| Herbs for General Health and HealingFor
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| | Agrimony, English Alder, Alstonia Bark,
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| people who are leery of the alarming side
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| | Angustura, Asafetida, Balmony, Balm of
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| effects of many drugs and medicines on
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| | Gilead, Bamboo Brier, Barberry, Berberis,
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| the current market, or just concerned
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| | Beth Root, Blackberry, Boneset, Box
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| about taking too many pills, there is
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| | Leaves, Bugle, Catnip, Celery, Chamomile,
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| another option: herbal remedies. The use
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| | Culver's Root, Dandelion, Eyebright,
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| of herbs for healing has been recorded as
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| | Gentian, Golden Seal, Juniper Berry,
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| early as 2500 B.C. Herbs were widely
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| | Lemon, Mistletoe, Nux Vomica, Peruvian
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| used as medicines prior to the advent of
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| | Rhatany, Rosemary, Snake Root and
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| science with its developments in
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| | Tansy.Herbal Tonics for specific areas
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| chemicals, drugs and medicines. Before
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| | are the Heart Tonics made from Butterbur
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| modern science there were only two basic
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| | and Mescal Buttons, Intestinal Tonics
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| options for healing - the various plants
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| | made from Cascara Sagrada, Nerve Tonics
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| with known healing properties and the
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| | made from Damiana and Oats, Stomach
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| spiritual, including prayer, the laying
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| | Tonics made from Burdock and Sassafras,
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| on of hands, magic and voodoo. For our
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| | Strengthening Tonics made from Lucerne
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| purposes, we'll concentrate on the world
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| | and Simaruba and Weight-adding Tonics
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| of healing plants and leave the spiritual
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| | made from Lucerne.Herbs having a mostly
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| up to the individual.What is an herb?
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| | diuretic (causing urination) effect are
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| How is it different from a spice? An
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| | Agrimony, Arenaria Rubra, Asafetida,
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| herb is a seed-producing plant of the
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| | Asparagus, Belladonna, Bilberries,
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| type that does not develop persistent
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| | American Bittersweet, Black Currant,
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| woody tissue, such as that of a shrub or
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| | Black Haw, Blue Flag, Boldo, Boneset,
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| a tree, but remains more or less soft or
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| | Bryony, Buchu, Burdock, Butterbur,
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| succulent (having thick or fleshy stems
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| | Caroba, Celery, Coffee, Black Cohosh,
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| or leaves which can hold a large quantity
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| | Couchgrass, Damiana, Dandelion, Figwort,
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| of water). Some examples of common herbs
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| | Garlic, Goat's Rue, Jambul, Jewel Weed,
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| would be catnip, chamomile, hyssop and
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| | Juniper Berry, Kelp, Lily-of-the-Valley,
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| spearmint. A spice is any of the various
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| | Night-Blooming Cereus, Onion, Paraguay
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| vegetable plants that are also fragrant
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| | Tea, Pitcher Plant, Queen's Delight, Soap
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| or aromatic and are pungent to the taste.
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| | Tree and White Bryony.The herb with a
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| Allspice, cumin, paprika and rosemary
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| | mostly diaphoretic (causing perspiration)
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| are all spices. So an herb may also be a
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| | effect is American Bittersweet. Many
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| spice, like cinnamon or mace.Most herbs
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| | other herbs have this effect in addition
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| and spices are sun-dried or cured in
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| | to their main use.Herbs having a laxative
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| their indigenous environment. For
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| | (causing bowel movements) effect are
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| example, the ginger root is harvested
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| | Agar, American Black Alder, Asafetida,
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| then cleaned before it is dried and
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| | Ash, Asparagus, American Bearsfoot,
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| exported. Sometimes ginger root is also
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| | Benne, Blue Flag, Boneset, Burdock,
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| peeled and sometimes the ginger root is
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| | Cleavers, Culver's Root, Damiana,
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| boiled in sugar and preserved before its
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| | Dandelion, Fig, Hartstongue, Honeysuckle,
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| exportation. Cloves are the dried
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| | Horehound, Olive, Pitcher Plant, Queen's
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| unopened flower buds of the Syzygium
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| | Delight and Rhubarb which has the mildest
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| aromaticum, a tree of the Myrtle family,
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| | laxative effect.Herbs that affect the
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| while peppercorns are the dried berries
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| | nerves are Black Willow Bark, which eases
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| of the Piper nigrum plant. The nutmeg is
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| | inflammation of the nerves, Passion
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| the hard, aromatic seed of an evergreen
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| | Flower, which eases nerve pain,
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| tree called Myristica fragrans. The seed
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| | Asafetida, which is a nerve stimulant,
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| is dried and ground or grated and used as
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| | Gentian, which is another Nerve Tonic and
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| a spice.Herbs can act as astringents
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| | Black Currant, which restores the nervous
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| (something that slows or stops the flow
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| | system. For nervous disorders, use
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| of blood or other secretions),
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| | Arrach, Belladonna, Caroba, Chamomile,
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| alkalinizers (something that raises the
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| | Gelsemium, Gentian, Golden Seal, Kelp,
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| pH above 7.0), acidifiers (something that
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| | Lobelia, Mistletoe, Muira-Puama, Oats,
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| lowers the pH below 7.0), tonics
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| | Passion Flower, Rosemary or
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| (something that refreshes, invigorates or
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| | Scullcap.Various parts of the herb are
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| strengthens), diuretics (something that
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| | used - the flowers, leaves, buds, stems
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| promotes the flow of urine), diaphoretics
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| | and also the root. Preparations vary as
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| (something that promotes perspiration),
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| | well. Sometimes the part or part used
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| laxatives (something that promotes bowel
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| | will be steeped and used as a tea,
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| movements) and also as nervines
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| | sometimes as a wash, sometimes as a
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| (something which excites or relaxes the
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| | tincture, where alcohol is the activating
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| nerves). Many herbs act as more than one
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| | agent and other ways as well.Consult an
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| of these, such as Acacia, which has a
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| | herbal professional or documentation
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| soothing or softening effect on mucous
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| | before using herbs. While most herbs are
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| membranes, an astringent effect, limiting
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| | completely safe to use, some herbs are OK
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| secretions of glands and nutritive
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| | just in small doses, but sometimes
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| qualities as well as nourishing the
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| | harmful in larger doses. Learn as much
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| tissues to which it is applied.The herbs
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| | as you can about the herb and follow
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| with mostly astringent (causing blood or
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| | dosing instructions carefully, especially
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| other secretions to slow or stop) effects
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| | if using them for children.Luckily, we
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| are Acacia, Acorn, Agaric, Agrimony,
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| | have much information available on the
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| English Alder, Amaranth, Trailing
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| | Internet, on herbs and other topics.
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| Arbutus, Balm, European Birch, Bistort,
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| | There are libraries in most towns and
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| Blackberry, Black Willow Bark, Cinnamon,
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| | cities where one can find specific
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| Black Cohosh, Eyebright, Fireweed,
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| | information on herbs and herbal remedies.
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| Fluellin, Houseleek, Jambul, Pilewort,
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| | Health stores that carry herbs and
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| Red Root, Red Sage, Peruvian Rhatany,
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| | herbal preparations are more plentiful
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| Rhubarb, Rosemary and Scullcap.Herbs with
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| | than they used to be and there are more
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| a mostly alkalizing (raising the pH)
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| | and more healing practitioners versed in
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| effect are Dandelion and Kelp.The general
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| | using herbs, so gathering beneficial and
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| tonic (nourishing, invigorating,
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| | comprehensive information should not be a
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| strengthening or refreshing) herbs are
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| | problem.
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