The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body - Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables (50 page)

Goldenrod may be found in open fields, waste places, and on forest margins, thriving in well-drained, moisture-retentive soil in sun or partial shade and reaching a height anywhere from two to seven feet, depending upon geographic location and species.  The different species are generally interchangeable with similar medicinal applications.

The flowers attract many different beneficial insects, such as lacewings and ladybugs, which are effective in controlling pests, especially aphids, and the leaves and flowering tops are harvested before the flowers are fully opened, then dried for use in herbal medicines. 

History:

Goldenrod's botanical name,
Solidago
, is derived from the Latin word,
solidare,
which means "to make whole, firm, or strong," echoing the plant's historic use as a bitter, astringent and relaxant herb that treated many ailments.  Native American medicine men employed the leaves in teas for intestinal disorders, colic, urinary disorders, and dropsy (edema).  Canadian tribes also applied the leaves topically to heal bruises and wounds, and in Europe it is still used to flush the urinary tract, kidney and bladder of stones, inflammation and infection. 

One story tells us that after the American colonists rebelled against the British Crown and dumped tea into Boston Harbor, there was a shortage of tea to drink until someone made a brew from Goldenrod leaves and aptly called it "Liberty Tea."  It was considered so tasty that it was later exported to China. Early physicians prescribed it as a diuretic, carminative and diaphoretic, and it was included in the
United States Pharmacopoeia from
1820 through 1882, as a stimulant and diaphoretic.  Once considered a weed that caused hay fever, it was shown that Goldenrod pollen is not airborne at all, but is carried by bees, and because it blossoms at the same time as the inconspicuous ragweed (the real culprit), it was falsely accused.  It is actually thought to be of some help in treating hay fever.  Some of the constituents in Goldenrod include triterpene saponins (antifungal), rutin and phenolic glycosides (anti-inflammatory), flavonoids (hyperoside, etc.), quercetin, tannins, essential oil and polysaccharides.

Medical Uses:

Goldenrod stimulates the kidneys and supports overall good kidney health.The herb has been used to flush the kidneys and clear up kidney stones and gravel in the bladder.

As a diuretic and urinary antiseptic Goldenrod promotes the irrigation of the urinary tract and flow of urine (further flushing the kidneys and bladder) and has been helpful in treating bacterial urinary infections (including cystitis and urethritis), clearing urinary calculi and is also good when experiencing dark, cloudy urine.
  Recent research has called Goldenrod an "quadratic," and better than a straight diuretic, maintaining that the herb clears water from the body with no loss of important electrolytes.

Goldenrod has been used for many years to stimulate good digestion and is used as a reliable carminative that relieves intestinal gas pain and distension (pharmacology’s have validated this use), and it is said to be good for flatulent dyspepsia (especially associated with nervous tension).

As an astringent, Goldenrod has been used to thwart internal hemorrhage, ulceration of the intestines, diarrhea, dysentery and simple dropsy (although edema is always associated with another root cause and should be treated by a physician).

Goldenrod is believed to have expectorant properties that help to relieve upper respiratory catarrh by thinning and expelling chronic, excess mucus. The herb is said to be helpful in relieving congestion of the upper respiratory area experienced during influenza conditions and be useful in easing coughs from colds and whooping cough.

As an antifungal, the saponins in Goldenrod are thought to be helpful in inhibiting yeast infections, including
Candida albicans
.

Used externally, Goldenrod flowers have been chewed for sore throats, included in gargles for laryngitis and pharyngitis, and applied topically in lotions for the relief of insect bites and stings and to promote the healing of wounds, ulcers, eczema and other skin diseases. The flower heads are also used as a rinse for blonde hair, a facial treatment and as a brilliant yellow dye.

Dosages:
Take two (2) capsules, one (1) time each day with water at an early to mid-day mealtime.

Precautions: 
None

* * * * *

Horehound
has been a popular cough and cold remedy since ancient Egyptian times.  As a potent expectorant, it will promote mucus and ease the pain of a non-productive, hacking cough.  Try it for bronchitis, indigestion and whooping cough.

Plant Description:

Horehound is a hardy perennial and medicinal mint that may grow to two feet in height, and all the aboveground parts of this herbaceous plant are used in herbal medicine. 

History:

Ancient Egyptian priests honored Horehound as a treatment for coughs and colds, calling it "eye of the star," and the Greek physician, Hippocrates, esteemed its curative powers and even thought it would break magical spells. Horehound's botanical name is derived from the Hebrew,
marrob
, which translates as "bitter juice," and it is thought that Horehound was one of the original bitter herbs of the Jewish Passover meal. Some claim that Horehound is native to Morocco, but what is certain is that it was carried throughout the Old World and later to Europe and North America by traders and settlers.  Horehound flourishes in Britain, where it is included in teas and candies for the treatment of coughs and colds.  Among its chemical constituents are marrubium (a "bitter" that is sometimes called maribun or marrubiin), essential oils, tannins, minerals, wax, saponins, B-complex vitamins and vitamin C.

Medical Uses:

Horehound is a powerful expectorant and relieves lung congestion.  In treating painful, chesty, non-productive coughs, colds, bronchitis and sinusitis, Horehound's compound, marrubium, decreases the thickness of phlegm and promotes the secretion of fluids into the bronchial passageways, producing mucus.  It also combines the action of relaxing the smooth muscle of the bronchi while promoting mucus production and expectoration, thereby also easing the pain of the cough.

As a pain reliever, the marrubium compound in Horehound stimulates the central nervous system and was found in laboratory tests to be more potent than some well-known pain relief medications.

Horehound promotes good digestion. The stimulation of the central nervous system by marrubium also stimulates the stomach to secrete digestive juices, helping the stomach to digest food.  The reaction also stimulates the flow of bile from the gall bladder, which eases flatulence by changing the chemical composition of the contents of the large intestine.

Horehound promotes sweating, helping to break a fever and cooling the body.
  The herb will also help rid the body of excess water weight and the feeling of bloating.

Horehound is considered a mild laxative and is also said to expel worms.

Some studies claim that Horehound helps to stop the high and low blood-sugar reactions after eating high-carbohydrate meals and snacks.

Horehound is said to have a relaxing effect on heart tissue and is used by some herbalists as a circulatory tonic to help lower blood pressure. The marrubium may steady the heartbeat in low doses, but a physician must be consulted before using it in this situation, and larger doses may cause abnormal heartbeat.

Dosages:
Take two (2) capsules, one (1) to two (2) times each day with water at mealtimes.

Precautions:
Horehound is not advisable for pregnant or nursing women, younger children or adults over sixty-five years of age. Those with heart problems or stomach ulcers should not use Horehound without consulting with a physician.  Do not overuse; larger doses may cause diarrhea. Women with menstrual problems should avoid Horehound, as it may increase menstrual flow.

* * * * *

Do you have excess water weight?
 

Juniper Berry
promotes urine flow and
helps to clear the kidneys, bladder
and
prostate of toxic wastes,
while at the same time helping to
combat urinary infections in both men
and women.
Well-known in the kitchen and as a flavoring for gin, Juniper Berry's warm, aromatic qualities aid digestion and also help to
relieve gout, arthritis and painful joints.

Plant Description:

The common Juniper is a bitter, aromatic, prickly bush or tree that thrives in most soils, tolerating both acid and alkaline soils and dry and wet conditions, in sun or partial shade and often in exposed positions.  Juniper encompasses many species and is usually a low-growing, ornamental shrub that rises to a height of six or eight feet, but it may also grow as a tree to a height of thirty feet. 

It is a slow-growing, coniferous evergreen with silvery green, spiny needles, flowers and berries, which take up to three years to ripen.
  Both male and female plants are necessary for berry production, and Juniper is cultivated for the slightly resinous, sweet-flavored berries that are borne only on the female bush. 

Junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, and the berries are used for medicinal and commercial purposes.
  It is said that the flavor of the berries is stronger the farther south the plant is grown, and Juniper is a rare and endangered species in some states of the United States. 

History:
The use of Juniper goes back many centuries.  In the middle ages, the scent of Juniper was believed to ward off plague, contagious diseases and leprosy.  For hundreds of years, Juniper Berry has been (
and still is
) an herbal remedy for urinary tract problems, including urine retention and gallstones and is an old folk remedy for gout.  In the 1500s, a Dutch pharmacist used Juniper Berries to create a new, inexpensive diuretic drink that he called gin, which was not only used for medicinal purposes, but its delightful juniper-flavor (and other obvious enjoyments) became a very popular beverage.  In North America, the Native Americans believed that Juniper would cleanse and heal the body and keep away infection, and different tribes used it to treat a wide range of illnesses from kidney complaints to stomachaches, colds and syphilis. 

The Navajos used it for flu, and because it was an excellent survival food, many of the tribes used it to fight off starvation by drying and grinding the berries into cakes.
  Roasted Juniper Berries have been ground and used as a substitute for coffee, and the berries are frequently used as a spice for pickles, sauerkraut, game, pork and in patés.  Needless to say, it is highly valued commercially as the flavoring for gin.  The word gin is a shortened form of the Dutch,
genever
, which was originally derived from the Latin,
juniperus
. 

Some of the constituents in Juniper include the volatile oils, camphene, cineole, myrcene, alpha- and beta-pinene and terpinene (the active ingredients), as well as resin, sugar, gum, lignin, wax, salines, beta-carotene, betulin, borneol, catechin, glycolic acid, limonene, linalool, menthol, rutin, tannins, calcium, chromium, iron (and many other valuable minerals), B-vitamins and vitamin C.

Medical Uses:

Juniper Berry is an effective diuretic and antiseptic that not only promotes the flow of urine, but also treats infection of the urinary tract at the same time.  As a diuretic, the herb stimulates the kidneys and bladder to get rid of retained and excess water (possibly also helping to treat obesity).  Juniper increases the filtering of waste products by the kidneys and helps to expel prostate sediment and gallstones.  It is also thought to dissolve kidney stones. The herb helps to prevent the crystallization of uric acid in the kidneys, retaining it in a solution and passing it in the urine; this is of great benefit to those suffering from gout (a condition marked by painful inflammation of the joints caused by deposits of uric acid).

As an antiseptic and further aiding urinary and prostate health, Juniper Berry is helpful in combating bacteria, including bladder and urinary infections, such as cystitis, urethritis, prostatitis, vaginitis and inflamed kidneys, etc.

Juniper Berry is an old herbal therapy for the digestive tract.  The active volatile oil content helps to eliminate gas and expel intestinal flatulence and assists in the digestion of gassy foods like cabbage, etc.  The herb has been used to ease stomach cramps, colic and indigestion; and in small doses, it stimulates the appetite.

The anti-inflammatory properties of Juniper Berry are thought to ease the pain of rheumatism, arthritis, sore muscles and gout.

Juniper Berry has traditionally shown excellent results in the treatment of lung disorders as an effective expectorant and decongestant.  It is highly recommended in catarrhal conditions and has helped to ease breathing and treat bronchial asthma, emphysema, sinusitis, head colds, flu and general congestion.