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 (69 page)

Peppermint is a stimulant that acts more powerfully on the system than any liquor; quickly diffusing through the system and bringing back to the body its natural warmth and glow. It is helpful in cases of sudden fainting or dizziness with extreme coldness and pale countenance. This quality is useful in alleviating chills and the symptoms of colds, flu and rheumatism, especially in winter.

When used externally, the high menthol content in Peppermint makes a wonderful, soothing rub that relieves muscular tension, sore muscles, and the pain of strains. When topically treating migraines, facial neuralgia, rheumatic, and muscular aches, gently massage the affected areas; its anesthetic qualities give a cooling, numbing sensation.

As an inhalant, Peppermint temporarily relieves nasal catarrh. The menthol content makes it a superior vapor rub that helps relieve upper respiratory ailments.

Precautions:

Pregnant and nursing women should not take Peppermint without consulting a physician. Peppermint may aggravate hiatal hernia. Those who suffer from gallbladder disorders, gallstones or blockage of the bile duct, or those who take heartburn medication (cisapride, etc.) should not take Peppermint without consulting a physician. Do not exceed dosage (many time the recommended amount), and it is also recommended to take a few days' break after two weeks' continual use. Peppermint may interfere with absorption of iron.

Dosages:

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

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Did you know...?

Pimento
relieves colic, flatulence and other digestive disorders
.
Long used as a flavoring and scenting agent, it is an aromatic stimulant and carminative to the gastro-intestinal tract. Pimento is a natural source of beta-carotene and other important nutrients and acts as an
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
.

Plant Description:

Native to the Caribbean Islands (most notably Jamaica) and South and Central America, Pimento is an evergreen tree that grows to a height of fifty feet. It is a tender, aromatic tree with thin, oblong, leathery leaves and small, white flowers that bloom in the spring and summer. The flowers are followed by the dark brown berries that are so important in herbal medicines and cuisines, and the tree thrives in rich, well-drained, sandy soil in sun at a minimum of fifty-nine degrees Fahrenheit.

History:

Pimento was discovered growing in Jamaica by early Spanish explorers who were impressed with the taste and aroma of the leaves and berries, and it has been in continuous production there since about 1509. Because Pimento resembles peppercorns, it was named
pimenta
by the Portuguese and
pimienta
by the Spanish - both meaning pepper.

Used mainly as a spice and condiment, Pimento was in great demand as a soothing anesthetic in baths to relieve sore muscles and made a stimulating spice plaster to relieve rheumatism and neuralgia. At the end of the nineteenth century, it became fashionable to have umbrellas and walking sticks made of pimento, leading to strict enforcement of controls that saved the young trees from disappearing altogether.

Pimento, with its flavor of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, has always been an important spice and condiment and was added to mulled wine and curry, among other dishes. It has also been used widely to improve the flavor of commercial medicines. The main constituents of Pimento are the volatile oils found in its seeds and phenol eugenol (which doubtless gives it its clove-like odor). Some of the other constituents include a fixed oil (bonastre), tannin, gum, resin, malic and gallic acids, lignin, and it is also a natural source of beta-carotene and other important nutrients.

Medical Uses:

Pimento is an aromatic stimulant and carminative for the gastro-intestinal tract. As such, it has been helpful in treating diarrhea and also helps to correct flatulent indigestion and the "griping" tendencies (sharp pains and grumbling in the bowels) often associated with the use of laxatives.

As a pungent, warming herb, Pimento has a tonic effect on the digestive system, improving digestive disorders, such as dyspepsia, colic and indigestion, and is also known to pep up a sluggish appetite.

The essential oil in Pimento is considered a tonic for the nervous system and exerts a gentle, strengthening effect on the nerves. It believed to be useful in the treatment of nervous exhaustion, hysterical paroxysms and convulsions.

Pimento is considered an antioxidant or substance that prevents free radical or oxidative damage to body tissue and cells.

Pimento is very warming and when used externally helps to relieve chest infections and the pains of rheumatism and muscle soreness.

Precautions:

Pimento is not recommended for pregnant women or nursing mothers.

Dosages:

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

* * * * *

Did you know…?

Pine Bark
is an old and trusted
treatment for colds and flu
.  It loosens and expels phlegm from the respiratory tract,
easing bronchitis and lung congestion
, and its warming qualities
stimulate circulation
, which may ward off colds and flu before they settle in.  The high content of
nature's most powerful antioxidants
(proanthocyanidins/PCSs/OPCs) in Pine Bark have made it the focus of much attention in the area of
combating free radical damage, arteriosclerosis and strokes
.

Plant Description:

The Eastern White Pine is the tallest evergreen tree that is native to eastern North America and one of many Pine varieties that have been used medicinally in various countries from the earliest times. The Eastern White Pine is the official State Tree of both Maine and Michigan and is also the Provincial Tree of Ontario. 

History:

The species was imported into England by Captain George Weymouth in 1620, who planted it widely for a future timber crop, but it was not successful because of Blister Rust disease.

The Eastern White Pine is a hardy conifer that grows to a height of 150 feet, or more, thriving in well-drained, neutral to acid soil in sun and a cool climate and covered with a deeply fissured, gray-brown bark.
  In natural, pre-colonial days, the White Pine is said to have grown to two hundred and thirty feet in height.  Its branches grow in regular whorls and bear soft, bluish-green, needle-like linear leaf clusters (fascicles) of five. 

Both male and female trees produce long, slender cones.
  Mature trees can live to two hundred years old; some live as long as four hundred years!  Prior to the American Revolution and during the age of the great sailing ships, the high quality of Eastern White Pine was valued for its use in mast making by the British Royal Navy, and Pine is still widely grown in plantation forestry and valued in the commercial timber industry.  An oleoresin, known as turpentine, is tapped from various species of Pine and distilled to produce oil or spirits of turpentine, which is used commercially, but there is now a turpentine substitute that is based on petroleum.  Besides the important commercial uses for White Pine, it is invaluable in herbal medicines.  Fossilized Pine resin (amber) is obtained from buried trees and used to treat urinary tract infections, stones, convulsions and heart disease. 

The Chinese used many species of the Pine and first mentioned it in their medical literature dating back to A.D. 500, recommending it for arthritis and as an analgesic for pain.
  Native Americans, including the Iroquois and Micmacs, considered the Pine as a panacea and used it in virtually all their herbal, medicinal combinations.  Some tribes relied on Pine as an expectorant and used it as a cough medicine; other tribes used the resinous sap in poultices to cure wounds and sores. The Eastern White Pine is rich in resins and camphoraceous volatile oils (including pinene), which are strongly antiseptic and stimulant.  Pine needles contain five times the amount of vitamin C (by weight) of lemons and make an excellent tea, and the inner bark is edible and is also a source of potent antioxidants.

Medical Uses:

Pine Bark is an excellent expectorant and is used to loosen and expel phlegm and mucous excretions from the respiratory system. The inner bark has been a longtime standard herbal remedy for coughs, whooping cough, croup, bronchitis, laryngitis and chest congestion due to colds.

As a warming and aromatic stimulant, Pine Bark is said to increase circulation and further help to overcome or prevent the onset of colds and flu by raising circulatory action.

Pine Bark contains the second highest source (the first is grapeseed) of nature's most potent antioxidants, tannin compounds, called proanthocyanidins (also called OPCs for oligomeric procyanidins or PCOs for procyanidolic oligomers) that provide a high degree of antioxidant capacity, which fight free radical damage in the body.  These compounds allow the body's cells to absorb vitamin C, which is helpful in protecting cells from the free radicals that can bind to and destroy cellular compounds. 

These qualities may be helpful in building the immune system and fighting invasive material and other infections.
  They are classified as flavonols, and the way in which these versatile healing compounds are distinct from flavonoids is their simple chemical structure, which allows them to be readily absorbed into the bloodstream.  They work actively against fat-soluble and water-soluble oxidants, thus protecting the cells from damage, and their antioxidant activity is thought to have great potential in combating cellular damage caused by foreign infectious attack.

Pine Bark's OPCs, which may also be derived from grapeseed, red wine, hops, pomegranate and various other fruits, nuts and beans are believed to contribute to a lowered incidence of arteriosclerosis and coronary heart problems.Pine Bark is also a source of resveratrol, which is thought to raise the levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs or “good” cholesterol) in the blood, while decreasing the low-density lipoproteins (LDLs, or “bad” cholesterol) and thereby possibly helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
  It is also said to prevent fat in the bloodstream from sticking together and clogging the arteries, which is thought to promote better circulation of blood throughout the body, especially to the heart.

The inner bark of Pine Bark (cambium) is the source of resveratrol, a polyphenolic phytoalexin, which is produced in plants that is reputed to have antifungal properties.

Pine Bark is considered a diuretic, and as such, encourages the flow of urine, which is said to be very helpful in cases of urinary tract infections and kidney problems.

Precautions:

Pregnant or nursing women should not use Pine Bark.

Dosages:

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

* * * * *

Common
Plantain
, like all members of the
plantago
family, contains a high amount of mucilage, which
soothes and cools mucous membranes,
while at the same time its astringency helps to
relieve diarrhea, excess menstrual flow, hemorrhoids and incontinence in children and adults
.  It is also used to soothe the lungs while effectively
loosening and expelling phlegm and congestion
.  Plantain also helps to
control vaginal and other types of infection, remove obstructions from the liver, kidney and bladder,
and possibly help in managing
weight control.

Plant Description:

Plantain is an annual or perennial plant that is native to Eurasia and introduced to the New World by early settlers.  The plant has been naturalized throughout temperate North America and may be found wild in fields, roadsides, lawns, and waste places, thriving in well-drained soil in full sun and grows from one to two feet in height.  Plantain produces a radial rosette of broad, oval leaves and a few densely flowered spikes of greenish-white to greenish-brown flowers that bloom from April to October. 

It is frequently called a common weed that will take over a lawn, destroying and replacing the grass that originally occupied the site, but it has been greatly valued since antiquity for it medicinal qualities.
 

The foliage and seeds are used in herbal medicines. Some of the constituents in Plantain include adenine, mucilage, allantoin, aucubin, apigenin, acids (oleanolic, p-coumaric, salicylic, vanillic, ursolic, cinnamic, ferulic, benzoic, caffeic and chlorogenic), fiber, luteolin, potassium and vitamins C and A.

History:

It was one of the nine sacred herbs mentioned in the
Lacnunga
, the most ancient source of Anglo-Saxon medicine, where it was called "The Mother of Herbs."In Old World tradition, Plantains were used as a remedy for bleeding, cuts, burns, poison ivy, snake bites and inflammations, and a tea made from the seeds was employed to remedy diarrhea, dysentery and bleeding from mucous membranes.  Its spread has been thought to follow in the footsteps of the early colonists and their settlements across the continent.