Children Need Vitamin D

  by Nature’s Sunshine Products Vitamin D has long been known to support bone health. But new studies reveal that this vitamin plays many important roles beyond bone health. Recent scientific evidence suggests that vitamin D plays a vital role in maintaining innate immunity, protecting cardiovascular health, and protecting cells, among numerous other health benefits. [...]

Red Raspberry Leaf

By Jyll Renee Botanical name: Rubus idaeus Common name: Raspberry, Red Raspberry Habitat:  Red Raspberry bushes are native to North America and are cultivated in Canada  Info:  Raspberry is a good astringent remedy and useful in formulas for children’s diarrhea.  The herbs most famous application and traditional herbalism and midwives is preparing mothers to be [...]

What’s Your Gut Feeling? The Scoop on Digestion

  by Becki Baumgartner Symptoms and Factors that Contribute to Poor Digestion  In today’s fast paced world automatic processes like digestion are often overlooked, if not forgotten.  But think about it…if a body could not digest, how would it survive?  Now think a little more.  If digestion is limited, does it not make sense that [...]

Common Herbs Useful for Simpling

Simpling is the practice of using single herbs alone. In medieval times in Europe, the art cultivating and using herbs was called “Simpling” and the herbs themselves were named “Simples”. Simpling can be very effective, even though some herbalists have a condescending attitude towards this practice. (Simpling is more often associated with folk herbalism rather [...]

Make Herbal Tinctures from Any Loose Herb

WHAT IS AN HERBAL TINCTURE?  In Medicine  a tincture is an alcohol based extract of leaves or other plant material, or solution of a non-volatile substance (like iodine).  In Herbology, tinctures are potent, alcohol based, liquid extracts made using fresh plant material in liquid base such as vodka, brandy, vegetable glycerin, or even apple cider vinegar (all of which [...]

Got Hay Fever? Pine Bark Extract Appears to Help

Lee Swanson Research Update A new study reports that daily supplements of an extract from the bark of the French maritime pine may ease symptoms of hay fever (allergic rhinitis). Seven weeks of supplementation with the branded pine bark extract Pycnogenol® also reduced the level of non-prescription antihistamine medication use to only 12.5%. Fifty percent [...]

Uva Ursi

by Jyll Renee UVA URSI Botanical name:  arctostaphylos uva-ursi Common name:  Bearberry, Kinnikinnick, Mountain cranberry, Rockberry  Habitat:  The uva ursi plant is found in colder, northern climates.  It has red flowers  Info:  Uva ursi also known as bearberry because bears like eating the fruit, has been used medicinally since the 2nd century. Native Americans used [...]

Nettles

by Jyll Renee NETTLES (Stinging Nettles) Botanical name:  urtica diovica – small nettle, urtica urens Common name:  stinging nettles  Habitat:  Nettles is a leavy plant that is found in most temperate regions of the world.  The generic name comes from the Latin word “uro” which means “I burn.”  Look for nettles in rich soils, disturbed [...]

Echinacea Root

by Jyll Renee ECHINACEA ROOT Botanical name:  Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea augustifolia, Echinacea pallida Common name:  Purple coneflower  Habitat:  It is a wildflower native to North America.  The root and/or the above – ground part of the plant during the flowering growth phase are used in herbal medicine. Info:  Echinacea is the wonder herb for all [...]

Lobelia

by Jyll Renee LOBELIA Botanical name: Lobelia inflate Common name: Indian tobacco, Pukeweed Habitat: Lobelia grows throughout North America.  The leaves are primarily used in herbal medicine Info: Lobelia is primarily used for asthma, bronchitis, COPD, cough and smoking cessation.  Lobelia is one of the fast acting anti-spasmodics known.  Many old time herbalists added Lobelia [...]

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