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 (68 page)

Precautions:

Pennyroyal should be used only with medical supervision. Pennyroyal should never be taken when pregnant. It is not recommended for lactating women and should not be taken by those suffering from kidney problems. The essential oil should never be taken internally, as it is highly toxic.

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

* * * * *

Penta
is often called
"The Immortality Herb"
and is included in
anti-ageing tonics
and revered in the Orient for its medicinal and cosmetic qualities.

Penta has been used to
support healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels, ease nervous tension and exhaustion, stimulate liver function, enhance stamina and boost the body's resistance to disease. 
New research promises potential, effective antioxidant benefits with the use of Penta.

Plant Description:

Penta is a hardy perennial climber from the genus,
Gynostemma
, a native of southern and eastern Asia, which consists of two climbers that attach themselves by means of tendrils. Penta bears palmate leaves and toothed leaflets, with a three-inch terminal leaflet and small, yellow-green, star-shaped panicles of six-inch flowers that bloom in the summertime.

The flowers are followed by smooth, very dark green fruits that are marked with white lines, and the vines grow to twenty-five feet in length and thrive in moist, well-drained soil in partial shade in a warm climate.

History:

Penta is called "
The Immortality Herb”
in China and has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) as a remedy for hepatitis, tumors, bronchitis, and peptic ulcers. A better understanding of its properties was gained in the 1980s, when Japanese researchers investigated its antioxidant properties, and it was rated one of the ten most important tonic herbs at the 1991 International Conference on traditional medicine in Beijing, China. The whole plant is used in herbal medicine.

Medical Uses:

Penta is considered an excellent tonic herb that restores, heals and nourishes the entire body and exerts a gentle strengthening effect on all body functions. In the Orient, Penta is called "The Immortality Herb" and is thought to produce healing and anti-ageing effects. Moreover, it is also believed to help enhance stamina and strength.

Penta is said to improve blood circulation and may be very helpful in treating cardiovascular problems. The herb is thought to support healthy cholesterol levels in the blood as well as maintain healthy blood pressure levels.

As a mild sedative, Penta is thought to support the nervous system, easing nervous tension and exhaustion. It is also used to alleviate the temporary discomforts of peptic ulcers and relax spasms.

Penta is considered an "adaptogen," or agent that helps the body adjust and normalize its functions when exposed to stresses that would alter those functions. The herb also enhances the body's immune system and increases its resistance to stress, which may be very helpful in fighting invasive infections. Penta is said to have potent antioxidant properties, which are also thought to detoxify and prevent free-radical damage to tissues and cells.

Penta has been used in China for a myriad of other conditions, including stimulation of liver function, reducing blood sugar and relieving asthma, bronchitis, throat problems and chronic coughs.

Precautions: None

Dosages:
Take two (2) capsules, one (1) to two (2) times each day with water at mealtimes.

* * * * *

Peony Root
has been used in herbal medicine for thousands of years for its
tranquilizing effect
on the nerves,
pain relieving effect
on muscles and
purifying effect
on the blood.  It is also an old remedy for "female complaints," both physical and emotional; but men have also enjoyed its benefits for an
overall feeling of well-being
.

Plant Description:

The Peony is an extremely hardy and ornamental flower that is native to China, but grows wild in southern Europe and is cultivated for its beauty in gardens everywhere.  Because of its hardiness, it can grow in almost any soil but prefers deep, rich, well-drained loam in sun or partial shade, avoiding positions where frost damage is likely, and it propagates very quickly.  In the autumn, the root is lifted from cultivated plants of at least two (preferably four to five) years of age; and after the root bark is stripped away, it is boiled and dried for use in herbal medicine (and has been for thousands of years) as a pungent, bitter, analgesic herb that cleanses and cools both the blood and liver and reduces pain.

History:

The genus,
Peoria
, is supposed to have been named after the Greek god of healing, the mythical physician, Palos, who used Peony Root to cure Pluto and other gods for wounds received during the Trojan War.  In ancient times Peony was thought to be of divine origin, an emanation from the moon, and it was advised to harvest the plant only at night. The Peony was first mentioned in Chinese medicine in
Pouch of Pearls,
a twelfth-century work; and well into the Middle Ages, the plant was associated with dispelling evil and averting tempests.  It was worn as a necklace to protect against evil spirits and disease and used medicinally to dispel nightmares and calm "nervous affections" and convulsions.  In Europe, Peony Root is used as an old remedy for jaundice and kidney and bladder problems.  Some of the constituents included in Peony Root are monoterpene glycosides (including the most active and bitter paeoniflorin), proanthocyanidins, flavonoids, tannins, polysaccharides, asparagi and sitosterol.

Medical Uses:

Peony Root has been used for centuries as an antispasmodic that relaxes smooth muscle and is said to be effective in helping cramps of all kinds, including spasms of calf muscles, cramps of the limbs, abdominal cramps after diarrhea, asthma with cramps, epilepsy, convulsions and menstrual cramps, among others.

As a diuretic, Peony Root has been thought to remove obstructions and help many kidney and bladder problems. This quality is believed to be useful in relieving gout by removing uric acid through increased urine flow.

Peony Root is said to be a sedative and tranquilizer with effects that are helpful in calming the nerves, and treating irritability and other nervous conditions.  It is also thought to relieve nightmares and was used at one time to treat dementia.

Treatment:

As an analgesic, Peony Root is believed to relieve abdominal pain, headache and muscle pain.  The herb is thought to be very helpful to women, because it treats menstrual disorders and is said to relieve dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation) and treat amenorrhea (the absence of menstruation).  It was once used to relieve the pains of labor by relaxing muscle tension while stimulating the uterus.

Peony has been used as a blood cooler and purifier since ancient times.
  It is thought to nourish the blood, and as an anticoagulant, remove congealed blood and the pain of blood stagnation.

Some research claims that Peony Root may help reduce blood pressure and be helpful in cases of eclampsia, a severe form of pregnancy-induced hypertension, resulting in seizures, but a physician should
always
be consulted before this application is considered.

Peony Root is said to cool and remove obstructions from the liver.
  It is an old remedy for jaundice and said to be helpful in some cases of liver disease.

Peony Root is believed to possess antibacterial, antifungal and antiallergenic properties and has been useful for treating gastrointestinal infections; and when used topically, it is useful for boils and other skin problems. Many people use Peony Root to achieve healthier and younger looking skin.

Precautions:

Pregnant and nursing women should not use Peony Root, and it is always advisable to use this herb in consultation with a health care provider for specific conditions.

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

* * * * *

Did you know…?

For
indigestion, bad breath, flatulence and hiccups
, use
Peppermint
! 

It is one of nature's oldest and best-tasting home remedies for gas, nausea, heartburn, stomachaches and digestive problems. No home medicine cabinet should be without it!

Plant Description:

Plants of the genus
Mentha
are so numerous that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the origins within the species, but mint has been known and appreciated since antiquity. Its name is derived from the name of a nymph, Minthe, who was seduced by Pluto, the ruler of the underworld, and whom the jealous Persephone turned into a lowly plant to be trodden underfoot. Pluto then turned her into a seedling (mint), knowing that people would appreciate her fragrance for years to come.

History:

There is evidence that mint was cultivated by the Egyptians, and the Romans revered it so much that they are said to have introduced it from southern Europe (where it is sometimes said to have originated) to other parts of Europe. Medicinal interest in mint dates from the first century A.D., when it was recorded by the Roman naturalist, Pliny.

When cultivated, the plant is considered an annual that grows to a height of four feet, but it is long-lived, and if left in the ground, is likely to take over the whole garden in irregular fashion, and so, it may also be considered a perennial when wild. The use of mint as a medicine is mentioned in the
Icelandic Pharmacopoeias
of the thirteenth century, and in Elizabethan times, more than forty ailments were reported to be remedied by mint. It is interesting to note that a seventeenth-century visitor to New England included mint on a list of plants that had been taken to the New World. However, the herb only appears to have arrived into the popular medicine of Western Europe by the eighteenth century.

Peppermint is said to be a hybrid of watermint and spearmint that was first cultivated near London in 1750, and although native to Europe, Peppermint is now cultivated throughout most of temperate North America and similar regions in other parts of the world, with the finest quality grown in the northwestern United States. Peppermint is a staple of the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries and is used in the manufacture of cough syrups, pastilles, ointments, digestives, vapor rubs, toothpastes, mouthwashes, soaps, shampoos and scents. It is also included as an important flavoring in liqueurs. Some of Peppermint's chemical constituents include a volatile oil (containing menthol), rutin, tannin, alpha- and beta-carotene, acids, luteolin, linalool, betaine, coumarin, calcium, choline, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, B-vitamins and vitamin E.

Medical Uses:

Peppermint promotes good digestion and improves the appetite. Its foremost use as a medicine (in both home remedies and pharmaceutical preparations) is applied to relieve indigestion and the intestinal gas caused by certain foods; hence, its use in after-dinner mints and liqueurs. It relaxes the stomach muscles and promotes burping.

Some studies have shown that Peppermint lessens the amount of time food spends in the stomach by stimulating the gastric lining, and because Peppermint increases stomach acidity and stimulates the flow of bile, it helps to digest food before passing into the intestines and colon. This could make it especially useful in treating Crohn's disease. Peppermint slightly anesthetizes the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, easing the discomforts of indigestion, including heartburn, hiccups, flatulence and stomachache. Peppermint calms a queasy stomach and is good for nausea and vomiting. It is said to be especially calming for the lower bowel and has been helpful in relieving diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome.

Treatment:

As an antispasmodic, Peppermint is helpful in alleviating cramps, including menstrual cramps, and stomach pain, and it eases "griping" (sharp pains and grumbling in the bowel) caused by eating unripe fruit or irritating foods. In England, gastroenterologists spray diluted Peppermint oil directly on the instrument used for colonoscopy to prevent spasms.

Peppermint is a "nervine" that eases nervous agitation and anxiety. It has a calming effect on the entire body and can help soothe a nagging cough. Peppermint may help treat insomnia, and people with headaches have found Peppermint effective when they accompany it with a short nap.

Peppermint is a strong aromatic and an excellent expectorant that helps to loosen and expel phlegm from the respiratory system, thereby easing congestion of the lungs and nasal passages.

As an antiseptic, Peppermint's antibacterial properties can kill the micro-organisms that may cause food poisoning. The herb also makes a fine mouthwash and is a wonderful remedy for bad breath.