Lemongrass Benefits to Support Your Health – Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Source: Lemongrass Benefits to Support Your Health – Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is a perennial herb with a distinct, lemony aroma and flavor. It’s a staple of both Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. Though the plant is native to India, it’s grown all over the world today. Lemongrass is a rich source of nutrients that offer many therapeutic benefits.

Lemongrass Quick Facts
Scientific Names There are over fifty different species of lemongrass including Cymbopogon citratus (ornamental lemongrass), Cymbopogon nardus (Citronella), Cymbopogon flexuosus (Cochin or Malabar grass), and others.
Family Poaceae
Origin India and other Asian countries.
Health Benefits Provides antioxidants, supports the immune system, deters insects and other harmful organisms.
Common Uses Cooking, tea, perfume, cosmetics, medicine, and aromatherapy.
Benefits of Lemongrass

Lemongrass is a source of beneficial phytochemicals and specialized nutrients that support the body’s response to harmful organisms, boost the immune system and promote overall wellness. Although the balance of nutrients may vary slightly from one variety to the next, in general, lemongrass provides antioxidants like isoorientin, orientin, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid; all of which help halt the damaging action of free radicals. Caffeic acid, in particular, may neutralize free radical action up to 85%.
1. Supports the Body’s Response to Harmful Organisms

Some of the phytochemicals found in lemongrass are resistant to harmful organisms. Two of which, geraniol and nerol, are effective against a broad spectrum of harmful organisms. Another citral targets candida, specifically.

Lemongrass may also be effective against entire colonies of organisms known as biofilms. A biofilm is a thin, slimy, continuous collection of organisms that adheres to a surface with the help of proteins and sugar. Dental plaque on teeth is a common example of a biofilm.
2. Promotes Normal Immune System Response

Lemongrass encourages a normal, balanced immune system response—not one that’s over reactive and ends up doing more harm than good. In that way, lemongrass may protect healthy cells and help soothe irritated tissue. Lemongrass contains two antioxidants, geraniol, and nerol, that belong to a class of phytochemicals called monoterpenes. These phytochemicals influence the immune response. Citral also affects immune response by discouraging the body from producing cytokines—proteins that cause inflammation. Geraniol and citral also work in tandem to discourage the proliferation of malfunctioning cells and encourage the body to detoxify itself of them.
3. Stomach Protection

Your stomach features a protective lining called the mucosal layer that prevents acidic, gastric juices from damaging the interior of the stomach. It’s not uncommon, however, for alcohol or over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin to upset this protective layer. According to Brazilian folk medicine, lemongrass essential oil may help protect the mucosal layer of the stomach.
4. Encourages Normal Cardiovascular Health

Lemongrass offers a multi-tier approach for supporting cardiovascular health. First, as a source of antioxidants, lemongrass may disrupt the oxidation of fat in the arteries. Second, the citral in lemongrass helps to relax overstressed blood vessels. And, lastly, although more research is necessary to quantify the effects in humans, the results of some animal studies suggest that lemongrass promotes normal cholesterol levels.
5. Deters Insects

Topical or environmental application of lemongrass essential oil has long been used as a mosquito deterrent. You’re probably familiar with the outdoor citronella candles designed to keep mosquitoes at bay. The citronella in those candles is usually sourced from the Cymbopogon winterianus or Cymbopogon nardus varieties of lemongrass. In fact, the mosquito-deterring effects of lemongrass oil are comparable to many chemical repellants such as DEET.
6. Encourages Restful Sleep

Night owls rejoice! If you struggle falling or staying asleep, lemongrass can help. Studies have found that lemongrass may increase sleep duration, encourage dream remembrance, and promote restful sleep.
Tips for Growing Lemongrass

Lemongrass does best in regions 8-11, but you can still grow it indoors if you live in a colder region. Take a stalk of lemongrass and peel off the dry outer layers and discard. Place the skinned stalks upright in a tall glass or jar. Add about 1-2 inches of water to the jar to cover the base of the stalks. Place in a window or another sunny area to encourage root growth. Change the water frequently—about once a day—over the next month. Delicate roots should sprout from the end of the stalks. Once they reach 2 inches, they’re ready to plant.

To plant, dig a hole either in a container or the ground. Gently fill the space around the lemongrass stalk with soil, being careful not to break the roots. Make sure to keep the soil around the plant well hydrated, but not soaked. In 3-4 months, when the plant is well established, you can start harvesting. Cut fresh stalks as needed for tea or recipes. Keep your lemongrass well pruned to encourage consistent harvests. To store, peel off the tough, dry sheath around the harvested stalks, cut to size, and store in a plastic bag in the freezer until needed.
Using Lemongrass

Lemongrass is available fresh, dried, powdered, or as an essential oil. Your intentions will dictate the best form to select. Fresh lemongrass is best for cooking, extracts are commonly found in supplements, and the essential oil has many aromatherapy applications.
Lemongrass Tea Recipe

Lemongrass tea is an easy and excellent way to add lemongrass to your diet. To make a tea with fresh lemongrass stalk, roughly chop three whole stalks, pour 6 cups of almost-boiling water over the fresh lemongrass, and steep for at least 5 minutes. Add raw honey to taste if you prefer a sweet flavor. You can also use dry stalks if you smash them with a tenderizer first and steep for longer—about 10 minutes.

Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Butternut Tree – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Author: MMH

Butternut tree – Juglans cinerea

Parts used: bark

Traditional uses: Infusion of bark taken to check bowels. Pills from inner bark used as a cathartic and compound infusion used for toothache. Pills prepared from inner bark and used as a cathartic.

“Butternut is a mild cathartic like rhubarb; it does not constipate and is often used as a habitual laxative, also for dysentery and hypatic congestions. It has been employed as a vermifuge and is recommended for syphilis and old ulcers. The expressed oil of the fruit removes tapeworm. The fruit when halfgrown is made into pickles and when matured is a valuable article of diet. The bark is used for dyeing wool a dark brown colour but is inferior to that of the black walnut for this purpose. It is said to be rubefacient when applied to the skin.” ~Grieve MH

Leaves used to repel insects – “Some Ozark women scatter fresh walnut or butternut leaves about their houses to repel insects…” ~Randolph OMF 68

As a laxative – “The inner bark of the white walnut or butternut is also a popular laxative; most people boil this down to a thick syrupy mess, then thicken it with flour and roll it into pills, which are allowed to dry with a little sugar on the outside.” ~Randolph OMF 97

“…take the juice from the inner bark of a butternut tree and make a laxative.” ~Carter and Krause HRIO

“Take the inner bark of a butternut tree root and boil it in water until about three-fourths of the water has boiled away. Give a teaspoonful for a purgative.” ~Parler FBA II 1906

Carter, Kay & Bonnie Krause Home Remedies of the Illinois Ozarks (HRIO)

Grieve, Margaret A Modern Herbal (MH)

Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany (NAE)

Parler, Mary Celestia Folk Beliefs from Arkansas (FBA)

Randolph, Vance Ozark Magic and Folklore (OMF)

Source: Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Butternut Tree – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Butterfly Weed – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Author: MMH

Butterfly Weed, Pleurisy Root – Asclepias tuberosa

Parts used: root

Traditional uses: As an antispasmodic and expectorant the root is great for helping to clear chest congestion, hence the name “pleurisy root”. Also good for stomach issues and in remedying diarrhea. It’s sometimes combined with other diaphoretics like sassafras or dittany to reduce fevers. Caution should be taken with this plant as high doses can act as an emetic and purgative. Also, the plant should be harvested responsibly. Since you’re taking the root, only what is needed should be gathered and the rest left to go to seed.

“Antispasmodic, diaphoretic, expectorant, tonic, carminative and mildly cathartic… It possesses a specific action on the lungs, assisting expectoration, subduing inflammation and exerting a general mild tonic effect on the system, making it valuable in all chest complaints. It is of great use in pleurisy, mitigating the pain and relieving the difficulty of breathing, and is also recommended in pulmonary catarrh. It is extensively used in the Southern States in these cases, also in consumption, in doses of from 20 grains to a drachm in a powder, or in the form of a decoction. It has also been used with great advantage in diarrhoea, dysentery and acute and chronic rheumatism, in low typhoid states and in eczema. It is claimed that the drug may be employed with benefit in flatulent colic and indigestion, but in these conditions it is rarely used. In large doses it acts as an emetic and purgative.” ~Grieve MH

*** Cautions: All plant parts toxic in large quantities ***

Used for lung trouble – “A tea made from the roots of butterfly weed (Asclepias), also known as pleurisy root, is used for ‘lung trouble,’ which usually means the late stages of tuberculosis.” ~Randolph OMF 94

“Butterfly roots…is good for pneumonia. Butterfly roots are also known as pleurisy root.” ~Parler FBA III 2868

For nervousness – “A tea made from the roots of the butterfly weed (Asclepias) is supposed to be good for nervousness and restlessness.” ~Randolph OMF 113-114

Butterfly root, Virigina snakeroot, and senega snakeroot for colds – “The juice from butterfly root (Asclepius tuberosa), black snake root (Serpentaria), and Senca root (Polygala senega), mixed together and made into a tea.” ~Parler FBA II 1831

Root used for coughs – “Dig Butterfly root…Boil it in a little water. Drain water off and sweeten a little. This made a good cough syrup for children.” ~Parler FBA II 1965

Used for fevers – “To cure the fever Mrs. Landy’s cure differed from her son’s. She said the best way to cure it was to boil down pleurisy roots…and make a tea out of it and give and adult a dose of 2 tablespoons.” ~Parler FBA II 2206

Root used for measles – “Butterfly root…was used for measles.” ~Parler FBA III 2693

Tea for typhoid – “Butterfly weed…tea will break typhoid fever.” ~Parler FBA III 3483

Grieve, Margaret A Modern Herbal (MH)

Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany (NAE)

Parler, Mary Celestia Folk Beliefs from Arkansas (FBA)

Randolph, Vance Ozark Magic and Folklore (OMF)

Source: Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Butterfly Weed – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Flowers That Heal – Good Witches Homestead

Source: Flowers That Heal – Good Witches Homestead

Garden flowers offer us more than their beautiful colors and smell; many contain healing properties that have been used for thousands of years. As we begin planning our gardens, we reflect on the relationship between the plants to which we tend and our own bodies.

— Tieraona Low Dog, M.D.

We often conceive of flowers as a dazzling aesthetic addition to our home or garden. We take the time to smell the roses, reveling in their centering scented offerings. Practiced gardeners and hobbyists alike can reap impressive health benefits by way of incorporating medicinal flowers into their gardens. In this way, your garden is both a wondrous green altar, as well as your own personal medicine cabinet.

Trembling with potential energy and encapsulated in a small seed are all the nutrients and structures necessary for the growth of the flower it contains. When provided with the right conditions, a seedling soon flourishes and attracts insects that are beneficial to other plants in a garden. This spring is the perfect time to create a healing ritual around the plants you tend. While you commit to caring for your bountiful blossoms, you can simultaneously tend to the soil that lies within you.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Growth and care: Start with real Calendula officinalis seeds (not one of the many hybrids) in flats or sow directly into the outdoor soil. Enjoying cool temperatures, calendula does well with a layer of mulch which traps moisture for use by this showy flowering annual. It is deer-resistant, non-invasive and the butterflies love it! And by the way, the flowers are edible and will remind you of saffron in both taste and color. They can be used in salads or in cooked dishes.

Medicinal uses: Boasting lasting benefits for oral health, calendula is known to reduce gum inflammation and gingivitis. Teas are soothing to the stomach and can help soothe a sore throat. Calendula flowers are anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, which is why they have been treasured for centuries for soothing rashes and helping mend wounds. I keep small containers of calendula ointment around the house and up at the barn. It works as well for irritations and scrapes on the chickens and horses, as it does on us!

Harvesting: Harvest calendula as soon as flowers are fully blooming. Pick them in the morning hours on bright sunny day and harvest regularly to encourage flowering. You can use the flowers fresh, as mentioned above, or you can dry the flower heads in a warm, shaded place for use in salves, ointments or teas throughout the year.

California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

Growth and care: Native to California, the Golden or California Poppy can be sown directly into the rich soil. Golden poppies prefer full sun and sparse watering. They are annuals in some parts of the country, though our California poppies are perennial here at our ranch. These beautiful flowers are such a beautiful addition to the garden. The flowers are edible and look wonderful in salads.

Medicinal uses: California poppy is one of my favorite herbs for relaxation and relief of minor aches and pains. It is useful anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic, and is a life saver for those nights when I have overdone it in the garden. California poppy helps me fall asleep and stay asleep. It can be used to ease muscle cramps and spasms and soothe anxiety in someone who is feeling overwrought and irritable. It combines nicely with passionflower, valerian, and other relaxants.

Harvesting: The entire plant is used as a medicine, so it is best to harvest it when there are both flowers and the long seedpods present. Take a small spade or shovel and dig straight down in a circle about 8-10 inches from the plant and lift up the root and entire plant. Rinse off any dirt from the roots, chop the root, leaves, stem and flowers into small pieces, put in a mason jar and completely cover with vodka. Steep a few weeks covered, strain, and you have your tincture. I generally use 50-80 drops at night before bed or a few times per day for minor pain.

Echinacea AKA Coneflower (Echinacea Angustifolia, E. purpurea)

Growth and care: Echinacea, also known as coneflower, appreciates well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. These perennials are plants of the open woodlands and prairie and send out deep tap roots that allow them to tolerate periods of low rainfall. They flower throughout the summer. You can scatter seed in the fall or propagate from root cuttings. Echinacea is fabulous in the garden; the butterflies and birds love them!

Medicinal uses: Echinacea is celebrated for its ability to ease colds, sore throats, and respiratory tract infections. I have used the tincture for both my family and patients for more than 35 years. As a matter of fact, many patients told me it was the first herbal medicine that they had ever used that made them really believe that “this stuff works.” Topically, Echinacea is used for cuts and minor abrasions.

Harvesting: You can prune the leaves and flower heads throughout the summer to enhance the health of your plant, as well as encourage blooming. Cut the flowering stem above the node or the place where the leaves/stem emerges from the stalk. The leaves and flower heads can be dried or made into a tincture. Wait for at least two years before harvesting the roots. Harvest in late summer. Sink your spade down about 24 inches from the stalk. Go deep and lean back on the spade to lift the root ball. Take the entire plant. You can dry or tincture the leaves and flowers. Trim some of the roots that you are going to use for medicine, leaving some roots with the crown, so that you can replant it in the garden. Washing the roots that you are going to dry with a good scrub brush. Use a sharp knife to cut the roots into small pieces. These can be set aside in a warm but shaded place for a week to dry and then stored, or you can make a tincture from the fresh roots. (Healthy at Home contains all the information you need for making fresh and dried herb tinctures).

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

Growth and care: Hyssop is a popular aromatic perennial member of the mint family that displays beautiful purplish blue flowers (or sometimes pink) and boasts a large root system beneath the earth. This is a great flower to plant in your garden to attract pollinators and prefers well-drained soil and partial or full sunlight.

Medicinal uses: Hyssop possesses antiviral properties and promotes the expulsion of mucus from the respiratory system. The use of hyssop flower tea has long been used to ease colds, coughs, and congestion. The tea is quite pleasant and I have found to be a very good expectorant when taken in small doses throughout the day. When diffused, hyssop essential oil is often used to purify the air indoors. Hyssop leaves can be added to soups and salads.

Harvesting: Cut the flowering tops of hyssop. Harvest and dry the herb at the peak of maturity to assure the highest possible potency of active ingredients.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Growth and care: Lavender enjoys full sun and well-drained, slightly alkaline soil. This gorgeous and fragrant perennial does not like to be overwatered and will not tolerate excessive moisture. While there are many different types of lavender, I admit that I am very partial to English lavender or L. Angustifolia. You can grow from seeds but cuttings are quicker. Lavender makes a beautiful border in the garden but also does great in pots.

Medicinal uses: Lavender flowers are often put in small cotton bags and put in linen and clothing drawers for their wondrous aroma. You can make an infusion and add it to a bath to soothe itchy skin or help relax before bed. Lavender essential oil touts many impressive benefits and can be used as aromatherapy to ease insomnia, headaches, and anxiety. Topically, diluted lavender essential oil can help ease sunburn, bug bites and mend wounds. I put ¼ cup of dried lavender flowers in 1 cup of honey and let it steep for 2-3 weeks. This lavender honey can be used on minor wounds to help them heal. And it serves double duty when drizzled over Manchego cheese and served with some grapes on a warm summer evening. Delicious!

Harvesting: To harvest, cut the stems just above the first set of leaves, as soon as some of the flowers just begin to open. Bundle your stems together (no thicker than the opening on a soda pop bottle), tie with a string and hang upside down in a cool, dry place for 3-4 weeks.

Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Burdock – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Author: MMH 0 Comments

Burdock – Arctium lappa, A. minus, A. tomentosum

Parts used: root, leaf

Traditional uses: Root used in washes for boils and skin complaints. Leaf infusion used to tone stomach. Leaf poultice used for tumors and swellings and to reduce inflammation. Blood purifier, alterative, diuretic, and diaphoretic.

“Alterative, diuretic and diaphoretic. One of the best blood purifiers. In all skin diseases, it is a certain remedy and has effected a cure in many cases of eczema, either taken alone or combined with other remedies, such as Yellow Dock and Sarsaparilla.” ~Grieve MH

Used in formula for chills – “A gentleman in Cyclone, Missouri, tells me that his family made a ‘chill remedy’ that was in great demand; the exact formula was kept secret, he says, but the main ingredient was crushed burdock seeds.” ~Randolph OMF 107

“Burdock roots…boiled were given for chills.” ~Parler FBA II 1747

Beads worn as protection from witchcraft – “A basket maker at Eureka Springs, Arkansas, told me that children are best protected against witches by wearing a neck-lace of dried burdock roots, cut into small pieces and strung like beads.” ~Randolph OMF 291

Boiled in compound drank for colds – “There used to be a plant called burdock. They’d dig that up and get the root and soak it in whiskey. Then they’d take that and put other ingredients such as nutmeg and butter and ginger in it. You’d drink that hot and go to bed of a night it’d suck that cold out.” ~Carter and Krause HRIO

Medicine for the blood of young folks – “From the weed Burdock (Arctium minus) you make a medicine for the blood of young folks. You boil the weed down and give the youngin’ a dose of 1 tablespoon before meals.” ~Parler FBA II 1357

Burdock, Witch Hazel, and Dogwood as a spring tonic – “Mix burdock roots, witch hazel bark, dogwood bark and take 1 teaspoonful before breakfast in the spring. This is called a spring tonic.” ~Parler FBA II 1369

Root chewed to purify blood – “To purify the blood chew the roots of the burdock plant.” ~Parler FBA II 1516

Root water used for boils – “To cure boils and sores that children have use Burdock roots…that have been soaked in water and drink the water.” ~Parler FBA II 1564

Roots worn against nosebleed – “A necklace of burdock roots…used to be worn to prevent nosebleeding.” ~Parler FBA III 2786

Wild cherry and burdock used for rheumatism – “Wild Cherry bark and Burdock root…boiled and mixed with whiskey is good for rheumatism.” ~Parler FBA III 2974

Carter, Kay & Bonnie Krause Home Remedies of the Illinois Ozarks (HRIO)

Grieve, Margaret A Modern Herbal (MH)

Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany (NAE)

Parler, Mary Celestia Folk Beliefs from Arkansas (FBA)

Randolph, Vance Ozark Magic and Folklore (OMF)

Source: Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Burdock – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Vinca – Good Witches Homestead

Source: Vinca – Good Witches Homestead

COMMON NAME: vinca
GENUS: Vinca
SPECIES: V. major, V. minor; both perennial
FAMILY: Apocynaceae
BLOOMS: spring
TYPE: perennial
DESCRIPTION: Perennial vinca is a fast-spreading vine with blue flowers. V. major is a more vigorous grower and has larger leaves and flowers. The annual bedding plant vinca {actually Catharanthus roseus} has attractive five-petaled white and pink-to-red flowers and dark green, glossy leaves. The plants reach a height of 10 to 15 inches and spread almost 2 feet across.
CULTIVATION: Annual vinca {C. roseus} is extremely heat and drought tolerant and thrives in full, hot sun. It blooms prolifically from early summer until frost. Perennial vinca is particularly useful as a ground cover because it grows equally as well in sun or shade. Blooming, which occurs in late spring, is much better in the sun, however.

Twelve species of this genus are native to Europe. V. major, also known as greater periwinkle, blue buttons, and band plant, and V. minor, known as common periwinkle, lesser periwinkle, and running myrtle, are the two species most widely grown.
Rosy periwinkle, a tropical species, contains an alkaloid necessary to make the drug vincristine, which is used to treat many forms of cancer.
The popular pink and white vinca used as a bedding plant is officially C. roseus, though it was known for many years as V. rosea. It is native from Madagascar to India and is known as rose periwinkle and old maid.
Vinca has been cultivated for centuries. The number of common names alludes to the variety of purposes for which this plant has been used and particularly to the magical powers it was thought to possess. Known as devil’s eye or sorcerer’s violet, vinca blossoms were sometimes worn in the buttonhole as protection against witches. If placed over the doorway, vinca was thought to keep away witches.
During the Middle Ages criminals on the way to the gallows traditionally wore garlands made from vinca blossoms. The Italian name for the plant is the flower of death, and it was often planted on the graves of children.
Belgians believed that the flower was a symbol of virginity and would spread vinca petals in front of bridal couples as they left the church.
It is from the pink and red vinca that the phrase “pink of perfection” originated. An old English book, The Vertues of Herbs, Stones, and Certain Beasts, suggests that “Perwynke when it {the leaf} is beate unto powder with worms of ye earth wrapped about it and with an hearbe called houselyck it induceth love between man and wife it it be used in their meales.”
Red vinca, also called joy of the ground, planted outside the garden gate symbolized an invitation to the passer-by to come in and look at the garden.
The medicinal uses of vinca are varied. Vinca tea made from the blossoms was used, according to an ancient herbal, if the “mother’s milk was running too full.” A tonic made from dried, full-grown leaves was used for intestinal problems. The leaves, mixed with other herbs, were thought to help diabetes. An ointment made from the leaves was used to treat skin disorders, particularly on the scalp, and the raw leaves were chewed to stop a nosebleed. The young shoots were boiled and eaten to prevent nightmares and to soothe nervous disorders and hysteria. Long strands of the creeping vine were wrapped tightly around the legs to ease muscular cramps. Perhaps the favorite reason for indulging in a daily dose of vinca was the superstition that it would help one be happy and comfortable and have grace.
Because it is evergreen, vinca has been chosen as the symbol of fidelity and friendship. The blue blossoms represent the pleasures of memory, red blossoms mean early friendship and white blossoms are symbolic of pleasant recollections.

Vinca has been chosen by the city of Geneva as its floral emblem.

Peony – Good Witches Homestead

Source: Peony – Good Witches Homestead

COMMON NAME: peony
GENUS: Paeonia
SPECIES, HYBRIDS, CULTIVARS:
P. lactiflora {Chinese peony}-many hybrids; single or double. P. suffruticosa {TREE PEONY}-shrub; does not die back in winter.
FAMILY: Ranunculaceae
BLOOMS: late spring
TYPE: perennial
DESCRIPTION: Peony greets spring with offerings of very large, beautiful blossoms in pinks, white, and shades of red. The foliage is neat and attractive, and the plants create an appealing, low {2 1/2 to 3 foot} shrub during the summer months. Peony flowers are full and measure 4 to 6 inches across.
CULTIVATION: Probably one of the greatest attributes of peonies is their longevity. Some peony plants are reported to be more than 100 years old. Once established, peonies should not be transplanted. The plants are tolerant of a wide range of soils but will perform best in neutral or slightly alkaline soils that are light, fertile, and rich in organic matter. Peony roots should be planted so that the eyes are exactly 1 1/2 inches below the soil level. Mix in generous amounts of humus or peat moss before planting. In northern areas, plant in full sun. In hot southern climates, provide a bit of shade.

Called the blessed herb, peonies have been used for centuries for their magical and medicinal properties. Among the powers that peony was thought to possess are the ability to protect shepherds and their flocks; to ward off storms, demons, and nightmares; and to preserve the harvest from danger. Peony is the Greek symbol of healing and the Japanese symbol for a happy marriage and virility. It is the Japanese floral emblem for the month of June.
The Chinese have grown this flower for over 2,000 years. The name for it there is Sho-yo, which means “the beautiful,” and it is considered the flower of prosperity. One Chinese emperor called peonies roses of spring, and a single specimen sold for as much as 100 ounces of gold. According to the Chinese calendar, the tree peony is the floral symbol for March.
The medicinal powers of the plant are legendary. It was named for Paeon, physician to the Greek gods, and a student of Asclepius, {god of medicine and healing}. Leto, goddess of fertility, told Paeon about a magical root growing on Mount Olympus that would soothe the pain of a woman in childbirth. When Paeon went to get this root, Asclepius became jealous and angry and threatened to kill his pupil. Leto begged help from Zeus, who saved Paeon from the wrath of his teacher by changing him into the peony flower.
Perhaps because of this legend, peony seeds have been given to pregnant women for centuries. It was also thought that the roots, held over a person’s head or around the neck, would cure insanity. Other medicinal uses included the prevention of epileptic convulsions and soothing the gums o teething infants. Pliny, a Roman statesman, said that peonies are the “oldest of plants, and are an important medicine that cures twenty ills.”
Superstition warns us, however, that the plant is protected by woodpeckers. If you try to gather peony for medicinal purposes while a woodpecker is in sight, your patient might die.
The magical powers of peonies were thought to be even stronger than the medicinal ones. Mothers in rural areas hung strings of peony seeds around an infant’s neck as a protection against the “Evil Eye.” The seeds, particularly if soaked in rain water, were worn as an amulet for protection against witchcraft and the devil. The plant’s reputation for supernatural powers was enhanced by its phosphorescent qualities-some plants actually glow in the dark. For the most potent magical powers, seeds and roots were gathered in the dead of night.
The first peonies, considered important healing herbs, were brought to England by the Roman legions in 1200. They have been cherished in England since then, first for their medicinal value, and then for their unparalleled beauty. Peonies have been in the United States since early colonial days. For the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876, peony was used to symbolize the American spirit, ambition, and determination to adapt and thrive.
The only country ever named for a flower was Paeonia, located in what is now northern Greece. It was a legitimate country complete with a government, army, and imperial ring, but it was conquered during the Persian Wars.
Peony is the state flower of Indiana.

The language of peony is shame, for it was thought to be the hiding place of a dishonorable nymph.

Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Boneset – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Author: MMH

Boneset – Eupatorium perfoliatum

Parts used: leaf, flower

Traditional uses: Used as a purgative. Infusion taken for colds. Used as a tonic, sudorific, stimulant, emetic and antiseptic. Infusion taken for “ague,” colds and flu. Used as a stimulant. Infusion taken for sore throat. Decoction of plant used as a gentle emetic. Plant used as a fever medicine.

“Stimulant, febrifuge and laxative. It acts slowly and persistently, and its greatest power is manifested upon the stomach, liver, bowels and uterus. It is regarded as a mild tonic in moderate doses, and is also diaphoretic, more especially when taken as a warm infusion, in which form it is used in attacks of muscular rheumatism and general cold. In large doses it is emetic and purgative. Many of the earlier works allude to this species as a diuretic, and therefore of use in dropsy, but this is an error, this property being possessed by Eupatorium purpureum, the purple-flowered Boneset, or Gravel Root. It has been much esteemed as a popular febrifuge, especially in intermittent fever, and has been employed, though less successfully, in typhoid and yellow fevers. It is largely used by the negroes of the Southern United States as a remedy in all cases of fever, as well as for its tonic effects. As a mild tonic it is useful in dyspepsia and general debility, and particularly serviceable in the indigestion of old people. The infusion of 1 OZ of the dried herb to 1 pint of boiling water may be taken in wineglassful doses, hot or cold: for colds and to produce perspiration, it is given hot; as a tonic, cold. As a remedy in catarrh, more especially in influenza, it has been extensively used and with the best effects, given in doses of a wineglassful, warm every half hour, the patient remaining in bed the whole time; after four or five doses, profuse perspiration is caused and relief is obtained. It is stated that the popular name Boneset is derived from the great value of this remedy in the treatment of a species of influenza which had much prevailed in the United States, and which from the pain attending it was commonly called Break-Bone Fever. This species of Eupatorium has also been employed in cutaneous diseases, and in the expulsion of tapeworm.” ~Grieve MH

*** Cautions: Contains trace amounts of the toxin pyrrolizidine. Caution should be taken when using internally. Large doses emetic. ***

Tea for fevers and chills – “Boneset tea is a favorite remedy for chills, fever, and ague.” ~Randolph OMF 107

Root tea for colds – “My mother says as a child she had malaria with chills every other day and fever. An old aunt of her mothers came to visit and told her brothers to go into the woods and get the root of a certain plant called ‘bone set’. She took the roots, washed them, and boiled them, and made a tea. This my mother had to drink, and it cured her, and she has never had a chill to this day.” ~Parler FBA II 1767

Applied to body for malaria – “A cure for malaria is to take the oil from a plant called a bone set (Eupatorium) and apply to the person with malaria.” ~Parler FBA III 2676

Grieve, Margaret A Modern Herbal (MH)

Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany (NAE)

Parler, Mary Celestia Folk Beliefs from Arkansas (FBA)

Randolph, Vance Ozark Magic and Folklore (OMF)

Source: Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Boneset – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Orange Essential Oil May Improve Symptoms of PTSD, Say Researchers – Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Source: Orange Essential Oil May Improve Symptoms of PTSD, Say Researchers – Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Post-traumatic stress disorder affects around 8 million adults in the United States, but treatments for the condition are still limited. Orange essential oil may offer a nonpharmaceutical option to help reduce the stress and fear associated with the disorder, suggests research carried out by scientists at George Washington University.

Early indications show that orange essential plant oil could help to diminish symptoms associated with PTSD.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder often triggered by exposure to stressful, distressing, or frightening events, or the sudden and unexpected death of a loved one.

The person with the disorder tends to relive the traumatic experience through flashbacks and nightmares. The severe anxiety caused by PTSD may last months or even years, and it can have a significant impact on the person’s life.

Chronic stress is thought to play a role in activating and exacerbating inflammation in the peripheral immune system. Research has suggested that peripherally circulating immune cells may be able to cross the blood-brain barrier and cause inflammation in the central nervous system, which may contribute to mental health disorders, including PTSD. However, the link between fear memory and the immune system is not entirely understood.

Furthermore, treatment for PTSD is currently limited to two FDA-approved medications and psychotherapy practices, including cognitive and exposure therapies.

Cassandra Moshfegh, a research assistant in Paul Marvar’s laboratory at the George Washington University, and colleagues sought to investigate the effect of orange essential plant oil on PTSD symptoms. Previous studies have shown that orange essential oil may have a depressant-like effect on the central nervous system.

The team presented the research at the American Physiological Society’s annual meeting during the Experimental Biology 2017 conference, held in Chicago, IL.

Essential oils are naturally produced by plants and can be used for therapeutic purposes. The aromatic compounds of orange essential oil are usually extracted from the peel of the orange. Essential oils can be inhaled, applied to the skin, or ingested in foods or beverages.

Orange essential oil significantly reduced fear-associated behavior

Orange essential oil was tested in mice to determine the impact of the compound on fear memory and immune cell activation. The researchers used Pavlovian Fear Conditioning – a behavioral mouse model – “to study the formation, storage, and expression of fear memories as a model for PTSD.”

Pavlovian Fear Conditioning pairs a tone with a negative stimulus, such as a shock to the foot, which provokes fear as a response in the mice. The mice form an associative memory between the tone and the stimulus. When presented with the tone alone, the mice exhibit a fear response and typically freeze. This response diminishes slowly as time goes on.

Moshfegh and team divided the mice into three groups. The first group of 12 mice was exposed to the audio tone alone, 12 mice received water and fear conditioning, and the remaining 12 mice were exposed to orange essential oil by inhalation 40 minutes prior to and after the fear conditioning.

The researchers found that the mice exposed to orange essential oil were significantly less likely to exhibit freezing behavior and stopped freezing altogether earlier than the mice that received water and fear conditioning. Moreover, the mice exposed to orange essential oil experienced a significant decrease in the immune cells linked to the “biochemical pathways” associated with PTSD.

The mechanism behind the differences in behavior between the two groups could be explained by the variations found in gene expression in their brains.

“Relative to pharmaceuticals, essential oils are much more economical and do not have adverse side effects. The orange essential plant oil showed a significant effect on the behavioral response in our study mice. This is promising because it shows that passively inhaling this essential oil could potentially assuage PTSD symptoms in humans.”

Cassandra Moshfegh

Further studies are needed to unravel the specific effects of orange essential oil on the brain and nervous system, says Moshfegh, and to uncover how these effects reduce “stress and fear in people with PTSD.”

Seven Herbs and Supplements for Type 2 Diabetes – Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Source: Seven Herbs and Supplements for Type 2 Diabetes – Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Diabetes is a widespread disorder affecting the blood sugar and insulin levels in the body. Managing the long-term consequences and complications of diabetes are as much of a challenge as the disease itself.

There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is where the pancreas produces no insulin. Type 2 diabetes is more common. With type 2, the body either does not produce enough insulin or produces insulin that the body does not use properly.

There are many treatment options for people with type 2 diabetes. Growing research suggests that some herbs and supplements may help with the condition.

Useful herbs may be great to combine with more traditional methods to find relief from many type 2 diabetes symptoms.

Seven herbs and supplements

Here are seven herbs and supplements that may be of benefit to people with type 2 diabetes.

Aloe vera

Studies suggest an antidiabetic potential for aloe that may lower blood sugar levels.

Aloe vera is a common plant with many different uses. Most people are aware of the plant being used to coat the skin and protect it from damage caused by too much sun exposure.

However, the plant has many lesser-known benefits as well. These range from helping digestive issues to possibly even relieving type 2 diabetes symptoms.

One review analyzed many studies using aloe vera to treat symptoms of diabetes. Their results strongly suggested an antidiabetic potential for aloe. Subjects given aloe showed lower blood sugar levels and higher insulin levels.

Further tests showed that aloe helps to increase how much insulin is produced by the pancreas. This could mean that aloe helps to restore bodies with type 2 diabetes or protect them from further damage. The researchers called for more studies to be done on aloe and its extracts to be certain of these effects.

There are many ways to take aloe. The juice pulp is sold in many markets and added to drinks, and extracts are put into capsules to be taken as supplements.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a fragrant herb created from the bark of a tree and is commonly found in kitchens. It has a sweet and spicy fragrance and taste that can add sweetness without any additional sugar. It is popular with people with type 2 diabetes for this reason alone, but there is much more to cinnamon than just flavor.

A review found that subjects with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes who were given cinnamon showed positive results in many different areas such as:

blood sugar levels
insulin levels
insulin sensitivity
blood fat levels
antioxidant levels
blood pressure
body mass
time to process food

These are important markers for people with diabetes. From this research, it may be said that cinnamon is important for everyone with type 2 diabetes to take.

The researchers did note that the type of cinnamon and the amount taken does have an effect on the results, however. Only the highest quality cinnamon or cinnamon extracts in capsule form should be used as a complementary treatment method.

An experienced health care practitioner should always be consulted before starting to use cinnamon heavily as a supplement.

Bitter melon

Bitter melon is a traditional Chinese and Indian medicinal fruit. Research suggests that the seeds may help to reduce blood sugar levels.

Momordica charantia, also known as bitter melon, is a medicinal fruit. It has been used for centuries in the traditional medicine of China and India. The bitter fruit itself is cooked into many dishes, and the plant’s medicinal properties are still being discovered.

One discovery being backed by science is that bitter melon may help with symptoms of diabetes. One review noted that many parts of the plant have been used to help treat diabetes patients.

Bitter melon seeds were given to both people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to reduce their blood sugar levels. Blended vegetable pulp mixed with water also lowered blood sugar levels in 86 percent of the type 2 diabetes patients tested. The fruit juice of the bitter melon also helped to improved blood sugar tolerance in many cases.

Eating or drinking the bitter melon can be an acquired taste. Luckily, similar effects were noted with extracts of the fruit taken as supplements as well.

There is not enough evidence to suggest that bitter melon could be used instead of insulin or medication for diabetes. However, it may help patients to rely less on those medications or lower their dosages.

Milk thistle

Milk thistle is a herb that has been used since ancient times for many different ailments and is considered a tonic for the liver. The most studied extract from milk thistle is called silymarin, which is a compound that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is these properties that may make milk thistle a great herb for people with diabetes.

A review notes that many of the studies on silymarin are promising, but the research is not strong enough to begin recommending the herb or extract alone for diabetes care.

Many people may still find that it is an important part of a care routine, especially since the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can help protect against further damage caused by diabetes. Milk thistle is most often taken as a supplement.

Fenugreek

Fenugreek is another seed with the potential to lower blood sugar levels. The seeds contain fibers and chemicals that help to slow down the digestion of carbohydrates like sugar. The seeds may also help delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

A recent study found that people with prediabetes were less likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes while taking powdered fenugreek seed. This was caused by the seed increasing the levels of insulin in the body, which also reduced the sugar in the blood.

Researchers found that the seed helped to lower cholesterol levels in patients as well.

Fenugreek can be cooked into certain dishes, added to warm water, or ground into a powder. It can also be added to a capsule to be swallowed as a supplement.

Gymnema

Gymnema is a relatively new herb on the Western market. In the plant’s native home of India, its name means “sugar destroyer.” A recent review noted that both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients given Gymnema have shown signs of improvement.

In people with type 1 diabetes who were given the leaf extract over a period of 18 months, fasting blood sugar levels were lowered significantly when compared to a group that received only insulin.

Other tests using Gymnema found that people with type 2 diabetes responded well to taking both the leaf and its extract over various periods of time. Using Gymnema lowered blood sugar levels and increased insulin levels in the body of some patients.

Using either the ground leaf or leaf extract may be beneficial for many people with diabetes.

Ginger

Ginger has been used for many years to treat digestive and inflammatory issues. Recent research suggests that it may reduce insulin resistance.

Ginger is another herb that science is just discovering more about. It has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine systems.

Ginger is often used to help treat digestive and inflammatory issues. However, a recent review posted to shows that it may be helpful in treating diabetes symptoms as well.

In their review, researchers found that supplementing with ginger lowered blood sugar levels, but did not lower blood insulin levels. Because of this, they suggest that ginger may reduce insulin resistance in the body for type 2 diabetes.

It is important to note that the researchers were uncertain as to how ginger does this. More research is being called for to make the claims more certain.

Ginger is often added to food raw or as a powdered herb, brewed into tea, or added to capsules as an oral supplement.

Important considerations for people with diabetes

It is always best to work with a healthcare professional before taking any new herb or supplement. Doctors usually have patients start out on a lower dose and gradually increase it until a comfortable dose is found.

Some herbs can interact with other medications that do the same job, such as blood thinners and high blood pressure medications. It is very important to be aware of any interactions before starting a new supplement.

It is also important for people to get herbs from a high-quality source. Herbs are not monitored by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products may contain different herbs and fillers, recommend an incorrect dose, or even be contaminated with pesticides.

Herbs and supplements should be seen as a complementary treatment option, and should not replace medications.

Working closely with a knowledgeable healthcare professional, herbs can be a great addition to many care programs for diabetes.