Herbs and Herbal Supplements

[hallenrm]

Here yet another very useful herb it is called Licorice

 

Licorice Root (Glandular) has a long history of use by cultures throughout the world, including the Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese and Hindus. It grows wild in southern and central Europe and is extensively cultivated in Russia, Spain, Persia and India. Licorice was so valued in ancient Egypt that even King Tutankhamen was buried with a supply. Licorice is widely used as a flavoring, not only for candy (although most modern licorice candies are flavored with anise) but also in cough drops, syrups, tonics and laxatives. It flavors certain kinds of beer, frozen dairy desserts, gelatins, puddings and meat products. The sweet root can be chewed as a special treat.

 

Licorice is included in most Chinese herb combinations to balance the other herbs and to promote vitality. It is a source of magnesium, silicon and thiamine. Nature’s Sunshine offers it in three forms for varying needs, including liquid extract -- especially for those who have difficulty swallowing capsules. Each capsule contains 396 mg licorice root (ATC concentrated 410 mg). Herbal extracts are rapidly assimilated in the body and can be taken in liquid or under the tongue.

 

Take 2 capsules with a meal three times daily; ATC concentrated, take 1 capsule with a meal twice daily; liquid, take 20-25 drops with water three times daily.

[Racoon]

Here yet another very useful herb it is called Licorice

 

Licorice Root (Glandular) has a long history of use by cultures throughout the world, including the Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese and Hindus. It grows wild in southern and central Europe and is extensively cultivated in Russia, Spain, Persia and India. Licorice was so valued in ancient Egypt that even King Tutankhamen was buried with a supply. Licorice is widely used as a flavoring,

 

Licorice is included in most Chinese herb combinations to balance the other herbs and to promote vitality. It is a source of magnesium, silicon and thiamine.

 

Great post Hallen. :lol:

 

[Michaelangelica]

A nice article about chickweed

http://www.saanichnews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=28&cat=46&id=749423&more=

[Racoon]

I haven't much on this herb, so I looked it up some.

Its a traditional remedy for respiratory tract infections and digestive problems

 

Elecampane (Idula helenium)

more information: http://www.purplesage.org.uk/profiles/elecampane.htm

 

Parts used: dried roots and rhizome

 

Collection: The rhizomes should be collected from plants which are at least two years old in September or October, after the stem has died back. If the flowers are cut off in the summer, the rhizomes will be allowed to develop.

 

Constituents: Sesquiterpene lactones (mainly alantolactone, isoalantolactone), triterpenoid saponins, sterols (sitosterol, stigmasterol), volatile oil (helenin, including camphor, alantol, alantoic acid, alantolactone), a thymol derivative, bitter principles (possibly including dammaradienol, stigmasterol, friedlin), possible alkaloid, inulin (up to 44% in autumn and 20% in spring), resin, pectin, mucilage. On steam distillation it yields 1-3% of a crystalline mass (helenin) with a little oil containing alantol.

 

Actions: Stimulating expectorant, antitussive, sedative, anthelmintic, diaphoretic, stomachic, bactericidal, antifungal, antiparasitic, relaxant, warming, tonic, alterative, diuretic

 

Indications: Bronchial or tracheal catarrh, cough of pulmonary tuberculosis, irritating cough in children. Specifically indicated in the irritating cough of bronchitis, especially in children.

 

 

 

 

[hallenrm]

Ashwagandha

 

This word in Sanskrit means "horse's smell", probably originating from the odor of its root which resembles that of sweaty horse. The species name somnifera means "sleep-bearing" in Latin, indicating it was considered a sedative, but it has been also used for sexual vitality and as an adaptogen. Some herbalists refer to ashwagandha as Indian ginseng, since it is used in ayurvedic medicine in a way similar to that ginseng is used in traditional Chinese medicine.

 

 

All parts of the plant are used in herbal medicine. In Ayurveda, the fresh roots are sometimes boiled in milk, prior to drying, in order to leach out undesirable constituents. The berries are used as a substitute for rennet, to coagulate milk in cheese making.

[Racoon]

Revisiting Parsley

 

 

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=100

 

The delicious and vibrant taste and wonderful healing properties of parsley are often ignored in its popular role as a table garnish. Highly nutritious, parsley can be found year round in your local supermarket.

 

Parsley is the world's most popular herb. It derives its name from the Greek word meaning "rock celery" (parsley is a relative to celery). It is a biennial plant that will return to the garden year after year once it is established.

 

 

 

:hyper:

Parsley has grown very well for me... it prefers a bit of shade, and makes a great container herb.

[Chacmool]

Parsley is the world's most popular herb. It derives its name from the Greek word meaning "rock celery" (parsley is a relative to celery).

My pet rabbit's favourite foods were parsley and celery. No wonder he was so happy and healthy! :cocktail:

[Racoon]

Sage Its pretty easy to grow and there are a lot of variagated sages. The leaves feel kind of 'velvety'... It makes an easy and nice container herb.

 

--->> Sage Profile

 

http://www.herbsociety.org.uk/schools/factsheets/sage.htm

 

 

The Common Sage, the familiar plant of the kitchen garden, is an evergreen undershrub, not a native of these islands, its natural habitat being the northern shores of the Mediterranean. It has been cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes for many centuries in England, France and Germany, being sufficiently hardy to stand any ordinary winter outside. Gerard mentions it as being in 1597 a well-known herb in English gardens, several varieties growing in his own garden at Holborn.

 

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/sages-05.html

[Michaelangelica]

This article, on traditional African medicine, may be of interest

Mali's traditional healers unlock herbal cures

Nick Tattersall | Bamako. Mali

29 November 2006 10:15

Bourama Soumaoro's pharmacy looks much like any other, packets of pills in glass cabinets and jars of powder to fight everything from toothache to dysentery. But nowhere in the doctor's small shop in Mali's capital Bamako is there a chemically manufactured drug.

 

Soumaoro's remedies are made exclusively from ground-up local plants, the exact mixture based on knowledge passed down through the generations by traditional village healers.

 

"Culturally, we're born into traditional medicine rather than Western medicine. From being babies, our mothers take us to traditional healers to clean us and cure us with plants," Soumaoro told Reuters.

 

"The story of modern medicine is foreign to our culture."

here

http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=291644&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/

and here!

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L16899669.htm

[Michaelangelica]

Sage Its pretty easy to grow and there are a lot of variegated sages. The leaves feel kind of 'velvety'... It makes an easy and nice container herb.

 

I have trouble growing sage. It does not like my humid summers (Zone 9 probably, in US terms). I now try to keep it dry in a terracotta pot and have been experimenting with cactus potting mixes!

The best sages I ever saw were in a herb farm in the Riverina area of NSW. Annual Rainfall 6" or so. They were a metre and a half wide and up to a metre tall. Mind boggling. Usually I am lucky to get it to fill a pot.

 

I love sage pesto, when i have enough! It is as nice as basil pesto and as easy to make.

 

The Chinese saw sage as a longevity herb. They used what they called "Red Sage" which is probably the bottom photo (above). :thumbs_do:

Interestingly an old English saying goes along the lines

"He that would eat sage in May

Will live for aye."

He that will eat sage in spring will live long.

In vitro tests of sage were done to see if it had any effect on human cells. It didn't. Then one day a researcher happened to get some flowing bunches (in spring?) and found that the extract slowed down the growth process of cells.

 

Sage is supposed to help thought processes. People who drank sage tea were intillegent so therfore "sages" :smart:

 

Sage is supposed to help the body break down fat.

This is why it was used in traditional "Sage and Onion" (a la Beatrix Potter- Jemima Puddleduck) stuffing in goose and duck.

 

The Chinese are not dumb when it comes to herbs. They used to swap the English 10Lb of Tea (Camellia sinensus) for 1lb of sage. Both sides thought they were getting the better deal! :pirate: :money:

 

I use sage tea for sore throats (along with a little lemon thyme a violet leaf, a comfrey leaf and a bit of oregano). it is a very effective remedy. ;)

 

I tried this year too grow some sages from Rhichters (sp?) that were supposed to grow well in zone 9. I didn't get one plant up so am about to write to them. Usually their seeds are reliable.

 

Has anyone grown the American Indian Sage that was used to purify living spaces? :angel:

 

Thanks Racoon for reminding me about this facinating herb

michael

[Michaelangelica]

This is an unusual way of eating Basil.

I thought it was Indian but this comes form a Thai web site.

 

I have never tried it has anyone else?

 

I know if you leave basil to self-seed, often you will loose the seeds to ants. So perhaps the covering that forms when the seed is wet is tasty to ants?

 

You would have to make sure any seed you purchased was not treated with fungacides etc

 

This is an unusual cold Thai drink available in cans, but here we make it fresh. It looks like frog spawn, but don't let that put you off, those little gelatin lumps with black centres are actually Thai basil seeds.

Thai basil has a smaller leaf than you see in Italian cooking, but the seeds are widely available.

When you add water the seed swells into small soft balls and these give an unusual texture to the drink

. The traditional flavouring is rose water, but you can flavour it with vanilla or peppermint essence if you prefer, or try adding the seeds to Iced Tea for tea with texture!

Recipe here:

Appon's Thai Food Recipes: Thai Basil Seed Drink (Nam Manglak)

[wine]

Hello fellas.

Should I not take 3mg of Melatonin every other night along with Valerian?

 

They definitely make my dreams more vivid, and strange

and I enjoy taking them, but eh

how do they affect my body negatively?

Any info will be much appreciated.

[Racoon]

Hello fellas.

Should I not take 3mg of Melatonin every other night along with Valerian?

 

They definitely make my dreams more vivid, and strange

and I enjoy taking them, but eh

how do they affect my body negatively?

Any info will be much appreciated.

 

Hello Wine,

 

Valerian is good for sleeping, but I'm unsure how much more it will enhance the vividness of your dreams?

 

posts #25-27 there were a few tidbits. --> http://hypography.com/forums/medical-science/4793-herbs-herbal-supplements-3.html?highlight=valerian+root#post76993

I'll put that on the list of looking up. the plant I had growing has since been ravished. :)

 

I think it would be safe for you, so do some experimenting... B)

[Racoon]

Valerian has been used as a sleep aid for over 1,000 years. Its ability to help relax the central nervous system, promote feelings of calm, decrease levels of anxiety and stress, and enhance sleep are known to millions the world over.

 

Unlike some prescription sleep aids, valerian is not known to cause morning grogginess and is non-addictive.

 

 

Clinical research to identify the mechanism of action in Valerian suggests that its sedative and anti-anxiety effects occur as a result of direct action on the GABA neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It is believed that Valepotriates and the GABA phytochemical extracts from the root are responsible for this action.

 

Valerian is a consistent use product. Even though users report improvement in symptoms of stress or sleep difficulty within a few hours, the best results, according to some clinical studies are experienced within one to four weeks. One study suggests that Valerian should be taken daily for at least 72 hours before an improvement in sleep can be felt.

 

I tend to prefer the liquid extracts myself Wine. NOW is a local company, but usually purchase 'Herb Pharm' brand. (when I can manage to purchase them..)

 

to get an idea, a dropper bottle typically sell for about $10, and if you use it consistently, then its should last about 2-3 weeks

 

Vitamins, Minerals, Herbal Products online at Puritan's Pride

 

Hope that helps some ol' chap B)

[wine]

Yes thank you very much.

[maikeru]

This is an unusual way of eating Basil.

I thought it was Indian but this comes form a Thai web site.

 

I have never tried it has anyone else?

 

I know if you leave basil to self-seed, often you will loose the seeds to ants. So perhaps the covering that forms when the seed is wet is tasty to ants?

 

You would have to make sure any seed you purchased was not treated with fungacides etc

 

 

Recipe here:

Appon's Thai Food Recipes: Thai Basil Seed Drink (Nam Manglak)

 

I have tried it recently. The one I drank was kind of minty. It's weird, because they're almost like tapioca pearls (very common in Tawainese drinks) but not quite. We carry it at my folks' foreign grocery store.

[Michaelangelica]

Hello fellas.

Should I not take 3mg of Melatonin every other night along with Valerian?

Who knows?

Want to do a double-blind clinical study and let us know?

 

Valerian is a pretty innocuous, calming herb.

.

I don't know anything about Melatonin.

Isn't it taken to help Jet-Lag?