to a 52 percent correction rate in women in the control group who had their babies turned manually.

So the next time we're tempted to reach for an over-the-counter remedy for whatever ails us, perhaps we should check out our spice cupboards or our backyards first. A little research may just enlighten us to what natural remedies made be right under our noses, as it were.

Happy "herb hunting"...