All Healing Herbs

Also called helonias root; almost exclusively used as a toner and restorative for women’s reproductive system and its functions; use to balance the reproductive hormones, strengthen the position of bladder and uterus in the body, prevent and heal prolapsed uterus and bladder, feeling of dragging heaviness in the pelvis; strengthens and protects the ovaries, stimulates ovarian hormones, increases fertility, restores fertility and cycles after coming off the Pill; regulates the menstrual cycle, PMS, irregular menses, painful menses, hormonal depression, and irritability; use for morning sickness in pregnancy, threatened miscarriage, or for women with past miscarriages; use as recovery tonic after childbirth; restores uterine tone; helpful for menopausal symptoms, hormone replacement after early hysterectomy, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, fibroid tumors, vaginal infections, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory dis-ease, urinary incontinence; also a diuretic for cystitis, toner for the liver and kidneys; expels worms, relieves coughs (chewed), heals indigestion, nausea, lack of appetite; use for male impotence and prostate dis-ease. Uterine tonic, diuretic, emetic, menstrual healer. May cause vomiting if overdosed or overused but considered safe; use in pregnancy with expert advice; no listed drug interactions.

Used since the Middle Ages primarily for treatment of the eyes and vision; also an herbal antibacterial related to chamomile and goldenseal but less potent; use internally and externally; make a tea of 1 teaspoon of herb to a cup of boiled water, use the strained cooled-to-body-temperature tea as an eyewash and drink the rest; eyebright tea bags—cooled to body temperature—can be used as an eye poultice; strengthens sight, aids weakness of the eyes, eyestrain, all eye irritations and swellings, sties, conjunctivitis, blepharitis (inflamed eyelids), redness, watery eyes, oversensitivity to light, aging eyes, and all eye discomforts; said to restore vision; often mixed with goldenseal for eyewashes; use three to four times a day; use also for upper respiratory system colds and infections, irritation of upper respiratory mucous membranes, bronchitis, coughs (can be smoked), sinusitis, nose, throat, esophagus, allergies, and hay fever; reduces mucus, tightens mucous membranes, reduces runny nose, aids headaches, strengthens memory and thinking ability; also use for herpes sores, running eczema sores, skin wounds. Antibacterial, antioxidant, antimucus, anti-inflammatory, astringent. Side effects include confusion, nausea, sweating, pressure in the eye, itchy eyes, tearing, light sensitivity, swollen eyelids, vision changes; some people who are allergic to ragweed may be allergic to eyebright; preparations for use in the eye should be made and kept as sterile as possible; not recommended after eye surgeries; no known drug interactions.

Known best in oil form, usually taken in capsules (2 capsules three times per day); primary constituents in evening primrose oil are gamma-linolenic acid and omega-6 essential fatty acid; use internally and externally for all skin irritations and dis-eases, eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, wounds and bruises, skin sores and fatigue in AIDS patients; female reproductive hormone balancer for menopausal symptoms, hot flashes, osteoporosis; use for high blood pressure, high cholesterol; prevents blood clots, prevents strokes and heart attacks, may be anticancer; use for PMS, breast cysts, breast cancer, breast soreness (mastitis, menstrual soreness), infertility, preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy); prevents premature childbirth and postnatal depression; eases labor pain during childbirth; prevents and heals nerve damage of all kinds, including diabetic neuropathy and chemotherapy-induced nerve damage; also for rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, stomachaches, hemorrhoids, kidney stones, and bowel disorders, including colitis, Crohn’s dis-ease, and irritable bowel syndrome; promising for chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis, obesity, ADHD, schizophrenia, cystic fibrosis, hepatitis B, lupus, and alcohol withdrawal (also reduces hangovers). Hormone balancer, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant. Side effects can include contact allergy, headache, and indigestion; avoid with seizure disorders, can stimulate seizures in susceptible people; do not use with antipsychotic drugs (seizure risk), blood thinners, or aspirin.

his is the plant leaf, not the essential oil (which should never be taken internally), of the Australian gum tree; works by its strong menthol odor; common ingredient in many over-the-counter remedies for sore muscles, colds, and flu: chest rubs, cough drops, throat lozenges, toothpaste, gargles, mouthwash, steam-kettle herbs, salves, ointments, bath salts, sports liniments; leaves may be smoked as a lung decongestant and also used as a tea; decongestant and expectorant for respiratory viruses and mucus, cough, colds, flu, bronchitis, nasal congestion, fever, chronic and acute ear infections (eardrop), sinusitis, hay fever, whooping cough, pneumonia, asthma, emphysema; use in topical salves and liniments for muscle aches and pains, fungus, wound disinfecting, bad breath, and to revive someone who has fainted; lowers blood sugar and increases insulin production for diabetes treatment; digestive and urinary tract antiseptic. Antibacterial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, antiviral, antimicrobial, stimulant, aromatic. The oil is poisonous when ingested. Leaf side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; do not overuse; not for use in pregnancy or breastfeeding or for internal use by children; children under six should not use the cough drops, though steam-kettle and chest-rub use for children is safe; not for those with kidney, liver, or gastrointestinal tract inflammation, or high blood pressure; listed drug interactions are contradictory; research your medications and read package labels for safety warnings.

Use for chronic lung infections and respiratory dis-eases as an expectorant to stop coughing and to thin and expel mucus; deactivates the coughing reflex, strengthens and warms the lungs; also has antiseptic, antiviral, and antibacterial action; for colds, hacking coughs, flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, whooping cough, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary dis-ease (COPD), emphysema, tuberculosis; also for congestive heart failure with angina and shortness of breath; clears chronic discharges anywhere in the body (vaginitis, urinary) and excess mucus from the gastrointestinal tract, heals indigestion with debility, stimulates bile flow, expels intestinal worms; use for hemorrhoids, liver dis-eases, and hepatitis; brings on menses, breaks fever by promoting sweating; diuretic for water retention, PMS, bloating, edema, and urinary tract and kidney infections; aids depression; use internally and externally (poultice or compress) for skin dis-eases, scabies, impetigo, itching skin, sciatica, and neuralgia. Expectorant, diuretic, antiseptic, antiparasitic, antibacterial. Avoid if allergic to inulin (the herb’s active ingredient), ragweed, sunflowers, asters, or other daisy-family plants; side effects with overuse or overdose include vomiting, diarrhea, irritated mouth and intestinal tract, spasms, palpitations, paralysis; not for use in pregnancy or nursing, or by diabetics; no known drug interactions.

Has differing uses for flowers, leaves, and berries; the information here is for berries except where otherwise noted; the uncooked fresh plant is poisonous and the berries should not be eaten raw; major research on this herb has come from Israel; best use is for reducing the severity and length of flu and flu symptoms, and can clear colds or flu in seventy-two hours; fever, flu, diarrhea, colds, chills, bronchitis, coughs, cold sores, sore throat; high in vitamin C, induces sweating to break fevers, expels phlegm; diuretic; also used for nerve disorders, back pain, rheumatism, asthma, colic, croup; tonic for the reproductive and glandular systems; reduces intestinal inflammation; syrup dose is 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon twice a day for children, 2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons twice a day for adults; flowers used externally in skin washes, skin astringent; reduces the appearance of freckles, lightens and tones skin, heals sunburn, burns, cuts, swelling, tightens capillaries; traditional ingredient in cosmetics; use as a tea internally for hay fever, sinusitis, kidney infections, diuretic, weight loss; leaves used externally for skin tumors, bruises, sprains, wounds, frostbite, and injuries; use internally as a tincture with Saint-John’s-wort and soapwort to inhibit flu and herpes; use alone as a tea or tincture, as a diuretic for urinary and kidney infections, dropsy, edema, and constipation. Antiviral, antibiotic, antibacterial, detoxifier, diuretic, immune enhancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory. Dizziness and stupor are possible negative reactions in some people; not for use in pregnancy; no known drug interactions.

Much overused herbal antibiotic/herbal penicillin with no side effects; however, overuse can cause resistance to its benefits and lessen effectiveness; take for several days after symptoms end or the dis-ease may return; use for colds, cough, flu, pneumonia, bronchitis, sore throat, fever, infections, chronic fatigue syndrome (antiviral), gas and indigestion, cystitis, vaginal yeast infections (in a douche), ear infections; reduces inflammation and body pain; immune booster, blood cleanser, tonic; use externally for athlete’s foot, skin infections, acne, ringworm; sinus infections, hay fever, wounds that don’t heal (internally and externally), boils, burns, ulcers, eczema, venomous snakebites, toothache; traditional for mumps, measles, smallpox, arthritis (anti-inflammatory); not for long-term chronic dis-eases, including AIDS, tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis, or lupus, but may help in opportunistic infections from these dis-eases; it is in dispute whether echinacea prevents or shortens colds. Antibiotic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiprotozoa, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory. Possible side effects: diarrhea, indigestion, nausea, rash, bitter taste, tingling in mouth; should not be used with steroids or liver-toxic prescription medications.