Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolio)

Echinacea Angustifolia L. Echinacea Purpurea L. Echinacea Pallida L.

Echinacea

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea and E. angustifolia) in the Aster family (Asteraceae) are perennials native to the prairies and eastern United States, and are easily recognizable by their pink/purple daisy-like flowers with orange/brown centers.

History and Traditional Use

Echinacea was universally used as an antidote for snake bites and other venomous bites, stings, and poisonous conditions.1 Physicians used echinacea for sores, wounds, gangrene, and as a local antiseptic. Internally, it was used for diphtheria (upper respiratory disease), typhoid conditions, cholera, syphilis, and blood poisoning. Echinacea was used by Native Americans as a cough medicine, a gastrointestinal aid, a remedy for venereal disease, sore throat, toothache, and the common cold.2

Modern Medicinal Use

Echinacea has been approved by the German Commission E for the treatment of colds and chronic infections of the respiratory tract and lower urinary tract.3 It has been used as therapy in chronic candidiasis (infections of mucous membranes of vagina).4 Externally, it has been approved for poorly healing wounds and chronic ulcerations.3 Echinacea increases resistance to infection and is used as a stimulant to the immune system It is also used for the treatment of eczema, burns, psoriasis, and herpes. As an immunostimulant, echinacea is used in the treatment of chronic respiratory infections, prostatitis, and polyarthritis (rheumatoid arthritis).1 Echinacea can be used to treat a sore and ulcerated throat and mouth, and topically for wound healing and other inflammatory skin conditions.2

Modern Consumer Use

Echinacea has ranked among the top in herbal supplement sales in the natural foods market for several years. It is most commonly used in cold and flu season to ward off, shorten, or attenuate the common cold.2 Echinacea is also commonly seen in cosmetics such as lip balms, shampoos, and toothpastes.1

References

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

2 Flannery MA. From rudbeckia to echinacea: the emergence of the purple coneflower in modern therapeutics. HerbalGram 2000; 51:28-33.

3 Blumenthal M et al. The Complete German Commission E Monographs&emdash;Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin (TX): American Botanical Council; Boston (MA): Integrative Medicine Communications; 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.

*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.

Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis)

Dong quai is an aromatic herb that grows in China, Korea, and Japan. The reputation of Don quai is second only to Ginseng and is considered the ultimate, all-purpose woman’s tonic herb. It is used for almost every gynecological complaint from regulating the menstrual cycle to treating menopausal symptoms caused by hormonal changes.

Dong quai is frequently used by the Chinese as a strengthening treatment for the heart, spleen, liver and kidneys. Both men and women use the herb as a general blood tonic.

Dong quai contains vitamins E, A and B12. Researchers have isolated at least six coumarin derivatives that exert antispasmodic and vasodilatory effects. Antispasmodics are a remedy for menstrual cramps. The essential oil in dong quai contains Ligustilide, butylphthalide and numerous other minor components. Ferulic acid and various polysaccharides are also found in dong quai’s root. These elements can prevent spasms, reduce blood clotting and relax peripheral blood vessels. Research has shown that don quai produces a balancing effect on estrogen activity.

Modern treatments prescribe the herb to combat PMS and to help women resume normal menstruation after using birth control pills.

The herb has been found useful in balancing and treating many female systems and cycles. Dong quai’s constituents can act to stimulate the central nervous system which can remedy weakness and headaches associated with menstrual disorders. It strengthens internal reproductive organs, helps with endometriosis and internal bleeding or bruising. It relieves menopausal conditions such as vaginal dryness and hot flashes.

The herb has also been used as a blood purifier, to promote blood circulation and nourish the blood in both sexes. It is high in iron content and may help to prevent iron deficiency and anemia. Studies show that it can aid in regulating blood sugar and in lowering blood pressure.

Dong quai has a mild sedative effect which can relieve stress and calms the nerves. It has also be used to stimulate the uterus during childbirth, treat insomnia, alleviate constipation and for migraine headaches.

Parts Used: Whole root. Found in tea, herbal preparations, capsules, extract and recipes.

Common Use: The root has earned a reputation as the “ultimate herb” for women. It is used to restore balance to a woman’s hormones and cycles and is helpful in restoring menstrual regularity and for conditions of the reproductive system. It is not recommended during pregnancy, for women with excessive menstrual flow or for people taking blood thinning agents.

*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.

<

Dill (Anethum graveolens)

From Pickles to Colic

Fast facts: improves digestion, eases colic, fights flatulence, prevents infectious diarrhea in children

Ever wonder how dill got into dill pickles? Flavor enhancement is only part of the reason. The herb is also a natural preservative, and in the days before refrigeration, vegetables were often pickled in vinegar or brine to preserve them. With dill added, they lasted even longer. Dill also helped settle the stomach, because the herb is a digestive aid. In fact, the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Chinese all used dill to soothe the stomach. The Vikings also appreciated dill’s digestive benefits. Our word dill comes from the Old Norse dilla, to lull or soothe. During the Middle Ages, dill was used to protect against witchcraft, and throughout history, cooled dill tea, or “dillwater,” has been a popular folk remedy for infant colic. “Dillwater works,” says Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D., director of the American Phytotherapy Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah, and author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine. “It’s gentle enough for infants.”

“For colic, many herbalists recommend a combination of dill and fennel,” says James A. Duke, Ph.D., a botanist retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and author of The CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. “Both herbs contain stomach-soothing oils.”

Dill owes its preservative action to its ability to inhibit the growth of several bacteria (staphylococcus, streptococcus, pseudomonas and Escherichia coli). This effect suggests that it might help prevent another common early childhood gastrointestinal illness-infectious diarrhea caused by these same microorganisms.

Traditional herbalists also recommended dill for prevention of flatulence, and perhaps there was something to this. The herb has anti-foaming action, suggesting that it might help break up gas bubbles.

How to do dill To brew a stomach-soothing tea, use two teaspoons of mashed seeds per cup of boiling water. Steep for ten minutes. Drink up to three cups a day. In a tincture, take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day. To treat colic or gas in children under two, give small amounts of a weak tea.

In sensitive individuals, ingesting dill might cause skin rash, but the leaves, seeds and seed oil are generally considered nontoxic. If any skin irritation develops, discontinue use.

*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.

Devil’s Claw (Harpogophytum procumbens)

Part used and where grown: Devil’s claw is a native plant of Southern Africa, especially the Kalahari desert, Namibia, and the island of Madagascar. The name of devil’s claw is derived from the herb’s unusual fruits, which seem to be covered with numerous small hooks. The secondary storage roots, or tuber, of the plant is employed in herbal supplements.

1 In what conditions might devil’s claw be supportive?
indigestion and heartburn
rheumatoid arthritis

Historical or traditional use: Numerous tribes native to Southern Africa have utilized devil’s claw for a wide variety of conditions, ranging from gastrointestinal difficulties to arthritic conditions.

2 Devil’s claw has been widely used in Europe as a treatment for arthritis. Active constituents: Devil’s claw tuber contains three important constituents belonging to the iridoid glycoside family: harpagoside, harpagide, and procumbide. The secondary tubers of the herb contain twice as much harpagoside as the primary tubers. As such, these secondary tubers contain the preferable concentration of active ingredients.

3 Harpagoside and other iridoid glycosides found in the plant may be responsible for the herb’s anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions. However, research has not entirely supported the use of devil’s claw in alleviating arthritic pain symptoms.

4 – 5 Devil’s claw is also considered by herbalists to be a potent bitter. Bitter principles, like the iridoid glycosides found in devil’s claw, stimulate the stomach to increase the production of acid, thereby helping to improve digestion. How much should I take? For use as a digestive stimulant, the dose for the powdered secondary tuber is 1.5-2 grams per day. For tincture, the recommended amount is 1-2 ml per day. For arthritis, many people use 4.5-10 grams per day. Again, recent studies do not support devil’s claw as a treatment for arthritis. Are there any side effects or interactions? Because devil’s claw promotes stomach acid, anyone with gastric or duodenal ulcers should not use the herb.

References:

1.Tyler, VE. The Honest Herbal, 3d ed. Binghamton, NY: Pharmaceutical Products Press 1993, 111-12.

2.Weiss RF. Herbal Medicine. Gothenburg, Sweden: Ab Arcanum, 1988, 238-9.

3.Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics, 2d ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996, 208-10.

4.Whitehouse LW, Znamirouska M, Paul CJ. Devil’s claw (Harpogophytum procumbens): no evidence for anti-inflammatory activity in the treatment of arthritic disease. Can Med Assoc J 1983;129:249-51.

5.Grahame R, Robinson BV. Devil’s claw (Harpogophytum procumbens): pharmacologic