The Herbal Resource

The health properties of fennel are warming, carminative, antispasmodic, antidepressant, stomachic, pectoral, diuretic, diaphoretic, aromatic, anti-microbial, pain reducing, fever reducing, and promotes milk-flow in nursing mothers. Fennel has a long history as a commonly used household remedy for a variety of complaints, especially digestive disorders and it has been used traditionally as … [Read More...] about What is Fennel used for?

The leaves of boxwood contain essential oil, tannins and the alkaloids, buxine (chiefly responsible for the bitter taste), parabuxine and parabuxonidine. The bark contains chlorophyll, wax, resin, lignin, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and silicium. Boxwood was previously used to treat persistent and recurring fever (malaria), gout, rheumatism, urinary tract … [Read More...] about What is Boxwood used for?

Cat’s claw is thought to have the following health properties; antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antioxidant, antitumor, antiviral, cytostatic, depurative, diuretic, hypotensive, immunostimulant, vermifuge. It has been used as an herbal medicine for generations by several native tribes in South America. It has been used traditionally to treat intestinal complaints, asthma, … [Read More...] about What is Cat’s Claw used for?

Oakmoss contains the substances lichenol, chloroatranol, and atranol to name only a few. The essential oil has antiseptic, emollient and expectorant properties. Oakmoss has never played a big role in herbal medicine and it is not mentioned much in the available literature on medicinal herbs. There is still some references to its use in aromatherapy to treat a headache … [Read More...] about What is Oakmoss used for?

Columbine has been regarded as a religious symbol of purity and it is often depicted in paintings together with the Virgin Mary. In traditional herbalism the plant was considered sacred to the goddess Venus. It is known that the plant has been used as herbal medicine since the Middle Ages and that it was used as a remedy for many ailments, such as high fever due to infectious … [Read More...] about What is Columbine used for?

The key constituents of crataeva nurvala are alkaloids; triterpenes; tannins; saponins; flavonoids; plant sterols; and glucosilinates. The main health actions of crataeva nurvala are diuretic, antilithiatic, rubefacient (reddening the skin by producing hyperemia) and anti-inflammatory. The bark of varuna is believed to have antioxidant, contraceptive, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and … [Read More...] about What is Varuna used for?

Peppermint as a tea has become very popular and it is thought to have a number of health benefits for variety of ailments such as biliary disorders, dyspepsia, enteritis, flatulence, gastritis, intestinal colic, and spasms of the bile duct, gallbladder and gastrointestinal (GI) tract. When the steam from the tea is inhaled it can ease sinus congestion and the inflammation of the mucous … [Read More...] about What is Peppermint used for?

The main active ingredient found in greater celandine is the alkaloid chelidonin, a substance not unlike papaverine found in the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). Chelidonin has an antispasmodic effect and seems to specifically target the bile duct and bronchi. Furthermore, the substance has mild tranquilizing properties. When greater celandine is used internally, its medicinal effect is rather … [Read More...] about What is Greater Celandine used for?

Great mullein contains a demulcent, emollient and astringent properties making it useful to help resolve pectoral complaints and bleeding of the lungs and bowels. Its uses can be traced back to the Greek herbalist, Dioscorides, who was one of the first to recommend it for in curing a variety of lung diseases. Various Native American tribes used great mullein to help cure chest diseases. … [Read More...] about What is Great Mullein used for?

Common figwort contains amino acids, flavonoids, phenolic acids (ferulic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, cinnamic acid), saponins, cardiac glycoside, phytosterols, essential fatty acids, and asparagine. The scientific Genus name, Scrophularia, comes from the plant’s traditional use as a remedy for scrofula, a tuberculous infection of the lymph nodes in the neck. This use was due to the … [Read More...] about What is Figwort used for?