Herbs have been used in cooking and for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. In fact some herbs or plants were the origins of conventional drugs. For example, opioid painkillers such as codeine stem from the poppy flower.
Knowledge of native herbs and plants with a healing capacity was often passed down from mother to daughter. You may also have visited the wise woman or ‘witch doctor’ in your village. Conventional medicine sought to stamp out or discredit this local free knowledge right from the start. After all, there is no profit in healthy people!
I’m here to help rekindle and empower you with some of this knowledge. I’m not a herbalist but learnt a great deal about certain plants and herbs that you can use to help heal yourself – naturally!
Here are 22 herbs that you can use safely either as food or a tea:
- Alfafa sprouts (Medicago sativa):
Balances pH in the body/ contains essential bone forming minerals/ detoxes the body/ diuretic/ aids healing/ lowers cholesterol/ anti-inflammatory/ anti-fungal/ balances blood sugar/ nutrient dense/ increases appetite/ contains pain-killing alkaloids/ helps pituitary gland (produces growth and reproductive hormones, plays a role in metabolism)/ helps with diarrhoea/ good for kidney and bladder stones.
- Oats (Avena sativa): Calms the nervous system/ helps balance the thyroid hormones/ aids sleep
- Cayenne pepper (Capsicum annum): Regulates circulation/ supports pancreas
- Cinnamon (Cinnamon cey): Regulates blood sugar
- Hawthorn berries (Crataegus oxyacantha): Very gentle support for all cardiac issues like hypertension, anaemia or cardiac rhythm problems
- Globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus): Supports liver and gallbladder/ lowers cholesterol
- Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa):
Balances the endocrine system/ supports liver/ soothes nerves/ relaxes muscles so helps with uterine pain/ lowers cholesterol/ anti-inflammatory/ decreases pregnancy nausea/ prevents miscarriages/ good for diverticulitis/ increases libido
- Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea):
Supports immune system so great for colds, sore throats etc. You can buy this tincture here.
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale): Anti-inflammatory/ antioxidant properties
- Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra): Source of phytoestrogens/ contains natural glycosides which calm the endocrine system/ supports adrenals so great for Addison’s disease/ anti-inflammatory/ good for menstrual cramps
- Juniper berries (Juniperus communis): Supports pancreas
- Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis): Calms the nervous system and digestive tract/ lowers indigestion and trapped wind especially when associated with anxiety
- Mulberry leaf (Morus alba): Lowers blood sugar
- Peppermint (Mentha piperita): Supports liver and gallbladder/ soothes nerves and helps you to sleep/ Carminative action on the bowels and hence shifts trapped wind
- Parsley (Petroselinum crispum): Diuretic/ rich in Vit C/ helps to detox heavy metals
- Star anise (Pimpinella anisum): Good for colic and trapped wind/ calms the nervous system
- Pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita maxima): Rich in zinc to support immune function, stress and menstrual cycles/ Helps to get rid of parasites e.g. pin worms
- Clove (Syzygium aromaticum): Balances blood sugar
- Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale):
Supports kidney, liver, spleen, pancreas and gallbladder functions/ diuretic/ anti-inflammatory/ rich in calcium and potassium/ helps with gout, diabetes, and hypertension/ balances blood sugar/ increases bile flow/ lowers cholesterol/ stimulates digestion
- Red clover (Trifolium pratense): Supports liver and immune system/ anti-inflammatory/ helps with menopausal symptoms
- Slippery Elm Bark (Ulmus fulva):
Supports joint healing/ rebuilds tissues and glands/ increases mucus production in the gastro-intestinal tract which helps to coat intestines internally/ very soothing for ulcerative colitis
- Common stinging nettle (Urtica diotica):
Contains more iron than spinach/ rich in Vit C which stops bleeding/ natural anti-histamine/ balances thyroid gland/ rich in silica which helps rebuild connective tissue/ diuretic
I hope you’ve learnt something from this blog to help you to heal yourself! All these herbs have a homeopathic remedy made from them too. If you would like to know more, please contact me.
