Nature's Herbal Pharmacy

Alfalfa:
A perennial plant found on the borders of fields, in low valleys, and widely cultivated. A plant prized by ranchers for livestock feed because of it's high protein content, alfalfa is also one of the most prized herbs in nature's herbal pharmacy. It not only has a high protein content, but also has nearly all of the vitamins and minerals that the human body needs. Taken every day it can help improve appetite, and is often given to the frail or those convalescing. It has been used to relieve urinary and bowl problems, eliminate retained water, and even aid in curing peptic ulcers. If you're taking a prescription blood thinner do not use alfalfa unless you are closely monitored by a health care practitioner.

Chickweed:
This annual or biennial weed can be found all over the world in gardens, fields, waste places, along roadsides and in lawns. It is primarily anti pyretic and demulcent, but has great nutritive value used over long periods of time. It is used extensively to help promote weight loss in the obese, as it breaks up fats and helps flush them out of the body while nourishing all the body's systems. The fresh herb works better for this purpose than dried herb or tincture.

Used in conjunction with plantain, it makes a wonderful ointment or salve for rashes, irritated skin, bruises etc. It is sometimes used in natural soaps for the same purpose. It makes a great decoction for a compress to be used when you've been out in the sun too long, or are running a fever.

This member of nature's herbal pharmacy is delicious in salads. It only grows during the cool damp weather of spring, so take advantage of it while it's there.

Dandelion:
This pesky weed that most of us try so hard to get rid of is one of the most common, readily available and valuable herbs in nature's pharmacy. In early spring, while the leaves are still young and tender, they can be cooked like spinach, or served raw in a salad. Later in the year, especially if rain is not plentiful, they may be too tough and bitter for most people's taste. The leaves, like most greens, are high in vitamin A which gives a boost to the immune system. A tea, vinegar or tincture can be made from the root of this versatile herb to serve as a kidney and liver purifier.

Dandelion is an ideal herb to use as a diuretic. It provides potassium and other vital minerals while flushing the kidneys and drawing fluid from the cell walls.
If you have kidney problems, be sure to contact a professional healthcare provider before using any diuretic. Even herbal remedies can overwork weak kidneys.

Dandelion leaves are also good for the circulation. For this purpose they can be taken internally as a food or as a tea, or a cup of the dried leaves can be tied in a washcloth and added to a warm bath.

If you like chicory coffee, try drying dandelion roots, grinding them and adding them to regular coffee (you'll need to adjust the amount according to your taste). You'll use less coffee, which means you get less caffeine, and get the added benefits of dandelion.
An oil infusion of dandelion flowers can be used on bumps, bangs, bruises and scrofolous sores. The flowers also make tasty fritters and who hasn't heard of dandelion wine? Every part of this tenacious, prolific herb has its place in nature's herbal pharmacy

Mullein:
Mullein takes its place front and center in nature's herbal pharmacy as a remedy for sinusitis. Mullein also helps relieve the symptoms of allergies. It"s sometimes taken for coughs, and other chest ailments

Culinary Herbs do double duty. They give delicious flavor and add nutrients to our food and they also have medicinal properties. I've arranged these culinary herbs in categories, but all of them fit in more than one category, and most of them fit in all three categories. The Culinary herbs are perhaps some of the most versatile of all the herbs in nature's pharmacy.

Basil:
This herb so commonly used to flavor vegetables (especially tomatoes) and to make the delicious pesto served with pasta, is a real powerhouse in nature's pharmacy. It is great for aiding digestion. As an antispasmodic, it relieves stomach cramps, and has been used to quiet the cough of whooping cough.
In India and Africa, people rub the leaves of this powerful herb on their skin to act as an insect repellent. Basil contains many anti viral compounds. One widely practiced folk remedy for warts was to rub crushed basil leaves on the growths.

Parsley:
The universal plate garnish and breath freshener. A little parsley in your herb blend used on meats, poultry and veggies helps add depth of flavor. And just look what else it can do! Parsley tea, made from the seeds and the leaves, and also the fresh juice of this versatile herb are used for dropsy, jaundice, asthma, coughs, and suppressed or difficult menstruation. The juice has also been used as a compress to successfully to treat conjunctivitis and inflammation of the eyelids.

Warning: It is important to take the proper dosage for these ailments, and parsley herb or root is not to be used at all if kidney inflammation exists.

Sage
Yes, that culinary herb that add the extra zing to cornbread dressing for your thanksgiving turkey, and the sausage for your breakfast also has medicinal properties!
Sage's best known medicinal effect is the reduction of perspiration, making it effective in treating the night sweats experienced by those with tuberculosis and women in menopause. As a gargle this herb tea is good for sore throat, laryngitis, and tonsillitis. It also helps to eliminate mucous congestion in the respiratory passages and the stomach.
This herb is to versatile that there is an old saying "if a man have sage in his garden, why should he die".

Thyme:
As a tincture, extract, or infusion, thyme is commonly used in throat and bronchial problems. In medieval times, knights carried the tiny leaves of this herb in pouches on their belts to apply as a poultice on wounds. It is also a great bath herb to use for sore, achy muscles.

Fenugreek Seed:
One of the oldest medicinal plants, dating back to the Egyptians and Hippocrates. Large amounts of the decoction are given to strengthen those suffering from tuberculosis or recovering from an illness. It can also be taken for bronchitis or fevers and gargled for sore throat. A poultice of pulverized seeds is a good remedy for gouty pains, neuralgia, sciatica, swollen glands, wounds, sores, and skin irritations

Peppermint:
Peppermint tea or oil can be taken for nervousness, insomnia, cramps, coughs, or migraine. Plant this fragrant herb around your house to help drive away mice.

Peppers
A tasty way to spice up your food, hot peppers are great for opening up your sinuses. Capsacien extracted from hot peppers is now being used to make a salve that is reported to relieve the pain of arthritis. Under the supervision of a professional, cayenne pepper in addition to a blend of other herbs has been reported to clear up cataracts and relieve the pressure caused by glaucoma. Do not try this without the supervision of a healthcare practitioner!! A precise dosage and method must be used.

Alliums:
More commonly known as garlic, onions, chives, leeks, shallots etc., these herbs provide innumerable benefits to the system. They are high in vitamin A and so provide a boost to the immune system. Garlic has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and aid in preventing heart disease by keeping the arteries free of plaque. All alliums are anti-bacterial, but garlic is the strongest. Some people claim a tonic of crushed garlic, apple cider vinegar and honey aids in relieving the pain of arthritis.

Stevia
Has no nutritional value whatsoever. However one small leaf of this South American herb can sweeten a whole pitcher of tea, making it a great replacement for sugar or chemical sugar substitutes. Unlike sugar, this sweet herb inhibits tooth decay rather than promoting it. If you're looking for a natural, commercial replacement for the sweetener you're using now, ask your pharmacist or local health food store about Stevia. Stevia has been used to lower blood pressure and some diabetics have seen a reduction in their blood sugar when using this wonderful herb nature has provided us with.

Rosemary:
The stimulant action of rosemary helps promote liver function, the production of bile and proper digestion. Excessive amounts of rosemary can be toxic. Used externally in a salve rosemary is useful for rheumatism, scrofulous sores, eczema, bruises and wounds.
The bond between memory and this aromatic herb is strong. This culinary herb contains more than a dozen antioxidants that protect your brain cells from oxidation by free radicals and, perhaps Alzheimer's disease.
This aromatic herb has been used for centuries to preserve food. Try crushing a few leaves and sprinkling into a potato salad, or use with any meat or veggie dish for a delicious layer of flavor.
Some elderly people have attributed their lack of gray hair to a weekly rinse of the herbs rosemary and sage tea prepared in a cast iron skillet.

Calendula:
Also known as Pot Marigold, this pretty yellow flower is not a true Marigold. It is an annual garden plant which blooms from June to October or the first freeze. Its happy yellow flowers brighten up your yard as well as being an invaluable member of nature's herbal pharmacy. There is a saying "where calendula is no infection can stay". It is often given internally for ulcers, stomach cramps, colitis, and diarrhea. This beautiful herb is also useful taken internally for fever, boils, abscesses and to prevent recurrent vomiting. It makes an excellent salve for wounds, bruises, sprains, pulled muscles, sores boils, and to sooth dry, chapped skin.

Chamomile:
Best known for their calmative effect, the pleasant apple like flavor of chamomile flowers make a tasty sleepy time tea to relax and soothe the jangled nerves most of us in this fast paced, high tech world are familiar with. Chamomile takes its place in nature's herbal pharmacy as a sedative, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and digestive tonic to aid in relieving the symptoms of lumbago and rheumatic problems, and it helps facilitate bowel movement without acting directly as a purgative.

Echinacea:
You may know it as purple cone flower. It is not only a pretty addition to your flower garden, it propagates freely (needs to be divided about every three years)and it is one of the most powerful immune builders in nature's herbal pharmacy. The roots of this herb can be dried and made into a tea, (or fresh roots are made into tinctures), and taken as a blood purifier to treat eczema, acne, and boils thought to indicate contaminants in the blood.
It is one of the ingredients in a blend I use for upper respiratory infections of all kinds, especially bronchitis. As a blood purifier, it helps carry toxins from the body and fight infection while building the immune system.
The fresh flowers of E. purpurea can also be used as a tea to relieve a cold or flu symptoms. Just pick a fresh flower, chop it up ,petals, seed cone and all and steep in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes.
More about Echinacea

Lavender:
A staple in Flower and herb gardens all over the world, lavender is one of the best known medicinal herbs in most cultures throughout the world. No herbal pharmacy is complete without it. Its flowers and leaves are both aromatic and are soothing and calming to the nerves. It has been used in "sleep pillows" to help sooth and quiet mind and body. Lavender wands in the linen closet permeate your bed linens with it's soothing relaxing scent. Learn to make lavender wands
It is most usually used in the form of essential oil, and is very beneficial as antiseptic, analgesic, aromatic, and vulnerary (promoting the growth of new cells).

Yarrow:
Also known as milfoil, yarrow has a long history of use as a medicinal herb. It has long been used in the treatment of lack of appetite, stomach cramps, liver problems, and internal hemorrhage, particularly in the lungs. Fresh yarrow juice acts as a general tonic by building up the blood.

The wild white yarrow is a beautiful plant and the strongest of all the yarrows as an herbal medicine, but the domesticated yarrows can also be used. John Lust states that the red yarrow is the next most powerful.

Yarrow is another ingredient in my personal blend of herbs used for upper respiratory ailments.
Stephen Foster has a wonderful, educational site to learn much more about the medicinal properties of plants.