26 Jan Sat 2019
What you Need to Know About Herbs Part 3©
What you Need to Know About Herbs Part 3©
By Arlene Wright-Correll
Althea Root is a member of the mallow family, which prefers wet places such as marshes for its habitat. Its high mucilage content makes it an appropriate supplement for the respiratory system. Like Slippery Elm, Althea Root also reduces inflammation and has a calming effect on the body.
Official Latin Name: Althaea officinalis
Althea Root is also known by the names Mallards, Sweet Weed, Hock Herb, Wymote, and Schloss Tea. The genus name Althaea is from the Greek word "althe" and means "to heal".
Althea Root powder has been used as a binding agent to hold other herbs together in making pills, and has been commonly substituted for Slippery Elm in herbal remedies as many Elm trees are becoming endangered due to Dutch Elm Disease.
During times of famine, Althea Root has nourished many people. During the reign of Charlemagne in the 9th century, Althea was promoted as a cultivated vegetable. Althea is a native of most countries of Europe, from Denmark southward, and is found in the western U.S.
It grows in salt marshes, in damp meadows, by the sides of ditches, by the sea, and on the banks of tidal rivers. Served as a vegetable, the plant was considered a delicacy among the Romans. In France, the young tops and leaves are eaten uncooked in salads. Althea Root has been utilized for thousands of years not only as a food during times of famine, but for its healing properties as an herbal remedy. Primary chemical constituents of Althea Root include mucilage, polysaccharides, flavonoids (Quercetin, kaaempferol), asparagines, tannins, lecithin, and pectin.
The great demulcent and emollient properties of Althea Root make it useful in inflammation and irritation of the alimentary canal, and of the urinary and respiratory organs. Recently, Althea Root has been used as an expectorant to treat a variety of upper respiratory problems. Althea Root contains large amounts of Vitamin A, calcium, zinc and significant amounts of iron, sodium, iodine, and B-complex.
Like Slippery Elm, Althea Root reduces inflammation and has a calming effect on the body. The active constituents in Althea Root are large carbohydrate (sugar) molecules, which make up the mucilage. This smooth, slippery substance can soothe and protect irritated mucous membranes. Although Althea Root has primarily been used for the respiratory and digestive tracts, its high mucilage content may also provide some minor relief for urinary tract and skin infections.
Althea Root's mucilage content helps soothe inflamed tissues, often caused by bronchitis and asthma. Althea Root also relieves dryness and irritation in the chest and throat, usually brought on by colds and persistent coughs. Althea Root has been known to relieve indigestion, kidney problems, urinary tract infections, and even external skin wounds such as boils and abscesses.
Alum Root is a North American herb that has been used in traditional Native American medicine for centuries in the treatment of inflammation and hemorrhoids. It is a powerful astringent and is useful in restoring venous health, reducing passive bleeding, and treating diarrhea. Alum Root has also been determined to be active against the bacteria that cause tuberculosis.
Official Latin Name: Geranium maculatum
Alum Root, also called Cranesbill’s Root, Storksbill, Wild Geranium, Chocolate Flower, Crowfoot, Dove's-foot, Old Maid's Nightcap, and Shameface, is native to North America. It grows to about 2 feet tall with an erect stem that is unbranched, and with leaves that are deeply divided and toothed.
Alum Root has pinkish-purple flowers that grow in pairs in late spring, giving way to a pod that is divided into five cells with a seed in each. Alum Root is a strong astringent, due to its high tannin content, and was introduced to medicine by the Native American Indians. Knowledgeable American physicians still use it to reduce inflammation of mucous membranes, curb irritation of hemorrhoidal tissue, and to restore venous health.
Alum Root is an especially powerful astringent for passive bleeding, as occurs in hematuria, hemotysis and menorrhagia, and has a potent healing effect on the entire gastrointestinal tract. It has been used in the treatment of ulcers in combination with Agrimony. Like Mullein, Alum Root has been found to be active against tuberculosis bacteria. Alum Root was also relied on by early American Indians to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and leukorrhea, among other conditions.
Angelica Root has been used to treat a diverse array of conditions such as alcoholism, amenorrhea, anemia, arthritis, bronchitis, colic, indigestion, menstrual cramps and migraine.
Official Latin Name: Angelica archangelica
Angelica is also known by the names Archangel Root, Masterwort, Wild Celery, Root of the Holy Ghost, and Dong Quai. In Iceland and Lapland, the stems are cooked as a vegetable. Stems are candied and made into syrups and jellies, added to fruitcake and used to season fish. Leaves are added to salads and soups. Cook leaves with acidic fruits to decrease the amount of sugar needed. Dried leaves are added to baked goods. The oil from seeds and roots is used in Benedictine, chartreuse, vermouth and gin. Leaves have been used to wrap and preserve food when traveling. Angelica is an anti-spasmodic for strong menstrual cramps with minimal flow and an expectorant for coughs. It also aids in alleviating intestinal colic and poor digestion. The drug contains essential oil, coumarin, and coumarin derivatives.
Angelica is used to strengthen the heart and lungs and improve liver and spleen function. Small amounts stimulate digestive secretions. Some find that when Angelica is used, they lose their taste for alcohol. It is believed that this herb obtained the name Angelica, or angelic herb, as it helped protect people from disease and poisoning. It also blooms around May 8th, the feast day of the Archangel Saint Michael. It has also been said that the Archangel Raphael appeared to a monk in a dream and told him that Angelica would cure bubonic plague.
Angelica is said to attract devic forces. The common name Angelica also includes the species Angelica atropurpurea and Angelica officinalis, which are used interchangeably with Angelica archangelica. Angelic contains essential oil (beta-phellandrene, pinene, limonene, caryophyllene, linalool), coumarins, macrocyclic lactones, acids (valerianic, angelic), resins, sterol, and tannin. Many people for the purpose of warding off evil and bringing good luck in health and family matters use Angelica Root. In America, Angelica root is commonly found in African-American mojo bags prepared for protection from evil, for uncrossing, and to break a jinx. In powdered form, it is an ingredient in sachets used for healing and blessing. It is more commonly used for loss of appetite, peptic discomforts such as mild spasms of the gastrointestinal tract, feeling of fullness, and flatulence.
Anise Seed has been used medicinally in Asia since time immemorial. It is used as an expectorant and to boost the immune system. Anise Seed is most commonly used as a digestive aid.
Official Latin Name: Pimpinella anisum
Anise is native to the Middle East and has been used as a medicine, and as a flavor for medicine, for many centuries. In China, Anise Seed is known as Huei-hsiang. Ancient Romans hung Anise plants near their pillows to prevent bad dreams. They also used Anise to aid digestion and ward off epileptic attacks. Colonists in the New World used it as a medicinal crop as well.
The Anise seed is used as an expectorant, to assist digestion, fight infections and enhance milk production. It is also helpful for menopausal symptoms. Europeans use Anise in cakes, cookies, and sweet breads. Mustaceum is an after dinner digestive cake flavored with Anise. It is often the herb used to flavor licorice candy.
In the Middle East and India, it is used in soups and stews. Its licorice-like flavor is popular in candies and Anise oil is used in liqueurs. A popular domestic spice, Anise seed is used for dry irritable coughs. The tea is also used for infant catarrh, flatulence, colic and griping pains. Fresh leaf can be used in salads. Anise seed improves the taste of other medicines, breads, cakes, cookies, fruit, tomato sauce, and pickles. Anise is added to cattle feed as it increases milk production. Stuff seeds in a sachet or add to sleep pillows to prevent nightmares. In India, Anise water is used as cologne. It is used to flavor unpleasant medicines.
Anise is also used in toothpastes, mouthwashes and soaps. Anise Seed is a gray-brown oval seed from Pimpinella anisum, a plant in the parsley family. It is related to Caraway, Dill, Cumin, and Fennel. The genus name Pimpinella is thought to be derived from the Latin "bipinnula", or bipinnate, as the leaves are arranged symmetrically on both sides. It was first cultivated in ancient Egypt and later by the Greeks. The Shakers grew Anise as an important cash crop. Chemical constituents include essential oil (anethole, estragol, methyl chavicol), furano- coumarins, flavonoid glycosides, fatty acids, phytoestrogens, starch, protein, choline, mucilage. Take Anise Seed after a meal to aid digestion.
Apple Fiber has been shown to prevent the absorption of cholesterol and many carcinogens. It also aids digestion and is an effective cleanser of pollutants. Apple Fiber is a great way to maintain healthy digestion while on a low-carb, low-fiber diet.
Official Latin Name: Malus sylvestris
Apples are among the world’s most popular fruits and have long been associated with good health. The Apple tree is believed to have originated in an area between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying Apples since at least 6500 B.C.
The pilgrims planted the first United States Apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Today the world’s top apple producers are China, United States, Turkey, Poland and Italy. The Apple derives its name from the Latin pomum, meaning fruit in English, and is classified as a pome, a fruit that has many tiny seeds within a core at the center. They belong to the pome group as opposed to the stone group, referring to the type of seeds contained in the fruit.
Apple Fiber helps the body eliminate lead, mercury, and other heavy metals. Apple Fiber can force strontium through the body, without its being absorbed. The use of Apple Fiber also protects the colon from cancer, prevents the absorption of cholesterol, and helps lower blood pressure.
Apple Fiber helps tone the gastro-intestinal system and treat diarrhea, as the intestinal bacteria transforms it into a soothing, protective coating for irritated intestinal linings. Also gives substance to the stool, helping resolve both diarrhea and constipation, and is effective against several diarrhea-causing bacteria. Apple Fiber helps keep cholesterol levels down, guarding against heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Apple Fiber binds certain cancer-causing compounds in the colon, speeding their elimination from the body.
“Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantime… may your day be filled with….Peace,
light and love,
Arlene Wright-Correll