Blessed Thistle

Traditionally used as a bitter tonic to stimulate digestion and enhance appetite, Blessed Thistle herb is included in Essiac tea.

Historically, this herb has been used as a ‘cure’ for the plague and malaria – a ‘cure-all’ tonic herb. It is local to Mediterranean areas in Southern Europe. 

---

Botanical Name: Cnicus benedictus

Common Name: Blessed Thistle, bitter thistle, holy thistle, St. Benedict thistle

Family: Compositae; Asteraceae

Part Used: Aerial Parts (leafs, flowers and seeds)

---

Constituents: 

• Sesquiterpenen lactone glycosides
  • cnicin (bitter)
  • salonitenolide
  • absinthin
• Triterpenoids
  • a-amyrenone
  • a-amyrin acetate
  • a-amyrine
  • multiflorenol acetate
• Lignans
  • trachelogenin, artigenin
  • nortacheloside
• Flavonoids and polyenes
  • Tannins
• Essential & volatile oils
  • p-cymene
  • fenchon
  • citral 
  • cinnamaldehyde

---

Actions:

• Mild diuretic
• Appetite stimulant
• Digestive tonic
• Gastric Stimulant
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antibacterial
• Antiviral – Blessed thistle exhibited no antiviral activity against herpes, influenza or polio viruses in vitro; lignans found in blessed thistle are under investigation as anti-HIV agents
• Antipyretic
• Diaphoretic
• Emmenagogue (traditional)
• Galactagogue
• Antitumor – Cnicin and arctigenin exhibited cytotoxic activity against some tumor cell lines including leukemia (HL-60), hepatomas and sarcomas. Arctigenin also induced differentiation in mouse myeloid leukemia cell lines.

Cnicin and the essential oil of blessed thistle were mildly antibacterial in vitro against Bacillus subtilis, Brucella species, Escherichia coli, Proteus species, Psedomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus faecalis; other studies demonstrated no activity against Klebsiella, Pseudemonas, S. aureus, S.tyhpi, or yeast

---

Indications:

• Dysmennorhoea (traditional)
• Dyspepsia
• Reduced appetite
• Flatulence
• Bloating
• Indigestion

---

Safety – Cautions & Contraindications:

Avoid in pregnancy due to traditional use as an emmenagogue; used as a galactagogue in lactation

---

Dose:

30 drops t.d.s. (before meals as gastric stimulant)

---

References:

Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinkmann J, editors. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Boston (MA): Integrative Medicine Communications; 2000.

Kemper, K.J. (1999)/ Blessed Thistle Monograph. Centre for Holistic Paediatric Education & Research

Shatavari

 

---

Botanical Name: Asparagus racemosa

Common name: Shatavari

Family: Asparagaceae

Parts Used: Root

---

Active Constituents: 

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

---

Actions:

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

---

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

---

Contraindications: None known

Cautions: None known

---

Dosage: 

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

30-60ml of 1:2 LE per week

 

 

Fenugreek

Highly regarded by Hippocrates, fenugreek is one of the oldest medicinal herb.

Ancient Egyptians used it to ease childbirth and to increase milk flow.

Modern Egyptian woman still take this herb for period pain to ease stomach cramps with a tea containing fenugreek called ‘Hilba’.

Recent research has uncovered a hypoglycaemic action.

---

Botanical Name: Trigonella foenum-graecum

Common name: Fenugreek

Family: Fabaceae (leguminosae)

Parts Used: Seed

---

Active Constituents: 

Mucilage, Saponins, Aglycone, Alkaloid, Steroidal peptide

Lecithin, B fits, Phosphorus, Choline, Sulphur (Hall)

---

Qualities: Pungent, very warming & bitter (Ody)

---

Herb Person-Picture:

Good for people who don’t tend to sweat much. This can be because they are quite sedentary – or not. It could also be due to poor energy, laziness. IRIS – may have a pearly white or yellow lymph rosary. Yellowish-grey skin. They may be taking lots of supplements to ‘feel better’. The liver, gallbladder and bile/cholesterol may be sluggish. There could be sinusitis, hay fever, glue eat or recurrent URTIs. People who need fenugreek may crave those foods bad for them – i.e. fatty foods, fried potato, rich sauces & alcohol. 

---

“When the body is rubbed with it, the skin is left beautiful without any blemishes” – Ancient Egyptian Recipe, 1500 BC

---

Actions: 

• Appetite stimulating
• Galactagogue
• Demulcent
• Diaphoretic (smelly) & slightly diuretic (Hall)
• Hypoglycaemic
• Hypocholesterolemic
• Anti-inflammatory
• Aphrodisiac
• Uterine Stimulant
• Protects the mucus membranes (Hall)
• Lymph drainage, clearance and promotion – promotes sweating and reduces excess fluid (Hall)
• Renews nervous energy (Hall)
• SLOW LYMPH & CIRCULATION

Aerial plants: Antispasmodic (Ody)

---

Indications: 

• Anorexia
• Diabetes mellitus
• Dyspepsia, gastritis, debility, GI inflammation
• Reduce digestive upset, gas & bloating
• Hypercholesterolemia
• Promoting lactation
• Specific:General debility and anorexia of convalescence (BHP)

May increase liver & pancreatic enzymes to aid in fat metabolism.

Cholesterol and Bile support — gallbladder & liver.

---

Contraindications: None Known

Cautions:

• Fenugreek is a uterine stimulant – avoid high doses in pregnancy. Aerial Parts may be used in labour (Ody)
• Insulin dependent diabetics should seek professional advise before using as a hypoglycaemic

• Thomsen & Gennat recommend caution in pregnancy because of stimulatory effects on uterus
• No side effects expected at recommended dose – mild gastritis if higher dose (25gm + per day) May produce curry like body odour
• Impaired iron absorption

---

Dorothy Hall suggests:

A Fenugreek Weekend – Drink the tea, shower regularly and exercise to ‘clear out blocked drains’. After a couple of days, the smell will fade. Will make the skin breathe better. For people who feel like they ‘need a good clean out’.

---

OTHER USES: 

• DECOCTION: Take as a warming drink for period pain, stomach upsets and to increase milk flow in nursing mothers. Disguise bitter taste with a little fennel
• TINCTURE: Take for reproductive disorders and conditions involving kidney qi (energy) weakness. Prescribed with other hypoglycaemic herbs in diabetes
• POULTICE: Make powdered herb into paste and apply to boils and cellulitis 

---

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

Need at least 3.5 grams per day

 

USE FENUGREEK SPROUTS ADDED TO FOOD – sprouting decreases the pungent smell.

TEA: 

1 flat teaspoon of fenugreek seeds (fresher the better)

Pre-soak in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes

Then – pour 1 cup of boiling water over the top & brew as you would tea. 

Add lemon.

Drink 1 or 2 cups a day – no more – until you sweat more easily.

---

References & Links to Articles:

Ody, Penelope (1998). The Herb Society’s Complete Medicinal Herbal. Milan: Dorling Kindersley
Hoffman, D. (1990). Holistic Herbal. London: Thorsons

Hall, Dorothy. Dorothy Hall’s Herbal Medicine

Vervain

A sacred herb to the Druids, Vervain was called ‘hiere botany’, or sacred plant, by the Romans who used the herb to purify homes and temples. Gerard warns against using it for ‘witchcraft and sorceries’ as this herb has a strong association with magic and ritual well into the 17th century. 

---

Botanical Name: Verbena officinalis

Common name: Vervain

Family: Verbennaceae

Parts Used: Aerial parts

---

Active Constituents: 

• Iridoid glycosides called verbenolin -bitter
• Caffeic acid derivatives
• Volatile oil
• Tannin
• Alkaloid

---

Qualities: Cool, bitter, slightly pungent & relaxing

---

Actions:

• Nervine tonic
• Mild thymoleptic / antidepressant
• Astringent
• Spasmolytic
• Galactogogue
• Mild diaphoretic
• Digestive stimulant / bitter
• Hepatic
• Hepatoprotective
• Antiinflammatory (caffeic acid)

---

Indications: 

• Nervous tension and stress
• Nervous exhaustion
• Restlessness and anxiety
• Depression and melancholia
• Headache / Migraine
• Epilepsy
• IBS, anorexia, flatulence, nervous dyspepsia
• Infantile colic and flatulence
• Promotion of lactation
• Jaundice and inflammation of the gallbladder
• Early stages of cold and flu to promote sweating
• Debility following illness
• Nervous bladder
• Specific Depression and debility of convalescence after fevers especially influenza

---

Contraindications: None known

Cautions: None known

Avoid in pregnancy? – uterine stimulant (Ody) May be taken during labour.

---

Dosage: 

Liquid Extract
3-6ml 1:2LE / day
20-40ml 1:2 LE / week
Dried Herb Equivalent
3-6g / day dried aerial parts (infusion)

---

Combinations: 

• Passionflower, damiana and oats in nervous exhaustion
• Valerian for sleep

---

OTHER USES:

• MOUTHWASH: Use infusion for mouth ulcers and soft, spongy gums
• OINTMENT: Use on eczema, wounds and weeping sores. 
• POULTICE: Apply to insect bites, strains and bruises

---

Reference & Link to Articles: