What is your favorite herb to use in an herbal remedy and why?
I do not mind the use of herbal medicine, I think it's a good proactive step for patients to assume responsibility for their health. Medications should not be given out like candy, and saved for instances where all other options have been exhausted. For instance, a patient in septic shock is going to need antibiotics or vasopressors to sustain life. Patients with a non-functioning pancreas due to long standing diabetes needs insulin when alternatives fail. But I encourage all patients to make lifestyle modifications to stay healthy, and reserve prescriptions when no other choice.
Always tell your caregivers what you take and how much, there are tons of interactions.
I'm impressed, it's not often someone in the medical community admits this, especially one who dispenses pharmaceuticals.
I agree though, that if taking other medications or starting new medications, the patient needs to be upfront with their doctor and let them know what herbs/vitamins they are taking. I always recomended to all my patients to carry a list in their wallet of all prescription medications and herbal/vitamin supplements and to include the dosage. Not only will it help paramedics in an emergency, it's also easy to hand your doctor!
I use cinnamon a lot.. and also lemon juice...for food.
And then I use the fragrances in the bath mix and match them for aroma therapy..
I honestly don't have an answer for you, but would be very interested in what others say. I never used a heral remedy.
I take Feverfew, in capsule form, and have for years, to help with migraines. I'm looking into others right now for various other problems.
Whatever herb we use to bring correction to a physical problem is my favorite. Off the top of my head would be cayenne for what it provides to the heart attack and stroke victim, blood pressure, circulation, helps cut the cholesterol, and problably the best thing going for stomach ulcers, just too name a few. Next would be Alfalfa, it should be included in all herbal remedies. What it doesn't do would be easier to list.
I've heard of people using cayenne to burn fat because it increases the body's thermogenic reaction.
Robert - Yes, I have heard that cayenne has those effects on the heart and cardiovascular system in general. Thanks for the input!
TamCor - Daughter of Maat also loves using Feverfew for migraines...she's another hubber. You definitely have that in common with her!
Camomile is probably my favorite to relax with, it genuinely does make you calm down and get a decent sleep which is good for me because I do suffer with insomnia!
Nell - Yes, Chamomile is awesome for that. I've found that lemon balm really REALLY relaxes me moreso than chamomile though. But I think certain herbs do more for others, you know what I mean?
I wish I could take lemon balm but I can't with a thyroid problem, shame! I love it!
Thyroid problems are usually caused by lack of sufficient iodine in the diet, so that the thyroid cannot obtain enough to manufacture thyroxine,or some disorder of the body which creates a demand for more thyroxine than the gland can manufacture. Bladderwrack, Dulse, or Irish Moss are excellent in relieving the problem. There are some excellent comb. herbs also.
Oatstraw (Avena sativa) is one herb that is a whole body tonic and can help stabilize thyroid function. It is also good for the nerves as well and has been found to be beneficial for multiple sclerosis. It is one herb that should be simmered rather than steeped to draw out all of it's beneficial properties. I know you can find teabags of it in most health food stores and you can get it in bulk (1/2-1 lb.) online as well.
I'll be careful with herbal remedies.
The concept of it having less side-effects as it is "natural" is very misleading.
Take for example Prozac and st john's wort.
With Prozac one would know he is taking fluoxetine.
With st john's wort, he will be taking a lot of substances with it.
webclinician - Of course there are going to be side-effects with almost anything. It just depends on the body's reaction to the substance. But I like to think that the side effects (and studies have shown this) are way less risky than the side effects with manufactured medications.
webclinician I agree with you. If you don't know what you are doing or what you are talking about you should have the care of a qualified practitioner. Just curious, what herbal degrees do you have? Fluoxetine (prozac) is a synthetic drug. St. John's Wort is plant food, fluoxetine is not even a component of St. John's Wort, it's a synthetc drug. Drugs are man made and have side effects. Herbs were made by our Creator and have only intended effects. Herbs were here long before there were people calling themselves doctors. Herbs contain governing and regulating mechanism to control their actions. Drugs do not. In this country and in other very civilized areas there is a strange relationship between herbalist and medicine. People in these two groups do not seem to get along. This is unfortunate. If it is true that doctors and herbalists truly want to see their patients or clients get well then why not use everything within their grasp to do so? At present the group representing chemical drug medicines want to put herbalists and their herbs out of business or at least discredit their past. They have great power and influence. The more effective a herb is, the more likely you are to see and hear terrible things written and said about it in newspapers, magazines. on the internet news and information sources on computers and of course tv and radio. Keep in mind some of these herbs being so bitterly attacked have been in recorded use for thousands of years. Herbs and also natural vitamins are said to be dangerous and have side effects like drugs. They aren't and don't. As an example there have been past news casts that proclaimed "scientific studies" show that vit.C and E cause terrible diseases. This sort of scares and misinforms people. Vit. C and E are vital for health. Many so called herb books are now written by pharmacists and and chemists. They list much confusion, scary and terrifying side effects of herbs. Don't be fooled these people do not practice with herbs nor do they take them, but they want you to believe they are the experts. If you find a herb or natural vitamin that does not agree with your body type, leave it alone. There are plenty of other herb foods and vitamin food sources you can use. And by all means find a qualified herbal practitioner just as you seek a qualified medical doctor and began to enjoy that healthy life we all so richly deserve.
Agreed about the interaction between paroxetine and st. Johns due to risk of development of serotonin syndrome due to their mechanism of action. Same thing applies to other drugs that work via serotonin (eg. Tramadol, SSRIs, SNRIs, etc).
TDA, I'm not sure what you mean by interaction. The first thing a good herbalist would ask the client is are they are on any medication. With this procedure you can eliminate the possibility of a negative reaction between the synthetic and nature. Knowing that st. john's is natures prozac..... I'm sure no qualified herbalist would put the two together, or coumadin (synthetic blood thinner, not mentioning all the side effects) with sassafras (one of natures blood thinners) that can be used for allergies, dissolve and prevent blood clots, hangovers,poison ivy and poison oak to name a few positive actions with no side effects. Now, a good herbalist would also know to use a good bowel cleaning and digestaid herb (i.e. senna) when using a dissolving or antibiotic herb to rid the body of any toxins and waste from the action it was asked to perform, preventing any adverse reactions. Herbs are a slow and safe way to correct physical problems. There should be no interaction between synthetics and nature without first finding out what the results might be, good or bad.
Thank you for your insight. Drug interactions are hard for many to be aware of, so I do not mind filling in the blanks. When it comes down to it, in the medical community we all must be cognizant that there are many significant interactions between MOA of drugs and the PK/PD oft their function. As such, always being aware of what a patient is on is tantamount for a professional, especially as the patient migrates between different environments (eg. inpatient vs outpatient care). As such, drugs or herbs that a patient is on should be communicated when a patient comes to a hospital for instance. There could be something they are on that may interact with a drug upon treatment for their admission that any health professional would like to avoid. Unfortunately, while herbalist practice in the community, they have no presence in the hospital and are not available to help. As such, by the very nature of interactions, while unintended, do happen, and it as such without any precedence that we are always aware of a patients medical history and that includes daily medications or supplements, lest we cause harm.
I love herbal and home remedies. I almost never take medication for anything. The only bad reaction I have ever had is mild dry skin around a cut caused by leaving garlic on for too long. I love cayenne, Garlic, Ginger,lemon balm, and coconut oil but I use many more. The 30 second warning after a medication ad is enough for me to stay away. "May cause cancer. May lead to death. May cause cancer" I'll pass!
I would have to say that mine is Chamomile. I drink teas of it whenever I have abdominal pain of any kind and it helps. I also drink some whenever I have to bring myself down from having a stressful day and I still feel the adrenaline pumping. It soothes me.
I leave the "prescribing" to naturopathic healer who has a master's in Chinese herbology and acupuncture.
He's done amazing things with tiny tea pills.
Although now I hear that the Chinese herbs have really gross ingredients in them.
Regardless, I agree I much prefer natural to the Big Pharma pushing on TV.
No thank you.
If anybody could give me like a list of basic essential herbs for health and wellbeing I'd be very grateful.
Not gonna happen... any "generic" list is going to contain a bunch of herbs that are useless for you and a bunch more that are going to interact with each other and any medication you might be taking... including ibuprofen etc. See a licensed herbalist.
Hello,innersmiff- Many herbs got medicinal properties. Some of them are Garlic. Ginger, Guggul, Ginseng, Bilberry, Amla, Fennel, Licorice, Senna, Harithaki, Aloe vera, Calendula officinalis, Triphala etc....
HI innersmiff. There is a body mgt. program we use that may give you an idea. If you keep the blood, lymphatics, bowel, and liver clean along with a nutritious (organic) diet and clean water (steam distilled) you should be able to maintain or gain optimal health. Just a few too clean each: blood- burdock, greasewood, spikenard. Lymphatics- All cells salts, blue flag, fenugreek. Bowel- cascara sagrada, senna, buckthorn. Liver-beet root, chicory, dandelion root. These are just a few along with all the other herbs mentioned in this thread that have great benefits for the user. When you research herbs notice all of the different areas that are positively affected by each one.
I have two herbs that are my favorites and I use in a lot of the herbal teas I make since they are good for so many things and they don't have any contraindications other than not to use during pregnancy. Parsley(Petroselinum crispum) and Plantain(Plantago major) are my favorites. Both are packed with vitamins and nutrients. Parsley is a traditional woman's tonic(good for almost anything that affects the female body from PMS to menopause) and is excellent for allergies as well(personal experience). Plantain is used for so many things I can't list them all here it would take up to much space. The lungs, skin, and blood are just three of the things it benefits.
Tie between Oregano Oil and Cayenne Pepper, the health benefits for each are unbelievable.
Milk Thistle, great for protecting and healing the liver, (especially in those who drink somewhat more alcohol than is recommended). Even most doctors now condone the benefits of milk thistle in these cases.
It is also used as an adjunct therapy for radiation patients in Chinese hospitals to help protect the liver from radiation damage.
Excellent extra info, thanks for adding it
You're welcome. I know you can also find more research info on it through pubmed.com as well
You should write a hub on the subject as this is the kind of info people are interested in and search for
I'm planning to, I've already done one on the various benefits of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. I like sharing what I have learned about herbs with others. I also have done a recipe for a lung tonic tea as well, it is in the food and cooking category though rather than under herbal remedies.
I use lavender, tea tree oil and sandalwood. The sandalwood mostly for aromatherapy, but lavender and tea tree oil are antibacterial among other things. Lavender also helps alleviate pain, inflammation and muscle spasm. It smells awesome too!
Wonderful! I'm loving this forum post...so much GREAT information here!
Don't forget black cohosh! It has many uses. It's not just for menopause and hot flashes. It regulates periods (I used to be so irregular), helps ease painful periods, regulates serotonin levels and consequently mood and allows the cervical spinal fluid to flow freely alleviating many migraines that come with compressed discs (which cut off or greatly reduce, the flow of fluid)! This is because of its anti-inflammatory effects (it lowers prostaglandin levels).
I have to share my experience with it. My periods used to be about 40-45 day long cycles. They are now 30-32. That's the power of black cohosh!
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