Yerba Mate

Yerba Maté – Ilex paraguarensis

Family – Aquifoliaceae

Other names – Jesuit’s Tea, Brazil Tea, Paraguay Herb

History

Mate can be found growing wild in Northern Argentina, Paraguay and Southern Brazil. It is a common stimulant tea, that in drunk in the Amazon. The name Yerba means ‘par excellence’, Maté is derived from the vessel in which it was infused. It is sucked through a silver tube, with a bulb strainer at the end and the cup is passed around.

Description

Large white flowering shrub to 6m that grows wild near streams. Leaves are alternate, large, oval or lanceolate and broadly toothed. The red fruit is a drupe the size of peppergrain.

Cultivation

It is cultivated in Argentina, Spain and Portugal. They traditionally are heated over a wood fire, ground and then are stored in sacks for a year before being sold.  

Parts Used

The leaves are picked when the berries are ripe.

Constituents

Xanthine derivatives including 1.5% Caffeine, 0.2% Theobromine, theophylline.

16% Tannin, ash and insoluble matter.

Actions

·         Laxative

·         Diuretic

·         Tonic

·         Diaphoretic

·         Stimulant

·         Mild analgesic

Indications

Yerba mate is known mostly as a central nervous system stimulant which does contain caffeine. It is not alone in its caffeine content it also has antioxidants, polyphenols, as well as vitamins and minerals. In fact it has 90% more antioxidants than green tea, so it makes a healthy and uplifting drink.

It does boost immunity and like all antioxidants, reduces the effects of aging and prevents disease. These antioxidants will also help to move fats in the blood and thereby will support the reduction of cholesterol and fats on the artery walls. It does have a use in reducing blood clots that can cause stroke or a heart attack.

It is said to reduce appetite and increase intellectual vigour. This is why it is used for weight loss for the South American people. Drinking the tea after eating will help your stomach to stay fuller longer.

The tea will increase short-term physical and mental energy levels, as well as enhancing physical endurance.

It is drunk in much the same way as conventional tea (camellia sinensis) is. It stimulates the nervous and digestive systems and is mildly analgesic and diuretic.

It will increase the production of bile and other gastric acids and also help aid digestion.

Drinking the tea has shown an increase in mental clarity and focus, though without the fidgety caffeine side effects.

This tea is taken for its tonic, laxative, diuretic and muscle relaxant properties.

Its uses medicinally are for the treatment of headaches, migraine, neuralgic and rheumatic pain, as well as fatigue and mild depression.

It has also been used in the treatment of diabetes.

Dosage

1-2g of dried herb as an infusion or tea

Cautions

Drinking the tea with meals can impair absorption of nutrients due to the high tannin content. It is best drunk after meals.

http://www.driedherbsonline.com/individual-medicinal-herbs/mate-yerba-mate-ilex-paraguariensis/

Standing in your happiness

Passion Flower

PASSION FLOWER – Passiflora incarnata

Family - Passifloraceae

Other Names: Passion Vine, Maypops, Granadilla

History

The Passion flowers are so named because they resemble the fine cut corona in the centre of the blossoms of the Crown of Thorns.

Native Americans used the fruit pulp to treat swelling and sore eyes and the root they used as a general tonic.

Parts Used

The dried herb is collected after some of the berries have matured.

Cultivation

There are 500 species of passion flower known to man and the medicinal properties can be suggested for many of the species.

A perennial root native to US, Central and South America produces herbaceous shoots with three lobed, finely serrated leaves and flesh coloured or yellowish sweet smelling flowers, tinged with purple. It produces a small many seeded berry the size of a small apple.

The leaves are collected after flowering and dried in the shade.

It is propagated from seed and likes plenty of sun.

Constituents

Alkaloids harmine (indole alkaloid), Harman, harmol and  passiflorine. Passiflorine has similar properties to morphine.

Flavone glycosides (apigenin) and sterols. Maltol, cyanogenic glycosides

Actions

• Sedative
• Hypnotic
• Anti-spasmodic
• Anodyne
• Relaxant
• Hypotensive
• Tranqulizing

Indications:

Passiflora is great for sleepless nights, anxiety and insomnia. It is for this reason that it is commonly used.  It aids the transition into sleep.

How it does this is by increasing the GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in your brain which then lessens brain activity and helps us to relax. A study showed those who drank it daily for 7 days noticed an improvement in their sleep.

It can be used for any condition where there is cramping and spasms, being effective in cases such as asthma. Epilepsy and irritable bowel conditions will benefit from passion flower.

Occasionally it has been prescribed for convulsions, as well as other issues such as boils, wounds, earaches and liver problems.

It is indicated for nervous conditions and for where there are viral infections of the nerves such as in shingles.

The leaves are non-addictive, non-depressant, sedative especially in cases of anxiety.

It has valuable painkilling properties and can be used for headaches, period pain and toothaches.

Passion Flower will prevent tachycardia and help to reduce high blood pressure.

It is indicated for diarrhoea, dysentery, neuralgia, sleeplessness and dysmenorrhoea.

A compress will help to soothe burns and skin irritations.

Dosage:

0 to 20 minims of fluid extract

Tincture 1 to 4 ml three times a day. Larger doses can be taken in the evening to help sleeping.

1 teaspoon in an infusion can also be drunk at night to help sleep.

If you would like to buy any passion flower, I sell it is 100g, 250g and 500g bags. 

Here is the link passion-flower-passiflora-incarnata

Until next time, 

seeing you all in happiness and health, 

Louise Plant 

Plantago major – Plantain

Common Name - Plantain

There are a few types of plantains that we know, psyllium seeds are related to this plant as well as ribwort. This information is about plantain of which one of its best uses is the fresh leaves are used to reduced and extract the poison from bites, I have seen it used on white tail spider bites. 

Botanical Name – Plantago major

Family – Plantaginaceae

Other names – Broad leaf plantain, Cuckoo’s bread, Englishman’s foot, Ripple grass

Parts Used - Leaves or ariel parts are gathered during flowering in summer. The leaves are best dried as fast as possible to prevent discolouration. The seeds are a great demulcent taken crushed or whole.

History - Plantain was used in the British highlands and it was called Slan-lus or plant of healing. Pliny used it for curing the madness of dogs. Its spread on a global scale followed colonisation in both America and New Zealand and it was called Englishman’s foot as wherever the English had taken possession of the land, plantain seemed to crop up. Saxon ancestors esteemed it highly as one of their 9 sacred herbs and they used it as a salve for flying venom. In Ireland it was used to treat wounds and bruises.

Description - This small plant has shallow yellowish roots with a large rosette of leaves above ground. The leaves are ovate, blunt and about 4 inches long with a channelled petiole. Each leaf has 5 to 11 ribs. The flower spikes are erect on long stalks producing purplish/green flowers which develop to form fruits that produce 4 to 16 seeds in each capsule.

Cultivation - This herb easily sets seed and will spread as long as there is water available.

Active Constituents - Glycosides including aucubin. Mucilage, chlorogenic acid and ursolic acid and silicic acid. Iridoids, tannins and flavonoids.

Actions

·         Expectorant

·         Demulcent

·         Astringent

·         Diuretic

·         Antihemorrhagic

·         Refrigerant

·         Deobstruent

·         Anticatarrhal

Indications - This herb is a powerful soother and healer. It is a gentle expectorant whilst also soothing inflamed and sore membranes, making it ideal for coughs and mild bronchitis. Its astringent action makes it useful in diarrhoea, haemorrhoids and cystitis. It is commonly used for gastritis, peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, respiratory catarrh, loss of voice and urinary tract bleeding.

It is indicated for skin inflammation, malignant ulcers, and intermittent fevers and externally to stimulate healing of sores. It may be used as a substitute for comfrey for bruising and broken bones. It can be applied to bleeding surfaces externally and it historically was used for bleeding of the lungs, stomach and for consumption and dysentery.

The fresh plant is valuable for bites and stings, especially for white tail spider bites.

You can make a lotion using plantain, calendula and coconut oil which is great for any skin irritations and can include mozzie bites, eczema, psoriasis, chicken pox, rashes and sores. 

The seeds can be used as a substitute for psyllium.

 Dosage - 2 – 4ml (1:1) three times daily

2-3ml of 1:3 three times daily    2-6g of dried herb as an infusion

Delightful Dandelion

 I have had discussion of late about the wonders of the herb Dandelion.

So I have decided to share some information about dandelion from my Herbal Materia Medica Lecture Notes

http://chi-institute.com.au/component/k2/item/41-course-4-herbal-materia-medica-1

Here is the link if you would like to learn more.

The leaves and root of dandelion are used, leaves picked during flowering and root dug up only during autumn. Dandelion greens, gathered in the spring when young and tender, are delicious raw in salads or pot-boiled or steamed like spinach. They are very nutritious, being high in vitamins C, D and A, and in potassium, calcium and iron.

Dandelion is commonly used as a food. The leaves are used in salads and teas, while the roots are often used as a coffee substitute.

Dandelion leaves and roots have been used for hundreds of years to treat liver, gallbladder, kidney, and joint problems. In some countries, dandelion is considered a blood purifier and is used for ailments such as eczema and cancer. Dandelion has also been used historically to treat poor digestion, water retention, and diseases of the liver, including hepatitis. Common dandelion originated in Europe, and moved as the first European settlers did.

The common name Piss-in-bed, which comes from the French word ‘pissenlit’, indicates the herb’s habit of giving the kidneys the urge to expel urine. Women who find they puff up at the time of menstruation, may get considerable relief from bloating and breast tenderness, by drinking dandelion leaf tea, as soon as they feel these symptoms.

Dandelion has two particularly important uses: to promote the formation of bile and to remove excess water from the body. Extracts of the milky juice make a powerful diuretic that reduces high blood pressure. Dandelion leaf is high in vitamins and minerals, and is a safe, gentle, effective diuretic. It is also nutritive and restorative to the liver (especially the root) and a mild blood cleanser.

Dandelion leaves are widely recommended as a food supplement for pregnant women because of the many nutrients they contain. It therefore has beneficial effect on the female organs. It increases the activity of the liver, pancreas, and spleen, especially in enlargement of the liver and the spleen.

The root affects all forms of secretion and excretion from the body. It acts as a tonic and stimulant by removing toxins and poisons from the body. An infusion of the fresh root is reportedly good for gallstones, jaundice, and other liver problems.

It increases the flow of urine in patients with liver problems. It is slightly laxative. It is a remedy for jaundice and skin diseases, scurvy, scrofula, and eczema. Dandelion leaf is useful in all kinds of kidney troubles, diabetes, dropsy, inflammation of the bowels, indigestion, flatulence (relieves gas), appetite stimulant, laxative, skin problems, psoriasis, eczema, arthritis, PMS bloating and fever.

It is a multi-talented and functional herb.

If you want to buy dandelion leaf, you can purchase in bags as small as 100g

http://www.driedherbsonline.com/individual-medicinal-herbs/dandelion-leaf-taraxacum-officinale/

if it is dandelion root you are after here it is

http://www.driedherbsonline.com/individual-medicinal-herbs/dandelion-root-taraxacum-officinale/

As a mild diuretic or appetite stimulant, 4-10 grams of dried leaves can be added to 250 ml (I cup) of boiling water and drunk as a decoction. A decoction is a simmered tea.

For chronic rheumatism, gout, stiff joints follow an 8-week dandelion cure as follows:

Infusion: Steep 2 tsp. Plant or root in 1-cup boiling water. Take 1/2 to 1 cup a day, lukewarm or cold.

Decoction: Use 4 oz. Fresh plant with 2 pints of water; boil down gently to 1 pint and strain. Take 3 tbsp. Six times daily.

Cold extract: Use 2 tsp. Plant with 1 cup water; let stand for 8-hours.

Juice: For a springtime tonic, take 1 tsp. Juice pressed from the leaves in milk, one to three times a day. Use an electric vegetable juicer to extract the milk.

We all love dandelion, great for young and old.

This article is one of my many blogs

http://louiseplant.com.au/blog/delightful-dandelion/

Have a fabulous Long Weekend, 

Louise