Hey guys,
So we’re always being asked what herbs can help what, here is a short list of some commonly used herbs that have been consumed by humans around the planet for the last few thousand years at least and so have a long history of safe use.
Just start thinking about herbs, roots & mushrooms etc as foods. Like every food they have some benefit to the human frame.
Ancient advanced societies needed to identify the properties of these plants because they relied on the natural world for the improvement of human health as the pharmaceutical synthetic chemical industries did not exist yet.
This list is by no means comprehensive or detailed to the level that we go into when treating patients, rather they are meant for general knowledge and use. Always consult a professional if you are trying to address a health concern.
Herbs and Teas
| Name | Properties | Good for | Plant Part | How to Take |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astragalus (Huang Qi) | Sweet, warming | Immune system, diarrhea, circulation, fatigue, chest colds | Root | Chew raw root or mix root powder into drinks: tea, juice, water |
| Black Dates | Smokey, sweet (not to be confused with Mediterranean dates) | Calming the spirit, digestive upsets | Fruit | Eat raw |
| Chamomile Flower | Subtly sweet | Anti-inflammatory, anti -bacterial, sleeplessness, digestion, reduces menstrual cramping | Flower | Drink in hot water as an infusion |
| Chyrsanthe-mum | Subtly sweet | Cleansing liver eyes, headaches, colds, fevers | Flower | Drink in hot water as an infusion |
| Cinnamon | Sweet, warming | Kidneys, circulation, sore throat | Bark | As powder added to food/drink |
| Codonopsis (Dang Shen) | Sweet | Appetite, fatigue, chronic coughing | Root | |
| Dragon-Eye Fruit (Long Yan Rou) | Sweet, warming | Sleeplessness, anxiety, absent-mindedness | Fruit | Eat raw, or drink in hot water as an infusion |
| Fo Ti Root | Liver, kidneys, sleeplessness, dizziness | Root | ||
| Goji Berries | Liver, diabetes, skin | Fruit | ||
| Green Tea * | Cool | High blood pressure, dental hygiene, antioxidants | Leaves | Drink in hot (but not boiling) water as an infusion |
| Hibiscus | ||||
| Jasmine * | Pungent, warming | Digestion, regulating emotions | Flower | As above |
| Lavender ** | Pungent, warming | Digestion, regulating emotions | Flower | As above, or as an essential oil, diluted. |
| Lemon Balm ** | Tangy | Nervousness and excitability, cold sores, flu, menopause, painful periods | Leaves, flowers | As an infusion, diluted in cream, or essential oil. |
| Lemon Verbena ** | Relaxing, nervousness, influenza | Leaves | As an infusion | |
| Lime | Flower | |||
| Liquorice | Sweet, neutral | Coughs and wheezing, lungs, muscle spasms | Flower | Root |
| Peppermint ** | Cooling | IBS, flu and cold, inflammed joints, indigestion | Leaves | As infusion |
| Perilla | Acrid, warm | Chesty coughs and wheezing, phlegm, constipation | Fruit, Seed | |
| Psyllium Husks | ||||
| Raspberry Leaf | ||||
| Rooisbos Tea | ||||
| Rose Buds | Sweet, warm | Menstrual cycle regulation, swelling | Flower | |
| Rosehips | Sweet, slightly bitter, warm | Poor appetite, trapped wind, PMS breast tenderness | Flower |
* Information from Acupuncture Today
** Information from Britton, Jade. The Herbal Healing Bible. (London: 2013, Apple Press).
Herbs and Teas
| Name | Properties | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Chaga | Anti-oxidant, anti-viral, immunity, anti-cancerous | |
| Cordyceps | Sweet | Fertility, kidneys, liver, respiratory problems, diabetes |
| Coriolus | Increase benefits of chemotherapy, high cholesterol, hypertension | |
| Honey Mushroom | Neurological conditions – vertigo, epilepsy, Meniereβs Syndrome | |
| Lionβs Mane | Sweet, Bland | Digestion, nervousness,harmonizing, the nervous system |
| Maitake | Diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, increase benefits of chemotherapy | |
| Oyster Mushroom | Immunity, high cholesterol | |
| Reishi | Sweet, Slightly Bitter | Allergies, liver, hypertension, anxiety/insomnia, anti-cancerous |
| Snow Fungus | Immunity, circulation, protective in radiotherapy | |
| Sun Agaric | Allergies, diabetes, cancer | |
| Zhu Ling | Subtly sweet | Immunity, fluid retention, improves chemotherapy benefits |
References:
- Herbs and Teas table compiled using Bensky, D., Gamble, A., Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica. 1993. Eastland Press, Incorporated: USA.
- Fungi table compiled using: Powell, Martin. Medicinal Mushrooms: A Clinical Guide. 2010. Mycology Press: UK
