What is Colon Cleanse and Detoxification?

Colon cleanse products are used to cleanse waste and toxins that have built up in the colon.  Some people believe that waste and additives from junk food become trapped in your colon, causing many digestive problems and possibly even leading to colon cancer.  Using a colon cleanse to alleviate digestive discomfort has been practiced for centuries.  Now, it is gaining popularity again as people eat more unhealthy foods as part of their normal diets and colon cancer continues to increase.

Over time, these people believe, the waste that is trapped in your colon will become toxic and leak out into your body’s bloodstream and will make its way to the kidneys and liver where normal filtering takes place.  It is these people’s belief that the body is unable to handle the large amount of toxin that is going through it and therefore, you suffer from a variety of symptoms from the toxins that began in your colon.  This is why colon cleanse detoxification is guaranteed through many of these products.  It is important to eliminate both the original waste and the toxins produced by it.

Colon Cleanse and Detoxification Guidelines

You should limit, if not eliminate, any solid food while using any type of product, or system, for colon cleanse detoxification to prevent flushing new food out instead of the old trapped waste and toxins.  You should always drink a lot of water during a colon cleanse and detoxification to aid in flushing out your body.  No system should be used too frequently or for extended periods of time.  If you give your colon too much help in eliminating waste, it can become dependent on your help.  Just like using laxatives too frequently can lead to colon weakness, or a dependency on laxatives to have bowel movements, excessive colon cleansing can do the same.

Limiting your intake of fatty, sugary junk food and increasing fiber rich foods every day is the natural way to perform a colon cleanse and detoxification.  The better you do at maintaining a healthy colon, the less you will need to depend on using colon cleanse and detoxification products later on.

What is Colon Cleanse and Detoxification? For further information and resources on colon cleaners on our site.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/colon-cleanse-detoxification-940264.html

Alder – a deciduous tree; the European alder can reach 100 feet. The branches spread to a rounded crown. Broad, sharply toothed leaves, up to 4 inches long, are dark glossy green on top, pale and sticky below. Greenish-yellow male and reddish female flowers (March) are borne in separate cone like clusters (catkins). The fruits grow in roundish cones, green in summer and brown and woody in fall. The red alder resembles the European tree but has elliptical, bluntly toothed leaves.

So indestructible is the wood of the European alder that it was used to make the piles on which the city of Amsterdam and Venice’s famed Rialto section were raised. The tree’s remarkable resistance to wet rot made it a prime choice for posts and pilings in the construction of bridges and sluice gates, for water conduits, and for wooden shoes.

Herbalists through the centuries have used brews made from the bark and leaves of the alder as an astringent and a quinine substitute, and to fight inflammations and fevers. The leaves and branches also have a reputation as natural pesticides. The inner bark, boiled in vinegar and rubbed on the body, reportedly kills lice and scabies mites and dries up scabs.

The red, or Oregon, alder looks like its European cousin, which now grows wild in parts of eastern North America, and has similar properties. Alders are also valued for the nitrogen-fixing bacteria that colonize their roots and thereby enrich the soil.

PARTS USED

Bark, leaves.

USES

The astringent alder is employed most often as a mouthwash and gargle for tooth, gum, and throat problems. The drying action of a decoction of the bark helps to contract the mucous membranes and reduce inflammation. A decoction may also be used to staunch internal or external bleeding and to heal wounds. Alder is also used as a wash for scabies. In Spain, alder leaves are smoothed and placed on the soles of the feet to relieve aching. Leaves are used to help reduce breast engorgement in nursing mothers.

Both species supply natural materials for dyers and tanners and wood for smoking meats and fish and for making pilings used in wet locations. The red alder is used for furniture. Medicinally, the trees have fallen into general disuse.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Alder is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Alder thrives in damp places and along riverbanks. The bark and leaves are gathered in spring.

CONSTITUENTS

Alder contains lignans, tannin (10 to 20%), emodin (an anthraquinone), and glycosides.

Source: Herbs2000

Ajuga reptans
Bugle
Carpenter’s-herb
Common Bugle
Middle Comfrey
Sicklewort

Bugle – a perennial herb growing up to 12 inches tall. Its creeping runners produce rosettes of leaves; the whole structure forms a carpet like mat. The lower leaves are spatula-shaped and often have wavy edges, while the upper leaves are toothed and elliptical or oval. Small blue to purple flowers (May-July), 1/2 inch across, are borne in dense terminal spikes.

Opinion varies as to the value of bugle. Compare the old saw that promises, “He that has bugle and sanicle thumbs his nose at the surgeon,” with the view of a modern French herbalist that bugle is the “most resolutely [medicinally] inactive of plants.” It is generally agreed, however, that bugle is more than just a pretty flower. As another of its names, carpenter’s-herb, suggests, bugle does have some ability to stop bleeding and to heal cuts, as do all plants that contain tannin. Bugle has also been given to stop lung and other internal hemorrhaging, and herbalists have recommended it for coughs, ulcers, rheumatism, and liver disorders, and to prevent hallucinations after excessive alcohol consumption. Some herbalists believe that bugle is mildly narcotic and sedative and may slow the heart rate in the way that digitalis does. Bugleweed’s properties other than wound healing have never been thoroughly researched, however.
Bugle’s species name, reptans, refers to the reptile like creeping of the plant’s runners.

PARTS USED

Aerial parts.

USES

Bugle is bitter, astringent, and aromatic, but opinion varies as to its value as a medicine. Bugle has mild analgesic properties, and it is still used occasionally as a wound healer. Bugle is also mildly laxative and traditionally has been thought to help cleanse the liver.

Bugle is a specific for over-active thyroid glands, especially where the symptoms include tightness of breathing, palpitation and shaking. Bugle may safely be used where palpitations occur that are of nervous origin. Bugle will aid the weak heart where there is associated build-up of water in the body. As a sedative cough reliever bugle will ease irritating coughs, especially when they are of nervous origin.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Native to Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia, bugle has become naturalized in North America. Bugle prefers damp woods and grassy and mountainous areas, and is usually gathered when-in flower in early summer.

CONSTITUENTS

Bugle contains iridoid glycosides including harpagide, which is also found in devil’s claw.

HOW MUCH TO TAKE

Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 1 teaspoonful of the dried herb and let infuse for 10-15 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.
Tincture: take 1-2ml of the tincture three times a day.

COLLECTION AND HARVESTING

Bugle should be collected just before the buds open.

COMBINATIONS

Bugle may be used with nervines such as skullcap or valerian

Ajamoda
Black Cherry
Black Choke
Caban Cherry
Choke Cherry
Padmaka
Rub Cherry
Virginia Prune
Wild Black Cherry
Wild black cherry grows from Nova Scotia to Florida and as far west as the Dakotas, Utah and Arizona. Wild black cherry towers high at roughly 100 feet or so and has a trunk circumference somewhere between 4 and 5 feet. The trunk is covered with rough, black bark.

PARTS USED

Inner bark.

USES

Figuring in official pharmacopoeias and much used in the Anglo-American tradition, black cherry bark effectively counters chronic dry and irritable coughs. Combined with coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), it treats asthma and whooping cough, “The astringent bark also eases indigestion and the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, especially when these conditions are of nervous origin.

Other medical uses – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( COPD ).

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Native to North America, black cherry grows throughout much of the US. Black cherry is cultivated in central Europe for its lumber. The bark is collected in late summer and early autumn.

CONSTITUENTS

Black cherry contains prunasin (a cyanogenic glycoside that yields hydrocyanic acid), benzaldehyde, eudesmic acid, coumarins, and tannins. Prunasin reduces the cough reflex.

HOW MUCH TO TAKE

Many people use wild cherry tincture or syrup, taking 2-4 ml three to four times per day.

SIDE EFFECTS AND CAUTIONS

Very large amounts of wild cherry pose the theoretical risk of causing cyanide poisoning. However, this has not been observed in clinical practice, making it a very safe herbal remedy.

Source: herbs2000

Eupatorium perfoliatum
Agueweed
Boneset
Crosswort
Eupatorium
Feverwort
Indian Sage
Sweating Plant
Thoroughwort
Tse-Ian
Vegetable Antimony
Wood Boneset

Names of plants often reveal much information about them. They can also be misleading. There is little difficulty with the scientific name of boneset, Eupatorium perfoliatum L. The genus name of this member of the daisy family (Asteraceae) derives from Mithridates Eupator, ancient king of Pontus, who first used a closely related plant for medicinal purposes. The species designation, perfoliatum, refers to the manner in which the erect hairy stem of the hardy perennial herb, which attains a height of about five feet and is crowned with heads of white tubular florets, appears to perforate the center of the pairs of oppositely joined leaves. Boneset, the common name, is more likely to lead one astray since the plant was classically employed in the treatment of fevers, not to mend broken bones. However, when it is recognized that the old name for dengue was break bone fever, the derivation becomes clear.

American Indians introduced the use of boneset leaves and flowering tops to the early settlers for the treatment of colds, catarrh, influenza, rheumatism, and all kinds of fevers, including break bone (dengue), intermittent (malaria), and lake (typhoid). To break up colds and flu, the medication is taken in the form of a hot tea to induce sweating and relieve the associated aches and pains. For loss of appetite, indigestion, and as a general bitter tonic, cold boneset infusion is recommended thirty minutes before meals. In either case, the remedy is a bitter, astringent one with a nauseous taste. The hot version is much more likely to cause vomiting than the cold.

Chemical studies have identified some of the constituents of boneset, which include various flavonoid pigments, sterols, and triterpenes. Compounds with pronounced therapeutic virtues are generally absent. However, it has been reported that xyloglucurans from the polysaccharide fractions of aqueous extracts of boneset increased phagocytosis by a factor of 1 to 2.5 in the carbon clearance and granulocyte test, suggesting immunostimulating activity. Eclectic physicians reported using boneset as an effective preventative and treatment for the “Spanish influenza” epidemic of 1918, as well as flu epidemics of the nineteenth century.

The plant held official medication status in the United States from 1820 to 1950, even though boneset was rarely prescribed by physicians, at least during the latter part of that period. Nevertheless, there is presently a revival of interest in the use of boneset among adherents to herbal medicine who employ it primarily to relieve fevers. Although safer and more effective treatments, such as common aspirin, certainly exist, it is comforting to know that the medical literature is essentially devoid of reports of adverse incidents attributed to boneset. Given the presence of potential immunostimulating polysaccharides, coupled with historical reports of efficacy in the prevention and treatment of influenza in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this herb, relegated to historical obscurity, is deserving of closer scientific scrutiny.

Legendary among North American Indians and early settlers for its capacity to cause profuse perspiration and to loosen the bowels, boneset was used to treat fevers associated with a number of illnesses, including colds and influenza as well as malaria and similar recurrent illnesses. Boneset was usually taken as a hot tea made from the leaves and flowers.

A related species, E. purpureum, more commonly known as joe-pye weed, generally shares the medicinal properties attributed to boneset. Identifiable by its purple flowers, joe-pye weed was named in honor of an Indian medicine man who was famous throughout New England for using it to cure typhus. Most herbal authorities, however, consider the species inferior to boneset in treating fever.

PARTS USED

Aerial parts.

USES

A hot infusion of bone set will bring relief to symptoms of the common cold. Boneset stimulates resistance to viral and bacterial infections, and reduces fever by encouraging sweating. Boneset also loosens phlegm and promotes its removal through coughing, and it has a tonic and laxative effect. Boneset has been taken for rheumatic illness, skin conditions, and worms.

HOMEOPATHY

Boneset was traditionally used for fevers and is said to be a principal Native American remedy for malaria. It became known to the European settlers and was used in New York in 1830 to treat malaria. It is also said to have been recommended in ancient times by Dioscorides for ulcers, dysentery, reptile bites, chronic fevers, and liver disease. The plant is used in herbal medicine for flu with aches and pains.
Eupator is used mainly to treat flu and other feverish illnesses where characteristically there is tremendous bone pain and fever with scanty perspiration and restlessness because of the pain. The bones often feel as if they have been broken. The head, eyeballs, and chest are sore and there is a desire for ice-cold water and cold food. There may be a cough that exacerbates symptoms and can be relieved by going on all fours.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Native to eastern North America, boneset is found in meadows and marshland. Boneset is gathered when in flower in summer.

CONSTITUENTS

Boneset contains sesquiterpene lactones (including eupafolin), polysaccharides, flavonoids, diterpenes, sterols, and volatile oil. The sesquiterpene lactones and polysaccharides are significantly immunostimulant.

HOW MUCH TO TAKE

Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 1 – 2 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb and leave to infuse for 10 – 15 minutes. This should be drunk as hot as possible. During fevers or the ‘flu it should be drunk every half hour.
Tincture: take 2 – 4ml of the tincture three times a day.

Source: Herb�

Sassafras albidum
Ague Tree
Cinnamonwood
Saloip
Sassafras
Saxifrax
Smelling-stick

Sassafras is a plant whose virtues are almost uniformly praised by modern herbalists. A tea prepared from the root bark of this native American tree, Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees of the family Lauraceae, is widely recommended as a spring tonic and “blood thinner.” The root bark was being used to treat fevers by the natives of Florida prior to 1512 and formed one of the earliest exports of the New World. It still enjoys a considerable reputation as a stimulant, antispasmodic, sudorific (sweat producer), depurative (“purifier”) and as treatment for rheumatism, skin diseases, syphilis, typhus, dropsy (fluid accumulation), and so on.

Much of the persistent reputation of sassafras may no doubt be attributed to its pleasant taste and aroma. Sassafras contains up to 9% of a volatile oil which, in turn, consists of about 80% safrole. For years it was a valued flavoring agent in root beer and similar beverages. But as a result of research conducted in the early 1960s, safrole was recognized as a carcinogenic agent in rats and mice. Sassafras bark, sassafras oil, and safrole are now prohibited by the FDA from use as flavors or food additives.

Unfortunately, sassafras continues to be collected, used, sold, and written about as an herbal remedy. No one really knows just how harmful it is to human beings, but it has been estimated that one cup of strong sassafras tea could contain as much as 200 mg of safrole, more than four times the minimal amount believed hazardous to man if consumed on a regular basis.

Some manufacturers, recognizing the attractive flavor and aroma of sassafras, have attempted to overcome its toxicity by preparing a safrole-free extract of the root bark. Such efforts were probably doomed to failure from the start since safrole is the major component responsible for the desirable odor and taste of the plant. However, an even more serious drawback has been revealed. Recent studies have shown that even safrole-free sassafras produced tumors in two-thirds of the animals treated with it. Apparently other constituents in addition to safrole are responsible for part of the root bark’s carcinogenic activity.

An overriding consideration in this entire matter of the safety and efficacy of sassafras is that the plant material has no really significant medical or therapeutic utility. Sassafras oil, in common with a large number of volatile oils, does possess some mild counterirritant properties on external application, but beyond these, none of the claims of its supporters has been documented in the modern medical literature. In spite of its pleasant flavor and its folkloric reputation as a useful tonic, prudent people will avoid this medication because of its potentially harmful qualities.

PARTS USED

Root bark.

USES

Sassafras is used primarily in skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis. As another aspect of its undoubted systemic activity, sassafras may be used with benefit in the treatment of rheumatism and gout. As a diaphoretic sassafras may be used in fevers and systemic infections. Sassafras has a disinfectant action and makes a valuable mouthwash and dentifrice. Sassafras acts as a specific to combat head lice and other body infestations.

Sassafras root bark was long considered a virtual cure-all, but only its effectiveness in relieving intestinal gas and as a diuretic have been substantiated. Because of the designation as “unsafe,” the bark is no longer sold or used commercially, nor should it be used by anyone.

When the Spanish arrived in Florida in the early 16th century, they mistook the fragrant sassafras for a cinnamon tree, an error still perpetuated in one of the tree’s common names. The local Indians used the bark of its roots to treat fevers and rheumatism, and as a general tonic and “blood purifier”-a medicine that by causing urination and sweating cleanses the blood of “impurities″ once thought to cause a range of ailments from skin diseases to malaria. Word of sassafras′s amazing curative powers reached Europe, and for a time it became a major colonial export, second only to tobacco. The Europeans also discovered sassafras tea, and it soon became a fashionable beverage. A growing (but unjustified) reputation as a cure for syphilis cost sassafras its respectability, however, and as a result, its economic importance.

An oil extracted from the tree remained in use as an antiseptic for dentistry and as a flavoring for toothpastes, root beer, and chewing gum until the early 1960′s. At that time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared that the chemical compound safrole, found in the oil of the root bark, was a potential carcinogen.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Sassafras is native of eastern North America; sassafras is found from Ontario south to Florida and Texas and as far west as Missouri.

CONSTITUENTS

Sassafras contains essential oil including safrole, sesamin, tannins, resin.

HOW MUCH TO TAKE

Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 1 – 2 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb and leave to infuse for 10 – 15 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.
Oil: The oil of Sassafras should be used for the external treatment of lice and never taken internally.
Tincture: take 1 – 2 ml of the tincture three times a day.

COLLECTION AND HARVESTING

The root is unearthed to gather this herb, which grows over large areas of North America.

COMBINATIONS

For skin problems sassafras may be used with burdock, nettles and yellow dock.

Aletris farinosa
Ague Grass
Ague Root
Aletris
Aloeroot
Colicroot
Crow Com
Star Grass
True Unicorn Root

Colic root – a perennial herb. Its single stalk grows 1 – 3 feet high from the center of a rosette of pale green, lily like leaves 2 – 7 inches long. Tiny white urn-shaped flowers (May-August), 1/4 – 1/2 inch long, form a spike along the upper part of the leafless stalk. The fruits are leathery egg-shaped capsules containing many seeds. The “root” is actually a rhizome, or underground stem.

Colic root enjoys a degree of medicinal celebrity to the present day. Colic root was listed as a therapeutic herb in the U.S. Pharmacopeia in the 19th century and in the National Formulary until 1947, when the herb lost medicinal standing for lack of conclusive scientific data regarding its usefulness. Current research suggests, however, that colic root may offer some relief for intestinal muscle spasms, the cause of some colic.

The Indians in North America were the first to experiment with colic root, which is native to the eastern United States. For stomachaches, colic, dysentery, and menstrual disorders they took a bitter-tasting tea made from the plant’s roots or leaves. The settlers of Appalachia adopted these uses, adding a few of their own. They applied a poultice of the leaves for the relief of aching backs and sore breasts. Sometimes they used a potent drink of dried and powdered colic root mixed with whiskey or brandy, which surely reduced the pain by one means or the other.

PARTS USED

Rhizome, root, leaves.

USES

Colic root should not be confused with false unicorn root. Colic root is an excellent remedy for sluggish digestion, which may give rise to dyspepsia, flatulence and debility. Its bitter nature will stimulate the digestive process and so it often relieves anorexia (appetite loss). Another name for colic root is true unicorn root which shows its value in the treatment of digestive colic. As all these conditions often have a nervous involvement, this herb has been called a nervine. However, its benefit in anxiety is based on an easing of the physical aspects rather than on a direct relaxation of the nerves. Colic root is reported to be of value in threatened miscarriage, but false unicorn root is preferable here.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Native to eastern North America, colic root grows mainly in swamps and wet, sandy woodland, especially near the seashore. Colic root is harvested commercially in Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

CONSTITUENTS

Colic root contains steroidal saponins based on diosgenin, as well as a bitter principle; volatile oil, and a resin.

HOW MUCH TO TAKE

Decoction: put 1/2 – 1 tea-spoonful of the root in a cup of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.
Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 1-2 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb and leave to infuse for 10 – 15 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.
Tincture: take 1 – 2 ml of the tincture three times a day.

COLLECTION AND HARVESTING

The underground parts of colic root are unearthed at the end of flowering in August, washed and cut into pieces and then dried.

Couch Grass
Dog Grass
Quack Grass
Witchgrass

Vigorous perennial growing to 32 in (80 cm). Couch grass  has a long, creeping rhizome, slender leaves, and erect spikes bearing green flowers aligned in two rows.

In classical times, both Dioscorides (AD 40-90) and Pliny (AD 23- 79) recommended couch grass root for poor urine flow and kidney stones. In 1597, the herbalist John Gerard wrote that “Couch-grasse be an unwelcome guest to fields and gardens, yet his physicke virtues do recompense those hurts; for it openeth the stoppings of the liver and reins [ureters] without heat.” In times of famine, the root has been roasted and ground as a substitute for coffee and flour.

PARTS USED

Rhizome, seeds, root.

USES

A gentle, effective diuretic and demulcent, couch grass is most commonly used for urinary tract infections such as cystitis and urethritis. It both protects the urinary tubules against infection and irritants, and increases the volume of urine, thereby diluting it. Couch grass can be taken, usually with other herbs, to help treat kidney stones, reducing the irritation and laceration they cause. Couch grass is also thought to dissolve kidney stones (insofar as possible), and in any case will help to prevent their further enlargement. Both an enlarged prostate and prostatitis will benefit from a couch grass decoction taken over the course of several months. Couch grass has been used in the past for the treatment of gout and rheumatism. In German herbal medicine, heated couch grass seeds are used in a hot and moist pack that is applied to the abdomen to soothe peptic ulcers. Juice from the roots of couch grass has been used to treat jaundice and other liver complaints.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Found in Europe, the Americas, northern Asia, and Australia, couch grass is an invasive weed. Couch grass is harvested throughout the year.
CONSTITUENTS

Couch grass contains polysaccharides (such as triticin), a volatile oil (mainly agropyrene), mucilage, and nutrients. Agropyrene has antibiotic properties.

HOW MUCH TO TAKE

Decoction: put 2 teaspoonfuls of the cut rhizome in a cup of water, bring to the boil and let simmer for 10 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.
Tincture: take 3 – 6ml of the tincture three times a day.

Agrimony
Burr Marigold
Church Steeples
Cocklebur
Harvest Lice
Liverwort
Philanthropos
Rat’s Tail
Stickwort
White Tansy

A pretty plant, bearing spikes of tiny yellow flowers (church steeples) and fruit with hooked bristles at the top (cockleburs), agrimony grows wild by roadsides, fields, and woods. Although the plant has no narcotic properties, tradition holds that when placed under a person’s head, agrimony will induce a deep sleep that will last until it is removed.

Folklore aside, agrimony has a long history of medicinal use. The English poet Michael Drayton once hailed it as an “all-heal,” and through the ages it did seem to be a panacea. The ancient Greeks used agrimony to treat eye ailments, and it was made into brews to cure diarrhea and disorders of the gallbladder, liver, and kidneys. Anglo-Saxons made a solution from the leaves and seeds for healing wounds; this use continued through the Middle Ages and afterward, in a preparation called eau d’ arquebusade, or “musket-shot water.” Later, agrimony was prescribed for athlete’s foot.

In the United States and Canada, late into the 19th century, the plant was prescribed for many of these ills and more: for skin diseases, asthma, coughs, and gynecological complaints, and as a gargle for sore throat.

PARTS USED

Aerial parts.

USES

Agrimony has long been used to heal wounds because it staunches bleeding and encourages clot formation. Astringent and mildly bitter; it is also a helpful remedy for diarrhea and a gentle tonic for the digestion as a whole. Combined with other herbs such as corn silk, agrimony is a valuable remedy for cystitis and urinary incontinence, and has also been used for kidney stones, sore throats, rheumatism, and arthritis.
Other medical uses – Food allergies, Celiac disease, Emphysema, Eyelid problems, Hangover.
Culinary uses – For a pleasant honey-flavored tea, steep 5 to 10 ml (1 to 2 teaspoons) of powdered agrimony or 15 ml (3 teaspoons) of lightly crushed fresh agrimony in 250 ml (1cup) of boiling water. If desired, sweeten with honey or flavor with licorice.
Add the flowers to home-brewed beer.
Craft uses – Include fragrant agrimony in sweet-smelling sachets and potpourris.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Agrimony is a native European herb commonly found in marshes, wet meadows, and in open areas. Agrimony is harvested when in flower in summer.
Agrimony grows in most types of soil. It is naturally adapted to alkaline soils, but also tolerates somewhat acidic soil. While easy to cultivate in dry soil, the plants do need water during dry periods or they may not flower.
Prefers full sun, but keep the soil moderately moist. Also tolerates partial shade.
Sow seeds outdoors in the early spring. (You can improve germination considerably by storing the seeds in damp soil in the refrigerator for 6 weeks prior to planting.) Plant seeds 1 cm (1/2 inch) deep. Once established, agrimony tends to self-seed.
May also be propagated by root division. Divide the plants in spring to provide time for the winter buds to form. When dividing the crown, be sure to include a live stem.
Space plants 25 cm (10 inches) apart.
Usually pest- and disease-free.

RESEARCH

Agrimony’s blood-staunching and anti-inflammatory properties have been established by experiments in China.

CONSTITUENTS

Agrimony contains tannins, coumarins, flavonoids, including luteolin, volatile oil, and polysaccharides.

HOW MUCH TO TAKE

Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 1-2 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb and leave to infuse for 10-15 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.
Tincture: take 1-3ml of the tincture three times a day.

SIDE EFFECTS AND CAUTIONS

Agrimony may cause some people to experience photo dermatitis, a skin rash that appears after eating the herb and subsequently being exposed to sunlight.
Some studies have shown that agrimony can lower blood pressure. Don’t consume this herb if you are undergoing anticoagulant therapy or medication treatment for high or low blood pressure.
Agrimony is reputed to affect the menstrual cycle, so you should avoid it if you are pregnant or nursing.
Because agrimony tea has a high tannin content, it should be consumed in moderation. Adding milk to your tea helps prevent tannins from being harmful.

APPLICATIONS

AERIAL PARTS / LEAVES:
INFUSION – A gentle remedy, ideal for diarrhea, especially in infants and children. Can be taken by breastfeeding mothers to dose babies.
TINCTURE – More potent and drying than the infusion, and effective if the condition involves excess phlegm or mucus. Use for cystitis, urinary infections, bronchitis, and heavy menstrual bleeding.
POULTICE – Apply a poultice of the leaves for migraines.
WASH – Use the infusion for wounds, sores, eczema, and varicose ulcers.
EYEWASH – Use a weak infusion (10 g herb to 500 ml water) for conjunctivitis.
GARGLE – Use the infusion for sore throats and nasal mucus.

COLLECTION AND HARVESTING

Pick the leaves, flowers, and stems in early summer, when the plant is in flower. All parts may be used fresh or dried.
To dry agrimony, spread out the leaves, flowers, and stems on a wire rack in a warm, shaded location. When dry, crumble the material to powder, and store in airtight jars.

ANTACID WINE

* 3 cups (750 ml) red wine
* 1 cup (40 g) fresh agrimony leaves
* 1/2 cup (20 g) alfalfa leaves
* 1/4 cup (10 g) oak bark

Macerate the crushed plants in the wine for 1 month. Strain. Drink 2 T (25 ml) 3 times daily to eliminate stomach hyperacidity.

PARTS USED

Root.
In China dried root is chewed to provide an energy boost

USES

Therapeutic actions – As an adaptogenic, ginseng’s action varies. It has a stimulating effect on young people with strong qi (vital force), but is tonic, restorative, and even sedative for those weakened by illness or old age.

Chinese remedy - In China, ginseng is best known as a stimulant, tonic herb for athletes and those subject to physical stress, and as a male aphrodisiac. It is also a tonic for old age, and is traditionally taken by people in northern and central China from late middle age onward, helping them to endure the long hard winters.

Western tonic – In the West, ginseng is viewed not so much as a medicine, but as a life enhancing tonic. It is useful for those coping with stressful events, such as taking exams. Ginseng is often abused in the West and should not be taken for more than 6 weeks.

Other medical uses – Lung cancer.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Ginseng is native to northeastern China, eastern Russia, and North Korea, but is now extremely rare in the wild. Ginseng cultivation requires great skill. It is propagated from seed in spring and requires rich, moist, but well-drained soil. The plant takes at least 4 years to mature. The root is then normally harvested in autumn, washed, and steamed before being dried.

RESEARCH

Adaptogenic – Ginseng has been researched in detail over the past 20-30 years in China, Japan, Korea, Russia, and many other countries. Its remarkable “adaptogenic” quality (helping the body to adapt to stress, fatigue, and cold) has been confirmed. Trials show that ginseng significantly improves the body’s capacity to cope with hunger, extremes of temperature, and mental and emotional stress. Furthermore, ginseng produces a sedative effect when the body requires sleep. The ginsenosides that are responsible for this action are similar in structure to the body’s own stress hormones.
Other - research Ginseng also increases immune function and resistance to infection, and supports liver function.

HOW MUCH TO TAKE

The best researched forms of ginseng are standardized herbal extracts that supply approximately 4-7% ginsenosides; more concentrated extracts may be less effective due to reduction of panaxan levels. People often take 100-200 mg per day; Non standardized extracts require a higher intake, generally 1-2 grams per day for tablets or 2-3 ml for fresh herb tincture. Ginseng is usually used for two to three weeks continuously, followed by a one- to two-week “rest” period before resuming.

SIDE EFFECTS AND CAUTIONS

Used at the recommended dosage, ginseng is generally safe. In rare instances, it may cause over stimulation and possibly insomnia. Consuming caffeine with ginseng increases the risk of over stimulation and gastrointestinal upset. Persons with uncontrolled high blood pressure should not use ginseng. Long-term use of ginseng may cause menstrual abnormalities and breast tenderness in some women. Ginseng is not recommended for pregnant or lactating women.