Imithi Engamakhambi Ingabe Ingakusiza?

KUSUKELA endulo imithi engamakhambi ibilokhu isetshenziswa ekwelapheni izifo. I-Ebers Papyrus, eyabhalwa eGibhithe cishe ngekhulu le-16 B.C.E., iqukethe imithi yesintu eminingi kakhulu yezifo ezihlukahlukene. Nokho, ngokuvamile, isizukulwane ngasinye sasichazelwa ngomlomo ngale mithi.

Ukusebenzisa kwabaseNtshonalanga amakhambi kwezokwelapha kubonakala sengathi kwaqala ngencwadi kadokotela ongumGreki wekhulu lokuqala uDioscorides, owabhala incwadi ethi De Materia Medica. Yaba incwadi evelele kwezemithi eminyakeni engu-1 600 eyalandela. Imithi yesintu iyaqhubeka ithandwa ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba. EJalimane, izinhlelo zikahulumeni zezempilo zingase zikhiphe ngisho nemali eyisinxephezelo ngezindleko zemithi engamakhambi.

Nakuba ngezinye izikhathi kuyaye kuthiwe imithi yesintu iphephe kakhudlwana kunemithi yesilungu yanamuhla, kodwa nayo inazo izingozi ezithile. Yingakho kuphakama le mibuzo: Yiziphi izixwayiso nokusikisela umuntu okufanele akukhumbule lapho ecabangela ukusebenzisa imithi engamakhambi? Zikhona yini izimo lapho uhlobo oluthile lokwelapha lungaba ngcono khona kunolunye? *

Indlela Amakhambi Angasiza Ngayo

Kunezindlela eziningi okuthiwa amakhambi elapha ngazo. Amanye kuthiwa asiza umzimba ekulweni nezifo ezithathelwanayo. Amanye kuthiwa asiza ekugayeni ukudla, ekupholiseni izinzwa, asebenza njengembiza, noma asiza ekuqondiseni ukusebenza kwezindlala.

Amakhambi anganikeza umzimba izakhi noma awelaphe. Ngokwesibonelo, izitshalo ezithile ezandisa umthamo womchamo, njenge-parsley, zinanesilinganiso esiphawulekayo se-potassium. I-potassium ekulezi zitshalo ivala isikhala esidalekayo lapho lesi sakhi esibalulekile siphuma uma umuntu  echama. Ngokufanayo, isimila i-valerian, osekuyisikhathi eside sisetshenziswa njengomlaliso, sine-calcium eningi. Le calcium ingase yandise amandla aleli khambi okulalisa izinzwa.

Indlela Ongawasebenzisa Ngayo Amakhambi

Amakhambi angasetshenziswa ngezindlela eziningi, njengetiye, isiphungo, isithako nomuthi wokuthoba. Itiye lenziwa ngokuthela amanzi abilayo ekhambini. Kodwa izazi zixwayisa ngokuthi amakhambi aphuzwa njengetiye akumelwe abiliswe ngamanzi. Iziphungo zenziwa ngokupheka amakhambi ayizimpande noma amagxolo ngamanzi, ukuze kudonseke amandla awo okwelapha.

Kuthiwani ngamakhambi ayizithako? Enye incwadi ithi wona “ayingxube eyenziwa ngogologo ongahlanjululiwe noma ohlanjululiwe, nge-brandy noma nge-vodka.” Ekugcineni kunemithi yokuthoba, eyenziwa ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene. Ngokuvamile ibekwa kuleso sitho somzimba esigulayo noma esibuhlungu.

Ngokungafani namavithamini namaphilisi amaningi, amakhambi amaningi abhekwa njengokudla futhi ngokuvamile uyawasebenzisa ewodwa ungadlile. Ungawaphuza futhi engamaphilisi, okwenza kube lula ukuwaphuza futhi kuwenze anambitheke kangcono. Uma unquma ukusebenzisa imithi engamakhambi, kuwukuhlakanipha ukuba ukwenze ngokuqondiswa uchwepheshe othile.

Ngokuvamile, amakhambi kuyaye kuthiwe elapha umkhuhlane, inkinga yokugayeka kokudla, ukuqumbelana, ukuqwasha nesicanucanu. Nokho, ngezinye izikhathi amakhambi ayasetshenziswa nasezifweni ezingathí sina—hhayi nje ekuzelapheni kodwa nasekuzivimbeleni lezo zifo. Ngokwesibonelo, eJalimane nase-Austria, ikhambi i-saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) lisetshenziswa kuqala lapho kwelashwa ukuvuvukala kwendlala yabesilisa i-prostate okungadalwanga umdlavuza. Kwamanye amazwe amadoda angamaphesenti angu-50 kuya kwangu-60 ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ayaba nale nkinga. Nokho, kubalulekile ukuba udokotela axilonge imbangela yalokhu kuvuvukala ukuze aqinisekise ukuthi akudingeki kwelashwe ngemithi enamandla njengoba kungase kudingeke lapho kuwumdlavuza.

Nazi Izixwayiso Ezimbalwa

Ngisho noma ikhambi elithile lingase libhekwe abaningi njengeliphephile, kubalulekile ukuqapha. Musa ukuyekelela ngoba nje ubona kubhalwe ukuthi “elemvelo.” I-encyclopedia ekhuluma ngamakhambi ithi: “Iqiniso elibuhlungu ukuthi amanye amakhambi ayingozi kwaphela. [Ngokudabukisayo] abanye abantu abawahloniphi amakhambi—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ayingozi noma cha.” Amakhemikhali atholakala emakhambini angashintsha indlela yokushaya kwenhliziyo, umfutho wegazi namazinga kashukela egazini. Ngakho, abantu abanesifo senhliziyo, umfutho wegazi ophakeme noma inkinga yamazinga kashukela egazini njengalabo abanesifo sikashukela kumelwe baqaphe ngokukhethekile.

Nokho, ngokuvamile imiphumela engathandeki yamakhambi kuba ukungezwani komzimba nalelo khambi. Ingahlanganisa ikhanda, isiyezi, isicanucanu noma ukuqubuka. Kuthiwa futhi amakhambi ‘ayakugulisa andukuba akwelaphe’ ngokukubangela izimpawu ezinjengezomkhuhlane noma okunye ukugula. Umuntu owelashwayo angase agule kakhulu ngaphambi kokuba alulame. Ngokuvamile kuthiwa lokhu kubangelwa ubuthi obukhucululwayo emzimbeni lapho umuntu eqala ukwelashwa ngamakhambi.

Iqiniso lokuthi bakhona ababulawa amakhambi ngezikhathi ezithile ligcizelela isizathu sokuthi kungani kubalulekile ukuba uqaphe futhi ufune isiqondiso esifanele. Ngokwesibonelo, ikhambi i-ephedra, ngokuvamile elisetshenziselwa ukunciphisa umzimba, lingase lenyuse nomfutho wegazi. Kunabantu abangaphezu kwekhulu abafa e-United States okusoleka ukuthi babulawa imithi ene-ephedra, yize isazi sezifo saseSan Francisco uSteven Karch sithi: “Abantu engibaziyo [abasebenzisa i-ephedra] base befa, yilabo ababenesifo esiyingozi sokuvaleka kwemithambo yenhliziyo noma ababeqisile ezilinganisweni ezinikeziwe.”

UDkt. Logan Chamberlain, umlobi wencwadi ephathelene nezithasiselo zamakhambi, uthi: “Cishe yonke imibiko eminyakeni yamuva ngemiphumela eyingozi yamakhambi ibangelwe abantu abangazange balandele iziyalezo. . . . Izilinganiso ezinikeziwe emakhambini aziwayo ziphephile futhi zize ngisho ziphansi kunokufanele. Musa ukucabanga ukuthi ungazishintsha ngaphandle kwalapho isazi samakhambi esiqeqeshiwe sikunikezé iziqondiso ezifanele.”

Isazi samakhambi uLinda Page sinikeza lesi seluleko esiyisixwayiso: “Ngisho nasezifweni ezingathí  sina, kungcono ukulinganisela, musa ukusebenzisa izilinganiso ezinkulu. Imiphumela engcono kakhulu ingatholakala ngokuzinika isikhathi esengeziwe nokuzelapha ngendlela engawuhlukumezi umzimba. Kuthatha isikhathi ukululama.”

Incwadi yamakhambi ichaza ukuthi amanye amakhambi anento ekuwo evimbela ukuphuza isilinganiso eseqile lapho uwasebenzisa. Ngokwesibonelo, elinye ikhambi lokuphumuza umzimba liyakugonyulukisa uma uliphuzé weqisa. Nokho, lesi sici, esingekho kuwo wonke amakhambi, asisilulazi isidingo sokunamathela esilinganisweni esiphephile.

Nokho-ke, abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi ukuze ikhambi lisebenze, kumelwe baphuze izilinganiso ezanele nangendlela efanele. Ngezinye izikhathi ukuphela kwendlela ongakwenza ngayo lokhu ukusebenzisa umuthi onesithako salelo khambi. Lokhu kunjalo nge-ginkgo biloba, osekuyisikhathi eside isetshenziselwa ukuthuthukisa inkumbulo nokugeleza kwegazi, njengoba kudingeka inqwaba yamaqabunga ayo ukuze kutholakale isilinganiso esisodwa esizosebenza.

Ingxube Engaba Yingozi

Amakhambi angaba nemiphumela ehlukahlukene lapho ehlangana namaphilisi kadokotela. Ngokwesibonelo, angase andise noma anciphise amandla alawo maphilisi, enze ukuba asheshe aphume emzimbeni kunokuvamile, noma andise ingozi yokuba nemiphumela engathandeki yalawo maphilisi. I-St. John’s wort, evame ukunikezwa abantu abanesifo sokucindezeleka okuncane eJalimane, yenza amaphilisi amaningi aphume emzimbeni ngesilinganiso esiphindwe kabili kunokuvamile, kanjalo inciphise amandla awo. Ngakho uma usebenzisa amaphilisi kadokotela, kuhlanganise namaphilisi okuvimbela inzalo, bonana nodokotela wakho kuqala ngaphambi kokusebenzisa amakhambi.

Incwadi ekhulumela amandla okwelapha amakhambi ithi: “Utshwala, insangu, i-cocaine, ezinye izidakamizwa eziguqula imizwelo kanye nogwayi zingabangela izimo ezisongela ukuphila lapho zihlangana namakhambi athile okwelapha. . . . Uma ucabanga ngengqondo ehluzekile uyozigwema [izidakamizwa ezinjalo], ikakhulukazi lapho ugula.” Futhi, abesifazane abakhulelwe nabancelisayo kufanele basithathe ngokungathí sina leso seluleko. Kanti-ke, mayelana nogwayi nezidakamizwa eziluthayo, amaKristu avikelekile ngokulalela umyalo weBhayibheli othi ‘zihlanzeni kukho ukungcola kwenyama nokomoya.’—2 Korinte 7:1.

Ngokuphathelene namakhambi ngokwawo, enye incwadi inikeza lesi sixwayiso: “Uma ukhulelwa ngesikhathi usaphuza ikhambi elithile lokwelapha, mtshele udokotela wakho futhi uyeke ukulisebenzisa kuze kube yilapho usubonisane naye ngalo. Zama ukukhumbula ukuthi usebenzisé elingakanani futhi isikhathi eside kangakanani.”

“Ziningi izingozi zokuzelapha [ngamakhambi],” kusho i-encyclopedia ethile yamakhambi. Ebhokisini elikulesi sihloko elithi, “Izingozi Zokuzelapha,” uyothola uhlu lwezingozi ezingadaleka eziphathelene namakhambi.

Njengayo yonke imikhiqizo yezempilo, amakhambi kufanele asetshenziswe ngokucophelela, ngolwazi, yebo nangokulinganisela—futhi khumbula ukuthi ezinye izifo asinayo indlela yokuzelapha okwamanje. AmaKristu eqiniso abheké phambili esikhathini lapho yona kanye imbangela yokugula nokufa—ukungapheleli esikuzuze kubazali bethu bokuqala—iyoqedwa khona ngokuphelele ngaphansi kokubusa okulungile koMbuso kaNkulunkulu.—Roma 5:12; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 30]

Izingozi Zokuzelapha

Nantu uhlu lwezingozi zokusebenzisa amakhambi ngaphandle kosizo lukachwepheshe ofanelekayo.

Kungenzeka ungazi ngokuthé ngqo ukuthi uphethwe yini.

Imithi ozelapha ngayo kungenzeka kube engasifanele isifo sakho, ngisho nalapho usihlonze ngokunembile.

Uhlelo lokuzelapha lungase lubambezele ukwelashwa obekuzoqondana nomsuka wesifo okudingekile noku­fanele.

Ukuzelapha kungase kungqubuzane nemithi oyinikezwe udokotela—njengemithi yokungezwani komzimba nokuthile, noma imithi yomfutho wegazi.

Ukuzelapha kungase kwelaphe isifo sakho mhlawumbe esingesibi kangako kodwa kwandise enye inkinga yempilo, njengokuphakama komfutho wegazi.

[Umthombo]

Source: Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs