Herbs for Acne
Acne is an extremely common skin condition characterized by occasional flare-ups of blackheads, pimples, and pustules. Most often, pimples develop on the face, neck, upper chest, and/or the back. When the liver becomes congested or sluggish, toxins are not filtered out of the body but instead get into the bloodstream which can show up as a skin problem like acne.
Some of the factors that contribute to acne are:
- A diet having excessive sugar, fried, salt and processed foods.
- Insufficient intake of water, fruit, vegetables, and fibre.
- Excessive intake of foods such as chocolate, caffeine, carbonated beverages, milk products, and seafood and other iodine-rich foods.
- Being overweight.
- Use of certain birth control pills, steroids, and lithium.
Certain herbs that purify the bloodstream of toxins by improving liver function are used to treat acne. Some of the major herbs for acne are:
- Burdock,
- Yellow Dock,
- Dandelion Root
- Red Clover
- Sarsaparilla
Source : iloveindia.com
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February 23rd, 2007 by admin
 Also Known As:
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.
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February 23rd, 2007 by admin
Bistort
Also Known As:
Polygonum bistorta
Adderwort
Bistort
Dragonwort
Easter Giant
English Serpentary
Osterick
Passions
Patience Dock
Red Legs
Sweet Dock
Bistort – a hardy perennial with slender stems, growing up to 30 inches tall. Each stem is topped by a dense cylindrical cluster of tiny white or pinkish flowers (May-August). Lower down the stem grow long bluish-green leaves that are lance shaped; higher up, the leaves become smaller. The rhizome of bistort (underground stem) is dark brown to black, thick, knobby, and twisted into an S or double-S shape.
Dense clusters of tiny pink blossoms atop slender stalks in a forest clearing or in a meadow-that is bistort, a common summer sight in the wild throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Two species native to the Old and New Worlds, P. bistorta and P. bistortoides respectively, are closely akin. The name bistort comes from Latin word elements meaning “twice-twisted.” This refers to the gnarled appearance of bistort’s dark brown rhizome, or underground stem.
Traditional uses of bistort in herbal medicine are varied. In Shakespeare’s day the juice of the bistort served as a remedy for nasal polyps. The rhizome of bistort, boiled in wine, was used for diarrhea and dysentery. The same decoction reportedly checked heavy menstrual bleeding, stopped vomiting, and healed mouth and throat inflammations. Bistort also had a reputation as a mouthwash that would fasten loose teeth. A common thread unites most of these uses-namely, bistort’s high tannin content, which makes it astringent and therefore effective in checking bleeding and diarrhea. Because the rhizomes are starchy, they served as famine food, roasted, boiled in soup, or ground to make flour. Young bistort leaves may be cooked and eaten like spinach.
PARTS USED
Root, rhizome, leaves.
USES
One of the most strongly astringent of all herbs, bistort is used to contract tissues and staunch blood flow. It makes a valuable mouthwash and gargle for treating spongy gums, canker sores, and sore throats, and is also useful as a wash for small burns and wounds, a douche for excessive vaginal discharge, and an ointment for hemorrhoids and anal fissures. Internally, bistort may be taken to treat peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and conditions such as dysentery and irritable bowel syndrome that give rise to diarrhea. Bistort is occasionally used in cases of urinary problems such as cystitis and for upper respiratory congestion.
HABITAT AND CULTIVATION
Native to Europe, Asia, and North America, bistort prefers damp conditions. The leaves are gathered in spring, the rhizome in autumn.
CONSTITUENTS
Bistort contains polyphenols (including ellagic acid), tannins (15-20%), phlobaphene, flavonoids, and a trace of the anthraquinone emodin.
HOW MUCH TO TAKE
Decoction: pour a cup of water onto 1 teaspoonful of the dried herb, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day. For external use, this tea can also be used as a mouthwash or gargle.
Tincture: take 2 – 4 ml of the tincture three times a day.
COLLECTION AND HARVESTING
Roots and rhizomes of bistort are dug up in the autumn from the moist pastures where bistort thrives. The large roots should be cut longitudinally and dried in the sun.
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