Rheumatoid Arthritis

This is a blue gum and is a very large evergreen tree that originates from Australia and Tasmania, but is now grown world-wide and mainly used for its essential oil. The leaves contain the oil and this is used in herbal medicine as well as being the main food that koala bears eat. There are [...]

Continue Reading Herb Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globus)

Evening Primrose Oil is the oil from the seeds of the plant, evening primrose. It is primarily used as a food supplement for the omega-6 essential fatty acids it contains, GLA (gamma-linolenic acid). GLA is needed in the body for the production of hormone liked chemicals called prostaglandins E1, (PGE1) which control numerous mechanisms such [...]

Continue Reading Herb Evening Primrose Oil (Oenothera)

Turmeric is a member of the Ginger family and is native to India and China. It is cultivated for the medicinal value of its root, which is commonly used as a flavouring and yellow colourant in Chinese and other Far Eastern cooking, particularly curries. Medicinal Properties of Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin, which has [...]

Continue Reading Herb Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

Borage or Starflower is a plant native to Europe and North Africa, but is now found in Canada and the USA. Used by the Romans and Greeks as a heart tonic and a supplier of courage. Borage has distinctive blue star-shaped flowers and in herbal medicine the seeds, leaves and flowers are used. The seeds [...]

Continue Reading Herb Borage (Borago officinalis)

Boswellia, a tree used in traditional Ayuvedic medicine and found primarily in the hills of India. It is the sap or gum of the tree that is used in herbal medicine. Action of Boswellia Boswellia gum contains volatile oils, but it is the boswellic acid that gives most of the medicinal properties. It is anti-inflammatory, [...]

Continue Reading Herb Boswellia (Boswellia serrata)

Flaxseed, Flax or linseed is well known for its use as an oil for preserving cricket bats. Flax is one of the most ancient of all cultivated plants, and is known to have been used by man since 5,000 BC. Both the seeds and seed oil are used medicinally. Medicinal Properties of Linseed Flax seeds [...]

Continue Reading Herb Flaxseed – Linseed (Linum usitatissimum)

Sarsaparilla is the name given to several different species of smilax. These include S. aristolochiaefolia (Vera Cruz, Mexico or Grey Sarsaparilla), S. febrifuga (Ecuador or Guayaquil Sarsaparilla), S. ornata (Jamaica, Costa Rica or Red Sarsaparilla), S. regelli (Honduras or Brown Sarsaparilla). The dried root is used in herbal medicine and is also sometimes used to [...]

Continue Reading Herb Sarsaparilla (Smilax)

Devils claw, a plant native to South Africa and Madagascar is named due to the claw-like appearance of the barbs on the fruit. It is used by the bushmen who roam the Kalahari sands of Namibia as a source of fluid when no water can be found as well as its medicinal properties. The root [...]

Continue Reading Herb Devils claw (Harpagophytum procumbens)

Bogbean is an aquatic perennial plant that grows all over Northern hemisphere territories and some parts of India. It has white/ping flowers and has a wide spreading and creeping habit. The leaves are collected after flowering and used in herbal medicine. Action of Bogbean It contains a variety of compounds including coumarins, iridioid glycosides, flavanol [...]

Continue Reading Herb Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliate)

Liquorice grows in southern Europe and south-western Asia and is a herb used frequently in Chinese medicine. The roots of three to four years old Liquorice plants are used medicinally and in the manufacture of confectionery due to its flavour and natural sweetness. The Liquorice plant is commercially cultivated in many places and was introduced [...]

Continue Reading Herb Liquorice (Glycrrhiza glabra)