Please realize this information is for educational
purposes only. Some of the plants discussed below are toxic and should
not be used by anyone but a professional trained to do such. Do not
ingest these herbs. These notes are posted for 2012 herb class. The
class is not posted in its entirety. These are brief notes to help
remind my class of what we covered.
I am late getting these notes and photos up from the April herb class, but here it is. The weather was nasty this day and the creek was a mess from the storn, so we did not get to see as much as I had wished. I don’t have everything here, but have tried to include most of what we saw and discussed. You can find dosage information in my book. I have not listed it here due to lack of time.
I am late getting these notes and photos up from the April herb class, but here it is. The weather was nasty this day and the creek was a mess from the storn, so we did not get to see as much as I had wished. I don’t have everything here, but have tried to include most of what we saw and discussed. You can find dosage information in my book. I have not listed it here due to lack of time.
First we started our
discussion on Oregon grape. We discussed it last time but I forgot to mention
that the older the plants are the more berberine they contain and the berberine
content seems to be higher from plants collected at lower altitudes. You also
find the highest concentration in the root bark although the stem bark is also
used.
Then we went over the
different categories of laxatives used in herbal medicine and talked about the
herbs in each category. Next time we will look at the Cascara by the creek. No
one wanted to be outside any longer so we went inside seeking shelter from the rain and cold before finishing our herb
walk.
Overview form the morning
discussion on Laxatives.
Bulking laxatives: Act via fiber
such as oat bran and psyllium husks.
Stool Moisteners: Act to
moisten the stool such as fresh mucilaginous or rehydrated mucilaginous herbs
such as marshmallow or slippery elm bark, oily seeds such as flax (also a
bulking laxative), cholagogue herbs such as dandelion or oregon grape and don’t
forget water.
Stimulating Laxatives:
These are the purgative herbs which increase bowel activity when there is
insufficient peristalsis. These include cascara, aloe, and senna as examples.
Sedating Laxatives:
Antispasmodics used when there is constipation due to a spasmodic bowel. Seen
with alternating diarrhea and constipation accompanied by pain and chronic
spasms.
Echinacea Processing
The Herb Walk
When it warmed up outside,
we went out for a little walk to collect horseradish root, and nettle. We also
looked at Red current, Wasabi, Uva ursi, Rosemary, Dandelion, Pulsatilla,
Bloodroot, and a variety of other herbs poking their heads out of the ground.
My nettles are behind time
here at this altitude, but Cari brought some to make up for it. We made a lovely pesto
with them. I have already went over information on nettles and the pesto on an
earlier blog. You can find it here.
Wasabi - Wasabi Japonica
The taste of wasabi comes
from glucosinolates. Glucosinolates can also be found in horseradish, turnips,
pak-choi, rutabaga, mustard, cabbage, brussel sprouts, brocolli, caulifolower,
kale, kohlrabi, watercress, rapeseed and radish.
When we eat wasabi or
another gulcosinolate containing plant, the act of chewing it alters the
glucosinolate. We activate an enzyme in wasabi that changes glucosinolate to
isothiocyanate or thiocyanates or other compounds. If the wasabi has been dried
the enzymes gets destroyed in the drying process unless it undergoes freeze
drying.
For you science buffs,
glucosinolates are hydrolyzed by either the enzyme glucosinolase or
thioglucosidase into glucose, HSO4- , and one of the following aglycone
derivatives: isothiocynates, thiocyanates, nitriles, or related compounds such
as oxazolidine-2-thiones. The enzymes for hydrolysis are produced by plants and
by rumen organisms. They react with the glucosinolates when plant tissue is
crushed, for example by mastication (chewing), or when the plant is consumed
into the rumen of a ruminant animal such as a goat, cow or bison.
Isothiocyanates have been
found in research to be anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal,
anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, protective of kidney neprhons, and protective of
the cardiovascular system.
Isothiocyanates are
irritating to mucous membranes and not readily consumed in sufficient
quantities to be toxic. However, if they are consumed as glucosinolates and
then hydrolyzed to isothiocyanates via mastication or in the gut, they can have
powerful antithyroid effects and interfere with the synthesis of necessary
thyroid hormones.
In animal studies they
have identified that the animals can tolerate 10% of their diet being rapeseed
(also contains glucosinolates) before they have symptoms of poisoning from the
glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are thioethers. These compounds often contribute
a bitter, "hot" taste to condiments (mustard, horseradish) and may
exhibit goitrogenic or antithyroid activity.
Uva ursi - Arctostaphylos uva ursi
This plant is also known
as Kinnikinnick which was the
Algonquian word for “mixture”. Uva ursi was mixed with tobacco and smocked.
Some people still smoke it today.
Some how the name Kinnikinnick began being used for Uva ursi itself.
Ursi is most known for its use in urinary tract infections. The leaves contain
arbutin, an antiseptic that is hydrolyzed by gut bacteria to hydroquinone. In alkaline urine, hydroquinone is an
effective antimicrobial agent and uva ursi itself tends to alkalinize the
urine. Arbutin itself also contributes to the antiseptic activity in the
urinary tract. Consumption of this herb may cause a green tinge in the urine.
This plant is usually used
short term as larger doses or use long term is contraindicated. It should not
be used in pregnancy because of the oxytocic properties. Toxic
doses can cause nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, difficult breathing, and really
excessive doses can cause convulsions and loss of consciousness. Arbutin
inhibits the degradation of insulin and may be problematic for those with
hypoglycemia.
Dandelion - Taraxacum officinalis
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| Dandelion |
Red current - Ribes rubrum
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| Red Current |
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| Red Current |
Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosemary was beginning to bud out and although damaged by the storm, was still beautiful. This common cooking herb has a long history of medicinal use. It has been used as a nervine, astringent, carminative, cholagogue, choleretic, hepatoprotective, antispasmodic, diuretic etc....
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| Rosemary |
Rosemary has always been said to help with memory and recently research investigated its use in this way. They found that indeed it does seem to help with cognitive abilities but smaller doses were more effective than larger doses.
Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis
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| Bloodroot |
Bloodroot is in the poppy
family. The part of the plant used is the root. It is very bitter and acrid
tasting. Not a plant you consume as a food for sure.
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| Bloodroot |
Studies show the
constituent, sanguinarine, helps reduce and limit the deposition of dental
plaque.. You will find it in some toothpastes as an antiplaque agent.
Contraindications: It is
contraindicated in pregnancy due to the emmenagogue effect and uterine
stimulating activity of the alkaloids, berberine, protopine and chelerythrine,
as reported in animal studies. Over-dosage can cause nausea and
vomiting, hepatitis, vertigo, visual disturbances and prostration. Do not use
this herb unless under the guidance of a trained health care practitioner. The
fresh root is more dangerous than the dry root. Professionals do not use more than 1-2 drops every 2-4 hours in acute
phase, then 1-2 drops per day after the acute phase.
Pulsatilla - Anemone pulsatilla
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| Pulsatilla |
Pulsatilla is in the
Buttercup family. The whole plant, especially the root is used. It has an acrid
and bitter taste to it.
Pulsatilla is an anti-inflammatory, sedative and analgesic. Used for people who have nervous conditions like fearfulness, general nervousness, dejection, emotional lability, and weep easily. Often the person feels exhausted and perceives that they are not in control. They may have heart palpitations and insomnia. The individual is gentle, with a yielding disposition, and has changeable symptoms and moods. It is used for amenorrhea following wet cold feet, endometriosis, ovarian neuralgia ovarian congestion and inflammation, with dull, nagging, aching, tearing pains. It is useful with unbearable headaches prior to menses.
Contraindications: An
overdose can cause toxicity with sensations of burning in the mouth and throat,
abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, slowed pulse and breathing,
hypo-thermia, sensory and motor depression, stupor, coma and convulsions.
Because it is a uterine stimulant, it is contraindicated in pregnancy.Artichoke - Cynara scolymus
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| Artichoke |
Lily of the Valley - Convallaria majalis
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| Lily of the Valley |
