Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Hope for the Heart

Family: Leguminosae; (includes Beans, Peas)

Germs and Species: Medicago sativa

Also known as: Chilean Clover, Buffalo Grass, Lucerne (in Britain)

Parts Used: Leaves

Farmers have long prized the alfalfa plant as animal forage, and in the last 20 years people who graze on salads have come to appreciate this herb’s sprouts as well. But it’s the alfalfa leaves that may contain its rea! healing power They may help reduce cholesterol and help prevent heart dis” ease and some strokes.

An Ancient Healer

What’s good for your cattle is good for you, too, or so the an” cient Chinese thought. Their animals ate alfalfa so enthusiastically, the Chinese began preparing the herb’s tender young leaves as a vegetable, and soon traditional Chinese physicians were using it to stimulate appetite and treat diestive problems, particularly ulcers.

In ancient India’s traditional Ayurvedic physicians also used alfalfa to treat ulcers. They prescribed it for arthritis pain and fluid retention as well.

Ancient Arabs fed their horses alfalfa, believing it made them swift and strong. They called it al-fac-facah, “father of all foods.” The Spanish changed the name to alfalfa.

Spain introduced alfalfa into the Americas, where it became a popular forage crop, particularly in the Great Plains. Like the ancient Chinese, the pioneers believed that what was good for their cattle was good for them. They used alfalfa to treat arthritis, boils, cancer, scurvy, and urinary and bowel problems. Pioneer women used it to bring on menstruation.

After the Civil War, alfalfa fell out of favor as a healing herb, and it wasn’t until the 1970s that it returned to popularity via the salad bowl.

Most of alfalfa’s ancient healing uses have long been disproved, but modern scientists may have discovered a potential healing benefit our ancestors never dreamed of: Alfalfa as an agent in the war against heart disease, stroke, and cancer, the nation’s top three killers.

Heart Disease and Stroke - Animal studies show that alfalfa leaves help reduce blood cholesterol levels and plaque deposits on artery walls. High cholesterol levels and plaque deposits lead to heart disease and stroke. Alfalfa sprouts produce a similar, but less significant, effect. Animal results don’t necessarily apply to people, but one case report in the British medical journal Lancet documented a major cholesterol reduction in a man who ate large amounts of alfalfa.

Cancer - One study suggests that alfalfa helps neutralize carcinogens in the intestine. Another, published in the lournal of the National Cancer Institute, shows it binds carcinogens in the colon and helps speed their elimination from the body.

Alfalfa seeds also contain two chemicals (stachydrine and homostachydrine) that promote menstruation and can cause miscarriage. Pregnant women should not eat alfalfa seed (see “The Safety Factor” on page 56).

Bad Breath - Alfalfa is a source of chlorophyll, the active ingredient in most commercial breath fresheners. Sip an alfalfa infusion if you’re concerned about bad breath.

Intriguing Possibility - In laboratory studies, alfalfa helps fight disease-causing fungi. It might one day be used to treat fungal infections.

Myth - While contemporary herbalists generally endorse the age-old view that alfalfa treats ulcers, they may have to eat their words. Scientific research has found no support for this traditional use of the herb.

Herbalists also recommend alfalfa for bowel problems and as a diuretic to treat fluid retention. Unfortunately, these traditional uses have not held up under scientific scrutiny, either.

Some supplement manufacturers promote alfalfa tablets as a treatment for asthma and hay fever. But a study published in the Journal of tfle American Medical Association shows these claims have no merit. Alfalfa contains neither bronchodilators for treatment of asthma nor antihistamines, which relieve hay fever.

Despite its traditional use as a menstruation promoter, scientists have found no uterine stimulants in alfalfa leaves.

Rx for Alfalfa

Save the sprouts to dress up your salads; its leaves are the part used in herbal healing. Alfalfa leaf tablets and capsules are available at herb outlets, natural food stores, or wherever supplements are sold-follow package directions.

When using the bulk herb, prepare medicinal infusions from I to 2 teaspoons of dried leaves per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 20 minutes. Enjoy up to 3 cups a day to take advantage of its cholesterol-reducing potential. The infusion has a haylike aroma and tastes like chamomile, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Medicinal infusions of the leaves should not be given to ldren under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

No one should ever eat alfalfa seeds. They contain relatively high levels of the toxic amino acid canavanine. Over time, large quantities of alfalfa seeds may introduce enough canavanine into the body to cause the reversible blood disorder pancytopenia, according to a report in LanGet. This condition impairs the platelets, which are necessary for clotting, and the white blood cells, which fight infection.

The canavanine in alfalfa seeds has also been linked to systemic lupus erythematosus, a serious inflammatory disease that can attack many organs, particularly the kidneys. Alfalfa seeds have reactivated the disease in some people who were in remission, according to a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Another study showed the seeds actually induce lupus in monkeys Anyone with lupus should stay away from alfalfa seeds.

Alfalfa also contains saponins, chemicals that may destroy red blood cells and-at least theoretically-cause anemia. Because of this, some herb critics warn against ingesting alfalfa (and the many other healing herbs that contain saponins) in any form. Such dire warnings seem unjustified. For otherwise healthy, nonpregnant, nonnursing adults, alfalfa is considered safe in amounts typically recommended. There have been no reports of otherwise healthy people developing anemia from using recommended amounts of healing herbs containing saponins. However, anyone with anemia should use this herb only with his doctor’s approval, if at all

Leaf It Be

Alfalfa leaf is on the Food and Drug Administration’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe.

Alfalfa should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your physician If alfalfa causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less.

Effective remedies for toothaches include allspice, butternut, calendula, clove, plantain, slippery elm, tarragon, and yarrow.

Relieving pain cause by toothache can be accomplished in many ways.

Most common ‘effective’ practices include the use of allspice, butternut, calendula, clove, plantain, slippery elm, tarragon, and yarrow.

Allspice - Allspice - Dentists use eugenol as a local anesthetic for teeth and gums, and the chemical is an ingredient in the overthe-counter toothache remedies Numzident and Benzodent. Allspice oil may be applied directly to painful teeth and gums as first aid until professional care can be obtained. Take care not to swallow it.

Butternet - Native American Indians applied the inner bark of the butternut tree arround the affect tooth & gums to get relief.

The butternut tree, (Juglans Cinerea), is native to North America and thrives along rivers in well drained soil. The butternut tree may stand in some rural or suburban yards and can reach a height of 40 to 60 feet. Its bark is light gray, and both the leaves and its fruit resembles black walnuts.

The medicinal part of the butternut tree is the inner rind separated from the outer bark or the inner part of its roots.

After being dried the bark can be ground into a powder, and is considered a gentle, effective laxative. Native Americans applied the bark to the gums to alleviate tooth aches, and it is said that it works quite well for this.

Calendula - Calendula officinalis, or Pot Marigold, is a hardy annual with bright green leaves and stems tinged with yellow. The petals are delicate and are what is used in herbal medicine.

Flowers, picked when they’re newly opened, are spread out to dry, and then the petals are picked off. It is a safe and gentle herb, and is used in ointments and dressings for wounds and sores. An infusion of calendula blossoms eases toothaches and ulcers in the mouth.

Clove - Caryophyllus aromaticus, is an evergreen tree, native to the Spice Islands and the Philippines, but also grows in other tropical areas.

The medicinal part of the clove is the dried flower bud. Clove oil will stop the pain of toothache most effectively but if you don’t have the oil you can also place two whole cloves between the offending tooth and your cheek after you chewed them slightly to release their juices.

Plantain - Raw plantain leaves, crushed with salt rubbed on to them will, also help stop a toothache. Plantain is an extremely common “weed” found most anywhere. You can usually see it growing in the cracks of sidewalks and hedge rows.

In Oriental medicine, a concoction of roasted eggplant and salt, called Dentie, is widely used for toothaches.

Slippery Elm - A paste of slippery elm powder and water put into a tooth where the filling has come out, will be very helpful until one gets to the dentist.

Native to North America, particularly throughout the Applalachians, the slippery elm much like the butternut tree has its medicinal part is the inner rind separated from the outer bark. Best time to collect is in the spring while the trees are full of water. And a mouthwash made with sage or marigold and a pinch of salt, is beneficial to bleeding gums.

Tarragon - Artemisia dracunculus is a member of the same family as daisies, with small yellow flowers. From the two types of tarragon, French and Russian, and the more aromatic French variety is preferred for both cooking and medicine. An infusion of the leaves stimulates the appetite, relieves gas and colic, helps alleviate the pain of arthritis, and expels worms for the body. The fresh leaf or root, when applied to aching teeth, acts as an anesthetic until one can get to the dentist.

Yarrow - Achillea millefolium, originated in Europe and Asia, but is now naturalized throughout North America. Yarrow grows wild in fields, meadows, roadsides and open woodlands. Yarrow has the ability to stop bleeding, aids in healing wounds, and yarrow tea is also beneficial to rashes, skin ulcers and hemorrhoids. But the root of the yarrow is also an anesthetic. To relieve toothaches, apply the fresh root or leaves to the gums or teeth.

These are just a few helpful herbs one can use on aching teeth until one can get professional help.

The Herbal Bandage

Family: Compositae; (includes Daisy, Dandelion, Marigold)

Genus and Species: Achillea Millefolium

Also known as: Thousand Weed, Milfoil, Soldier’s Woundwort, Herbe Militaire, Nose Nleed, Bloodwort, Bad Man’s Plaything

Parts used: Leaves, stems, flower tops

Legend has it that during the Trojan War, Achilles stopped the bleeding of his fellow soldiers’ wounds by applying yarrow’s fernlike leaves. Scientists have discovered the mythological hero may have been right. Yarrow contains substances that may help stop bleeding and have pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties potentially helpful in wound treatment. It also appears to have potential as a digestive aid, menstrual remedy, and mild sedative.

Soldier’s Woundwort

Achilles defined yarrow’s use in herbal Healing for more than 2,500 years. Dioscorides, a physician attached to Roman legions, recommended rubbing the crushed plant on wounds. The herb’s many popular names-herbe militaire, nose bleed, soldier’s woundwort. and bloodwort-attest to its use as a blood stopper during the Middle Ages. (Wort is Old English for plant.) Perhaps from an association with brawling, yarrow also became linked to ruffians and earned the name, “bad man’s plaything.”

Around Achilles’ time, ancient Chinese physicians were also using Asian yarrow to treat inflammations, bleeding, heavy menstrual flow, and dog and snake bites. The Chinese also used yarrow in the ritual of the I Cfling, the oracle consulted to predict the future. Coins are typically used today, but the traditional way to cast the I Cfling involved dried yarrow stems.

India’s Ayurvedic physicians used yarrow to treat fevers.

Stops the Bleeding

Herbalist John Gerard recommended yarrow for “swellings. of the privie parts.” In the 17th century, John Parkinson advised, “If it be put into the nose, assuredly it will stop the bleeding of it.” And Nicholas Culpeper wrote: “an ointment of the leaves cures wounds … restrains violent bleedings … is good for inflammations and ulcers … and is excellent for the piles [hemorrhoids].”

Colonists introduced yarrow into North America, and the Indians adopted it enthusiastically as an external treatment for wounds and burns, and internally to treat colds, sore throat, arthritis, toothache, insomnia, and indigestion.

The 19th-century Eclectics considered yarrow a “tonic upon the venous system,” but downplayed its age-old role in wound treatment. Their text, King’s American Dispensatory, recommended it for bloody urine (hematuria), incontinence, hemorrhoids, menstrual cramps, diarrhea, dysentery, and “hemorrhage where the bleeding is small in amount.”

Contemporary herbalist Steven Foster recommends yarrow as “an herbal Band-Aid.” Other herbalists prescribe yarrow for fevers, urinary tract infections, and as a digestive aid.

If Achilles had had some yarrow on hand when his vulnerable heel was wounded, he might have survived the Trojan War.

Wound Treatment - Yarrow contains many chemicals that support its traditional use in wound treatment. Two-achilletin and achilleine-spur blood coagulation. Several-azulene. camphor, chamazulene. eugenol, menthol, quercetin, rutin, and salicylic acid-have anti-inflammatory and painrelieving action. Several others-tannins, terpeniol, and cineol-are antiseptic.

Digestive Aid - Yarrow contains a chemical also present in chamomile and chamazulene. that helps relax the smooth muscle tissue of the digestive tract, making itan antispasmodic. Scientists do not consider yarrow’s digestive action as potent as chamomile’s, however.

Women’s Health - Antispasmodics relax not only the digestive tract but other smooth muscles, such as the uterus, as well, lending some credence to yarrow’s use in treating menstrual cramps.

Tranquilizer, Sedative - Yarrow also contains a small amount of a hypnotic chemical, thujone. the effects of which have been compared to marijuana. The thujone in yarrow may account for its traditional use as a sedative. In large amounts, thujone is poisonous, but recommended amounts of yarrow do not contain enough to cause harm.

Intriguing Possibility - Two animal studies show yarrow protects the liver from toxic chemical damage. And a scientifically conducted trial in India showed yarrow helps treat hepatitis. If you have liver disease, ask your physician about using yarrow in addition to standard therapies.

Rx for Yarrow

For wound treatment, press fresh leaves and flower tops into cuts and scrapes on the way to washing and bandaging them.

For a possible tranquilizing infusion to help aid digestion or help treat menstrual cramps, use I to 2 teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 15 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day. Yarrow tastes tangy and bitter with some astringency. To improve flavor, add honey, sugar, or lemon, or mix it with an herbal beverage blend.

To help promote healing, apply it externally to clean wounds and inflammations.

In a tincture, use ½ to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day. Medicinal yarrow preparations should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

High doses of yarrow may turn urine dark brown. Do not become alarmed.

The medical literature contains no reports of harm from yarrow; however, those allergic to ragweed might develop a rash.

Thujone-free extracts of yarrow are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in beverages. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults, yarrow is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.

Yarrow should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If yarrow causes minor discomforts, such as a rash or diarrhea, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Fuzzy Plant Is Easy to Grow

Yarrow is an attractive 3-foot perennial covered with delicate hairs. Its feathery leaves are divided into what seem like thousands of tiny leaflets, hence its names, thousand weed and milfoil. a corruption of the French term for 1,000 leaves, mille feuille. Yarrow’s numerous, tiny, white flowers develop in dense clusters on flat-topped, umbrella-like stalks in summer.

Yarrow grows easily from seeds or root divisions planted in spring or fall. Sow seeds just under the surface of fine soil and keep them moist until they germinate, usually within two weeks. Thin seedlings to 12-inch spacing. Yarrow adapts to many soil types but needs good drainage and does best in moderately rich soil under full sun. Divide plants every few years to keep them growing vigorously.

Harvest yarrow when the plants are in bloom. Hang them to dry.

The Herb Even Doctors Use

Family: Hamamelidaceae; Witch Hazel is only member

Genus and Species: Hamamelis Virginiana

Also known as: Winterbloom, Snapping Hazelnut, Hamamelis

Parts used: Leaves, bark

Next time a friend or relative pooh-poohs herbal Healing, ask what they think of witch hazel. The clear, pungent liquid extract of this bushy herb is a standard home remedy for cuts, bruises, hemorrhoids, and sore muscles. More than one million gallons of witch hazel are sold each year in the United States, making it one of the nation’s most widely used Healing herbs. But ironically, commercial witch hazel’s effectiveness is a matter of considerable debate.

Nothing to Do with Witches

The “hazel” in this herb’s name comes from its similarity to the common hazelnut. As for the “witch,” some say early colonists used the shrub to make brooms, witches’ favorite form of transportation. Others trace it to witch hazel’s winter flowering and the loud “pop” when it disperses its seeds, supposedly evidence of occult influence. Still others claim the shrub’s forked branches were used by dousers looking for water, and that dousing was once associated with witchcraft.

The fact is, this herb’s name has nothing to do with witchcraft. In medieval Middle English, witch had another meaning. It was spelled wfJCFI or wyche, and meant pliant or flexible. Witch hazel’s branches are, indeed, flexible-so springy, in fact, the Indians used them to make bows.

Soothes Those Sores

Witch hazel was highly valued in Indian medicine. Many tribes rubbed a decoction on cuts, bruises, insect bites, aching joints, sore muscles, and sore backs. They also drank witch hazel tea to stop internal bleeding, prevent miscarriage, and treat colds, fevers, sore throat, and menstrual pain.

The colonists adopted witch hazel’s Indian uses, but the herb remained a folk remedy until the 1840s, when an Oneida medicine man introduced the plant to one Theron T. Pond of Utica, New York. Pond learned of the plant’s astringent properties and ability to treat burns, boils, wounds, and hemorrhoids. In 1848, he began marketing witch hazel extract as Pond’s Golden Treasure. Later, the name was changed to Pond’s Extract, which became a big hit, and witch hazel water has been with us ever since.

Controversy Brews

Early witch hazel water was simply a strained decoction of the shrub’s leaves and twigs that contained tannins, which made the extract highly astringent. But by the late 19th century, manufacturers switched to steam distillation, a simpler process but one that left the resulting water with little if any tannin. That’s when the controversy erupted.

The Eclectic text, King’s American Dispensatory, asserted: “The decoction is very useful in hemorrhage, diarrhea, dysentery, swellings, inflammations, tumors, hemorrhoids, epistaxis [nosebleed], and uterine hemorrhage following delivery … [however] since the introduction of the distilled extract [witch hazel] has been largely abandoned …. The fluid extract has little to recommend it.”

Nonetheless, witch hazel was listed as an astringent and anti-inflammatory in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia from 1862 through 1916, and in the National Formulary, the pharmacists’ reference, from 1916 to 1955. The National Formulary finally dropped it because in 1947, the 24th edition of The Dispensatory of the United States stated witch hazel: “is so nearly destitute of medicinal virtues, it scarcely deserves official recognition … I Its continued use serves only to fill I the need in American families for an embrocation [liniment] which appeals to the psychic influence of faith.”

Yet today, witch hazel can be found on the shelves of every pharmacy.

Contemporary herbalists sidestep the controversy by recommending only the decoction of witch hazel bark, which contains astringent tannins. They are unanimous in their praise of this herb’s cooling, astringent action when used externally for cuts, burns, scalds, bruises, inflammations, and hemorrhoids. They recommend it as a gargle for sore throat and sores in the mouth, and internally to treat diarrhea.

Wouldn’t it be ironic if this widely used herbal remedy turned out to be worthless? Fortunately that does not appear to be the case.

Astringent - Witch hazel leaves, twigs, and bark contain fairly high concentrations of tannins, and a Belgian animal study showed it constricts blood vessels, supporting its longtime use as an astringent.

Commercial witch hazel water may not contain tannins, but it does contain other chemicals with reported antiseptic, anesthetic, astringent. and anti-inflammatory action. Witch hazel water is an ingredient in Tucks, Preparation H Cleansing Pads, and several German hemorrhoid preparations.

Rx for Witch Hazel

For an astringent decoction, boil I teaspoon of powdered leaves or twigs per cup of water for 10 minutes. Strain and cool. Apply directly or mix into an ointment.

For a bitter, astringent gargle, use I teaspoon of bark per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes and strain.

Witch hazel may be used externally on anyone, but dilute it for use on children under age 2.

The medical literature contains no reports of harm from using witch hazel externally or as a gargle.

For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults, witch hazel is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.

If witch hazel causes minor discomforts, such as skin irritation, dilute it or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Colorful Winter Bloomer

Witch hazel’s Latin name refers to Virginia, but the shrub grows all over the eastern United States. Most commercial witch hazel is grown in the Carolinas and Tennessee.

Witch hazel is a perennial that drops its leaves each autumn. Its single root sends up several twisting stems that fork into many flexible, hairy branches. Witch hazel blooms long after most other flowers have disappeared, depending on location, from September to December. hence the name winterbloom.

The shrub’s spidery yellow flowers appear at the same time its previous year’s fruits mature. Its woody seed pods burst open with an audible pop and propel their two hard black seeds up to 25 feet. The seeds are edible and have been compared to hazelnuts, hence the name snapping hazelnut.

As a late-bloomer, witch hazel makes a colorful addition to any garden. Witch hazel grows from seeds or twig cuttings. Seeds should be refrigerated at around 40°F for several months before planting to encourage germination. Cuttings generally produce roots in about ten weeks. Witch hazel grows best in moist, rich, sandy, or peaty soil under partial shade but tolerates poorer soil and full sun.

Harvest the leaves and twigs anytime and dry.

Tasty Cough Syrup

Family: Rosaceae; (includes Rose, Plum, Almond, Apricot)

Genus and Species: Prunus Serotina, P. Virginiana

Also known as: Choke Cherry, Rum Cherry, Wild Black Cherry, Virginia Prune Bark

Parts used: Inner bark, root bark

Children’s cough remedies are often cherry flavored. That flavor is no accident. Since 1820, the bark of the native American wild cherry tree has been listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a phlegm-loosener (expectorant) and mild sedative. But this herb is not just kids’ stuff. It also contains a chemical similar to cyanide that might be deadly in very large amounts.

Popular Healer

Early colonists found many Indian tribes using wild cherry bark tea as a tranquilizer. sedative, and treatment for colds, coughs, diarrhea, labor pains, and other ailments. They adopted the Indian uses for the herb and also used it to treat bronchitis, pneumonia, and whooping cough.

During the 19th century, wild cherry bark ranked among the nation’s most popular botanical medicines, both by itself and as an ingredient in an enormous number of patent medicines.

Wild cherry bark was a favorite of America’s 19th-century Eclectic physicians, who considered it an excellent tranquilizer and mild sedative and a remedy for the dry, hacking cough associated with colds and flu. The Eclectics also recommended the herb as a tonic during convalescence from lengthy illnesses.

Contemporary herbalists recommend wild cherry for colds, cough, asthma, and bronchitis.

Wild cherry continues to be listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as an expectorant and mild sedative.

Cough - Only one scientific source-the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-disputes wild cherry’s value. The FDA concluded wild cherry bark “is of little if any remedial value I except I as a flavoring agent.” The FDA recognizes only one expectorant as safe and effective-guaifenesen. Ironically, many lung authorities consider guaifenesen ineffective. Try wild cherry and see if it works for you.

Tranquilizer, Sedative - In recommended doses, one chemical in this herb, hydrocyanic acid, appears to act as a mild tranquilizer and sedative. However. hydrocyanic acid is related to cyanide, and unusually large amounts are poisonous. Stick to recommended amounts.

Rx for Wild Cherry

For an infusion that may help treat cough, stress, anxiety, or insomnia, use I teaspoon of powdered bark per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day. Wild cherry has a pleasant aroma but a bitter, astringent taste; adding honey, sugar, and lemon or mixing it with an herbal beverage blend will improve flavor.

In a tincture, take ¼ to ½ teaspoon up to three times a day. Wild cherry should not be given to children under age 2.

For older children and people over 65, start with a low-strength preparation and increase strength if necessary.

Alert: Wild cherry leaves, bark, and fruit pits all contain hydrocyanic acid, which in large amounts is a cyanide-like poison. Grazing animals have been poisoned by eating large quantities of leaves, which are more toxic than the medicinal bark.

Symptoms of toxicity include spasms, twitching, and difficulty breathing and speaking. If these occur, stop using the herb and seek medical attention immediately.

The medical literature contains no reports of wild cherry bark causing problems at recommended doses. But it has been implicated in birth defects among the offspring of laboratory animals that ingested the herb while pregnant. Pregnant women should not use wild cherry bark.

Other Cautions

Wild cherry bark is included in the FDA’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults, wild cherry bark is considered relatively safe in amounts typically recommended.

Wild cherry should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If wild cherry bark causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

A Giant of a Healer

Wild cherry is one of our largest trees, often reaching 90 feet. It grows in the area bounded by Nova Scotia, Florida, Texas, and Nebraska. The trunk is covered with rough black bark, which breaks off in plates. The root bark must be peeled. Both barks are considered medicinal. and although they look different, they are both known as wild cherry bark.

Wild cherry’s oval, serrated leaves are a brilliant green The tree produces small white flowers in late spring, followed by blackish purple fruits the size of large peas.

Wild cherry grows best in fertile soil under full sun.

Authorities recommend planting saplings purchased at nurseries.

Herbalists recommend the young, thin branch bark rather than the older, thicker trunk bark. Collect it in autumn by pruning some branches and stripping them. The bark deteriorates after about a year in storage, so collect it annually.

Potent Against Pain

Family: Salicaceae; (includes Poplar)

Genus and Species: Salix Alba

Also known as: Salicin Willow

Parts used: Bark

Look at a white willow and what do you see? Most people see only a stately shade tree. But herbalists also see the potent pain reliever, aspirin. In fact, aspirin was originally created from a chemical in white willow bark, salicin, named for the herb’s genus, Salix.

From Joy to Weeping

White willow grew on the banks of the Nile, and the ancient Egyptians considered it a symbol of joy. The Hebrews adopted the beautiful tree, and in Leviticus (23:40) God commanded them to celebrate the autumn harvest festival by setting up temporary shelters covered with willow boughs: “Ye shall take … boughs of willow … and rejoice seven days.”

But the willow became a symbol of sorrow after the destruction of the first Temple in Jerusalem, which began the Jews’ Babylonian exile. Consider the willow’s transformation in Psalm 137: “By the rivers of Babylon, where we sat down, and there we wept, when we remembered Zion, upon the willows, we hanged up our harps, for they that led us there captive asked of us … song … ” Since that time, the graceful tree has been known as weeping willow.

Cools the Fire of Pain and Desire

Chinese physicians have used white willow bark to relieve pain since 500 B.C, but it took five centuries for that use to work its way to Europe. First-century Greek physician Dioscorides was the first Westerner to recommend willow bark for pain and inflammation, and his prescription did not catch on. A century later, the Roman doctor Galen recommended it only for the vague purpose of “drying up humors.”

As the centuries passed, herbalists prescribed white willow bark for many ailments, including suppression of sexual desire. Seventeenth-century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper noted: “The leaves, bark, and seed are used to stanch bleeding … stay vomiting … provoke urine … take away warts … and clear the face and skin from spots and discolourings …. The leaves bruised and boiled in wine stays the heat of lust in man or woman, and quiteextinguishes it if it be long used.” At this time, white willow was not commonly used to treat pain, but Culpeper touted the work of one Mr. Stone, who demonstrated its “great efficacy … in intermittent fever [malaria).” Culpeper concluded white willow bark “is likely to become an object worthy of … attention.”

Culpeper’s words proved prophetic. By the 18th century, white willow bark was widely used to treat all sorts of fevers, and its pain-relieving action also returned to vogue Early colonists introduced the tree into North America and found many Indian tribes using the bark of native willows to treat pain, chills, and fever.

From Salicin to Aspirin

Around 1828, French and German chemists extracted white willow bark’s active chemical, salicin. Ten years later, an Italian chemist purified the aspirin precursor, salicylic acid. Although this potent pain reliever was first discovered in white willow, chemists made the first aspirin from another herb that contains this same chemical-meadowsweet. Salicin was discovered in meadowsweet in 1839. During the mid-19th century, researchers showed both salicin and salicylic acid reduce fever and relieve pain and inflammation Unfortunately, they also have unpleasant-and potentially hazardous-side effects: nausea, diarrhea, bleeding, stomach ulceration, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and at high doses, respiratory paralysis and death.

Chemists created acetylsalicylic acid-aspirin-from salicylic acid obtained from meadowsweet. The idea was to preserve the benefits of salicylic acid while minimizing its side effects.

Aspirin eventually became the household drug of choice for a broad range of everyday ailments.

Contemporary herbalists recommend white willow bark for headache, fever, arthritis, other pain, and inflammations.

Contrary to Culpeper, white willow bark won’t cure malaria, but it is indeed herbal “aspirin.” It contains more salleylates than meadowsweet, making it a more potent natural healer.

Fever, Pain, Inflammation - Try white willow any time you think you need aspirin. Aspirin is a more concentrated source of the active chemicals in the herb (salicylates), so don’t expect the herb to be as effective.

Women’s Health - Like aspirin, white willow contains enough salicylate to suppress he action of chemicals called prostaglandins, which are involved in menstrual cramps.

Pregnant women should not use white willow, however. In animal studies, aspirin is associated with an increased risk of birth defects. The herb is not as powerful, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Intriguing Possibility - One laboratory study suggested white willow may reduce blood sugar (glucose), but the herb’s effect on human diabetes, if any, remains unclear.

Rx for White Willow

For a pain-, fever-. and inflammation-relieving infusion, soak I teaspoon of powdered bark per cup of cold water for 8 hours. Strain. Drink up to 3 cups a day. White willow tastes bitter and astringent Add honey and lemon, or mix it with an herbal beverage tea.

White willow should not be given to children under age 2 or to those under 16 with a cold, flu, or chicken pox. For other children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

Aspirin upsets some people’s stomachs, but most herbalists say white willow bark rarely causes this problem. If stomach upset, nausea, or tinnitus develop, reduce your dose or stop using the herb.

Those with chronic gastrointestinal conditions, such as ulcers and gastritis, should not use this herb.

When children under 16 with colds, flu, or chicken pox take aspirin, they are at risk for Reye’s syndrome-a potentially fatal condition involving the brain, liver, and kidneys. White willow has never been linked to Reye’s syndrome, but because of it’s aspirin-like action, do not give it to children with colds, flu, or chicken pox.

Other Cautions

For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults who do not have ulcers or gastritis and are not taking other salicylate medications, white willow bark is considered relatively safe in amounts typically recommended.

White willow should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. Ifwhite willow causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or ringing in the ears, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

A Harvest of Willow

Throughout history, many of the 500 willow species have been used in herbal Healing, but for the last 200 years only white willow has been commonly used. It reaches 75 feet and has rough, grayish brown bark, and long, thin leaves on flexible branches, which give the tree a graceful beauty.

White willows grow in almost any moist garden soil under full sun. Buy saplings at nurseries or propagate them from first-year branches several feet in length rooted in water or from foot-long hardwood cuttings taken in spring or fall and rooted the same way. Do not transplant willows. Willows grow quickly and must be pruned regularly.

Harvest the bark from older branches during pruning and dry.

Joy of a Healer

Family: Verbenaceae; (includes Teak, Lantana)

Genus and Species: Verbena Officinalis (European); V. Hastata (American)

Also known as: Simpler’s Joy, Blue Vervain, Verbena, Herb-of-the-cross, Enchanter’s Herb, Indian Hyssop

Parts used: Leaves, flowers, roots

During the Middle Ages, Healing herbs were often called simples, and herbalists simplers. Vervain was prescribed so frequently for so many conditions, it became known as simpler’s joy. The name has some basis in fact. Vervain appears to act like a mild aspirin, helping to relieve minor pains and inflammations.

Herb-of-the-Cross

In Egyptian mythology, vervain grew from the tears of Isis, goddess of fertility, as she grieved for her murdered brother-husband, Osiris. A thousand years later, vervain entered Christian mythology as the herb pressed into Christ’s wounds to stanch his bleeding, hence its name herb-of-the-cross.

Hippocrates recommended vervain for fever and plague.

The court physician to Roman Emperor Theodosius the Great prescribed it for tumors of the throat (probably goiters). His fanciful prescription advised cutting vervain root into two pieces, tying one around the patient’s throat and hanging the other over a fire. As the heat and smoke shriveled the hanging root, the tumor was supposed to shrink.

The Romans spread vervain throughout Europe, where it became especially popular among the Druids of pre-Christian England, who used it in magic spells, hence its name enchanter’s herb.

German abbess/herbalist Hildegard of Bingen prescribed a decoction of vervain and vermouth for “toxic blood [infections], toothache, [and] discharges from the brain to the teeth.”

Our word vervain comes from the Celtic ferfaen-from fer, to drive away, and faen, a stone-a reference to its traditional use in treating kidney stones.

Medieval Acne Treatment

During the Middle Ages, vervain became a popular acne remedy. Those with pimples stood outside at night holding a handful of the herb wrapped in a cloth. When a shooting star passed, they rubbed the cloth over their pimples and the blemishes were supposed to disappear.

From acne, vervain evolved into a treatment for other skin problems. Seventeenth-century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper wrote: “The leaves bruised, or the juice mixed with vinegar, does wonderfully cleanse the skin, and take away morphew [dandruff)." Culpeper also recommended vervain to treat jaundice, gout, cough, wheezing, bleeding gums, shortness of breath, fever, plague, gravel (kidney stones), dropsy (congestive heart failure), and "used with hog grease, it helps with swellings and pains of the secret parts [genitals].”

Remedy for War Wounds

Colonists introduced European vervain into North America, and it quickly went wild. They also found the Indians using native American vervain, also known as Indian hyssop, to treat fever and gastrointestinal complaints and to clear cloudy urine.

During the Revolutionary War, military physicians used vervain extensively to relieve pain, loosen bronchial mucus, and induce vomiting. More than a century later, the Eclectics recommended it for fever, colds, cough, intestinal worms, menstrual irregularity, bruises, and as a tonic “during convalescence from acute diseases.”

Contemporary herbalists recommend vervain as a tranquilizer, expectorant, menstruation promoter, and treatment for headache, fever, depression, seizures, wounds, dental cavities, and gum disease.

When in doubt, physicians often say, “Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.” An herbalist might say the same thing, substituting vervain for aspirin. No wonder they called this herb simpler’s joy.

Pain and Inflammation Relief - Chemically, vervain is quite different from aspirin, but German and Japanese studies suggest it has similar effects, combining mild pain relief with some ability to reduce inflammation. These findings support its traditional use in treating headache, toothache, and wounds.

Laxative - One study suggests the herb also has a mild laxative effect.

Myth - Vervain has never been shown to treat dandruff, induce vomiting, promote menstruation, remove a kidney stone, or do anything except provide mild pain relief.

Rx for Vervain

For a very bitter infusion to help treat headache, mild arthritis, and other minor pains, use 2 teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 15 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day. Mask vervain’s bitterness with sugar, honey, and lemon, or mix it with an herbal beverage tea.

In a tincture, use ½ to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day. Medicinal doses of these herbs should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with a low-strength preparation and increase strength if necessary.

European animal studies show vervain depresses heart rate, constricts the bronchial passages, and stimulates the intestine and uterus. Because it may depress heart rate, anyone with congestive heart failure or a history of heart disease should not use it. The possibility of bronchial constriction might cause problems for asthmatics and those with other respiratory conditions. Intestinal stimulation might aggravate chronic gastrointestinal conditions, for example, colitis. And pregnant women should steer clear of vervain because of its possible stimulating effect on the uterus-except possibly at term and under the supervision of a physician to help induce labor.

Other Cautions

Although both vervain species have similar effects, the Food and Drug Administration includes V. officinalis among herbs generally regarded as safe but considers V. hastata an herb of “undefined safety.” For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults who do not have a history of heart disease or asthma, both vervains are considered relatively safe in amounts typically recommended.

Vervain should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If vervain causes minor discomforts, such as stomach or intestinal distress, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Pain-Free Harvest

Vervain is a 3-foot perennial with thin, erect, stiff stems. its opposite leaves are oblong and toothed near the ground and lance-shaped and deeply lobed higher up. The plant develops slender flower spikes that bear small blue or lilac flowers from early summer through midautumn. The herb’s bluish flowers gave it the name blue vervain.

Vervain grows easily from seeds planted in spring after frost danger has passed. Although it’s a perennial, this herb is rather short-lived; however, it self-sows. Vervain prefers rich, moist loam under full sun.

Harvest the leaves and flower tops as the plants flower.

You’re Getting Sleepy …

Family: Valerianaceae; (includes Spikenard, Jacob’s Ladder)

Genus and Species: Valeriana officinalis

Also known as: Garden valerian, Phu, All-heal

Parts used: Rhizome and root

Back in the 13th century, the elders of Hamelin, Germany, decided to rid their town of rats. They contracted with an itinerant flute player, one Pied Piper, whose music attracted the rodents, allowing him to lead them out of town. But when the Pied Piper returned for his fee, the elders of Hamelin refused to pay him. In revenge, he used his flute to charm Hamelin’s children away forever.

In modern versions of this story, the Pied Piper’s powers are entirely musical. But early German folklore credits him with being an accomplished herbalist as well. In addition to his hypnotic flute playing, the Pied Piper charmed both the rats and the children with hypnotic valerian root. (Valerian can. indeed, charm rats-and cats. It contains chemicals similar to those in catnip.)

Fu Means P-U

Valerian has a disagreeable odor, and ancient Greek and Roman authorities, including Dioscorides. Pliny, and Galen all called it fu. The term Valeriana first appeared around the 10th century, derived from the Latin valere, to be strong.

Dioscorides recommended valerian as a diuretic and antidote to poisons. Pliny considered it a pain reliever. Galen prescribed it as a decongestant. By the time the plant’s name became valerian, early European herbalists considered it a panacea and also called it all-heal. The German abbess/herbalist Hildegard of Bingen recommended the herb as a tranquilizer and sleep aid about 100 years before the Pied Piper used it as a hypnotic.

For Epilepsy and Plague

During the late 1500s, valerian’s popularity grew after an Italian physician claimed he cured himself of epilepsy using it. In 1597, herbalist John Gerard wrote that in Scotland “no broth or physic [medicine] … be worth anything” if it did not include valerian. Gerard recommended the herb enthusiastically for chest congestion, convulsions, bruises, and falls.

Seventeenth-century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper added several recommendations: “The decoction of the root … is of special virtue against the plague. [It] provokes women’s courses [menstruation] … is singularly good for those troubled with cough … is excellent [for] any sores, hurts, or wounds … “Later, European herbalists considered the herb a digestive aid and treatment for “hysteria” (menstrual discomforts).

Tranquilizer Par Excellence

Early colonists discovered several Indian tribes using the pulverized roots of native American valerian to treat wounds. Indian use of the herb brought it to the attention of Samuel Thomson, the founder of Thomsonian medicine, which was popular before the Civil War. Thomson called valerian “the best nervine [tranquilizer] known.”

Valerian entered the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a tranquilizer in 1820 and remained there until 1942. It was listed in the National Formulary, the pharmacists’ guide, until 1950.

The 19th-century Eclectics prescribed it as a “calmative … for epilepsy .. mild spasmodic affections … [and] hypochondria.” However their text, King’s American Dispensatory, warned against using large doses because they caused “restlessness, agitation, giddiness, nausea, and visual illusions.”

During World War I, Europeans afflicted with “overwrought nerves” from artillery bombardment frequently took valerian.

Contemporary herbalists generally agree with David Hoffmann’s Holistic Herbal, which calls valerian “one of the most useful relaxing herbs.” Today’s herbalists recommend it for nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, headache, and intestinal cramps.

In West Germany, where herbal medicine is considerably more mainstream than it is in the United States, valerian is the active ingredient in more than 100 over-the-counter tranquilizers and sleep aids, some of which are specially formulated for children, a use the Pied Piper would probably endorse.

All parts of valerian contain chemicals that appear to have sedative properties known as valepotriates, but they occur in highest concentration in the roots. The valepotriates are insoluble in water. Many valerian sleep aids are water-based, meaning they cannot contain more than traces of these chemicals, leading some herb critics to dismiss valerian as worthless.

But in 1981, researchers discovered several water-soluble chemicals with apparent sedative properties in valerian, supporting the herb’s age-old use as a tranquilizer and sleep aid.

Sedative. In one experiment, researchers gave 128 insomnia sufferers either 400 milligrams of valerian root extract or a look-alike placebo. Those taking the herb showed significant improvement in sleep quality without morning grogginess. Other experiments have produced similar results.

Some researchers have compared valerian to benzodiazepines such as Valium. However, valerian is a much milder and safer sedative.

• Valium can become an addictive drug. Regular users may develop a tolerance and require increasing amounts to obtain the desired effect. When the drug is withdrawn, they may develop withdrawal symptoms including restlessness, insomnia, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Although a psychological dependence may develop, valerian is not addictive and discontinuation produces no withdrawal symptoms.
• Valium’s effects are exaggerated by simultaneous use of alcohol and barbiturates. The combination is often used in suicide attempts. Valerian’s sedative effect is not significantly exaggerated by alcohol and barbiturates.
• Valium often causes morning grogginess. Unusually large amounts of valerian may cause morning grogginess, but recommended amounts do not.
• Finally, children born to women who used Valium while pregnant suffer an increased risk of cleft palate. Valerian has not been linked to birth defects.

Blood Pressure - Animal studies show valerian reduces blood pressure Animal results do not necessarily apply to people, but if you have high blood pressure get your physician’s approval and supervision before incorporating it into your overall treatment plan.

Intriguing Possibilities - Animal studies suggest valerian has anticonvulsant effects, lending some credence to its traditional use in treating epilepsy.

And several reports show the herb has some anti-tumor effects similar to those of nitrogen mustard. One day it may play some role in cancer treatment.

Rx for Valerian

For a potential sedative infusion that might also help reduce blood pressure, use 2 teaspoons of powdered root per cup of water. Steep 10 to 15 minutes. Drink 1 cup before bed. Valerian tastes unpleasant. Add sugar, honey, and lemon, or mix it with an herbal beverage blend to improve flavor.

In a tincture, take ½ to 1 teaspoon before bed.

Valerian should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.