Mandrake Root (Podophyllum peltatum)

MEDICINAL: Mandrake is a very strong gland stimulant. It is used to treat skin problems, digestion, and chronic liver diseases. It is most often combined with other herbs.

Do not use this herb without the proper guidance from a professional!

RELIGIOUS: Mandrake is used in the home as a powerful protection. It is carried to promote conception, and men carry it to promote fertility and cure impotency.

*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.

Maca Root (Lepidium mayenil )

Lepidium meyenii

From the Andes mountains comes the hottest import, Maca or “Peruvian Ginseng”. It is gaining popularity worldwide due to its history of use as a powerful stamina enhancer and libido-fertility herb.

Maca is touted as a “herbal Viagra”, for increased stamina, libido and sexual function. Native to Peru, it is reported that the Incas used Maca for strength as well as to improve the fertility of themselves and their livestock due to the altitude & harsh climate of their environment. It continued to be used as an aphrodisiac for both men and women by Peruvians. In other applications, Maca is also being recommended by herbalists for male & female hormonal imbalances, chronic fatigue and adrenal dysfunction. It is believed that Maca’s energizing capabilities comes from its high content of minerals, especially iodine, which is required by the thyroid to regulate energy levels. It is even suggested for anemia due to its high iron content.

Common use: Energy, stamina, adaptogen, relieves stress, increase sex drive & fertility, chronic fatigue, memory tonic, PMS, menstrual discomforts, menopause, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, hormone balancer, stimulates metabolism.

Suggested Directions: 1 to 2 cups daily. If desired, add honey and/or lemon to taste. IF PREGNANT OR NURSING SEEK ADVICE OF A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL BEFORE USING.

*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.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Licorice

Licorice Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) in the pea family (Fabaceae) is a small shrub with blue to violet flowers,1 native to the Mediterranean, Asia Minor to Iran, and now widely cultivated throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.2 Licorice is one of the most widely used medicinal herbs worldwide, and it is the single most used herb in Chinese medicine today.3

History and Traditional Use

Licorice was used in Arabia to treat coughs and to relieve the unwanted side effects of laxatives.4 Theophrastus, the Greek natural scientist (ca. 300 BCE), reported its use for dry cough, asthma, and all chest diseases.5 Pliny the Elder reported that licorice cleared the voice and acted as an expectorant (promotes discharge of mucous from the lungs and throat) and a carminative (induces the expulsion of gas from the stomach).1 Chinese medicine used licorice to relieve spasms of the gastrointestinal smooth muscle.2 Licorice has been commonly used as a demulcent (to relieve pain of irritated mucous membranes), antitussive (to relieve or suppress cough), and as a mild laxative.6 Traditionally, it is used to treat ulcers, abscesses, sores, sore throat, malaria, insomnia, abdominal pain, tuberculosis, and food poisoning.

Modern Medicinal Use

The German Commission E approved the internal use of licorice root for catarrhs (inflammation of mucous membranes, especially nose and throat) of the upper respiratory tract (the most common use of licorice) and gastric or duodenal ulcers.2 The modern Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia lists licorice as an expectorant, demulcent, spasmolytic (anti-spasmic), anti-inflammatory, adrenal agent, and a mild laxative. In Germany, licorice is licensed as a standard medicinal tea for loosening mucus, alleviating discharge in bronchitis, and as a method of treating spasmodic pains of chronic gastritis. In France, licorice preparations may be used to treat epigastric (abdominal wall) bloating, impaired digestion, and flatulence. Licorice extracts are used extensively as ingredients in cough drops and syrups, tonics, laxatives, and antismoking lozenges.6 They are also used as flavoring agents to mask bitter, nauseous, or other undesirable tastes in certain medicines. Licorice has also been used in many countries to treat cancer.6

Modern Consumer Use

Licorice root extract is used extensively in cough drops and syrups.6 It is also a major flavoring agent to mask bitter flavors in medicines. The root, powered, is widely used as a tea ingredient and in capsules, tablets, and other dietary supplement formulations, and is also used in flavoring tobacco. Most “licorice” candy sold in the US is actually flavored with the oil of anise and contains no actual licorice (Wizard, 2004, Leung and Foster, 1996).6 ,7

References

1 DerMarderosian A, Beutler JA. The Review of Natural Products, 3rd edition. St. Louis (MO): Facts and Comparisons; 2002.

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 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.

4 Bruneton J. Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants. Paris: Lavoisier Publishing; 1995.

5 Grieve M. A Modern Herbal. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.; 1971.

6 Leung AY., Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley-Interscience; 1996.

7 Wizard Mariann Garner. Licorice and its potential risk of preterm births. HerbalGram 2004;61:26.

*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.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Parts used and where grown: The lemon balm plant originated in southern Europe and is now found throughout the world. The lemony smell and pretty white flowers of the plant have led to its widespread cultivation in gardens. The leaves, stems, and flowers of lemon balm are used medicinally.

In what conditions might lemon balm be supportive?

Â¥ colic

¥ GraveÕs disease (hyperthyroidism)

¥ herpes simplex (cold sores) ¥ indigestion and heartburn

Â¥ insomnia

Â¥ nerve pain

Historical or traditional use: Charlemagne once ordered lemon balm planted in every monastery garden, testifying to its importance and beauty.1 It was used traditionally to treat gas, sleeping difficulties, and heart problems. Additionally, topical applications to the temples was sometimes used for insomnia or nerve pain.

Active constituents: The terpenes, part of the pleasant smelling essential oil from lemon balm, produce this herbÕs relaxing and gas-relieving effects. Flavonoids, polyphenolics, and other compounds appear to be responsible for lemon balmÕs anti-herpes and thyroid-regulating actions. These constituents actually block attachment to the thyroid cells by the antibodies that cause GraveÕs disease.2 The brainÕs signal to the thyroid (thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH) is also blocked from further stimulating the excessively active thyroid gland in this disease.

How much should I take? A simple tea made from 2 U.S. tablespoons (30 grams) of the herb steeped for ten to fifteen minutes in 150 ml of boiling water, is often used. Tincture can also be used at 2-3 ml three times per day. Highly concentrated topical extracts for herpes can be applied three to four times per day to the herpes lesions.3

Lemon balm is frequently combined with other medicinal plants. For example, peppermint and lemon balm together are very effective for soothing a stomach upset. Valerian is often combined with lemon balm for insomnia and nerve pain. Bugleweed (Lycopus virginicus) and lemon balm are usually used together for GraveÕs disease.

Are there any side effects or interactions? No significant adverse effects from lemon balm have been reported. Unlike sedative drugs, lemon balm is safe even while driving or operating machinery. Lemon balmÕs sedating effects are not intensified by alcohol. Persons with glaucoma should avoid lemon balm essential oil, as animal studies show that it may raise pressure in the eye.4

References:

1. Weiss RF. Herbal Medicine. Gothenberg, Sweden: Ab Arcanum, 1988, 31, 286. 2. AufÕmkolk M, Ingbar JC, Kubota K, et al. Extracts and auto-oxidized constituents of certain plants inhibit the receptor-binding and the biological activity of GravesÕ immunoglobulins. Endocrinol 1985;116(5):1687-93. 3. Wöhlbling RH, Leonhardt K. Local therapy of herpes simplex with dried extract of Melissa officinalis. Phytomed 1994;1(1):25-31. 4. Leach EH, Lloyd JPF. Experimental ocular hypertension in animals. Trans Ophthalm Soc UK 1956;76:453-60.

*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.