Willow bark or Aspirin? – An herbal pain reliever
Willow bark serves as an herbal pain reliever, known and appreciated for thousands of years. Use of willow bark appears in traditional German medicine and naturopathy as a painkiller to address discomfort associated with rheumatism, knee and hip arthrosis, and back pain. In addition, willow bark acts as a headache natural remedy and moderates the…
Gentian Root Health Benefits and Uses
Gentian root, is considered the king of the bitter herbs with many health benefits. In tests, it was found that the bitter taste from Gentian can still be perceived even when diluted down to 1 part in 12,000 The yellow gentian root used for medicinal purposes. The gentian flower grows to a height of up…
What is Horehound?
The common Horehound plant, also known as white Horehound, houndsbane, or eye of the star, derives from the mint family, formally known Lamiaceae. While horehound has a somewhat savory, and noticeably bitter flavor, it remains a close relative of another Hildegard medicine favorite, peppermint. The horehound plant originally hails from the Mediterranean, but naturalized long…
Spignel (Meum athamanticum), a Forgotten Medicinal Plant
Spignel is an old medicinal plant largely forgotten today. There hardly exists any clear reference to spignal in most herbal books of this century. Despite scant recognition today, the history of spignel root includes active appreciation by ancient physicians. Records of meum athamanticum include recommendations for treating urinary disorders, stomach complaints, joint complaints, and mild…
Marigold (Calendula) flower uses, a proven medicinal plant
Any medieval garden would have been incomplete without the marigold (Calendula) flower. Similarly, traditional farmers recognized the benefits of having these bright, orange-yellow flowers present in a garden. Like a loyal friend, the marigold flower (Calendula officinalis) grow in an uncomplicated manner, promoting the health of their surroundings. The Calendula flower normally bloom from June until…
Vervain (Verbena): a forgotten medicinal herb
Vervain has a long history as a medicinal herb across many different cultures. We will explore the healing powers of vervain, the many ways you can use vervain as a healing plant, and how to make vervain tea. Read on to learn how this lovely flowering medicinal herb improves health. What is Vervain or Verbena?…
Cubeb Pepper, a medicinal plant used for thousands of years
Pepper is a familiar herb to most people. After all, most of us use this spice daily in the kitchen. However, a variety of pepper, cubeb pepper (Piper cubeba) remains largely unknown in the US and western Europe. Black pepper appears much more commonly in our diet. Arab doctors first recognized the healing effects of…
Health Benefits of Peppermint
Peppermint (mentha piperita) is a hybrid of watermint (mentha hirsute) and spearmint (mentha spicata). All three plants are native to Europe and the Middle East. They are, however, widely cultivated throughout the world. They are all part of the mint (lamicaceae) family of plants. The mint family includes numerous flowering varieties that have a long…
Health Benefits of Licorice Root
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza Glabra) is a perennial legume herb native to southern Europe and parts of Asia. You are probably familiar with the flavor of licorice – or liquorice. But what you might not know is that the health benefits of licorice root go back thousands of years. Modern licorice got its name from the Greek…
Lungwort Remedy
The evergreen perennial plant, Lungwort (pulmonaria officinalis) derives from the genus of flowering plants in the Boraginaceae family known as the borage, or forget-me-not family. The plant takes its name from the Latin root Pulmoa, meaning lung. Records of a lungwort remedy first appear from Leonhart Fuchs (1501 – 1566), a German physician and one…
7 Yarrow health benefits
Yarrow has several health benefits including topical and internal use. In this post we introduce Hildegard’s yarrow applications. Hildegard’s views on Yarrow Applications “After cleaning the wound, simmer yarrow in warm water, once the yarrow has had time to simmer, drain the water, and apply the warm yarrow with a bandage to the wound. The warm moist…
Stinging Nettle Health Benefits
Stinging nettle health benefits go beyond prostate disorders and skin diseases; from rheumatism to anemia – Stinging nettle is a virtual panacea.