NOURISHING, TONIFYING, STIMULATING AND POISONOUS HERBS

To use herbs them wisely, we need to understand each category:

NOURISHING HERBS are the safest of all herbs and side effects are rare. Nourishing herbs are taken in any quantity for any length of time. They are used as foods, just like spinach and kale. Nourishing herbs provide high levels of proteins, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, carotenes, and essential fatty acids.

Examples of nourishing herbs are: alfalfa, astragalus, calendula flowers, chickweed, comfrey leaves, dandelion, fenugreek, flax seeds, honeysuckle flowers, marshmallow, nettles, oatstraw, plantain (leaves/seeds), red clover blossoms, seaweed, Siberian ginseng, slippery elm, violet leaves, and wild mushrooms.

TONIFYING HERBS act slowly in the body and have a cumulative, rather than immediate, effect. They build the functional ability of an organ e.g. the liver or a system e.g. the immune system. Tonifying herbs are most beneficial when they are used in small quantities for extended periods of time. The bitterer the tonic tastes, the less you need to take.

Examples of tonifying herbs are: barberry bark, burdock root/seeds, chaste tree, crone(mug)wort, dandelion root, Echinacea, fennel, garlic, ginkgo, ginseng, ground ivy, hawthorn berries, horsetail, lady's mantle, lemon balm, milk thistle seeds, motherwort, mullein, pau d'arco, raspberry leaves, schisandra berries, St. John’s Wort, turmeric root, wild yam, and yellow dock.

SEDATING AND STIMULATING HERBS push us outside our normal ranges of activity and may cause strong side effects. If we rely on them and then try to function without them, we wind up more agitated (or depressed) than before we began. Habitual use of strong sedatives and stimulants, whether rhubarb root, cayenne, or coffee, leads to loss of tone, impairment of functioning, and even physical dependency. The stronger the herb, the more moderate the dose needs to be, and the shorter the duration of its use.

Sedating/stimulating herbs that also tonify or nourish: catnip, citrus peel, ginger, hops, lavender, marjoram, motherwort, oatstraw, passion flower, peppermint, rosemary, sage and skullcap.

Strongly sedating/stimulating herbs include: angelica, black pepper, blessed thistle root, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, coffee, liquorice, shepherd's purse, uva ursu leaves, valerian root, wild lettuce sap and willow bark.

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