Today’s blog is on
helpful herbs that begin with the letter O. This information is to inform only.
This information is never meant to treat, diagnose, or cure anything. Always
use caution and common sense when taking vitamins or herbs and check with your
physician for any contraindications. In the last blog
we talked about the taste of herbs and why they are important. In this blog I
want to briefly discuss the energy of herbs and why that matters when
considering which herb to take. Some herbs are cooling in nature (think of a
cucumber) and others are warming in nature (think of ginger). This is important
to consider when you are trying to find the right herbal treatment for what you
are trying to address. Warming herbs are best used to treat cold conditions.
Think of a person who has achy bones on a cold winter day. You wouldn’t offer
that person a plate full of cucumbers to make them feel better but you might
offer them a warm cup of ginger tea. Cooling herbs help to detoxify and to
remove inflammation. Think of someone who is experiencing symptoms of a heat
stroke. This is where you would possible offer a plate full of cold cucumbers
or watermelon. There are numerous
other things to consider when you are choosing the right herbs for your health.
This is just a much abbreviated explanation that I hope helps to explain why
the energy and taste of herbs are mentioned in these blogs. Now on to today’s
herbs. Western Herb  Oregon grape Root(Mahonia
Aquifolium)Parts Used: Rhizome
and Root Energy and Taste: Cool
and bitter Constituents: Berberine
alkaloid, columbamine, hydrastine, jatrorrhizine, oxyacanthine, tetrahydroberberine,
tannins. Internal Uses:
Liver, menstrual irregularities, skin diseases, arthritis. The yellow rhizomes
are used as a hepatic biliary stimulant enhancing the flow of bile throughout
the liver and gallbladder. This helps to improve the liver function. Can be
taken as a tincture or tea form. Do not take if you have hyperthyroid issues. Topical Uses: A cream containing 10 % can be applied to
rashes to help irritation.  Osha Root(Ligusticum Porteri)Parts Used: Root Constituents: Alkaloids, camphor, sapononins, ferulic acid,
terpenes, phytosterols. Energy and Taste:
Bitter and cool Internal Uses: Aids in digestion, colds, cough, and flu
fevers. 3-9 grams or 10-30 drops of tincture.  Chinese HerbOyster Shell (Mu
LI) Concha Ostrea Gigas Energy and Taste: Astringent,
cold and salty. Constituents: Calcium,
copper, iron, polysaccharides, sodium, magnesium. Internal Uses: Good for anxiety, palpitations, insomnia,
irritability and excessive anger. 15-30 grams Hope any of this information was helpful. Check back for the
next blog on helpful herbs beginning with the letter P. Resources The Way of Ayurvedic Herbs: A Contemporary Introduction and
Useful Manual for the World's Oldest Healing System, Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa
and Michael Tierra The Way of Chinese Herbs, Michael Tierra The Way of Herbs: Fully Updated with the Latest Developments
in Herbal Science, Michael Tierra |
 |
|||||||||||
 
CategoriesGreat ExpectationsHealth and Wellness Healthy Eating Reiki Sensitive Skin Skin Health-inside and out |
|
 |
|||||||||
    |
|||||||||||
