Opening My Herbal Chest

[talon]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35063075/ns/health-alternative_medicine/

Practically all of the most widely used drugs have an herbal origin," Ulbricht says. "The number one OTC medication, aspirin, is a synthetic version of a compound found in the willow tree. Many statins are based on fungi; and Tamiflu originated from Chinese star anise."

Except that aspirin was actually based on the stronger meadowsweet instead of willow tree bark - it is easier to extract, stronger, and more pentiful. There are fields of meadwsweet in Germany still used for making aspirin, so it's not all synthetics.

Other than meadowsweet, the 10 most common and useful everyday "herbs" (and I use the term lightly because I include all manner of plants, including vegetables and fruits, in my pharmacy) are the following:

Lemon balm has long been used to calm people and help them sleep. It's part of the annual spring tonic we took in Germany (and you can buy it over the counter, it's called "Mellisengeist") because of its anti-viral properties. A cream of lemon balm is very good for healing cold sores on the mouth. If you have hypothyroid issues, don't take lemon balm, though. It reduces thyroid activity, the last thing people with hypothyroid issues need. It's also in the mint family, so that means it has a slight abortificaient quality - great for PMS and menstruation, not so good for women who want to stay pregnant. Avoid all members of the mint family if you're expecting.

Onions, apples, and tea all provide performance enhancing thiosulfinates and quercitin, but red or yellow onions give you more of them and they are absorbed and used by your body better. Raw or lightly cooked is best, which is a pity because I prefer my onions well cooked and even caramelized. But by the time they are caramelized, they've lost all thiosulfinates and quercitin. Sweat the onions a bit, not even to the point of translucency, to get the best benefit from them. You'd have to eat a lot more apples than onions to get the same benefits. If it's quick energy and strength you want, eat an onion over an apple any day. Long term eating of apples will build your strength, as will regular cups of tea. So add all three to your regular diet if you want the best performance enhancement for your workouts and athletic endeavors.

Cayenne is another blockbuster in an herbalist's arsenal. It's a natural pain reliever in ointments or creams. You can buy creams over the counter - Zostrix or Capzacin-HP. They make claims for it to be a weight-loss herb, but I have never, ever encountered anyone who has lost weight on a hot diet. None of the professional literature and resedarch I've seen indicate anything about weight loss, so I think that's a dead-end. I could be wrong. I use it mostly as a topical ointment for muscle aches, joint pain, and shingles pain. It's useful for sprains once the swelling is down, too.

Plantain is ubiquitous around the world, and is an excellent remedy for insect bites nd most skin problems. Plantain the herb is not the same as plantain the fruit. The herb plantain has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, and you may be familiar with the seed - psyllium - of one of the plantains , used as a fiber source and in laxatives. Most yards have wild plantain growing in it unless thye've been very assiduous in eliminating all "weeds", which is why I include it in the common pharmacy. I like letting my plantain grow because it's such a useful outdoor and garden remedy - insect bites, the pain of stinging nettles, repelling gnats and no-see-ums, small gardening scratches and cuts, and so on.

Parsely, leaf and root, is another common herb we herbalists love. The root is excellent for all UTIs, but the leaves work well, too. I've often called it "Honeymooner's Blessing" because it quickly ends the UTI that ends a honeymoon too soon. Bonus is that parsley leaves will eliminate onion breath. There's a reason parsley is so often served with onion dishes. Eat the leaves fresh for the best odor-fighting properties.

Gingerrot is well known for its anti-nausea properties. It's best taken as a gingerale made with real gingerroot.

Most households used to have dill seed available for pickling and medicine, but I know so many people who don't have dill seed that I think it may have fallen into disfavor. Dill seed is good for relieving colicky tummies, for soothing the crankies, and for refreshing the breath that I think it should find its way back into homes.

And chamomile is a gentle herb to relax people. It's not as common in the US as it is in Germany, where we always drank a cup before bedtime, and I think Americans are missing both a taste treat and a nice bedtime ritual.

There are plenty of other herbs, of course, but these are among my favorites.