Name: Watercress
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Used for: One of the top five herbs for depression.
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Watercress
Category Archives: Herbs
Hawthorn (Cratageus Oxacantha)
Name: Hawthorn
Latin: Cratageus oxacantha
Other Common Names: Whitethorn, Ladies’ Meat, Quickthorn, Maytree, Mayblossom
Family: Rosaceae
Parts Used: Leaves, flowers, and fruit
Vitamins/Minerals: Antioxidants
Used for: Due to the antioxidants found in this herb, the medicinal uses for it are fairly expansive. It is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, supports the immune system and the liver. However, hawthorn’s particular strength is in what it does for the heart. It has both a strengthening and a regulatory action, making it useful for a wide variety of heart conditions: aging, weakened, damaged, angina, hypertension, arrhythmia, heart valve disease, arterial spasms, etc… It can also be used to regulate blood pressure, aiding with both high and low. It can help to prevent miscarriage. It can also lessen the chance of strokes. If used as a poultice, it has good drawing out properties. The broad range of benefits and the fact that there is no overdose of it for practical use, when combined with the tasty flavour, makes this one of my favorite ingredients for teas. Historically, hawthorn is an herb thought to increase longevity, and that is quite understandable, given the conditions it fights and the systems it supports.
Use in tandem with: Oatstraw, Rose
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Slippery Elm (Ulmus fulva)
Name: Slippery Elm
Latin: Ulmus fulva
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Parts Used: Bark
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Used for: The powdered inner bark can be combined with milk or honey to assist in palatability. Useful for coughs. Can assist in settling intestinal issues, including soothing ulcers. As a poultice, used for sores and wounds. If integrated as part of a nerve formula, can help to soothe and protect inflamed nerve endings.
Use in tandem with: Goldenseal, Comfrey
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Butterbur
Name: Butturbur
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Used for: This herb supports healthy membranes and is effective is decreasing the body’s production of histamines and leukotrienes. Shown to be as effective in dealing with allergies as some of the more common OTC medicines.
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Stinging Nettle (Urtica Dioica)
Name: Stinging Nettle
Latin: Urtica Dioica
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Vitamins/Minerals: Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Iron, Cobalt, Potassium, Copper, B-Vitamins
Used for: Due to the nutritional denseness of this plant, it is one of the best tonic herbs. Eating a bit of this a day, or drinking a cup of infusion daily, will almost insure that you are getting enough of the basics. The nutrients contained make this herb particularly good for the kidneys, adrenals, and thyroid, which allows them to stabilize and increases energy levels. It also contains chromium in enough quantity to help stimulate appetite, under the right circumstances. If utilized regularly, nettle also assists with minimizing the effects of hayfever and other allergies. The sheer amount of calcium and magnesium also strengthens bones, hair, skin, and teeth. An additional side effect of the nutritional denseness is and increase in fertility, making nettle one of the best choice for that particular goal. The array of nutrients also make this a supportive herb for the nervous system.
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Catnip
Name: Catnip
Latin: Nepeta Cataria
Other Common Names:
Family: Mint
Parts Used:
Vitamins/Minerals: Calcium
Used for: Can be used for easing menstruation, relieving colic, and to relax you into sleep. Also falls into the category of herbal pain relief, working by soothing and strengthening the nerves and muscles, rather than by deadening nerves. Also acts as a muscle relaxant and antispasmodic, and can assist with cramps and spasms. Good choice for herbal vinegars, due to the amount of calcium it contains. More commonly used for cats, to make them act somewhere between happy and a bit crazy.
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Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
Name: Licorice
Latin: Glycyrrhiza glabra
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Parts Used: Root
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Used for: Licorice acts as a stimulant for the immune system. It also decreases inflammation. It can be used for Laryngitis, and will help to clear the throat of mucous. It can be used as a mild laxative. As it is more soluble in water than milk thistle, it is sometimes more useful as a liver aid. Due to its innate sweetness, it can be useful in combination with bitter herbs, as it lends a natural sweetness beyond that of sugar.
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Directions & Warnings: Due to the way in which licorice effects the liver, it should be used with care, or avoided entirely, by dabetics.
Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)
Name: Nutmeg
Latin: Myristica fragrans
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Used for: Interestingly enough, this plant actually provides two spices. Nutmeg comes from the interior, mace from the exterior. Nutmeg is useful against digestive upset – particularly diarrhea, gas, and vomiting. It is a potent antimicrobial. There is evidence that it may also be anti-rheumatic. Used sparingly, as an oil, it can assist in the relief of sciatica, neuralgia, and rheumatism. When the scent is inhaled, it can also assist with respiratory infections. One of the tricks with nutmeg is that one can be reused several times before it is exhausted.
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Directions & Warnings: Nutmeg should be used sparingly, both as a spice and a medicinal. Toxic overdose levels can be achieved using 2 whole pods.
Horsetail (Equsetum arvense)
Name: Horsetail
Latin: Equsetum arvense
Other Common Names: Shavegrass
Family:
Parts Used:
Vitamins/Minerals: Calcium, Silica
Used for: Healing for stomach and ulcers. Will strengthen hair, fingernails, and teeth. Has a high silica content which assists in the usage of calcium in the body. The silica content will also help to strengthen and heal connective tissue. Horsetail is also mildly diuretic, and will help to clear mucous from the urinary tract, thus decreasing the severity and intensity of infections.
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Parsley (Petroselinum sativum)
Name: Parsley
Latin: Petroselinum sativum
Other Common Names:
Family: Umbelliferae (Parsley)
Parts Used: Leaves
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Used for: This is a good nutritive tonic. Useful for bringing down fevers, as a breath freshener, and as a diuretic.
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