Oregon Grape

Botanical Name: Berberis Aquifolium Oregon Grape’s prime constituent, the alkaloid berberine, improves blood flow to the liver and stimulates bile to aid digestion. Thus, Oregon grape root may be used to boost liver function and treat jaundice, hepatitis, poor intestinal tone and function, and gastrointestinal debility. Berberine effectively kills Giardia and Candida organisms and several…

Black Pepper Essential Oil

Botanical Name: Piper Nigrum Traded more than any other spice in the world, black pepper has been prized since antiquity not only for its flavor enhancing spiciness, but also for its medicinal usefulness. The spice has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs, was frequently used in ancient Roman cookery, and was so coveted by Europeans…

Comfrey

Botanical Name: Symphytum Officinale Comfrey has been regarded as a great healer since at least around 400 BC, when the Greeks used it topically to stop bleeding, heal wounds, and mend broken bones. The Romans made comfrey poultices and comfrey teas to treat bruises, stomach disorders, and diarrhea. Today herbalists continue to prescribe comfrey for…

Meadowsweet Tea with Rose

Posted By Herbal Academy This meadowsweet tea recipe offers a chance to calm the mind and gently soothe aches and pains while hydrating the body. A great way to practice self-care, this cup of herbal tea contains ingredients known to quiet a busy mind.  Also known as Queen of the Meadow, meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) flower appears…

Sesame Seeds

Sesame is antioxidant, rich in nutrients and cholesterol-lowering. Not only that, from today we also know that sesame can help fight obesity thanks to a substance, sesamol, which induces changes in the adipose tissue to stimulate it to consume more energy. This emerges from a recent scientific research published in the Food and Nutrition Research…

Black Cumin Seed Oil

Black cumin seed oil skin properties, against stretch marks, acne and eczema. Anti-inflammatory, lenitive, anti-fungal and regenerating properties, for internal use in case of diarrhea, bad digestion, cough and reflux, for external applications, useful in case of dry skin, irritations, eczema, psoriasis, acne, mycoses, stretch marks and dandruff Internal use Hair Body and face skin…

To Tea or Not to Tea…that’s actually not a Question.

There are an estimated 3,000 varieties of tea produced worldwide. With so many different types of tea, you might think there are many different plants that produce them. But that’s not really the case… All tea leaves trace their roots one plant. It’s the processing the leaves undergo after they are harvested that determines whether…

Copaiba Essential Oil

Botanical Name: Copaifera Langsdorfii, C. Reticulata, and others Grown in South America tropical rain forests, the tree that yields copaiba oil is often called the “diesel tree” because the oil can be used for fuel. Many people have found oil useful for making lacquer and varnish, and it is also popularly used by artists for…

Chamomile

Botanical Name: Matricaria Recutita (German/Deutsche) Chamomile’s flowers resemble tiny daisies, but one sniff will have you thinking of apples instead. The herb has long been grown for its healing properties. its smell was thought to relieve depression and to encourage relaxation. Medieval Monks planted raised garden beds of chamomile, and those who were sad or…

Myrrh

Botanical Name: Commiphora Myrrha This small, scrubby, spiny tree from the Middle East and North East Africa is not very handsome, but it makes up for its looks with the precious gum it exudes. An important trade item for several thousand years, myrrh was a primary ingredient in ancient cosmetics and incenses. Believed to comfort…

Depression/Anxiety (Essential Oil)

It isn’t a secret that some fragrances lift and enhance our differing moods. The aroma of many plants, such as the elegant orange blossom aroma of neroli or the closely related and less expensive petitgrain, as well as jasmine, sandalwood, and ylang ylang relieve depression and anxiety. Modern aromatherapists agree with the 17th century herbalist…

Home Health: Black Cohosh

Botanical Name: Actaea Racemosa or Cimicifuga Racemosa The plant has been known to be useful to remedy the effects of hot flashes and some other symptoms related to menopause. Cimicifuga racemosa, commonly known as black cohosh or fair candle, is a plant of the Ranuncolacaea family. It sprouts up quite spontaneously in North America but…

Herb Profile: Gingko

Botanical Name: Ginkgo Biloba Ginkgo is one of the oldest species of tree on earth. It is used to treat conditions associated with aging, including stroke, heart disease, impotence, deafness, ringing in the ears blindness, and memory loss. In many studies, it helped people improve their concentration and memory. Ginkgo promotes the action of certain…

Herb Profile: Angelica

Botanical Name: Angelica Archangelical For centuries, peasants gathered angelica because it was purported to ward off evil spirits. Early physicians prescribed angelica for a number or illnesses. Angelica syrup was taken as a digestive aid, and American Natives used angelica to treat lung congestion and tuberculosis. Today angelica is used, primarily, to treat digestive and…

How to Sleep Well: Essential Oils and Diet

Lavender, bergamot, ylang ylang but also chamomile, hops and valerian, we see the most powerful natural remedies to improve sleep quality. In this article we will also see how dietary choices can help in order to make sleep more restful and less disturbed. Sleeping is essential for the well-being of the body and mind. However,…

Herb Profile: Lovage

Botanical Name: Levisticum Officinale Diuretic, antispasmodic, analgesic, digestive properties, helpful in case of water retention, edema, poor digestion, flatulence, gravel or inflammations of the kidneys, activator of sirtuis that is the molecule that mimics calorie restriction. Lovage is a plant belonging to the Apiaceae family. This perennial plant has leaves that are very similar to…

Herb Profile: Motherwort

Botanical Name: Leonurus cardiac Overview Motherwort is a plant. The parts that grow above ground are used for medicinal purposes. Motherwort is used to help prevent and/or stop bleeding. It is also used for ease the effects of heart conditions, menopause symptoms and some other conditions that people suffer from…but there is no affirming evidence…

Herb Profile: Pelargonium/South African Geranium

Botanical Name: Pelargonium Sidoides/Geraniaceae Pelargonium is a plant of the Geraniaceae family, native to Africa and nowadays spread all over the world in its various variants. The geraniums are popular decorative plants for balconies and gardens due to their colorful petals. But geraniums are also a natural remedy from which essential oils with anti0inflammatory ,…

Home Remedies: Prediabetes and Cinnamon

Disclaimer After doing a little reading, I will say that the first thing one must do is see a doctor. All of the home remedies in the world may be make you feel great (it’s always mind over matter) but they will never replace the help and information you receive from your doctor. Every article…

Herbal Profile: Couch Grass, Herbal Medicine

Botanical Name: Elymus Repens and Agropyrum Repens Couch grass is a grass that is also known to be an invasive garden weed. The roots and leaves are often used for medicinal purposes. Couch grass roots have been ingested by mouth for constipation, cough, bladder swelling (inflammation), fever, high blood pressure, and/or kidney stones…it is also…

Natural Remedies for Nasal Polyps

Natural remedies can help alleviate and prevent nasal polyps by acting on the nasal mucosa, decongesting it and soothing inflammations, the remedies may also be helpful to counteract the connected headaches. Nasal polyps are a very common benign disorder that affects the nasal mucosa. Even if their origin is still unclear, we now that the…

Natural Remedies: Eucalyptus, Mother Tincture

Botanical Name: Eucalyptus Globulus Anti-Inflammatory, antibacterial and balsamic action on the airways, useful in cases of cough, phlegm, asthma, sinusitis and sore throat, it also acts by reducing blood sugar. Eucalyptus is an evergreen medicinal plant of the Myrtaceae family. Eucalyptus is widely used in herbal medicine in the form of infusion, decoction, essential oil…

Herbal Profile: Star Anise

Botanical Name: Illicium Verum Carminative, digestive but also antimicrobial, useful in case of urinary tract infections and difficult digestion. Star anise is an evergreen plant characterized by woody fruits formed by 8-12 lobes arranged in a star shape, with a seed inside each lobe. It is precisely this form thst gives the name to the…

Natural Remedies to Help Combat Water Retention

Diet, massages and herbal teas, this is what can help to counteract water retention in the legs and ankles. A long period of inactivity…The quarantine created a situation that has forced us to stay at home for weeks. A lot of us found ourselves becoming a little less mindful when it came to diet and…

Herb Profile: Juniper

Botanical Name: Juniperus Communis The berries give gin its distinct flavor. American Natives used the leaves and berries externally to cure infections, relieve arthritis, and treat wounds. Adding a handful of crushed juniper leaves to a warm bath soothes aching muscles. A compress of juniper berries is sometimes recommended for gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and nerve,…

Home Remedies: Tinctures

Commercial tinctures are made by carefully weighing the ingredients and adjusting them according to the individual herbs. However, with common kitchen utensils and very little effort, you can easily prepare suitable tinctures for your own use. First, clean and pick over dried or fresh herbs, removing any insects or damaged plant material. Remove leaves and…

Herb Profile: Nettle

Botanical Name: Urtica Dioica The Anglo-Saxons named nettle after their word for “needle”. During the Bronze Age, fabric was woven from nettle. As recently as WWI, Germans wove nettle fabric when cotton supplies were low. Nettle was once used to reduce arthritic pains and uric acid in joints and tissues (excess uric acid causes gout,…

Home Remedies: Topical Preparations

It is fairly simple to create your own herbal skin preparations. Commercial oils, salves, creams, and lotions often contain byproducts and chemicals you may not wish to use. When you make your own topical preparations, you can tailor the recipes to suit your particular needs. Use your favorite kinds of oil or your favorite scent….

Herb Profile: Willow

Botanical Name: Salix SPP. Although their long billowing branches bring to mind “weeping”, willows were considered a symbol of joy by the ancient Egyptians, who prized the trees that grew along the banks of the Nile. And well they should have. This attractive shade tree is also a potent healer. The various species of willow…

Slimming Down With Tea

Ads touting green tea’s ability to help you lose weight may be more than hype. A growing body of research suggests a possible benefit, not just for green tea but for Oolong as well. A study reported in the journal Obesity in 2007 found that 31 healthy, lean young participants who drink a mixture of…

Home Remedies: Compresses and Poultices

You can use compresses to treat headaches, rashes, itching, and swollen glands, among other conditions. To make a compress, soak a cloth in a string herbal tea, wring it out, and pace it on the skin. Soak a cloth with strong peppermint tea to treat rashes that itch and burn. Soak a cloth with arnica…

Safer ways to Calm the Burn: Heart Burn That Is

It was a little after 1am when I pulled out my phone to google the number for a local ambulance. I was convinced I was having a heart attack. I could feel the stinging in the center of my chest. It felt as if I were stabbed and the attacker was turning the knife. It…

Herbal Profile: Feverfew

Botanical Name: Tanacetum Parthenium Feverfew’s common name derives from the Latin febrifugia, which means “derived out of fevers”. The Romans used the herb extensively for this purpose, and the Greeks employed it to normalize irregular contractions during childbirth. Today feverfew leaves are best known for their ability to fight headaches, particularly migraines. The herb’s constituents…