Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa)

Wild Yam is helpful to the liver and the endocrine system. It is also used in regulation of the female system, particularly during menopause and menstrual distress, as well as used in treating infertility. Used with chaste berry and dandelion it is an effective treatment for morning sickness.

Usually found wild in the eastern half of North America, it is a perennial plant that is a low creeper, and occupies average to poor soils and full sun.

*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.

Wild Cherry (Prunus serotina)

Fast facts: loosens phlegm, an airway cleaner

Early colonial settlers didn’t have the option of running down to the corner drugstore for cough syrup or an expectorant when their kids had a cold. Instead, they stripped bark from a wild cherry tree, steeped it in hot water and offered it to their children as a hot, soothing beverage.

Today, not much has changed. Parents can run down to the corner drugstore for a bottle of cough syrup, all right. But chances are that the bottle is still going to contain wild cherry.

“Wild cherry is a flavoring agent that has a slight expectorant activity,” says James E. Robbers, Ph.D., professor of pharmacognosy in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and editor of the Journal of Natural Products. It contains benzaldehyde, a substance that loosens phlegm.

Generally, other ingredients with a more intense chemical activity are included in wild cherry cough syrups to boost the cherry’s natural abilities and to provide the actual cough suppressant, says Dr. Robbers.

Loosening Things Up: Although the bottled variety of wild cherry cough syrup is more effective than wild cherry tea, the tea can be soothing to someone who’s not feeling well.

If you’d like to make some tea, place one teaspoonful of wild cherry bark or leaves in a cup of boiling water. Steep for ten minutes and strain. Add honey, sugar or lemon to taste and enjoy. When using a tincture, follow the package directions.

Just two caveats: Do not give wild cherry tea to children under age two, and do not drink more than three cups a day. Wild cherry leaves, bark and fruit pits all contain hydrocyanic acid, which can be toxic in large amounts.

*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.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) in the Valerian family (Valerianaceae) is a perennial native to Eurasia and naturalized in northeastern America. It is extensively cultivated in Europe, Japan, and the United States for its root.1

History and Traditional Use

In Ancient Greek medicine, Galen prescribed valerian for insomnia.1 It was called “phu” by Dioscorides and Galen because of the aversion to its offensive odor. Valerian has been used traditionally to prevent spasms and intestinal gas, to stimulate the action of the stomach, and as a sedative.2 It has been used, usually in tea form, for fatigue, insomnia, migraine, hysteria, stomach cramps with vomiting, and for other nervous complaints. It has also been used externally to treat sores and pimples.2

Modern Medicinal Use

Valerian is an excellent herb to use, in combination with other herbs, or used alone. The active constituents are the volatile oil (isovalerianic/enic acid) and valepotriates. Valerian depresses the central nervous system, similar to GABA (which occurs naturally in the brain and inhibits nerve impulse transmission.) There are no cons to taking valerian other than if you use it other than in a capsule it can smell up your house as a tea. Or if you have cats they may rub up and down your leg (they like it, similar to catnip) while you are drinking you tea, causing you to stumble and fall, spilling hot liquid all over yourself. For Valerian to be effective you must take it in sufficient quantities to work e.g. 1-2 tsp. of the tincture (alcohol extract) before bed, or 6-10 capsules of the dried plant. Onset is typically 1 hour. You may awaken a little muddleheaded, which is quickly relieved as soon as you move about. For a daily dose, 5 ml (1 tsp.) of the tincture 3 times a day between meals is the standard dose.

About 20% of the population respond to Valerian as a stimulant, so if you take it and have insomnia or buzzed out, try hops, chamomile, passionflower, skullcap or Avena, which are all excellent herbs to relieve stress, anxiety and insomnia.

References

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

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

3 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.

4 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.

5 Cropley M, Cave Z, Ellis J, Middleton RW. Effect of kava and valerian on human Physiological and psychological responses to mental stress assessed under laboratory conditions. Phytotherapy Research 2002;16:23-7.

6 Lawless J. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils. Dorset (UK): Element Books; 1995.

TURKEY RHUBARB (Rheum palmatum)

Rhubarb is commonly used for pies, jams and as stewed rhubarb. Its red, bittersweet stems are found in supermarket produce shelves each spring and many people have it in their backyards. The Turkey Rhubarb is a member of the rhubarb family with roots which have a particularly strong and desirable potency.

The leaves of the Turkey Rhubarb are somewhat rough. The root is thick, of an oval shape, sending off long, tapering branches. Externally it is brown, internally a deep yellow color. It has a long thick root, brownish on the outside and full of reddish veins inside, similar to Garden Rhubarb. It flowers early to midsummer. It is also known as East Indian Rhubarb or China Rhubarb and has been used in China for more than 2,000 years.

Turkey Rhubarb must be purchased because its natural habitat is in China and Tibet. Rene Caisse preferred this variety to the common rhubarb because its medicinal properties were stronger and the taste less bitter.

The Turkey Rhubarb root contains vitamin A, many of the B complex, C, and P; calcium, chlorine, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, silicon, sodium, sulfur, and zinc.

The rhubarb root exerts a gentle laxative action by stimulating the secretion of bile into the intestines. It also stimulates the gall duct to expel toxic waste matter, thus purging the body of waste bile and food. As a result, it is alleged that the liver is cleansed and chronic liver problems are relieved. In small doses, the powdered root is an astringent and checks diarrhea, but in larger doses it irritates the colon causing the bowels to evacuate (diarrhea).

If diarrhea or abdominal discomfort develops, contact a qualified health practitioner. It may be necessary to either lower the dosage until the body adjusts to it, or stop taking it.

*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.