On one of my first visits to Boulder Colorado, attending Hanna Kroeger's seminar, I was introduced to a plant that I had never heard of before. That wasn't strange, as there are some 200,000 medicinal plants and I was just starting to learn about them at that time. The best part was that after the seminar, Hanna's son went to the garden and dug up a Comfrey plant for me to take home. I was honored.
I brought this plant home and put it in my back yard. It has large hairy, pointed leaves with beautiful blue flowers on the top. It grows about 2 to almost 3 feet high in my yard.
Since I planted it, I have learned a lot about it. One thing is that once it is planted, it wants to grow there forever. I have moved it twice. In both instances I have had to talk to the plant to get it to let go of its former place. The last move was to move it deeper into the hedge so that when it gets really tall; its leaves aren't over the grass area so that it gets mowed all the time.
During the lecture, Hanna mentioned that Comfrey was wonderful for rebuilding cells. She didn't specify which cells at that time but I have come to take that as all cells. Because it rebuilds cells quickly, it has gotten the nick-name of "People Putty." What an appropriate name. Perhaps that is why other common names for this plant are Knitbone, Bruisewort, and Knitback.
Dr. John R. Christopher was the founder of The School Of Natural Healing and he quoted a lot from one of his mentors, Dr. Shook. According to what I read Dr. Shook said, "It does not seem to matter much which part of the body is broken, either internally or externally; comfrey will heal it quickly. It is a great cell proliferant and new cell grower, it grows new flesh and bone alike, stops hemorrhage, and is wonderful for coughs, soothing and healing the inflamed tissues in a most remarkable manner."
Another thing that was mentioned by Dr. Christopher is the respiratory system. The lungs are able to heal well using this plant. It acts as an expectorant with soothing effects it reduces irritation.
Everyone that I researched this plant with reminded me that the root and young leaves contain a toxic alkaloid, which is said to create liver damage if taken in large amounts. But in the same articles it is mentioned that the root and the young leaves would be good for ulcerous wounds.
Most people that work with Comfrey, tend to put it in combinations. Combinations are made by finding herbs that would be most helpful for the area involved, a transporter (Something that has an affinity for the specific area.) and then the herbs that would supply that area with the most nutriments for healing.
It has been stated that certain plants tend to gravitate to specific areas of the body. I have been told that they think they can get out that way. As an example, parsley tends to go for the kidneys while Rosemary might head for the brain. Why they do this is unknown.
Comfrey has a demulcent mucilage presents which is helpful with things like hiatus hernia and ulcerative colitis.
Christopher Products has created a blend of herbs that was called Bone, Flesh and Cartilage (BF&C). I liked that name but it has since been changed to Complete Tissue. It has been made into an ointment and its uses are endless.
I used this ointment on a young boy who fell out of a tree and torn his face. With the help of comfrey that will repair and "guard against scar tissue developing incorrectly", according to David Hoffmann in his book AN ELDERS' HERBAL. It did just what he said it would do. This child has little or no scaring.
A nurse who broke her arm, was able to heal it in four weeks instead of the usual six weeks by applying the ointment topically and ingesting this formula in capsule form. Thus she healed from both the inside and the outside of her body.
When sores get to the scab stage, it is time to switch to the Complete Tissue formula to complete the healing. The nutrition will pass through the scab and speed up the healing process.
So far we have only talked about what Comfrey can do for human bodies but I did say that it was a cell proliferant and I meant it. I dry some of the leaves and when I am repotting my house plants, I mix these leaves into the soil to give my plants a real boost of energy.
Next, I wanted to check in with Dr. James Duke and his wonderful database to see what things this herb is capable of doing. The amazing thing is that in the leaf area, Dr. Duke didn't have a whole lot to tell me but when it came to the root of Comfrey, what isn't it able to do? The list went from antiaging to antiviral and everything in-between. I have always talked about how plants achieve a balance, and I even found two components in these roots that were antiproliferant.
After looking at Duke's list, I went to my Globalherb program to see what they had to say about Comfrey. Their list was just as impressive with; bruises, cough, diarrhea, anemia, fractures, hemorrhage, inflammation, sores, ulcers, boils, bronchitis, cancer, dysentery, leucorrhea, rupture, swelling, acne, arthritis, asthma, burns, catarrh, diabetes, gangrene, gout, hay fever, sore breasts, sprains and another page and a half of things that it would be happy to work on.
One must remember that unlike what most of us think, that more is better; when it comes to herbs a little goes a long way. This is a very safe herb if used correctly and that means not to overdo it.
All herbs have something to give us if we use common sense. We have not been trained to think like this. If we have a headache, we think that if one aspirin is good then two should be twice as good. It is the same way that we think about herbal tea. We like our coffee strong so it will really be good and how can a weak, see-through tea be helpful.
When making a tea out of an herb it is best to make it with distilled water. Distilled water is hungry water and for all practical purposes does not have all the minerals that tap water has. Because it has room for all the constituents contained in the herb, it is ready to pull these into the water that you will be ingesting.
It is for the reason that has just been pointed out that I don't like to see people doing the same things all the time. One wouldn't eat peanut butter for every meal so why would one take a comfrey tea or capsule all the time. By doing different herbs, we give the body different constituents to choose from. This is how healing really takes place.
Herbs don't heal, they give the body the building blocks to rebuild and Comfrey is a great rebuilder.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Ginseng
This wasn't one of the herbs that I was going to include in this publication but I will do it as a tribute to my late sister, Donna.
I have Ginseng growing in my yard only because Donna knew someone who grew it in northern Wisconsin. She and I took a tour of his farm that had acres covered with wooden laths. The reason for this is that Ginseng grows in the woods. Wisconsin used to be all woods until it was ravaged like the rain forest. Ginseng likes shade. The grower told us that if a disease started in his field somewhere, all he had to do was remove some of the laths in that area and where ever the sun shone directly on the plants, they would die out, taking the disease with them. This way he could save most of his field. Every year he would plant a new acre. He always had 7 acres planted but at the end of the seventh year, that acre was harvested, dried, weighed and sold. Asians were the principal buyers.
So with seeds in hand, Donna and I set out to grow them. At first we grew them under some laths too but after a couple of years, they were moved to a wooded area where they still live. We harvested a couple of them a few years ago and made a tincture out of them. The rest is still growing. I like to go out in the late spring and see how many are still surviving. They wait until the trees start to leaf out and then come out of the ground. I have a sign up that says, " Donna's Ginseng."
Every year at least two of the plants put a seed pod out…well, they aren't really seed pods but more like five or six seeds clinging to the same area. When they get bright red I pull them off or they fall off and I bury them. The next year I might find a couple of new plants in the area. The new babies have only three leaves as opposed to the mature plants that have five leaves. I have to be careful that I don't pull up the Strawberry-like plants that look like they don't belong there.
Now let's find out why Ginseng is so wonderful. Some of the things that Ginseng is capable of doing are: being antihistamine, anti-tumor, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and a fungicide. It promotes the health of the liver and the heart along with slowing down coagulation time of the blood. It is also known to lower blood pressure and works as a vasodilator. According the Christopher Hobbs in his book THE GINSENGS – A USER'S GUIDE, Ginseng has the ability to lower blood sugar along with balancing out the adrenal output.
In Asia, Ginseng is used at a tonic for elderly people as it is supposed to increase the energy to major organs in the body. It balances out but also has a mildly sedative effect. One big plus is that it stimulates the brain and most elderly people like that effect.
It is also known that if taken regularly, it will improve vision so as you can see, it is a wonderful thing for the elderly, I think it is wonderful for anyone.
On the down side, it stimulates the uterus so it should be used with caution for pregnant women and women who tend to have excessive menses.
In spite of the coumarin- like effects, in Asia post-surgical patients are treated with a Ginseng mixture and recover faster than those without it.
Most of the Ginseng that is labeled Siberian Ginseng is really grown in Wisconsin but we won't tell anyone that. It is Wisconsin's major export.
Because the fields that have grown this can not be used again for Ginseng, a few years ago farmers were looking for alternative plants to grow. I put out a suggestion that perhaps they could grow Echinacea. They only have to take down the laths as Echinacea likes sun and our cold winters.
This wasn't one of the herbs that I was going to include in this publication but I will do it as a tribute to my late sister, Donna.
I have Ginseng growing in my yard only because Donna knew someone who grew it in northern Wisconsin. She and I took a tour of his farm that had acres covered with wooden laths. The reason for this is that Ginseng grows in the woods. Wisconsin used to be all woods until it was ravaged like the rain forest. Ginseng likes shade. The grower told us that if a disease started in his field somewhere, all he had to do was remove some of the laths in that area and where ever the sun shone directly on the plants, they would die out, taking the disease with them. This way he could save most of his field. Every year he would plant a new acre. He always had 7 acres planted but at the end of the seventh year, that acre was harvested, dried, weighed and sold. Asians were the principal buyers.
So with seeds in hand, Donna and I set out to grow them. At first we grew them under some laths too but after a couple of years, they were moved to a wooded area where they still live. We harvested a couple of them a few years ago and made a tincture out of them. The rest is still growing. I like to go out in the late spring and see how many are still surviving. They wait until the trees start to leaf out and then come out of the ground. I have a sign up that says, " Donna's Ginseng."
Every year at least two of the plants put a seed pod out…well, they aren't really seed pods but more like five or six seeds clinging to the same area. When they get bright red I pull them off or they fall off and I bury them. The next year I might find a couple of new plants in the area. The new babies have only three leaves as opposed to the mature plants that have five leaves. I have to be careful that I don't pull up the Strawberry-like plants that look like they don't belong there.
Now let's find out why Ginseng is so wonderful. Some of the things that Ginseng is capable of doing are: being antihistamine, anti-tumor, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and a fungicide. It promotes the health of the liver and the heart along with slowing down coagulation time of the blood. It is also known to lower blood pressure and works as a vasodilator. According the Christopher Hobbs in his book THE GINSENGS – A USER'S GUIDE, Ginseng has the ability to lower blood sugar along with balancing out the adrenal output.
In Asia, Ginseng is used at a tonic for elderly people as it is supposed to increase the energy to major organs in the body. It balances out but also has a mildly sedative effect. One big plus is that it stimulates the brain and most elderly people like that effect.
It is also known that if taken regularly, it will improve vision so as you can see, it is a wonderful thing for the elderly, I think it is wonderful for anyone.
On the down side, it stimulates the uterus so it should be used with caution for pregnant women and women who tend to have excessive menses.
In spite of the coumarin- like effects, in Asia post-surgical patients are treated with a Ginseng mixture and recover faster than those without it.
Most of the Ginseng that is labeled Siberian Ginseng is really grown in Wisconsin but we won't tell anyone that. It is Wisconsin's major export.
Because the fields that have grown this can not be used again for Ginseng, a few years ago farmers were looking for alternative plants to grow. I put out a suggestion that perhaps they could grow Echinacea. They only have to take down the laths as Echinacea likes sun and our cold winters.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Black Cohoah
These plants grow all over my area and it is a leaf that seems to be familiar but no one seems to be able to identify it in the wild. O.K., maybe it is just me. I was visiting my neighbor and mentioned that she had Black Cohosh growing in her yard. She told me that the plant was really something else. I took a leaf off from her plant and brought it home to my Black Cohosh, it looked very close to the same leaf. (After a while you can't imagine all the leaf shapes that there are.) When mine flowered and put the tall spikes up, I took one over to her house, but her plants had fluffy feather-like flowers on a very short flat top. So they weren't the same plant even though they look alike.
So how do we know when we have a certain plant? I usually use a couple of identification books to help me do this and even when I can't find it in my books, I take a leaf off the plant and put it into the book to be pressed and identified later. The books that I have found helpful are: PETERSON FIELD GUIDES – MEDICINAL PLANTS and EYEWITNESS HANDBOOKS - HERBS. I like these two because they have drawings as well as pictures in them. I find that photos of plants don't give one all the characteristics to make a definite identification.
Black Cohosh made a big splash having to do with estrogen replacement for women who were in Menopause. It seems that this Herb was the buzz word for "I need help." I didn't understand that from an herbalist point of view because I could name fifteen to twenty herbs that are loaded with phyto-hormones. Black Cohosh is just one as is Catnip, Chamomile, Hops, Garlic, Raspberry leaves, Garden Sage and many more.
The problem is that most of the people talking about this herb are on some drug that is supposed to do this for them, like Pregnant Mare Urine, Premarin or some other medical drug high in Estrogen. The high estrogen found in these drugs is detrimental to the body in regard to bone loss and even some thyroid problems.
The reason that I prefer one or more of the organic plants with estrogenic properties is that for the most part we don't need estrogen but by taking an herb with estrogenic properties, the body can decide what it needs and how much. It isn't given this choice with pills.
What the body really needs are herbs that give the body the phyto-hormones that allow it to make what it needs to get and stay healthy. If the body needs more progesterone, the building blocks are available. If the body needs more testosterone, again the building blocks are there. The body is back in control and the symptoms lessen or stop all together.
According to The School of Natural Healing's director, David Christopher; for centuries women went through menopause without the help of a doctor. What we really need are minerals, vitamins and phyto-chemicals. With our present life style, we are not getting whole foods. There aren't any Black Cohosh farms. Wild plants have what we need and are not messed up with present time farming processes.
Black Cohosh is a wonderful plant. It is not only attractive and living in my yard but grows wild in my State. For those of you that still have trouble identifying it, Let me suggest that you head to the raspberry patch and make a tea out of raspberry leaves, or one of the other plants that I have mentioned in this article.
The School of Natural Healing suggests that by eating the proper diet of Whole Grains (Loaded with phyto-hormones), Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds your body will be getting what it needs to help you weather a lot of storms.
Eat well and be well.
So how do we know when we have a certain plant? I usually use a couple of identification books to help me do this and even when I can't find it in my books, I take a leaf off the plant and put it into the book to be pressed and identified later. The books that I have found helpful are: PETERSON FIELD GUIDES – MEDICINAL PLANTS and EYEWITNESS HANDBOOKS - HERBS. I like these two because they have drawings as well as pictures in them. I find that photos of plants don't give one all the characteristics to make a definite identification.
Black Cohosh made a big splash having to do with estrogen replacement for women who were in Menopause. It seems that this Herb was the buzz word for "I need help." I didn't understand that from an herbalist point of view because I could name fifteen to twenty herbs that are loaded with phyto-hormones. Black Cohosh is just one as is Catnip, Chamomile, Hops, Garlic, Raspberry leaves, Garden Sage and many more.
The problem is that most of the people talking about this herb are on some drug that is supposed to do this for them, like Pregnant Mare Urine, Premarin or some other medical drug high in Estrogen. The high estrogen found in these drugs is detrimental to the body in regard to bone loss and even some thyroid problems.
The reason that I prefer one or more of the organic plants with estrogenic properties is that for the most part we don't need estrogen but by taking an herb with estrogenic properties, the body can decide what it needs and how much. It isn't given this choice with pills.
What the body really needs are herbs that give the body the phyto-hormones that allow it to make what it needs to get and stay healthy. If the body needs more progesterone, the building blocks are available. If the body needs more testosterone, again the building blocks are there. The body is back in control and the symptoms lessen or stop all together.
According to The School of Natural Healing's director, David Christopher; for centuries women went through menopause without the help of a doctor. What we really need are minerals, vitamins and phyto-chemicals. With our present life style, we are not getting whole foods. There aren't any Black Cohosh farms. Wild plants have what we need and are not messed up with present time farming processes.
Black Cohosh is a wonderful plant. It is not only attractive and living in my yard but grows wild in my State. For those of you that still have trouble identifying it, Let me suggest that you head to the raspberry patch and make a tea out of raspberry leaves, or one of the other plants that I have mentioned in this article.
The School of Natural Healing suggests that by eating the proper diet of Whole Grains (Loaded with phyto-hormones), Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds your body will be getting what it needs to help you weather a lot of storms.
Eat well and be well.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Chamomile
I got a call one day from a lady whose three-year old was cover with hives. This poor little dear had them everywhere. She was so uncomfortable. One of the first things that I did was confirm that it was hives. The Mother told me that they had been to the doctor, he told her it was hives and had given her some salve but it wasn't working.
I went into Dr. James A. Duke's book, THE GREEN PHARMACY to see what he used on hives and he suggested Chamomile as it contains at least seven (7) antihistaminic chemicals.
So this little girl was given Chamomile tincture with Chamomile tea to wash it down. Her mother told me that at first it got worse but within hours she could see the results. A lot of people call this a 'healing crisis'; that’s when things get worse before they get better. It is usually at this point that people decide that herbs don't work for them. By the next day this little girl has just a few spots on her and wanted to go to her swimming lessons.
According to what I read, Chamomile is great at stimulating the liver to throw toxins out. Here is one really safe herb. We use it mostly for stomach or intestinal complaints but it is also used in skin creams and lotions for its antibacterial properties.
I checked into some of the things that Chamomile is capable of doing and found that it is loaded with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also has a fair number of constituents that are antiviral, even found one that was antirhinovirol. (This is the cold and flu virus that is advertised all the time.)
Chamomile is a fun thing to grow in one's garden. It has these wonderful small white flowers. The best part is that you are using the flowers to make your medicine. So many plants give everything for our healing to the point of having to dig them up and use their roots but not so with Chamomile. It can continue to grow and put out more flowers.
We can use these flowers to make tinctures within 14 days. Or we can use the flower as a tea by pouring hot water over them and allowing them to steep for 3 to 10 min. (I use distilled water so that the constituents can be pulled into the water faster without having to deal with the calcium and iron that is in my tap water.) Another thing that can be made from these flowers, are skin salves or body lotions .
When people read about herbs the first thing that they want to know is, 'So how can I use this?' I want to say, any way you want to. Herb are foods so ingest them or use some of the methods that I have just pointed out.
This last summer, I had to take many small Chamomile plants out of the bed that they are growing in. It was taking over and not respecting the space of the plants around them. Once you get it started and don't harvest every flower, you are going to have more next year. Nature gives us abundance.
According to NUTRITIONAL HERBOLOGY written by Mark Pedersen, the flowers actually contain the following: Aluminum, Ash, Calcium, Chromium, Cobalt, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Niacin, Phosphorus, Potassium, Protein, Riboflavin, Selenium, Silicon, Sodium, Thiamine, Tin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Zinc. He mentions that it is very high in Niacin, a substance that tends to care for the nervous system, making this a very sedative herb or antispasmodic herb.
I want to mention the first thing on this list. We have been told over and over again that Aluminum is something that creates brain problems…Alzheimers? This needs to be corrected! Aluminum is needed to make the connections in the brain but only if it is organic aluminum. How can this be? It is because organic chemicals have the ability to cross the blood/brain barrier both ways. In-organic chemicals do not have this ability. They are stuck once they get in there and if a lot of in-organics are going in and not coming out, we have a problem. The brain knows that it needs aluminum and because we are not eating foods with organic aluminum in them, the body will steal the aluminum from our soda cans or the foil that we put on our foods, all products waste products of the mining industry.) When we give it organic aluminum, it doesn't steal and can recognize the difference.
My computer program, Globalherb V2.0 tells me that it is good for; colic, colds, earache, indigestion, spasms, jaundice, swelling, toothache, bruises, fever, prevention of gangrene, gas, inflammation, insomnia, neuralgia, bronchitis, corns, cramps, gastritis, nervousness, sores, ulcers-leg, abscess, alcoholism, allergies, anxiety, lack of appetite, cancer, liver cancer, poor circulation, colitis, constipation, Crohn's disease, diarrhea, and gastric ulcers.
If you have never had a cup of Chamomile Tea, you must be sitting back right now wondering just how this mild tea is going to start working on any or all of this. It is because all the things available in this plant are designed for your health. They allow your body to receive the nutrition that is isn't getting in your daily meals or the snacks that you allow yourself.
Let me suggest that you make a cup of Chamomile tea right now and relax while allowing your body to go to work for you. I think you will have a very pleasant day if you do.
I went into Dr. James A. Duke's book, THE GREEN PHARMACY to see what he used on hives and he suggested Chamomile as it contains at least seven (7) antihistaminic chemicals.
So this little girl was given Chamomile tincture with Chamomile tea to wash it down. Her mother told me that at first it got worse but within hours she could see the results. A lot of people call this a 'healing crisis'; that’s when things get worse before they get better. It is usually at this point that people decide that herbs don't work for them. By the next day this little girl has just a few spots on her and wanted to go to her swimming lessons.
According to what I read, Chamomile is great at stimulating the liver to throw toxins out. Here is one really safe herb. We use it mostly for stomach or intestinal complaints but it is also used in skin creams and lotions for its antibacterial properties.
I checked into some of the things that Chamomile is capable of doing and found that it is loaded with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also has a fair number of constituents that are antiviral, even found one that was antirhinovirol. (This is the cold and flu virus that is advertised all the time.)
Chamomile is a fun thing to grow in one's garden. It has these wonderful small white flowers. The best part is that you are using the flowers to make your medicine. So many plants give everything for our healing to the point of having to dig them up and use their roots but not so with Chamomile. It can continue to grow and put out more flowers.
We can use these flowers to make tinctures within 14 days. Or we can use the flower as a tea by pouring hot water over them and allowing them to steep for 3 to 10 min. (I use distilled water so that the constituents can be pulled into the water faster without having to deal with the calcium and iron that is in my tap water.) Another thing that can be made from these flowers, are skin salves or body lotions .
When people read about herbs the first thing that they want to know is, 'So how can I use this?' I want to say, any way you want to. Herb are foods so ingest them or use some of the methods that I have just pointed out.
This last summer, I had to take many small Chamomile plants out of the bed that they are growing in. It was taking over and not respecting the space of the plants around them. Once you get it started and don't harvest every flower, you are going to have more next year. Nature gives us abundance.
According to NUTRITIONAL HERBOLOGY written by Mark Pedersen, the flowers actually contain the following: Aluminum, Ash, Calcium, Chromium, Cobalt, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Niacin, Phosphorus, Potassium, Protein, Riboflavin, Selenium, Silicon, Sodium, Thiamine, Tin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Zinc. He mentions that it is very high in Niacin, a substance that tends to care for the nervous system, making this a very sedative herb or antispasmodic herb.
I want to mention the first thing on this list. We have been told over and over again that Aluminum is something that creates brain problems…Alzheimers? This needs to be corrected! Aluminum is needed to make the connections in the brain but only if it is organic aluminum. How can this be? It is because organic chemicals have the ability to cross the blood/brain barrier both ways. In-organic chemicals do not have this ability. They are stuck once they get in there and if a lot of in-organics are going in and not coming out, we have a problem. The brain knows that it needs aluminum and because we are not eating foods with organic aluminum in them, the body will steal the aluminum from our soda cans or the foil that we put on our foods, all products waste products of the mining industry.) When we give it organic aluminum, it doesn't steal and can recognize the difference.
My computer program, Globalherb V2.0 tells me that it is good for; colic, colds, earache, indigestion, spasms, jaundice, swelling, toothache, bruises, fever, prevention of gangrene, gas, inflammation, insomnia, neuralgia, bronchitis, corns, cramps, gastritis, nervousness, sores, ulcers-leg, abscess, alcoholism, allergies, anxiety, lack of appetite, cancer, liver cancer, poor circulation, colitis, constipation, Crohn's disease, diarrhea, and gastric ulcers.
If you have never had a cup of Chamomile Tea, you must be sitting back right now wondering just how this mild tea is going to start working on any or all of this. It is because all the things available in this plant are designed for your health. They allow your body to receive the nutrition that is isn't getting in your daily meals or the snacks that you allow yourself.
Let me suggest that you make a cup of Chamomile tea right now and relax while allowing your body to go to work for you. I think you will have a very pleasant day if you do.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Yellow Dock
While riding in the car on day, I insisted that my husband stop so that I could find out what that Brown plant was. (They usually get between 2 to 4 feet tall.) I got out of the car and found that it was a stalk of funny shaped seeds. Now I wanted to know who these seeds belonged to. I asked but most people have no idea what is growing around them, so it was time to research.
Did you notice that I wanted to know "Who" the seeds belonged to? Each plant has its own personality and is there for us to use. It is the human that needs to approach the plant because they have for a very long time felt we didn't appreciate them as beings.
I really learned a lot about this wonderful plant. The reason that I only saw the seeds was because the leaves had died off already. These leaves look so strange as they are long. Sometimes as much as 18 inches long and as wide as 2 to 3 inches. The edges of the leaves are wrinkled like stretched crepe paper.
The seeds have "wings" on them and grow on the top of the plant.
I used to think that this plant, being one of the docks like burdock was good for only its usable iron but after researching it, I have found so many good things that this plant is capable of doing.
I decided to see what Dr. James Duke's database could tell me and was amazed at all of the abilities in this plant. I decided to check on the constituents in Yellow Dock's roots. I will lay out some of the abilities that Dr. Duke attributes to these constituents. The following are capabilities in Yellow Dock roots: It is Antiacne, Antiaging, Antialzheimeran, Antianemic, Antiarthritic, Antiasthmatic, Antibackache, Anticapillary- fragility, Anticarpal-tunnel, Anticataract, Antichilblain, Anticolitic, Anticrohn's , Antidandruff, Antidementia, Antidepressant, Antidiabetic, Antiflu, Antiinflammatory, Antiinsomniac,AntiLyme, Antilymphonic, Antimaculitic, Antimigraine, AntiMS, Antipapillomic, Antiparkinsonian, Antiperiodontitic, Antipoliomyelitic, Antipsoriac, Antiseptic, Antistress, Antistroke, Antisyndrome-X, Antitumor, Antiulcer, Antivertigo, Antiviral, Beta-Blocker, Cancer preventive, Candidicide, Cardioprotective, Hypoglycemic, Laxative, Pesticide, Spermigenic, Vasodilator, along with being an Antidote for Lead and Aluminum.
I wrote all of these out so that you can see how many things this one herb is capable of working on. Most of the time when I write that an herb is capable of doing this or that, I know that anyone reading has no idea of all the thing that it can do so this time I decided to show a lot of the information that I gleaned from the Database.
How do hers do all of this? They do it by giving the body what it needs to handle the problem. It doesn't care what the problem is but if it has the ability to help in some manner, it will. Most plants will handle many situations. This is why I tell people not to just take one herb for whatever they are working on. Every time one ingests a different herb, we are giving the body more choices to use to make the corrections.
Dr. Duke has looked into all of the properties in this one plant and has mentioned that if one of these things is the problem, Yellow Dock might be able to provide what is needed to correct this situation.
I found that Yellow Dock Root has Calcium available for the bodies use. It also has Chromium, Iron, Magnesium, Maganese, Niacin, Potassium, Protein, Selenium and Zinc . Most of all it acts like all the other Docks as a blood purifier and perhaps that is why it can take on so many things.
According to Duke's article in PETERSON FIELD GUIDE - MEDICINAL HERBS, the anthraquinones in this plant are great at arresting growths of ringworm and other fungi.
The root is said to be a mild laxative and this is probably due to the action it causes with the liver. A lot of Laxatives do work this way by making the liver release more gall into the bowels, thus relieving the liver and helping it to recover from its overload. (Gall being a good Laxative.)
One must remember that the liver is the detoxer for the entire body. Its job is to detox not only what we take in by eating or drinking but the toxins that we bring in through the lungs and skin from the environment. Now add to that the neurotoxins that we create with stress or anger or even hormones that we are releasing into the system. All of these things create an overload on ones liver.
Dr. Duke does have a warning about Yellow Dock that I will pass on, "Large does may cause gastric disturbances, nausea, diarrhea, etc." It is not poisonous but again I wish to remind you to use herbs as foods. Just as you wouldn't eat a whole pie, you don't want to over indulge in any food/herb.
Did you notice that I wanted to know "Who" the seeds belonged to? Each plant has its own personality and is there for us to use. It is the human that needs to approach the plant because they have for a very long time felt we didn't appreciate them as beings.
I really learned a lot about this wonderful plant. The reason that I only saw the seeds was because the leaves had died off already. These leaves look so strange as they are long. Sometimes as much as 18 inches long and as wide as 2 to 3 inches. The edges of the leaves are wrinkled like stretched crepe paper.
The seeds have "wings" on them and grow on the top of the plant.
I used to think that this plant, being one of the docks like burdock was good for only its usable iron but after researching it, I have found so many good things that this plant is capable of doing.
I decided to see what Dr. James Duke's database could tell me and was amazed at all of the abilities in this plant. I decided to check on the constituents in Yellow Dock's roots. I will lay out some of the abilities that Dr. Duke attributes to these constituents. The following are capabilities in Yellow Dock roots: It is Antiacne, Antiaging, Antialzheimeran, Antianemic, Antiarthritic, Antiasthmatic, Antibackache, Anticapillary- fragility, Anticarpal-tunnel, Anticataract, Antichilblain, Anticolitic, Anticrohn's , Antidandruff, Antidementia, Antidepressant, Antidiabetic, Antiflu, Antiinflammatory, Antiinsomniac,AntiLyme, Antilymphonic, Antimaculitic, Antimigraine, AntiMS, Antipapillomic, Antiparkinsonian, Antiperiodontitic, Antipoliomyelitic, Antipsoriac, Antiseptic, Antistress, Antistroke, Antisyndrome-X, Antitumor, Antiulcer, Antivertigo, Antiviral, Beta-Blocker, Cancer preventive, Candidicide, Cardioprotective, Hypoglycemic, Laxative, Pesticide, Spermigenic, Vasodilator, along with being an Antidote for Lead and Aluminum.
I wrote all of these out so that you can see how many things this one herb is capable of working on. Most of the time when I write that an herb is capable of doing this or that, I know that anyone reading has no idea of all the thing that it can do so this time I decided to show a lot of the information that I gleaned from the Database.
How do hers do all of this? They do it by giving the body what it needs to handle the problem. It doesn't care what the problem is but if it has the ability to help in some manner, it will. Most plants will handle many situations. This is why I tell people not to just take one herb for whatever they are working on. Every time one ingests a different herb, we are giving the body more choices to use to make the corrections.
Dr. Duke has looked into all of the properties in this one plant and has mentioned that if one of these things is the problem, Yellow Dock might be able to provide what is needed to correct this situation.
I found that Yellow Dock Root has Calcium available for the bodies use. It also has Chromium, Iron, Magnesium, Maganese, Niacin, Potassium, Protein, Selenium and Zinc . Most of all it acts like all the other Docks as a blood purifier and perhaps that is why it can take on so many things.
According to Duke's article in PETERSON FIELD GUIDE - MEDICINAL HERBS, the anthraquinones in this plant are great at arresting growths of ringworm and other fungi.
The root is said to be a mild laxative and this is probably due to the action it causes with the liver. A lot of Laxatives do work this way by making the liver release more gall into the bowels, thus relieving the liver and helping it to recover from its overload. (Gall being a good Laxative.)
One must remember that the liver is the detoxer for the entire body. Its job is to detox not only what we take in by eating or drinking but the toxins that we bring in through the lungs and skin from the environment. Now add to that the neurotoxins that we create with stress or anger or even hormones that we are releasing into the system. All of these things create an overload on ones liver.
Dr. Duke does have a warning about Yellow Dock that I will pass on, "Large does may cause gastric disturbances, nausea, diarrhea, etc." It is not poisonous but again I wish to remind you to use herbs as foods. Just as you wouldn't eat a whole pie, you don't want to over indulge in any food/herb.
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