Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

Parts used and where grown: This plant grows in Europe and North America. The flowering tops are used in botanical medicine. Another plant, white clover, grows in similar areas. Both have interesting white arrow-shaped patterns on their leaves.

In what conditions might red clover be supportive?

cancer risk reduction, cough, eczema, blood purifier

Historical or traditional use: Traditional Chinese medicine and western folk medicine used this plant for similar purposes. It was well regarded as a diuretic, to stop coughing, and as an alterative.1 Alterative plants were considered beneficial for all manner of chronic conditions, particularly those afflicting the skin.

Active constituents: Red clover contains isoflavone compounds, such as genistein, which have weak estrogen properties.2 Various laboratory studies show that these isoflavones may help prevent cancer.3 Although the isoflavones in red clover may help prevent certain forms of cancer (e.g., breast and prostate), more clinical studies must be completed before red clover is recommended for cancer patients. The mechanism of action and responsible constituents for its purported benefit in skin conditions is unknown.

How much should I take? Usually red clover is taken as a tea, by adding 250 ml (1 cup) of boiling water to 2-3 U.S. teaspoons (10-15 grams) of dried flowers and steeping, covered, for ten to fifteen minutes. Three cups can be drunk each day. Red clover can also be used in capsule or tablet form in the amount of 2-4 grams of the dried flowers or 2-4 ml of tincture three times per day. Dried red clover tops are also available in capsules, tablets, and tinctures.

Are there any side effects or interactions?

Non-fermented red clover is relatively safe. However, fermented red clover should be avoided altogether.

References:

1.Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics, 2d ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996, 177-8. 2.Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics, 2d ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996, 177-8. 3.Yanagihara K, Toge T, Numoto M, et al. Antiproliferative effects of isoflavones on human cancer cell lines established from the gastrointestinal tract. Cancer Res 53:5815-21.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Plantain: Plantago Major

Plantago Major consists of the dried leaves of Plantago major L. (Fam. Plantaginaceae) gathered during the flowering period. The plant is a native British herb, with a basal rosette of leaves which abruptly contract into long petioles, bearing a long cylindrical spike up to 50 cm tall, green-brown with lilac and yellow stamens protruding.

The structure of the Plantago Major plant includes a remarkable glycoside of the monoterpene class (iridoid) called Aucubin.

This glycoside has been studied and numerous scientific papers have been written about this particular member of the monoterpene family.

The anti-toxic, anti-inflammatory and expectorant characteristics suggest why the plant is useful in lung disorders, and as inferences as to the effect of the Plantago Major on smokers. Exact cause and effect relationships are not yet fully understood. However, the above suggests real reasons for the noted effects on smokers.

Collection : Gather during flowering throughout the summer. Dry as fast as possible as the leaves will discolor if dried improperly.

Part Used : Leaves or aerial parts

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

Peppermint

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) in the mint family (Lamiaceae) is a natural hybrid of M. aquatica and M. spicata first found in a field of spearmint in England in 1696; it is vegetatively propagated since it does not breed true from seed.1 Peppermint has escaped cultivation and can be found growing wild in moist areas throughout Europe and North America.2 It is a vigorous, creeping perennial, sometimes purple-tinged, with smooth, toothed leaves and lilac-pink, usually sterile flowers.3,4

History and Traditional Use

According to records from the Greek, Roman, and ancient Egyptian eras, mint leaves have been used in medicine for several thousand years.2 Pliny the Elder documented the use of mint by the ancient Greeks and Romans who crowned themselves with the leaves during feasts, and flavored sauces and wines with its essence.4 Peppermint has been used in Eastern and Western traditional medicine as an aromatic, antispasmodic, and antiseptic in treating indigestion, nausea, sore throat, colds, toothaches, cramps, and cancers.5

Modern Medicinal Use

Peppermint leaf is approved for internal use by the German Commission E for spastic complaints of the gastrointestinal tract as well as the gallbladder and bile ducts; peppermint oil is approved for internal use for spastic complaints of the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, and bile ducts, irritable colon, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, and inflammation of the oral mucosa.6 The Commission E has approved external use of peppermint oil for myalgia (muscular pain) and neuralgia (sharp pain along a nerve). The characteristic antispasmodic action of the volatile oil is more pronounced in peppermint than in any other oil, which accounts for its ability to relieve pain.4 Because peppermint improves appetite and digestion and relieves intestinal gas, it is used in the treatment of disturbed digestion, flatulence, colic (severe abdominal pain), cholera, and diarrhea. Clinical studies have been done on the use of peppermint oil internally to treat irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, and tension headaches.7

Modern Consumer Use

Peppermint is the most extensively used volatile oil, both commercially and medicinally.4 Today peppermint is still used in cosmetics such as soaps, shampoos, and shower gels. It is used for both cooling and warming in over-the-counter topical preparations, for musculoskeletal pain, in shaving creams, and to treat headaches when rubbed on the temples. The oil is used as a flavoring in chewing gum, toothpastes, mouthwashes, and cough and cold preparations.5 Peppermint is also one of the most popular herbs for use in teas, flavorings, and candies.7

References

1 Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler’s Honest Herbal, 4th ed. New York: Haworth Herbal Press;1999.

2 Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J, editors. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Austin (TX): American Botanical Council; Newton (MA): Integrative Medicine Communications; 2000.

3 Bown D. The Herb Society of America New Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited; 2001

4 Grieve M. A Modern Herbal. Volume 1. New York: Dover Publications, Inc; 1971.

5 DerMarderosian A, Beutler JA. The Review of Natural Products, 3rd edition. St. Louis (MO): Facts and Comparisons; 2001.

6 Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A, Gruenwald J, Hall T, Riggins CW, Rister RS, editors. Klein S, Rister RS, translators. The Complete German Commission E Monographs&emdash;Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin (TX): American Botanical Council; Boston: Integrative Medicine Communication; 1998.

7 Blumenthal M, Hall T, Goldberg A, Kunz T, Dinda K, Brinckmann J, et al, editors. The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs. Austin (TX): American Botanical Council; 2003.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Patchouli (Pogostemon patchouli)

N.O. Labiatae family

Part Used—The herb, yielding a volatile oil by distillation.

Habitat—East and West Indies and Paraguay.

Description—This fragrant herb, with soft, opposite, egg-shaped leaves and square stems, grows from 2 to 3 feet in height, giving out the peculiar, characteristic odour of patchouli when rubbed. Its whitish flowers, tinged with purple, grow in both axillary and terminal spikes. The crop is cut two or three times a year, the leaves being dried and packed in bales and exported for distillation of the oil. The best oil is freshly distilled near the plantations. That obtained from leaves imported into Europe, often damaged and adulterated even up to 80 per cent, is inferior. It is used in coarser perfumes and in ‘White Rose’ and ‘Oriental’ toilet soaps. Although the odour is objectionable to some, it is widely-used both in Asia and India. Sachets are made of the coarsely-powdered leaves, and before its common use in Europe, genuine Indian shawls and Indian ink were distinguished by the odour, which has the unusual quality of improving with age.

Hence the older oil is preferred by perfumers and used to confer more lasting properties upon other scents.

Constituents—Oil of Patchouli is thick, the colour being brownish-yellow tinted green. It contains coerulein, the vivid blue compound found in matricaria, wormwood and other oils. It deposits a solid, or stearoptene, patchouli alcohol, leaving cadinene.

It is laevorotatory, with the specific gravity of 0.970 to 0.990 at 15 degrees C. (59 degrees F.).

Medicinal Action and Uses—Its use is said to cause sometimes loss of appetite and sleep and nervous attacks. The Chinese, Japanese and Arabs believe it to possess prophylactic properties.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.