Health Benefits of Chaga Mushroom

Chaga mushrooms contain a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

The Chaga mushroom grows on birch trees throughout the northern hemisphere. It resembles a dark clump of dirt more than a mushroom but is distinguished from other growths by its orange tissue.

Doctors, alternative medicine advocates, and researchers are increasingly interested in the potential health benefits of the Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus). Some studies on Chaga mushrooms have yielded promising results.

chaga

Nine potential benefits

In this article, we look at the potential health benefits of Chaga mushrooms and the research behind the claims.

1. Nutrient-dense superfood

Chaga mushrooms are rich in a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, including:

B-complex vitamins
vitamin D
potassium
rubidium
cesium
amino acids
fiber
copper
selenium
zinc
iron
manganese
magnesium
calcium

2. Preventing and fighting cancer

Some studies suggest that Chaga mushrooms may slow the growth of certain cancer cells.

Increasingly, researchers are taking…

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LAVENDER’S MEDICINAL AND AROMATHERAPY USES

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

There are few scents in this world that evoke the feeling of clean – lavender is one of them. Its common and scientific name originates from lavare, the Latin word for wash or bathe. Lavender was popular as a linen-washing herb in Europe, no doubt due to its pleasant aroma, but it also possesses antiseptic qualities and can help to keep insects at bay. Discouraging or killing insects was paramount before the invention of glass windows and screens, a time when humans often shared the same roof with flea and lice-ridden livestock. Maude Grieve writes in A Modern Herbal (no longer especially modern, as it was written in 1931):

Dried Lavender flowers are still greatly used to perfume linen, their powerful, aromatic odour acting also as a preventative to the attacks of moths and other insects. In America, they find very considerable employment for disinfecting hot rooms and keeping away…

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HSA Webinar: Growing and Using Herbs of the Southwestern Missions

The Herb Society of America Blog

Author Jacqueline Soule will be presenting this month’s webinar on Wed, March 25 at 1pm – click here to register. This article is excerpted from her book, Father Kino’s Herbs: Growing and Using Them Today.

Epazote – An Efficacious ‘Erb

By Dr. Jacqueline A. Soule

Did you know that you can speak at least one word of Nahuatl, the language spoken in Mexico pre-conquest? Epazote is the Nahuatl name for Dysphania ambrosioides (formerly Chenopodium ambrosioides). English common names include wormseed, Jesuit tea, American wormseed, Mexican tea, and Jerusalem oak.

By the time of contact between the New and Old Worlds, epazote had been cultivated for well over a thousand years in southern and southeast coastal Mexico. It was, and still is, a principal flavoring for a large number of Yucatan and Veracruz dishes and is indispensable for cooking black beans.

Epazote in Cooking

Like the Old World herbs…

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The Essence of Ginger

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

No modern medication can rival the range and variety of therapeutic effects that can be induced by ginger. However, the full awareness of the health benefits and value of the herbal ginger remedies is rather limited because of the monopolistic health-care systems and a historically biased regulatory environment in most countries. Out of the hundreds of species in the plant family Zingiberaceae, the ginger remains the most famous and popular herb. Ginger is a rhizome, according to the correct botanical classification, though the underground stem of the ginger is often mistaken to be a root. Many different varieties of the ginger herb exist in the wild and in cultivation, these varieties range from mild to spicy in taste, and all of them require tropical conditions and fertile soils to grow at an optimal rate. The ginger herb has traveled out from Southeast Asia to the new world, over a period…

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Tea Tree Oil: Benefits, Uses

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

From antiseptic mouthwash to natural deodorant, tea tree oil is an essential oil with a multitude of uses and benefits. It tends to be pale yellow or colorless, with an aroma that is similar to eucalyptus or camphor and boasts antibacterial, antiprotozoal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties. Here’s a deep-dive into all that it can do.

What Is Tea Tree Oil?

Tea tree oil is distilled from the leaves of an evergreen shrub called Melaleuca alternifolia. The plant is native to Australia and used by Aboriginal people for cleaning wounds and other skin problems.

Benefits of Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil has a 100-year history as a natural remedy. The Bundjalung Aboriginal people would crush the leaves to create a paste to apply to the skin. They also made tea from the leaves to soothe a sore throat.

Amazing Antibacterial Properties

The antibacterial properties of tea tree oil have been studied since…

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Suggested Herbal Supports for Influenza/Influenza-Like Illness in the Event of a Pandemic | The Science and Art of Herbalism

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Compiled By: Lora Krall, Nurse Herbalist

With the recent incidence of seasonal influenza on the rise and the additional concern of possible coronavirus infections, the need for a list of possible options to support those who may become ill with these respiratory viruses is essential. This list is by no means complete but is designed to offer the herbalist a list of options in order to support those of a specific disadvantage due to (race, socioeconomic conditions, isolation, gender, ethnicity, etc..), in situations of possible limited availability of certain plant preparations and to expand the list of options for those in your care. In the event of a pandemic, herbalists will be KEY supports to our communities. It is wise to be prepared.

Additionally, none of these herbal suggestions are meant to be sole support for someone who is ill. In order for herbs to really support the body, some…

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A Powerful Stimulant For Body And Mind: Sage Oil

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Native to the southern European and Mediterranean regions, the Sage herb was highly valued in both the ancient Greek and Roman societies, which considered it to be sacred. For centuries, it has been believed that Sage had the ability to grant a longer life, and in China, it was traditionally used as a remedy for addressing infertility and symptoms of menopause. According to historical records, in some communities, the Sage herb also had culinary applications and was used as a preservative for foods such as meats. The oil of the Sage herb was also considered to be beneficial for both the mind and the body, hence it was used to quicken the senses by addressing negative emotions, such as sadness, and shifting them into positive moods, such as the sense of courage. It was believed that Sage Oil had a positive influence on the individual’s inner lifeforce, thus it was…

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A Natural Antibiotic: Thyme Oil

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

I originally posted this article a few years ago when my husband became extremely ill with MRSA he had contracted from the apartment complex we manage. I feel that with the current situation at hand with the COVID-19 outbreak this post about thyme oil is appropriate.

A Natural Antibiotic: Thyme Oil

Superbugs like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus {MRSA} are on the rise and, unfortunately, are becoming resistant to the drugs used to treat them. When faced with a microbial infection, using natural antibacterial agents may not only be more effective but also safe and risk-free.

Apart from using spices like garlic, I recommend you try essential oils derived from herbs like thyme oil. Not only do they have antibacterial properties, but they also provide a number of health benefits. Before I go into thyme oil’s antimicrobial functions, let me share some information on the essential oil.

What Is Thyme Oil?

Oil of…

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Oregano Essential Oil: For Colds and Respiratory System

Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Organic Oregano Essential Oil is derived from the Origanum Compactum plant, a species native to Morocco where it is more commonly known as Zaatar – a valued domestic plant with a strong, spicy, tangy aroma and a multiplicity of therapeutic benefits. There are approximately 3 to 4 dozen species of the perennial Oregano herb, which is also sometimes referred to as Wild Marjoram due to its relation to the herb Marjoram. The name Oregano, however, is derived from the Greek term origanon, which means “acrid herb.” When the word is further dissected, the etymology given is that the word compounds the Ancient Greek terms “oros” meaning “mountain” and “ganos” meaning “joy.” When combined, they mean “mountain brightness” or “joy of the mountains.”

Both the herb and the essential oil of Oregano have been used since ancient times for medicinal purposes. Greek physicians including Hippocrates and Maimonides prescribed it for…

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Spring Aromatherapy: Essential Oils for the Season of “Wood”

Good Witches Homestead

Classical Chinese Medicine recognizes five steps in the transformation of matter (Yin) into energy (Yang) and energy back into matter. Yin and Yang are primordial forces that together form the basis of everything that exists and their ceaseless transformation from one into the other is what creates and destroys everything around us, including our health. This process of transformation is reflected in the cycles that we see all around us, including the cycle of birth, growth, and death as well as the cycle of the changing seasons.

These five phases correspond with the five seasons: Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Each season relates to a specific element, specific bodily organs, specific emotions and other factors that are briefly described, in part, in the accompanying infographic. According to this traditional system, each season presents characteristic challenges to our health and psychospiritual well-being and an understanding of seasonal challenges can…

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