Shatavari

 

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Botanical Name: Asparagus racemosa

Common name: Shatavari

Family: Asparagaceae

Parts Used: Root

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Active Constituents: 

• Steroidal saponins – interact with hormone mechanism – switching on/off mechanisms. Tend to modulate – respond more appropriately
• Alkaloids
• Mucilage

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Actions:

• Tonic
• Galactagogue
• Sexual tonic – aphrodisiac
• Adaptogenic
• Immune modulator
• Ovarian tonic
• Spasmolytic
• Anti-diarrhoeal
• Diuretic
• Demulcent
• Ayurveda – Rasayana herb

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Indications: 

• Helps improve adrenal reserves in women of who are stressed while trying to conceive or heading into the menopausal years
• Promoting conception and for sexual debility in both sexes
• Female reproductive tonic, aphrodisiac
• Infertility in both sexes, impotence,
• Promoting lactation, menopause, diarrhoea
• Tonic for female reproductive tract, nutritive tonic
• Leukorrhoea
• Gonorrhoea
• Herpes
• Galactagogue
• Sexual Debility
• To get back the vaginal pH ‘back on track’

Support fertility (menstrual cycle), conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

‘Reboots’ the menstrual cycle – due to steroidal saponins

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Contraindications: None known

Cautions: None known

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Dosage: 

4.5ml -8.5ml of 1:2 LE per day

30-60ml of 1:2 LE per week

 

 

Saw Palmetto

 

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Botanical Name: Serenoa repens, S serrulata

Common name: Saw Palmetto, Cabbage Palm

Family: Palmae

Parts Used: Fruit

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Active Constituents:

• Carbohydrates
• Fixed oils
• Steroids
• Flavonoids
• Resin
• Tannins
• Volatile oil (Barnes et al 2002)

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Qualities: Dry, warm

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Actions:

• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-prostatic
  
• Anti-androgenic
• Male tonic
• Diuretic
• 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor – decrease conversion of testosterone to DHT
• Prolactin inhibitor
• Improves overall tone of reproductive system (Purcell)

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Indications:

• Mild to moderate BPH
• PCOS – due to anti-androgenic action
• Reduce ovarian enlargement with chronic irritation – with dull, aching pain – can act as a ‘sedative’ for the ovaries
• Inflammation of the genitourinary tract esp cystitis, atrophy of sexual tissues
• Aphrodisiac
• Sex hormone deficiency
• Stubborn acne conditions – due to influence on the liver
• Non infectious prostatitis (Bone, 2003) (4-6 weeks for result)
• Traditionally used for undeveloped mammary glands, irritative cough, whooping cough, laryngitis, acute catarrh, asthma, nervous system tonic

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Contraindications: 

Thomsen & Gennat (2009) recommend contraindicated in pregnancy & children under 12 due to hormonal effects

Bone suggests that this is not so.

Cautions: Minor GI complaints such as nausea – usually resolved when the herb is taken with meals

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Dosage: 2.9-4.5ml of 1:2LE per day or 15-30ml per week