All Healing Herbs

Cousin of the blueberry, the bilberry is the sweet, dark purple fruit of a branching shrub that seldom grows more than knee high. Ripe bilberries are a bonanza for birds and a heavenly treat for hikers to stumble upon in the forest. Most bilberries grow wild because the plants are difficult to cultivate. Given their wonderful flavor, it’s no surprise that bilberries have found their way into almost every imaginable culinary delight, from jams, pies, and tarts to sorbets, liqueurs, and wines. One Irish name for bilberry is fraughan, from the Gaelic word fraocháin. Traditionally, the berries are picked on the first Sunday in August, called Fraughan Sunday, which corresponds to an ancient Celtic harvest festival. According to legend, the more bilberries people collect on that day, the better the harvest will be. As it is a medicinal herb, bilberry has been used for centuries to control diarrhea and to improve circulation.

Therapeutic Uses

Eye health
Antioxidant
Diarrhea

Bilberry has long been consumed as both food and medicine. The fruit is enjoyed for its sweet-sour taste and eaten fresh or cooked. Bilberry fruit is also made into syrup and used to treat diarrhea and other digestive problems. This is likely due to the presence of tannins, which have astringent and anti-inflammatory activity. Germany’s health authorities still approve of the use of the dried, ripe fruit for the treatment of acute diarrhea. However, the majority of research today is focused on the potential use of bilberry fruit for the prevention of age-related diseases.

Bilberry fruit is rich in anthocyanosides, plant pigments that have been shown to act as powerful antioxidants in the body. Researchers have found that these powerhouse compounds may help protect the body from heart disease, oxidative stress, and inflammation and help preserve brain function and eye health. A growing body of evidence is linking oxidative stress, a condition associated with an increased level of free radicals and other oxidation-promoting molecules, to a number of age-related and degenerative diseases. Many fruits and vegetables help reduce oxidative stress, but it is bilberry—along with its American cousin, the blueberry—that is getting a lot of press. This berry’s anthocyanosides seem to have a particular affinity for the eye. Animal studies show that bilberry extracts protect the retina from damage. Two small double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have shown improvement in patients with diabetes- and hypertension-related retinopathy, a group of serious retinal disorders that can lead to blindness.

Researchers are also looking at the potential protective effect that bilberry extract may have on colorectal cancer. In a study conducted at the University of Leicester in England, patients with colon cancer were given a bilberry extract for 7 days, and there was a 7 percent decrease in cell growth in the tumors when they were surgically removed. This may be due to the ability of the anthocyanosides to prevent the growth of blood vessels in the tissue surrounding a solid tumor. The blood vessels are, in part, what allow the cancer to grow and spread.

How to Use

Fresh berries: 1 cup per day of fresh fruit. American blueberries can be used if bilberries are not available.

Tea: Simmer 1 tablespoon dried berries in 2 cups water for 20 minutes. Strain. Drink ½ cup every 3 to 4 hours for diarrhea.

Extracts: Dosage range is usually 360 to 600 mg per day of an extract standardized to contain 25 percent anthocyanosides (also written as anthocyanins).

Precautions

There are no known adverse effects. Bilberry may be used as support for the eyes, heart, and gastrointestinal system but should not replace appropriate medical care.

Native to North Africa and coastal areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, aloe is one of the most familiar of all herbal remedies. Pots of aloe grace many sunny kitchen windowsills, where the thick, fleshy leaves stand ready to become a quick and easy treatment for scalds and burns. A leaf plucked from the plant and sliced open shelters at its core a clear, mucilaginous gel that is remarkably effective for soothing wounds and burns, speeding healing, and reducing risk of infection. The bitter, yellowish sap that oozes from the leaf’s skin—not to be confused with the gel—is dried to form aloe latex, a crystalline substance.

Therapeutic Uses

Burns (first- and second-degree)
Psoriasis
Colitis
Diabetes

Aloe is famous for soothing sunburn. Perhaps less well known is how broadly its healing properties extend—from soothing minor cuts and skin conditions to possibly lowering blood sugar levels in diabetics.

Aloe gel is the inner mucilaginous—or gooey—part of the leaf and is used topically for many skin conditions. Recent research shows that ingesting this gel confers benefits in lowering blood glucose in people with diabetes and easing symptoms in people with ulcerative colitis. Aloe gel contains polysaccharides, compounds that have a soothing effect on mucous membranes, and enzymes that coat irritated skin and ease pain. Aloe may also be antibacterial. For these reasons, aloe has been used for some skin conditions, such as first- and second-degree burns and psoriasis, and it sometimes shows better effects than more conventional therapies. In a study of 30 people with second-degree burns, aloe cream, containing 0.5 percent of the gel in powdered form, helped to heal the burns faster than sulfadiazine, a commonly used antibacterial cream. In addition, a study of 80 people with psoriasis showed that a 70 percent aloe cream worked as well as a 0.1 percent triamcinolone cream, often prescribed for psoriasis.

is just one ingredient in aloe juice products. Marketed as aloe juice, these products may also contain water, citric acid, fruit juices, preservatives, and more. Aloe gel is also an ingredient in many cosmetic products, including topical creams, lotions, and shampoos.



How to Use

Aloe gel: Apply to the skin several times daily for burns and other skin conditions. For colitis, take 25 to 30 ml (about 2 tablespoons) twice daily; for diabetes, 10 to 20 ml (about 1 tablespoon) daily. Follow manufacturer’s guidelines.

Precautions

Topically applied, aloe is safe. However, aloe may delay healing in deep, open wounds, as from surgery. Aloe gel should be free of anthraquinones and soothing to the gastrointestinal tract, but leaf extracts can contain all parts of the leaf, and thus both gel and latex. It is important to buy aloe gel that says it is made from the inner fillet and/or that is free of aloin. Aloe juice containing aloin can act as a laxative and can irritate the intestines. Prolonged use can lead to electrolyte loss and dependence on juice for normal bowel function. Those with acute or severe gastrointestinal symptoms should not take the juice. Children and pregnant or nursing women should not take aloe internally.

Use odor-free in a variety of available products, or eat fresh and uncooked for greatest benefit; prevents, slows, and fights a long list of dis-eases and conditions; immune booster and immune stimulant; protects against free radical damage (antioxidant); can reduce risk of heart dis-ease by 20 to 25 percent and risk of stroke by 30 to 40 percent, reduces high blood pressure, reduces total and LDL cholesterol, increases “good” HDL cholesterol, lowers homocysteine and C-reactive protein (both heart dis-ease markers), prevents blood clots; for diabetes support, lowers blood sugar, increases circulation to the legs and feet, prevents some diabetic complications; increases ability to fight off bacterial and infectious dis-eases; increases resistance to colds, flu, viruses, and infections of all kinds, reduces duration of colds, coughs, flu, croup, bronchitis, earaches, and other respiratory dis-eases (used internally and as a chest rub or in oil as an eardrop); expectorant (thins and expels mucus); formerly used in war to prevent development of gangrene in wounds; may be a preventive and reduces progression of cancer and tumors, including cancers of the colon, stomach, breast, prostate, and throat; reduces chemotherapy side effects and organ damage; expels parasites and intestinal worms; antifungal properties for athlete’s foot, nail fungus, Candida albicans, thrush; tick repellent; antibacterial against the H. pylori bacteria that causes stomach ulcers; cures toothache and gum dis-ease; raises testosterone. Antioxidant, antiviral, expectorant, anticancer, antiseptic, antimicrobial, antibiotic, antifungal. Possible side effects include indigestion, bloating, bad breath, body odor, skin irritation; rare side effects of dizziness, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle aches, skin rash; safe for long-term use; raw garlic used topically can burn the skin; use only food amounts in pregnancy, nursing babies may refuse the breast if mother is taking garlic; use with insulin only on expert advice, and avoid with blood thinners, protease inhibitors, and sulfonylurea drugs.

Reduces deterioration of aging, primarily for men but with women’s uses; must be taken for at least three months for effects to become evident; also called he shou wu or fo-ti shou wu in traditional Chinese medicine; restores vitality, strength, sexual potency, hair growth, and hair color, prevents and treats senility, dizziness, tinnitus, constipation, joint pain, backache; promotes long life and healthy aging; nourishes the liver, kidneys, nervous system, bone marrow, blood circulation; strengthens muscles and bones, tendons and ligaments, brain function, memory, and learning; reduces total and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides; prevents arterial plaque, aids angina, prevents blood clots, increases circulation to the extremities, reduces fat in the liver, stimulates red blood cell production, prevents and heals infections, increases resistance to dis-ease; immune enhancer; normalizes estrogen levels in women, treats menopausal symptoms and vaginitis, and balances the endocrine system; use externally for skin dis-eases, rashes, wounds, acne, athlete’s foot, abrasions, dermatitis, and bruises. Antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, immune booster. Side effects include cramps, nausea, skin rash, diarrhea, low potassium level; not for use in pregnancy or nursing; can worsen inflammatory bowel dis-eases and liver dis-ease; not for use with diuretics or laxatives.

A promising nondrug hope for migraine sufferers when taken long term, use two or three fresh leaves brewed in a tea daily, or 60 to 120 drops of tincture twice a day, or 100 to 300 mg in capsule form up to four times a day; takes four to six weeks to take effect; reduces incidence of migraine up to 50 percent, prevents blood vessel spasms, contracts blood vessels; especially effective when taken with magnesium and vitamin B2 (use full B complex); also use like aspirin but may be more effective than aspirin for rheumatoid arthritis, any chronic inflammation or inflammatory dis-ease; aids dizziness, tinnitus, nervous upset, hysteria, depression, headaches; improves digestion, expels intestinal worms, reduces fever; brings on menses, increases flow for sluggish menses, eases menstrual cramps; lowers blood pressure; blood thinner, appetite stimulant; acts as a tonic, causes sweating; use with honey for coughs, wheezing, asthma, breathing difficulties; use cold externally for insect bites, neuralgia, face pain, pain sensitivity, earache, irritated skin. Antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, vasodilator, bitter, uterine tonic. Mild reversible side effects in some people include indigestion, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, nervousness, mouth ulcers, increased bleeding; do not use if allergic to marigolds, ragweed, or chamomile, have a bleeding dis order, are on blood thinners, or are pregnant or nursing; if you stop after long-term use, decrease slowly—withdrawal symptoms of anxiety, headache, muscle stiffness or pain, joint pain, or fatigue may occur.

Food spice with a maple-syrup flavor, can also be eaten in salads; the major ingredient in Lydia C. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound for “female troubles”; major use is for increasing breast milk production, usually within twenty-four to seventy-two hours of starting treatment; can be discontinued when enough lactation is achieved as long as the breasts are emptied every few hours; protects against breast cancer; reduces menstrual pain, menopause vaginal dryness; may enhance breast size; male aphrodisiac, male libido; also for respiratory infections and lung congestion, sinus, asthma, coughs, colds, flu, bronchitis, sore throat, swollen glands, fever; expectorant (loosens mucus), soothes; removes allergens and toxins from the respiratory tract; immune stimulant, digestive aid; use for colic, gas, diabetes, hyperthyroidism; lowers cholesterol, lowers triglycerides, lowers blood sugar; soothes peptic ulcers, protects the liver from alcohol; use externally for wounds and skin infections, dermatitis, eczema, chapped lips, boils, cysts, abscesses, burns. Expectorant, soothes, stimulates breast milk, tonic, immune enhancer. Side effects can include maple-smelling urine, nausea, sweating, dizziness, gas, diarrhea; can worsen asthma symptoms (difficulty breathing, fainting, hay fever type reactions); should not used in pregnancy, causes uterine contractions that may cause miscarriage; may increase bleeding risk in surgery; probable interactions with diabetes drugs, blood thinners, NSAIDS, and more—do the research if taking medical drugs.

Culinary herb used much like dill weed for indigestion and respiratory viruses; use for stomach upset, gastritis, abdominal pain, digestive assimilation, nausea, morning sickness, babies’ cramps, gas, colic, bloating, hiccups, breath freshener; laxative, prevents cramping with other laxatives; reduces hunger, promotes weight loss; opens blockages in liver, spleen, and gallbladder; increases flow of bile; use for jaundice, gout, hernia; blood cleanser; neutralizes toxins and poisons, snakebite; use for respiratory and minor viral dis-eases, including fever, chills, colds, croup, asthma, bronchitis, chronic coughs, wheezing, shortness of breath; expectorant, thins mucus, used in many cough syrups; tonic, aids recovery after illness; used as a wash for eye irritations and eyestrain; mild sedative, promotes sleep; improves the taste of other medicines; increases breast milk, has been used for breast enhancement, brings on menses; mild diuretic for urinary infections and kidney stones. Antispasmodic, antimicrobial, antigas, weak diuretic, expectorant, mild stimulant. Safe in normal doses; overdose can cause muscle cramps and hallucinations; avoid with ciprofloxacin.