The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body - Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables (66 page)

Medical Uses:

Parsley is a natural diuretic that purifies the blood and accelerates the excretion of toxins from the body. The herb can also ease bloating, reduce excess water weight, and improve urination when it is painful or incomplete. The seeds have been valued since ancient times for their soothing, diuretic effect on those with kidney and bladder ailments and are believed to help expel gallstones and kidney stones. Because of its diuretic action, Parsley is thought to lower blood pressure, reduce the heart rate and relieve hypertension. Parsley is also considered a mild laxative.

Parsley strengthens and stimulates the normal activity of the digestive system, easing flatulence, indigestion and other stomach problems. The herb is also believed to stimulate both the metabolism and the appetite.

The calcium in Parsley has been used in the fight against osteoporosis. When high doses of calcium are taken in supplement form, it may impair the body's absorption of manganese, which helps build bone, but Parsley enhances manganese absorption.

Parsley has a drying effect on the respiratory system, thus improving asthma, allergies and bronchitis.

Used externally, Parsley is thought to make an excellent dry skin facial when used with steam and is also a fine hair rinse. A tea made from Parsley seeds was known to kill scalp vermin.

Parsley is said to improve blood circulation, and it is also a blood purifier, providing the healthful nutritional material necessary for tissue maintenance. It is considered useful in treating cellulite.

The high histidine (an amino acid) content in Parsley has been thought to inhibit the growth and multiplication of tumor cells.

As an emmenagogue, Parsley stimulates the onset of menstruation and helps ease painful menses. Its constituent, apiole, stimulates uterine contractions and has been used in Russia to promote uterine contractions during labor. Consequently, Parsley should not be used in large doses by pregnant women. (After delivery, it is said to tone the uterus.) It is also thought to tone the urinary tract, reducing the possibility of infections.

Parsley is said to be a mild aphrodisiac.

Precautions:

Because large doses of Parsley stimulate uterine contractions, it should be avoided by pregnant women. Those suffering from kidney infection should avoid Parsley.

Dosages:

For Botanical Powder:
Take two (2) capsules, two (2) times each day with water at mealtimes.

For Botanical Extract:
Take one (1) capsule, two (2) times each day with water at mealtimes.

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Did you know…?

The
Passion Flower
is
Nature's Tranquilizer
.

Troubled with tension headaches?
  Do you toss and turn, unable to fall asleep because you are overstressed, anxious and exhausted?  Do you need a restful, sound sleep without the addictive side effects usually associated with synthetic sedatives?  Perhaps it's time to think of Passion Flower. 

Overview:

Native Americans knew this secret hundreds of years ago, and today, many European herbalists prescribe Passion Flower for insomnia, nervous anxiety and relief of pain and neuralgia.  It just might provide the relief you need.

Plant Description:

Passion Flower is the State Flower of Tennessee and a perennial woody vine with a trailing stem that can climb to the tops of many trees seeking the sun, often covering spans up to thirty feet in length. There are about four hundred known species of
Passiflora
, and most are natives of the Americas.
Passiflora is
native to North, Central, and South America and grows along hedgerows, on the edges of woods, in thickets and over open ground.  It bears white to pale lavender flowers of about two inches across with edible berries. The fruits ripen only in warm, sunny climates, and the vine thrives in well-drained, sandy (slightly acid) soil in sun.

History:

In the sixteenth century, early Spanish explorers were astounded by the beauty of the exotic climbing vine that resembled elements of the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and named it Passion Flower in honor of the agonies of Christ.

They soon found it to be a source of medicine for the Native Americans. The Houma tribe added it to drinking water as a tonic, and in the Yucatan, it was a remedy for insomnia, hysteria and convulsions in children. Other tribes used it in poultices to heal bruises, and the early Algonquians brewed Passion Flower in a tea to soothe their nerves. In 1783, a visiting European doctor described its use as a remedy for epilepsy, and other early physicians prescribed the fruit juice as a wash for sore and tired eyes. The plant was largely ignored in conventional North American medicine until the late 1800s, when it became a popular nineteenth-century remedy for insomnia.
  It finally received official recognition in the
United States National Formulary
from 1916 to 1936, and the whole plant is used in herbal medicine.

Medical Uses:

Passion Flower may be a useful bridge between traditional herbal medicine and the treatment of modern ills, especially in cases of anxious states, depression and patients trying to wean themselves from synthetic sleeping pills and tranquilizers.

Despite the dearth of research into Passion Flower in the United States, the herb is frequently prescribed in Europe to ease tension, restlessness, irritability and mild insomnia.
  However, because of its increased popularity and use in the United States, clinical trials will hopefully be conducted to determine why the plant appears to produce effective results.  Aside from its medicinal value, the fruits are pulped for jams and deserts, and because they create a popping sound when mashed, the plant received one of its common names, "Maypop."  Some of the constituents in Passion Flower are alkaloids (harmaline, maltol, etc.), flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, etc.), quercetin, rutin, kaempferol, vitexin, saponarin, amino acids, glycosides, gums and calcium.

Treatments:

Passion Flower is a very gentle (but effective) sedative that has a depressant effect on the central nervous system. The alkaloids and flavonoids are believed to be effective, non-addictive sedatives, which promote restful, sound sleep, particularly in cases of nervous insomnia.  It is one of nature's best tranquilizers and has been used for centuries as a reliable remedy for nervous, menopausal and premenstrual tension, irritability, and fatigue and tension headaches.  It is said to gently shift moods, alter perception and aid concentration, and the alkaloids are thought to act in a similar way as MAO inhibitors, which may be of some help in cases of depression.  In Italy, Passion Flower is used to treat hyperactive children.

Its relaxing qualities appear to extend to relaxing spasms, relieving muscle tension and other manifestations of extreme anxiety. This is beneficial for restless leg syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and irritable bowel syndrome.

Passionflower is considered an anodyne that reduces pain, and as such, is used to relieve headache and nerve pain, the pain of shingles and dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation).

Passionflower is thought to relieve hypertension and lower blood pressure.
  Some tests claim that it relaxes the walls of the arteries, which may be useful for maintaining good heart health.

In laboratory tests, Passion Flower was able to stop the growth of certain kinds of thyroid malignancy, and further research may, hopefully, bring positive results in this area.

There are reports that Passion Flower stops chemical reactions that cause nausea and vomiting as a result of withdrawal from cocaine, heroine or opiate painkillers, and this may prove useful for those patients trying to withdraw from such substances.  A bitter principle in Passion Flower is thought to be beneficial for functional digestive problems as well.

Passion Flower may help a diminished sex drive.
  The herb is a source of an antioxidant chemical known as chrysin, which helps the body conserve testosterone. It does not cause the body to produce more of the hormone, but by conserving it, the action has a direct effect of increasing testosterone levels, which may boost sex drive.

Precautions:

Pregnant and nursing women should not use Passion Flower. Since it may cause sleepiness, it should not be used before driving or operating machinery.
  Children should never be given this herb in any form, and older adults and children between two and twelve should take low dosages (preferably in consultation with a physician). Do not use Passion Flower if you take MAO inhibitors, and it should not be taken with other prescription sedatives or sedative herbs, as it increases their effects.

Dosages:

Take two (2) capsules, two (2) to three (3) times each day with water at mealtimes.

* * * * *

Partridgeberry
is an old folk remedy for "female troubles." Native Americans relied on this herb to help facilitate all aspects of childbirth, including labor, delivery, and expulsion of afterbirth. Used several weeks before expected delivery, Partridgeberry is thought to stimulate the uterus and encourage a safe and easier birth. It is also used to promote suppressed menstruation and relieve painful menstruation.

Plant Description:

Partridgeberry
is an ornamental, creeping, evergreen perennial. It is native to North America and thrives in dry woods among timber and also in swampy places in humus-rich, neutral-to-acid soil in shade.

It beautifies the dull, colorless winter forests with its green, clover-like leaves and bright scarlet berries that hug the ground. The berries are edible but tasteless, dry, and full of stony seeds and are said to be the favored food of the ruffed grouse, a bird similar to the European partridge; thus, the name Partridgeberry emerged.

Another common name, Deerberry, is derived from the fact that deer also eat the berries. The aerial vine is used in herbal medicine.

History:

Native Americans carefully guarded the secrets of this herb, but it was finally revealed that Cherokee and Penobscot women (among others) used the herb several weeks before confinement in order to render childbirth safe and easy, and because they were the first to utilize the herb in this manner, the herb received another common name, Squaw Vine.

The English colonists learned of this use and adopted Partridgeberry as an aid in childbirth and as a remedy for menstrual cramps. The vine was included in the
U. S. National Formulary
from 1926 through 1947. Among the constituents included in Partridgeberry are resin, wax, mucilage, dextrin, saponin, tannins, alkaloids, and glycosides.

Medical Uses:

Partridgeberry is believed to facilitate all aspects of childbirth. Taken by Native American women during confinement (the last stages of pregnancy and nearing delivery), the herb was believed to prepare the uterus for an easier and safe delivery. Partridgeberry is thought to stimulate and tone the uterus, strengthen and relax the uterine muscles, and thus strengthen uterine contractions. Finally, the herb is said to help expel afterbirth when delivery is over.

Partridgeberry is believed to benefit all uterine complaints and many gynecologic ailments and has been used to ease menstrual cramps and bring on suppressed menstruation. The herb is also said to relieve pelvic congestion and alleviate the mucous discharge of leukorrhea.

As a tonic and astringent, Partridgeberry is thought to soothe mucous membranes and reduce catarrh and excess mucus. It is also believed to be effective in the treatment of diarrhea and colitis.

Partridgeberry also exerts a mild tonic and soothing effect on the nervous system and is thought to calm the nerves, ease nervous exhaustion, and irritability.

As a mild diuretic, Partridgeberry is believed to promote suppressed urine and is also said to be effective in some cases of dropsy (edema), which is the retention of fluid by the body that causes swelling and discomfort. (It is not a disease in itself, but a manifestation of some other condition and should be checked by a doctor.)

Used externally, nursing mothers may find relief in a topical lotion made from the leaves of Partridgeberry and applied to the breasts to ease soreness after breastfeeding. It has also been used as an astringent skin wash.

Precautions:

Partridgeberry should not be used until the last weeks of pregnancy and always under the care of a health care provider.

Dosages:

Take two (2) capsules, one (1) time each day with water at an early to mid-day mealtime.

* * * * *

The ancient Incas of Peru understood the importance of
Pau D'Arco
, and today its wonderful benefits are just beginning to surface, especially in the area of immunity enhancement and cell strengthening.  Sometimes called the "Miracle Bark from South America," its therapeutic uses are somewhat controversial, but it is considered a powerful antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic, and that's just the beginning!