Herbs - General

In Germany the plant is often depicted as a religious symbol associated with the Virgin Mary; the species name “marianum” honors this symbolic association. According to popular legend, the milky white fluid that comes from the leaves when crushed is the milk of the Virgin Mary. The active constituents of milk thistle are flavonoids (silybin, […]

This plant has many external uses, including rheumatism and gout relief and skin eruptions like varicose ulcers, pimples, acne and blemishes and even scrofulous sores and eczema without noted adverse effects in moderate use. 3 From ancient times agrimony has been used for healing wounds and snake bites and for halting bleeding. Due to its high silica content, it is […]

Instructions on how to prepare lemon balm differ among herbalists. As with every herbal medicine, a qualified professional should be consulted before treatment. In aromatherapy (to calm nerves and improve mood) the oil can be used much like the way lavender oil is used. One can use the pure essential oil by dabbing some on a fabric […]

Barberry bark and berries have been used for many health conditions throughout the ages. Most of the herb’s uses for health purposes are based on long traditional applications. In recent years, the plant’s constituents, especially some of its alkaloids, have gained interest within the scientific community and numerous studies have been conducted on their effectiveness. […]

Pau d’arco contains alkaloids, quercetin, napthaquinones, anthraquinones, and flavonoids. Lapachol, one of the naphthaquinones, has been found to be effective against malaria and some types of tumor cells in studies with laboratory animals. The heartwood of Tabebuia aqvellaneda contains napthaquinones and significant amounts of quercetin, which are thought to stimulate the immune system, cleanse the body and stimulate […]

Rehmannia is the most important Chinese herb for disorders of the kidneys and adrenal glands. It also appears to combat adrenal suppression caused by steroid hormones and has a similar tonic effect on the adrenal cortex as licorice. A feature of rehmannia is that it is in a small group of herbs that are used to […]

Additionally, the herb has been used for irritability, depression, anxiety, nervousness, exhaustion, delusions, hysteria and nervous tension. It has also been used as a medicinal herb for panic attacks. Valerian root has also been shown to relieve pain. This, combined with the sedative effect, makes it effective in relieving headaches (especially stress headaches,) migraines, arthritis and muscle pain. This herb […]

The active constituents of this herb are berberine, jatrorrhizine, magnoflorine, candicin, palmatin, obacunone, 7-dihydro stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol, and campesterol. Amur cork tree has both antimicrobial and antibiotic properties due to the alkaloids present in the plant. Amur cork tree bark has a strong bitter taste and is best known as diuretic and cooling herb that stimulates […]

In today’s herbal medicine, water pepper is mainly used as a topical astringent agent and a remedy against diarrhea. The tannins, bitter substances, essential oil, glycosides, organic acids and vitamin C (only present in the fresh plant) are considered to be the most important medicinal substances in water pepper. These substances give the herb its astringent, […]

The resin of the styrax benzoin tree contains cinnamon acid ester, benzoic acid ester, free acids (such as benzoic acid), styrol, styracin, phenyl-prophyl cinnamate, benzaldehyde, vanillin, and an oily fragrant liquid. The styrax resin is a widely used ingredient in incense, and it was believed it could help to drive out evil spirits. The resin […]