Today's herbal blurb is all about Peppermint. This is a fantastic herb for your digestive system.
The Latin binomial is Mentha piperita. The parts used are the aerial parts or the leaves and flowers. In peppermint, we usually use the leaves. The active constituents are volatile oils (menthol), phenolic acids, tannins, and flavonoids. The therapeutic actions that we use it for are anti-emetic, carminative, digestive, decongestant, diaphoretic, analgesic, and nervine, We use it to ease spasms in your digestive system, especially from IBS or other spasmodic intestinal disorders. It can ease pain from heart burn, indigestion, flatulence. We use it to ease nausea and vomiting. For protecting and encouraging the repair and soothing of the intestinal tract after illness. We also use it for managing fevers, alleviating congestion, and easing pain in the muscles and from headaches. Dosing: 1 tsp of dried herb- 8 oz (240 ml) of water, boiling. pour over dried herbs in a mug and cover. Steep for 10 minutes. Strain and drink. You can do so up to 3 times a day. Tincture: 1-2 ml of 1:5 tincture up to 3 times a day. Caution: Do not use on newborns, infants, or children under 2 years old. Not safe for pregnancy. Please consult a doctor before using during pregnancy. This is a great, well rounded versatile herb to use for many different conditions. Just make sure to abide by the cautionary uses and enjoy a cup of peppermint tea whenever you feel it would be useful.
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This week's Herb of the Week is Ginger! A great herb you can find in your kitchen. Watch the video below for more information on just how great Ginger is for you. Known as one of the best heart protectors in the herbal world, the herb of the week this week is Hawthorn. A wonderful herb used for not only the heart but other systems as well, including the nervous system and ADHD. Read more below!
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is the jewel of the Herbalist's dispensary for cardiac disease and support. This plant is found all over Eastern Europe and North America. For this plant we use the leaves, flowers, or berries in our herbal blends and preparations. The active constituents found in Hawthorn are saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, procyanidins, tannins, and nutrients. Hawthorn is prized for its therapeutic actions: circulatory stimulant, hypotensive, cardiotonic, vasodilator, antioxidant, antispasmodic, nervine, sedative, adaptogen, antibacterial, astringent, and digestive. As a cardiac herb, Hawthorn is a valuable tonic and protector of heart muscle and used to prevent and manage heart disease. How does it do this? It encourages blood flow to the heart, strengthens heart muscle and thereby, contractions, and modulates the heart's rhythm. It also increase cardiac output, but does that without adding any additional strain to the heart. Used for decreasing inflammation found in the cardiovascular system and can help open (vasodialate) the blood vessels and promote blood flow, thereby increasing circulation. This is especially useful in treating Reynaud's syndrome. It can also help regulate blood pressure and help decrease high blood pressure. Wow! you can see why its so prized in the herbal world and is the go-to when a client has cardiac issues or a cardiac history. So, what else can one use this for? It is also useful for calming nervous anxiety, especially in children. This is very useful for cases of ADHD, in children and adults alike. Myself and my children take this for our ADHD and it does an amazing job. It can also help restore the lining and lubrication of the synovial fluids in joints, help heal damaged ligaments, and vertebral discs. All in all, this is a wonderful herb to keep in the dispensary for many different reasons, though the first two reasons, I reach for it, is for the cardiac issues and the ADHD treatment. It sees a lot of use in my practice as I see many clients who come for ADHD to see me. Dosing: One would dose this in several different ways. An infusion- 1-2 teaspoons of dried leaves and/or flowers to 8 ounces (240 ml) of boiling hot water. Steep for 20 minutes, strain, and drink. A decoction- 1-2 teaspoons of the dried berries, boiled in 8 ounces (240 ml) of water for 10-20 minutes. Take either of those up to 3 times a day. Tincture: 2.5 ml of the 1:5 tincture (these often contain the leaves, flowers, and berries) up to 3 times a day. (as always please consult myself or another Herbalist, if you purchase a pre-made tincture and the bottle list a ratio of herb to alcohol at a different ratio than the 1:5. Any number that is lower than the 5 is a stronger tincture and needs different dosing.) Syrup: for children (and even adults, because tinctures and infusions don't always taste fabulous) Made with the berries alone, usually. 1 tbsp of syrup at meal times. Glycerite: for children. This uses the leaves, flowers, and berries. This is an alcohol free, sweeter version of a tincture, made especially for children. Give 2 ml of the glycerite at meal times. Contraindications: Please make sure to consult with a Herbalist or physician before starting Hawthorn for heart conditions as it can interfere with some heart medications. In Conclusion, Hawthorn is one handy herb to have in your arsenal to assist your body in combating heart related issues, ADHD, and even painful joints. Blessed Be, Shannon This week's Herb of the Week is Rosemary! I did this one as a video. Check it out below and let me know which format you prefer. Video or written? Blessed Be, Shannon Dandelion is a herb? WHAT?! It is just a common weed that is seen as a nuisance, right? Or is it? Join me today for our Herb of the Week- Dandelion and find out so much more about this common weed.
Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale radix) are found in almost every state across America and throughout Canada. They originated from Europe, so are commonly found there as well in many countries. Though many consider this flower to be a weed, it is actually a great source of food for pollinators, like bees, and is actually completely edible for humans as well. It is a great source of vitamins and nutrients. The part of the flower most commonly used in Herbalism is the root, but one can also use the flowers, leaves, and stems. The root contains more of the active constituents, but the leaves and flower have a more mild taste and are easier to get children to take. The roots can be quite bitter. Which actually lends to one of its active constituents and therapeutic actions, a bitter. Bitters are herbs used to stimulate digestion and appetite and they do so through the bitter taste. Cool, huh? The active constituents of Dandelion are, bitters, diterpenes, sesquiterpene, lactones, polysaccharides, nutrients, phytosterols, and flavonoids. The therapeutic actions we usually use it for are being a gentle laxative, a digestive, a cholagogue, hepatic, bitter tonic, depurative, antirheumatic, and anti-inflammatory. A cholagogue is a herb that works on stimulating the gallbladder. A hepatic is a herb that works on supporting the liver. A depurative is a herb with detoxing effects. This means it helps your liver or kidneys work more efficiently at removing toxins from your system. Antirheumatics are a type of herb that helps with swelling, heat, and pain in joints. These are used to commonly treat arthritis. As you can already see from this list, Dandelion could have a great many uses, across many different body systems. So, how do I use Dandelion in my practice? I pretty much toss it in fucking everything! LOL Not really, but it is so useful, it is on the herbs I make sure to always have well stocked. It gets a good bit of use in my practice as women who have had children generally have more issues with their liver and gallbladder afterwards and this is a very effective herb in helping the body deal with those issues and heal them. One of my most common uses is as a decoction (remember this is a form of tea where you boil the root in the water to extract its constituents, instead of pouring boiling water over it.) taken as needed for constipation. This is usually a short term use, meaning a week or so, to get things moving. Once things are going, the use is stopped as one does not want to become dependent on laxatives. It is especially useful in individuals who have chronic constipation issues. It works by stimulating the production of bile, which has laxative properties. "But," you say, "I don't have a gallbladder any longer. Will this still work?" YES, it sure as hell will. Why? Because bile is actually produced by your liver. Your gallbladder is just a storage vessel for bile. It allows the body to store it up and then secretes it when needed, such as after a meal. When your gallbladder is removed, one might notice that it takes some time for the body to regulate how much bile and when its secreted without the gallbladder being present. Many notice they must run to the bathroom almost immediately after eating. This is because the body isn't used to not having that stop gap there. The liver secretes all the bile you need for that meal and the gallbladder usually stores it all and secretes it in bits. Without the gallbladder, the liver just dumps that all into the intestines at once! I also use it for individuals who have gastroparesis or other forms of slower digestion. Its bitter actions, help to prime the digestive system by causing it to start secreting digestive enzymes ahead of time. In this usage, I recommend a cup of dandelion tea 30-60 minutes before each meal. It is also very safe during pregnancy and is used to help with nausea and vomiting associated with morning sickness. Again, a cup of tea before meals may help or if that is too much for ones system, then a tincture can be taken instead. It also helps during pregnancy to keep the liver and gallbladder working properly so one avoids cholestasis. This is a where the gallbladder stops functioning properly and the bile just builds up leading to excess bilirubin in the bloodstream. This condition initially presents with itchy palms and soles of ones feet and if left untreated, moves on to jaundice and can lead to the chances of fetal death. YIKES! A daily infusion of dandelion tea can be very useful in preventing that from happening. Some of the other ways I use Dandelion in my practice is for postpartum women. It helps regulate the postpartum hormones. If you have ever had a baby, then you know those postpartum hormones are a bitch! It can be a very rough transition for many, many women. It can also be made into a hydrosol and used on the face as a wash to help with acne. And used in cases of arthritis to help reduce inflammation in the joints by helping the eliminatory organs of the body rid the body of the waste causing the inflammation (ie: dead white blood cells etc.) How does one dose Dandelion? As mentioned above the most common way is via a decoction. 2-3 teaspoons of the dried root to 8 ounces (240ml) of water. Boil the root in the water for 20 minutes, strain, and drink. Take up to 3 times a day. One can also take a tincture of the herb as well. The dose is anywhere from 1-5 ml/cc of the 1:5 tincture, taken up to 3 times a day. And as always, please consult myself, another Herbalist, or your medical doctor before taking any herbs to ensure they will not interfere with any prescription medications you are taking. And if you purchase a tincture from a store, please make sure it is the same herb to alcohol ratio (1:5) as mentioned above. If the the number on the right is less than 5, please consult me for appropriate dosing as that is a stronger tincture and requires a different dosing amount. Are there any reasons why shouldn't take Dandelion? YES! If you have a history of an obstructed gallbladder or bile ducts, please avoid taking Dandelion. It acts swiftly on the liver to produce bile and if your gallbladder is backed up then overproducing bile will not end well for the gallbladder and you will end up in the hospital. In conclusion, one can see what an awesome herb a common weed actually is and the power it has to assist the body in so many different ways. Herbalists the world over, prize this common weed, and many others as well, for its abilities to do so much for so many. You can see why I keep it well stocked in my dispensary. Have you used Dandelion successfully for any health issues? Comment below and let me know. I love hearing from my readers on their successful use of herbs. Blessed Be, Shannon You might have heard about chamomile's amazing ability as a calming tea for bedtime, but do you know what else it is renowned for? Find out this week in The Nomad's Apothecary, Herb of the Week series. German chamomile (Chamomilla recuita or Chamomile matricaria) is a wonderfully soothing herb. The flowers are used to achieve the therapeutic actions. The active constituents in German Chamomile are volatile oil, flavonoids, tannins, cyanogenic, and glycosides. The therapeutic actions associated with German Chamomile are anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, anti-ulcer, bitter, carminative, digestive, anxiolytic, nervine, sedative, vulnerary, diaphoretic, and antimicrobial. As most of you know, Chamomile tea is one often recommended for people wanting to help with insomnia or calm children. Chamomile is also found frequently in natural diaper rash creams and also in gripe water for babies/children. But why is that? What action listed above can do all those things? Well, for the helping with insomnia thing, the sedative and nervine actions are the ones responsible for that. A sedative does just what it sounds like, it sedates. The nervine action, helps calm an over active nervous system and calm a racing brain so one can sleep. Now, it also helps children in gripe water. That would be the carminative and digestive action. Carminative means it helps dispel trapped and built up gas in the intestines. Colic is theorized that it is caused from trapped gas in the intestines. So you can see why this would be so helpful for soothing a colicky newborn. But, it is also used in diaper rash cream. How does it work there? The anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and vulnerary actions are seen at work here. It will soothe inflamed skin, keep infection at bay, and help heal any open areas. WOW! German chamomile is like the one size fits all herb, huh? In adults and children alike, Chamomile is a soothing, cooling, anti-spasmodic herb that has an affinity for conditions of the digestive system that are triggered by stress. These can include IBS, crohn's, and colitis. It has been used for digestive upsets, infections of the digestive system, IBS, trapped gas, colic, indigestion and heartburn, nausea and vomiting (including for morning sickness!), and for soothing stomach ulcers. Chamomile is a very good herb for the GI tract and one I reach for quite often. But it can also be used for assisting the nervous system when its overwhelmed and feeling weak. Chamomile can help with stress, anxiety, and tension, because it is very calming to the nervous system. It has also been used to successfully treat headaches, migraines, and insomnia. It can also be used to soothe an inflamed or infected urinary system and its antimicrobial properties are also known to soothe respiratory infections. Its a great herb to take if one has painful menstrual cycles as its antispasmodic actions are very effective on menstrual cramps. When made into an external preparation, it can help deal with inflammation, ulcers, burns, and skin infections. Wow. Chamomile is so fucking useful! I use it very often in my practice and find myself reaching for it often for my own health issues as well as my family's. I absolutely adore the versatility of this herb. Now, how to dose this herb? The best way is always through a water based or alcohol based extraction (infusion/tea or tincture). Infusion dosing: 2 teaspoons of the dried flowers per 8 ounces (240 ml) of boiling water. Pour water over dried herbs in a mug and let steep for 20 minutes, covered. Strain and drink up to 3 times a day. Tincture dosing: 1-4 ml/cc of the 1:5 tincture up to three times a day. Remember that all tinctures purchased should have the strength of herbs to alcohol on the bottle (the 1:5 number), any number lower than 5, please consult myself or another Master Herbalist, on how to dose that tincture as it is stronger and needs special dosing.
And as always, please consult with myself, another Master Herbalist, or your medical doctor before taking any herb to make sure it doesn't interfere with any prescription medications you might be taking. The only contraindication (reason it can't be taken) is anyone with allergies to plants in the asteraceae family may react to this herb. That family includes, ragweed, thistle, dandelions, goldenrod, sagebrush, yarrow and more. What have you used German Chamomile for successfully? Share your stores in the comments below. I love hearing how the power of herbs has helped you, my readers. Blessed Be, Shannon You might have heard all about Saw Palmetto being good for men's reproductive health, but did you know it is also very useful for women's reproductive health as well? WHAT?!! No way! Yes, way! Come explore more below.
The common name for this herb is Saw Palmetto. It has gained a lot of popularity, even in the modern medicine community, for its ability to help me with prostate issues, reproductive issues, and more. The Latin binomial is Serenoa repens. This herb is found growing wild throughout North America. When using it for medicinal purposes, one uses the berries. The active constituents (the chemicals in the plant that lend to its healing properties) in Saw Palmetto are phytosterols, polysaccharides, fatty acids, and resins. The therapeutic actions (those actions for which we tend to reach for Saw Palmetto) that are most prominant are antiandrogenic, anti-inflammatory, adaptogenic, nutritivie, decongestant, demulcent, immunostimulant, and aphrodisiac. In this case, the decongestant is referring to its ability to decongest the urinary tract system and the kidneys, especially when one is suffering from a UTI. (urinary tract infection.) Traditionally, Saw Palmetto was used by the Native American communities to help with erectile dysfunction, impotence, infertility, and urinary tract infections. They would also dry the berries out and grind them into a powder which they then used to make cakes to be eaten and help with dysentery and stomachaches. As you see, it was used in a very versatile way. How do I use Saw Palmetto in my practice? Well, as mentioned above, it is very well known for helping to regulate testosterone levels and protect the health of the prostate in the process. It keeps the prostate from enlarging. So, since I treat women, how does this help? Saw Palmetto works very well in women suffering from PCOS and acne caused by imbalanced hormones. PCOS is a condition where the body creates way too many cysts on the ovaries and this impairs their normal function. The ovaries are responsible for regulating the amount of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in the bloodstream. Well, when this gets impaired by so many cysts, it means that estrogen is not produced as well and testosterone levels increase. This is why so many women who suffer from PCOS start developing facial hair and acne. Its like you are becoming a teenage male! Fuck that. Saw Palmetto can therefore be given to women to help regulate the levels of testosterone down to where they are supposed to be. This in turn can help with infertility issues that are occurring from PCOS, as it decreases excess androgens. How cool is that?? It is also very useful in the treatment of UTI's, as it is an anti-inflammatory and will soothe an inflamed urinary tract from infection. As women are more prone to UTI's, you can imagine, this herb sees a lot of use here at The Nomad Apothecary. Saw Palmetto can also be used for other systems of the body. It can help increase appetite when one is having a poor appetite caused by different issues. It is used to calm the body and the mind as a calming adaptogen. It is also used when someone has lost a significant amount of weight from disease or health issues and have become weak and debilitated. It helps strengthen the constitution. So, how in the hell does one take this herb? You will see the most common form in natural food stores and supplement shops, which is capsules. Capsules are an easy way to get it in for sure. I recommend getting your capsules from a Master Herbalist as you can then guarantee you are getting exactly what is advertised and not something cut with a different herb. Commercial manufacturers are not required to mention if they add other herbs in or not and make them a blend. There is no real oversight on their process. If you choose this method, proceed with caution. If you notice it isn't helping after a month or you are having adverse reactions, contact myself or another Master Herbalist and obtain your supply from them. The other way to take it is via a water extraction. In this case, a decoction. The what? Good question. A decoction is where one boils the herb in the water, instead of just boiling water alone and then pouring it over the herbs. A decoction is used when you are using the dried berries, fruits, or roots of a herb/plant. It really helps get through the tough outer skin/layer and pull the active constituents out into the water. In this case you will take 2-4 teaspoons of the dried berries to 8 ounces (240 ml) of water. Place all in a pan and bring to a gentle boil. Once at a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes. You can drink up to 3 cups a day. The other way to take Saw Palmetto, and also one of the easiest. is via tincture, an alcohol based extraction. You will want to take 1-2 ml/cc of a 1:5 tincture up to 3 times a day. As always, check the bottle for the extraction ratio used, if you choose a commercial tincture. If the number after the 1 is less than 5, this requires special dosing as it is stronger. Please contact me or another Master Herbalist for dosing. The only know contraindication (reason you cannot take this) is that one should not take it if they are currently lactating. And, as always, before starting any new herb please consult either myself, another Master Herbalist, or your medical doctor to make sure it will not interfere with any prescribed medicines you may be taking. So, in conclusion, Saw Palmetto is an invaluable herb in my practice and for you. Its ability to assist in the reproductive system is above and beyond almost any other herb used for this body system. It is a herb that definitely pulls it weight. Have you tried Saw Palmetto? How has it helped you? Comment below and let me know. I love hearing how herbs have helped my readers and clients. Blessed Be, Shannon Just a quick post to let you know that come February, I am going to start a monthly series of blog posts called, "Disease of the Month."
This series will go in depth on what exactly the disease is, how it presents, symptoms, etc and then detail how I would move forward with herbs to assist your body during that time. It will detail whether or not herbs have the power to cure that disease or if they can just help ones body deal with it in the most optimal way possible. I will be starting off the series with the disorders and diseases that mainly plague women, as that is who I specialize in treating. Once those have been exhausted, then we will move onto other disorders and diseases. I am excited to share this series and my knowledge about herbs and how they can best be used for each disease. I will also detail how other holistic therapies can be a good complement to herbs and help as well. I really hope you will join me for this series and learn all you can and more about the wonderful, marvelous power or Nature and Herbs. Blessed Be, Shannon The name of this Herb might get your mind thinking about sowing wild oats and you would be correct! Traditionally used as an aphrodisiac over the centuries, it perhaps got people out there doing just that! What exactly is this herb about and what do we use it for? Read on, to find out.
The common name of this herb is Wild Oats. It can also be found under the common names of Oat straw and Common Oat. This herb is found in temperate and sub-tropical climates. It is believed to have originated in the Near East and Europe. The Latin name is Avena sativa. The oat tops, also known as the aerial parts, are what is used in this plant. Traditionally, it has been used for supporting women's health and gained quite a reputation for being an aphrodisiac in both men and women. The saying "Sowing your wild oats," was thought to have originated from that particular use of this herb. It has also been used in baths in Europe for treating rheumatism, sore muscles, and even kidney problems. It has also been used for treating epilepsy, anxiety, migraines, shingles, and fatigue. It is a very powerful nervous trophorestorative. This means it helps the nervous system recover from being exhausted. Long term anxiety, depression, fatigue, tension, insomnia really take a toll on your nervous system and working properly. As such, long term use of Wild Oats can help get the nervous system back into line and help it regain its health. The active constituents (the chemical found in the herb that lend to its actions in the body) found in Wild Oats are saponins, polyphenols, sterols, nutrients (it is very high in minerals and vitamin B), monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, flavonoids, and proteins. The therapeutic actions that Wild Oats impart on the body and that we prize its use for are it being a nervous system trophorestorative, nervine, anti-depressant, sedative, antispasmodic, nutritive, demulcent and vulnerary. As explained above a trophorestorative is a herb that works on one particular body system and helps it regain optimal function. The anti-depressant activity is for mild to moderate depression. Severe depression should always be treated by a medical doctor with herbs coming on board as complimentary to whatever pharmaceuticals the doctor was prescribed. The sedative action makes it good to help treat insomnia. Anti-spasmodic means it helps with spasms throughout the body. A demulcent coats the intestines and helps reduce inflammation and a vulnerary means it is useful in healing wounds. WOW! As you can see, this one herb has many different uses throughout the body. It is prized for its ability to calm the nervous system and help with anxiety and depression, but as you see, it has many different uses as well. So, how do I usually use this herb in my practice and for my clients? Good question. I tend to lean towards its nervous system actions the most as it is top notch at helping with anxiety, insomnia, and restoring a depleted nervous system to health. I typically give this to individuals who have suffered with anxiety that leads to panic attacks as well as generalized anxiety disorders that have them feeling "on edge" constantly and not able to ever truly relax. I have also used it in blends to help restore those suffering from insomnia to an optimal sleep schedule and restoring their restful nights. I also tend to use it when someone informs me that they have a very stressful period coming up in their lives. It can help the body deal with the stress and not become too depleted. Other ways it can be used, especially in women, is as a hormone regulator. It helps regulate estrogen levels in the body. Now this can work for men as well, as men do also make estrogen, just at lower levels than women. This is probably where its use as an aphrodisiac came from. Proper levels of hormones, especially estrogen, increase ones sexual drive. Fuck yeah! It is used as a way to get extra nutrients in as well for someone suffering from a poor appetite, perhaps caused by stress, anxiety, or other reasons. Due to its nutritive content, it is also used many times to help stabilize blood sugar levels as well in diabetics. Of course, I recommend only taking any herb under the guidance of a Master Herbalist and with any medical doctors on your team being aware as well. If you think wild oats might help you, please contact me for a consult and we will work together on how to use them properly and safely for you. So you might be wondering, "How in the hell do I take these wild oats?" Usually, they are given 1 of 2 ways. The best way to dose them is through a water extraction. Which is a fancy way of saying, "tea." You would take 1-2 teaspoons of the dried wild oats and place in a cup. Pour 8 ounces (240 ml) of boiling water over them and let them steep for 10 minutes. Strain and drink 2-3 times a day. The other common way to dose them is through a tincture format, or an alcohol based extraction. In this way, you would take 3-5 ml/cc of the 1:5 tincture up to 3 times a day. (If you purchase a pre-made tincture from another distributor, the tincture should be labeled with its herb to alcohol ratio ie the 1:5. If it is a lower number after the 1 then it is stronger and as such will need to be dosed at a smaller amount. Please consult me before dosing a stronger tincture on your own.) The only caution with this particular herb is to proceed with caution if taking morphine as it can increase the effects of morphine and as such send you into respiratory failure. Yikes! If taking any kind of narcotic pain medications, please consult myself or your medical doctor, before taking this long term or not under the close watch of a Master Herbalist. So, in conclusion, this is a very versatile herb and can help an individual in many different ways. Go try some Wild Oats today and then go sow some wild oats after! Then come back here and let me know all about how well it worked for you. (but not with all the details. I don't need to hear that. HA) Blessed Be, Shannon What is an elderberry? An elderberry comes from the Sambucus nigra plant which belongs to the Adoxaceae family. These bushes are found throughout temperate to subtropical regions across the world. They tend to be found near sources rich with nitrogen. While the uncooked elderberries are toxic to eat, cooked berries are just fine and are very safe. Elderberries have been used for hundreds of centuries for helping the body fight off colds and flu and other viral illnesses. These dark berries are also used for natural coloring in foods and to dye fabrics. Through studies they have found that the anthocyanins in the berries are the active constituent that helps support the body during viral illnesses. The therapeutic benefits that have been observed in elderberries are its diaphoretic, antiviral, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, and antioxidant abilities. So how exactly do these therapeutic actions help during a cold or flu? A diaphoretic is anything taken that causes the body to sweat and help break a fever. So it can help bring a fever down by this action. An antiviral and antimicrobial are helpful in supporting the immune system in building its defenses up and fighting off whatever is causing trouble. A cardioprotective helps protect the heart muscle and an antioxidant helps inhibit the process of oxidation. Due to these therapeutic actions, elderberry is typically used during colds and flu season as a maintenance dose to help guard against coming down with the above. If you already have gotten a cold or flu you can take a higher dose to help your body fight off the infection. The berries also help manage a fever and soothe the membranes of an inflamed respiratory system. They also help decongest the system. A lesser known use for elderberries is helping to fight off digestive system infections as well. And taken daily to help strengthen and protect the cardiovascular system. All in all, elderberries are a very versatile and good herb to keep in stock during the winter in your house. Elderberry syrup is the most common way to take them and its sweetness and nice purple color make it appealing for children as well, making it easy to dose them as needed. A normal dose is 1 tbsp every day for maintenance and 1 tbsp every hour when acute illness has occurred. The dose is the same for children and adults. You can buy elderberry syrup here from The Nomad Apothecary and keep all your winter blues away and the family healthy. Have you used elderberries with good results for your family? Share your experiences in the comments below. I love hearing how herbs and plants have helped others in their journey to their best health.
Blessed Be, Shannon |
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