Black cohosh overdose may cause dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, visual dimness, headache, tremors, joint pains, and depressed heart rate. For
some, these effects may develop at relatively low doses.
The sight of the bright colored leaves and the maroon red clusters of hairy fruit on this ten- foot-high shrub can be found in dry, rocky places over all but the central parts of the United States. It is also a popular shrub in home landscaping.
Sarsaparilla is a tropical American perennial plant. Its long slender root and short, thick rhizomes produce a vine that trails on the ground and climbs by means of tendrils growing in pairs of the alternate, evergreen leaves. The root of the plant is used for medicinal purposes.
Kelp is a healing herb today because it contains a chemical (sodium alginate, also known simply as alginate), which is beneficial for health problems unique to the 20th century: radiation exposure, heavy metal toxicity, and heart disease.
For centuries, food growers have tampered with plant and animal genetics by crossbreeding to bring out desirable traits while suppressing less desirable ones. Refinement of such techniques has enabled farmers to produce increasingly abundant crops. But in recent years modern agriculture has added a new dimension, thanks to genetic engineering.
Feverfew has been used for centuries as a febrifuge and for the treatment of migraines and arthritis.
The first double-blind study was done at the London Migraine Clinic, and involved patients who reported being helped by feverfew.
The generic name for sage, Salvia, comes from the Latin word meaning “to heal.” The ancient Greeks and Romans first used sage as a meat preservative. They also believed it could enhance memory, like another powerful preservative, rosemary.
Medical literature on Sage contains a few reports of inflammation of the lips and lining of the mouth associated with ingestion of sage tea.
The active chemicals in goldenseal have opposite effects on blood pressure. Berberine may lower it, but hydrastine may raise it.
Hawthorn was a well known plant in the ancient world. The Greeks and Romans linked it to hope, marriage, and fertility. Greek bridesmaids wore fragrant hawthorn blossoms, and brides carried a bough.
Goldenseal is a very powerful herb. Many contemporary herbalists call it one of the most useful herbs while several scientific authorities believe that the herb may cause death from respiratory paralysis or cardiac arrest.
Chamomile is so popular in Germany that many people there calls it the herb that is capable of anything. Below is a list of the many healing benefits of chamomile.
There are two types of chamomile - German chamomile and Roman chamomile. The two plants are botanically unrelated, but they both produce the same light blue oil used in healing since ancient times.
Licorice also has anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties.
Arugula, which resembles dandelion greens, is strongly flavored and tastes best when grown in cool temperatures.
Thyme was introduced into cooking as an offshoot of its meat-preserving action. The Romans also used it medicinally as a cough remedy, digestive aid, and treatment for intestinal worms.
A green salad is often part of a healthy dinner, and although many vegetables may be used in it, lettuce is by far the most popular ingredient.
When it comes to Arthritis, some animal studies agree chaparral has anti-inflammatory action, lending credence to its traditional use in treating arthritis.
Chaparral, also known as stinkweed, stinks – literally! And it tastes downright unpleasant. So the herb’s major healing benefit comes as something of a surprise - it’s a mouthwash.
Licorice is one of the most beneficial healing herbs. Advocates claim it has been used safely around the world for thousands of years to treat cough, colds, rashes, arthritis, ulcers, hepatitis, cirrhosis, and infections.
Cinnamon is on the Food and Drug Administration’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults, cinnamon is considered safe in amounts typically recommended. Cinnamon should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor.
Contemporary herbalists recommend peppermint externally for itching and inflammations, and internally as a digestive aid and treatment for menstrual cramps, motion sickness, morning sickness, colds, cough, flu, congestion, headache, heartburn, fever, and insomnia. Some herbalists consider peppermint and spearmint interchangeable.
Kelp, as a source of iodine, used to be the treatment of choice for goiter - a thyroid enlargement caused by iodine deficiency.
Both spearmint and peppermint owe their value in healing to their aromatic oils. Peppermint oil is mostly menthol. Spearmint oil contains a similar chemical (carvone). These chemicals have similar properties, but as the herbalists of old believed, menthol is the more potent.
Have you ever had an after-dinner mint? These familiar candies evolved from the ancient custom of concluding feasts with a sprig of mint to soothe the stomach. Science has lent support to this age-old practice, as well as many other healing uses of these herbs, best known as the source of menthol, which flavors candies, gums, toothpastes, as well as mouthwashes.
Cinnamon – a tasty treat – is also known as: Cassia, Ceylon cinnamon, Saigon cinnamon. The parts used are the dried inner bark.
Some plants which are harmful when eaten or touched may be beautiful and useful in the landscape, or some plants when eaten may offer gustatory delights, while parts of the same plant may be highly poisonous.
The macula is the portion of the eye responsible for fine vision. Degeneration of the macula is the leading cause of severe visual loss in the United States and Europe in persons aged 55 years or older.
Alisma seems to have been used by the herbalists of many countries, although its poisonous properties necessitate caution in home doctoring. Curiously, its common names have little relation to reality.
Cataracts are the leading cause of impaired vision and blindness in the United States.
Bilberry extracts have been widely used in Europe in the treatment of various eye conditions as well as for vascular disorders, peptic ulcers, and dysmenorrhea.
Bilberry or European blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is a member of the genus Vaccinium, which comprises nearly 200 species of berries including cranberry cowberry, and American blueberry.
Early settlers brought fenugreek to North America and used it as forage and in folk medicine, where it gained a reputation as a potent menstruation promoter.
From ancient times through the late 19th century, fenugreek played a major role in herbal healing.
Chocolates have been enjoyed by people worldwide for centuries. Despite their nutritional drawbacks, there is no harm in occasionally adding them to an otherwise healthy and balanced diet.
Red pepper should not be given to children under age 2. For older children, start with a small amount and use more if necessary.
Red Pepper is also known as: Hot pepper, cayenne chili pepper, African pepper, capsicum; green and red bell pepper, paprika, and pimiento. The fiery taste and bright color of red pepper make it one of the world’s most noticeable spices.
Chocolate is harvested from the pods and beans of the cocoa tree, an evergreen that originated in the river valleys of South America. Native Central and South Americans valued cocoa so highly that they used cocoa beans as currency. Today about 3/4 of the world’s chocolate is grown in West Africa and most of the rest in Brazil.
Gotu kola (Centella asiatica), or centella is an herbaceous perennial plant native to India, China, Indonesia, Australia, the South Pacific, Madagascar, and southern and middle Africa. This slender, creeping plant flourishes in and around water.
Below is a list of popular uses of gotu kola.
Red pepper owes its heat and its value in herbal healing to one chemical found in its fruit - capsaicin. Below is a list of it’s many benefits.