The Everything Guide to Herbal Remedies (37 page)

Here is some advice on using herbs effectively:

• Start slowly.
Take the smallest dose that’s sensible, then see how you feel. Nothing? Take a bit more. Remember that herbs are almost always gentler and less potent than their pharmaceutical counterparts, so you don’t want a dramatic reaction. If you’re using an herb that can produce side effects you should exercise more restraint in increasing your dose than if you’re using a more innocuous herb. You also should be more careful about upping the dose if you’re treating a senior or a child.

• Know what you’re doing.
Research the condition that you’re treating, including the various treatment options—herbal and conventional—and the benefits of each.

• Don’t overdo it.
Adverse reactions from the herbal remedies used most often today are extremely rate, but they can happen—most often when an herb is overused. If you take too much for too long, you can have problems.

• Be a patient patient.
Because herbs work subtly, they have what’s known as a long onset of action. Unlike a pharmaceutical painkiller, for example, a dose of willow
(Salix alba)
won’t get rid of your headache in a half an hour. And if you take psyllium
(Plantago ovata, P. psyllium)
to help relieve constipation, you’ll have to wait longer than you would if you took a harsh pharmaceutical laxative.

• Take the long view.
The general rule of thumb is to give an herbal remedy a few weeks before deciding if it’s working or not. There are some exceptions to this rule: Some herbs work more quickly, but others take longer to produce results.

• Don’t use short-term remedies for long-term problems.
If you find yourself constantly reaching for the same type of acute remedy—a laxative to relieve constipation or an antacid to quell heartburn—it’s time to change tactics. Contact a professional, who can help you address the underlying problem.

With only a few common tools and a few simple ingredients, which are available at most any herb shop or natural foods store, you can open your own phytopharmacy. And while it’s arguably much easier and a lot less messy to buy your remedies ready-made, many people find that the do-it-yourself, get-your-hands-dirty approach is both rewarding and effective. By making your own remedies, you can control more aspects of the product you’re using, and you’ll gain a greater understanding of the power of plants.

Maybe you’re the type of person who thinks everything’s better when it’s homemade. Maybe you love to cook and experiment with recipes. Or maybe there’s just no decent herb shop in your town. Whatever the reason, you’re ready to take the plunge into the world of home-based herbalism. Rosemary Gladstar, a leading herbalist and educator and director of the International Herb Symposium, offers the following suggestions—and recipes—to get you started.

To make most herbal remedies, you’ll need a short list of supplies. It includes:

• Big canning jars for storing herbs and making tinctures

• Cheesecloth or muslin, for straining herbal preparations

• A grater (for grating beeswax)

• A large, double-mesh, stainless steel strainer

• Measuring cups

• Nonaluminum cooking pots with tight-fitting lids

You might want to set aside a coffee grinder to use for grinding the tough spices like licorice
(Glycyrrhiza glabra)
root and cinnamon
(Cinnamomum verum, C. aromaticum)
bark that you’ll use in your remedies. Just don’t use the same grinder that you use for coffee—neither your remedies nor your morning cup of Joe will benefit from that blending of flavors.

You should keep your pantry stocked with a few of the staples that are used in many herbal remedies. They include:

•
Aloe
(Aloe vera)
gel, for creams

•
Apricot
(Prunus armeniaca),
almond
(Prunus dulcis),
and grape
(Vitis vinifera)
seed oils, for facial creams

•
Cocoa
(Theobroma cacao)
butter, for infused oils and creams

•
Coconut
(Cocos nucifera)
oil, for infused oils and creams

•
Honey,
for syrups

•
Lanolin,
for creams

•
Natural beeswax,
for ointments

•
Olive
(Olea europaea)
oil, for infused oils and ointments

•
Sesame
(Sesamum indicum)
oil, for infused oils

Here are a few things to keep in mind when making your own remedies:

• Herbs and herbal preparations do best when they’re stored in airtight glass jars, out of direct light, in a cool area. Light, oxygen, and heat can degrade them.

• Never use aluminum pots or containers—aluminum can react with the herbs. Stick to glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or cast iron.

• Store all remedies and ingredients—especially essential oils and alcohol-based tinctures—out of children’s reach. Many essential oils are extremely toxic, even in very small doses.

A tea is, without question, the simplest of herbal remedies to prepare—and use. Even the most inept of homemakers can boil water, and that’s really all it takes to make a cup of tea.

Herbal teas can be used for several purposes. First, herbal tea is a beverage, good for socializing and relaxing as well as hydrating. It’s also useful as a topical herbal preparation for your skin as well as your hair.

Tea is an effective vehicle for administering the medicinal components of plants as well. Teas are aqueous (water) extractions of crude herbs or herbal powders. There are a few methods you can use: infusion, which is best for the delicate aerial parts (leaves and flowers), and decoction, which is used with tougher materials (like bark, seeds, and roots).

An infusion is what most people think of when they think tea: it’s what you get when you soak a bunch of tea leaves in hot water.

To make a tea with loose herbs, put the plant material into a strainer and into a cup, then fill the cup with boiling water. Cover the cup: The medicinal value of many herbs, including peppermint
(Mentha x piperita),
is contained in the essential oils, so you’ll want to keep the steam from escaping. You can also make an infusion using a French coffee press; just don’t use the same one you use to make coffee.

When making tea, use about 1 teaspoon of dried herbs per cup of water. Steep for 15 minutes or longer. The more herb you use and the longer you let it steep, the stronger your tea will be.

Decoctions are the best way to get the medicinal constituents out of the tougher parts of the plant—like the roots and bark. To make one, put the herbs into a saucepan, add cold water, cover, and increase the heat slowly until it reaches a boil. Simmer the mixture for at least 15 minutes. The longer it simmers, the stronger it will be.

To make a decoction, you’ll need about 1 teaspoon of the herbal mixture per cup of water.

Add a bunch of dried herbs (leaves and flowers) to a large, clear glass container (use the same amounts recommended for infusions or extractions, above), cover tightly, and let it sit in the sun for several hours.

You’ll know it’s done when the water turns the same color it would if you were brewing tea via the infusion or decoction method.

You’ll take a cup of most teas three or four times a day, or as needed. If you’re treating a chronic condition, drink three or four cups a day for several weeks. For more on dosages, see
Chapter 18
.

Here are some therapeutic teas to try:

Combine equal parts of the following herbs (pick one condition to treat at a time):

Equal parts of nettle
(Urtica dioica)
and rosemary
(Rosmarinus officinale)
if you have an oily scalp. Rosemary and juniper
(Juniperus communis)
can help clear up dandruff. And nettle
(Urtica dioica),
rosemary
(Rosmarinus officinale),
and lavender
(Lavandula angustifolia)
make an effective remedy for hair loss. All of these can be made as infusions.

To give your hair color a boost, try an infusion of chamomile
(Matricaria recutita)
or calendula
(Calendula officinalis)
for blonde or highlighted hair or a decoction of black walnut
(Juglans nigra)
hulls for darker shades. Follow the directions, above. Apply to your hair after shampooing; don’t rinse out.

To boost the effectiveness of the oily hair treatment, add a drop or two of rosemary
(Rosmarinus officinalis)
essential oil. Lavender
(Lavandula angustifolia)
essential oil will increase the effect of the dandruff and hair-loss teas.

Syrups are a great way to treat children with herbs. They’re sweet and they go down much easier than other liquid remedies. If properly stored, syrups will last for several weeks.

To make an herbal syrup, first make a quart of an infusion (see page 256) and then simmer it down and mix with honey or another sweetener (like maple syrup or brown sugar). Note that experts advise against giving raw (unpasteurized) honey to children younger than a year because of the risk of botulism. If you’re making syrup to give to a baby, you can replace honey with commercial maple syrup or brown sugar.

Adults should take ½ to 1 teaspoon three times a day for chronic conditions and ¼ to ½ teaspoon every 30 to 60 minutes, until symptoms improve, when treating an acute problem. Children and seniors should be given smaller doses (see
Chapter 18
).

Here are a few syrup recipes:

Tinctures are liquid herbal extracts made by combining the herbs with a solvent. Traditional tinctures are made with alcohol, but you can also use vinegar or vegetable glycerin (available at many health food stores) instead. Tinctures are typically more potent than infusions, decoctions, or syrups.