Herbs, Health, Hope & Healing

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HERB PROFILE: Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)

Who doesn’t love conker season?! Those beautiful glossy brown seeds peeking out of their spiky green coats, bringing back childhood memories of collecting them in the autumn… 🍁🍂

Horse chestnut is used by herbalists predominantly as an internal and topical venous tonic. It is astringent (think how black tea causes that dry, puckering feeling in your mouth - that’s astringency) and strengthens capillaries along with decreasing inflammation and swelling associated with varicose veins and haemorrhoids.

The main active constituents include saponins (soapy constituents). These soapy chemicals mean it has a limited dosage and overdose can cause gastric irritation and vomiting so it’s used in small doses and with caution internally.

However horse chestnut does work well topically in sprays and gels using infused oils or tinctures of horse chestnut seed or leaf combined with witch hazel and yarrow for haemorrhoids or for cooling the legs and improving venous tone. BUT avoid directly on broken skin such as varicose ulcers or other wounds.

TRY THIS: A lotion or cream made from a base of conker seed or leaf infused oil and tincture can be used for bruising, varicose veins, haemorrhoids and reducing the appearance of cellulite.

CAUTION: Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding or alongside blood thinners, and don’t apply to broken skin.

If you’d like to use herbs to treat a condition you’re experiencing, see a herbalist local to you for a full consultation & herbs based on you & your needs. You could visit our student training clinic - see our website (www.betonica.co.uk/herbal-clinic) for more info.

hippocastanum

Isoflavones-
Important Bioactive From Plants!

Isoflavones are a class of flavonoids that resemble estrogen because they have a phenolic ring system which allows them to act as phytoestrogens. This can give them the ability to interact with estrogen receptors in the body. The most notable plant sources of isoflavones include Soybeans (Glycine max), Red clover (Trifolium pratense), Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum), and Fava beans (Vicia faba).

Among their possible health benefits:
· Antioxidant
· Antiinflammatory
· Estrogenic and Anti-estrogenic Activities
· Cardioprotective
· Anticancer
· Bone Health
· Neuroprotection
· Antimicrobial

There is controversy about the role of soy supplementation and its estrogenic role in promoting or protecting against hormone-sensitive cancers. Generally, population studies show benefit to the levels found in foods, but the clinical use of supplementation needs more research.

A recent review of the effect of soy isoflavone consumption during pre- and post- natal periods under a proper dose range showed beneficial effects on brain health and endocrine development, including improvement of anxiety, aggression, cognition and hyperactivity.

A particularly interesting study examined the effects of isoflavones on cognitive health in postmenopausal women. Researchers investigated whether isoflavones could improve cognitive function by mimicking estrogen, which declines in postmenopausal women. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, found that isoflavone supplementation led to improvements in memory and attention. The results suggest that isoflavones may have potential as a natural therapeutic option for mitigating cognitive decline in postmenopausal women, thanks to their estrogenic properties.

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Baicalin-
Important Bioactive From Plants!

Baicalin is a flavonoid most famously present in the traditional Chinese medicine, Scutellaria baicalensis (Chinese Skullcap); however it is present in several other plants, including Blue Trumpet Vine (Thunbergia laurifolia), Indian Trumpet Tree (Oroxylum indicum), and Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin).

Among its possible health benefits:
· Antimicrobial
· Antiviral
· Neuroprotective
· Anticancer
· Anticonvulsant
· Antioxidant
· Hepatoprotective
· Neuroprotective
· Anxiety
· Eye Health
· Fertility
· Cardiovascular Health
· Joint Health
· Liver Health

In an interesting review of the antidepressant effects of baicalin and baicalein in experimental animal models, emphasis was made on the molecular mechanisms of their antidepressant effects including regulation of the HPA axis, inhibition of inflammation and oxidative stress, reduction of neuronal apoptosis and promotion of neurogenesis, as well as amelioration of mitochondrial dysfunction.

In a recent human clinical study involving baicalin, its safety was explored, along with tolerability, and pharmacokinetics in healthy Chinese subjects. This phase I randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessed the effects of baicalin in single doses. The results demonstrated that baicalin was well-tolerated and safe at the tested doses. Additionally, the study highlighted that food intake significantly influenced baicalin’s pharmacokinetics, showing potential for optimizing its therapeutic use based on meal timing. This research is important for improving the bioavailability and clinical application of baicalin in various treatments.

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*This post is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, cure or treat any disease. Always seek medical advice directly through consultation with a health professional.

Magnesium | CANCERactive Magnesium is essential to your health, being involved in some 800 crucial health processes in the body reducing the risk and morbidity of cancer, heart disease and diabetes; while promoting bone health, muscle health, mental health and aging - Research review.

GENTIAN IS FAMOUS FOR ITS BITTERNESS which is not diminished by drying or dilution. Many beverages are made with gentian roots.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GENTIAN:
https://whiterabbitinstituteofhealing.com/herbs/gentian/

Plant Fact: Has a Reputation for Screaming when Pulled from The Ground!

In folklore, the Mandrake root (Mandragora officinarum) was believed to scream when pulled from the ground, killing anyone who heard it. The root’s shape, resembling a human figure, added to its eerie reputation in witchcraft.

The Mandrake has long been associated with mythology and magic, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. To avoid dying when harvesting Mandrake, it is said that diggers would tie a dog to the plant to pull it up while they covered their ears. Despite its sinister reputation, mandrake was also used in traditional medicine as a sedative and pain reliever, with potent and toxic (if dosed improperly) alkaloids.

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There are about 660 different kinds of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA). Although some PA found in plants like Senecio and Crotolaria spp.can be hepatotoxic, the majority of the PA found in Comfrey (retronecine monoesters) belong to the category with the lowest potential for toxicity. It is also likely that polyphenols in Comfrey leaf increase its safety by upregulating the body's detoxification of the PA. While extreme use of Comfrey (especially the root) has cause hepatotoxicity in a few cases, normal and limited therapeutic use can be safe. Learn the details! Comfrey is generally considered to be contraindicated during pregnancy & lactation.

Certified organically grown Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) roots now available at Strictly Medicinal Seeds for immediate turnaround. USA only. These are viable roots for replanting--nice ones. You know, people try to find substitutes for goldenseal but the plant is unique. Three different isoquinoline alkaloids in profusion, a fusion of activity, astringent to the mucous membranes and antibacterial--a very potent combo. Some herb companies have stopped making the extract but I always keep some on hand for local use. We grow our plants, we make our medicine, people need it and. . . there is no substitute.

Saffron (Crocus sativus) planting season is here. We've put our top-size saffron bulbs on sale to try to entice you to plant, although nothing is quite so enticing as saffron spice itself. One hint: although the plants like a fast-draining soil and full sun, giving plenty of organic compost will definitely encourage voluminous flowering and production of saffron spice. I'll be planting these on the farm within the next couple of weeks, and yes, I'll be dressing the rows with plenty of compost!

Saffron, Holy Saffron (Crocus sativus) bulbs, top size

Family: Iris (Iridaceae)

Hardy to Zones 6 to 9

(Zang Hong Hua) Perennial cormous plant flowering to 6 inches, native to Southern Europe, Asia Minor and Iran. Blooming in Oct, the flowers are purple, cupping the long orange-red stigmas–the spice. Plant prefers rich, sandy, well-drained soil in the part shade or sun.

Source of the enticing spice “saffron.” Just a few threads will impart a lovely color to rice and other dishes, lending a delicious taste and fragrance. Traditional uses (always very low dosage): Stomachic, antidepressant, oral cleanser, sedative and analgesic. Saffron water is often used in ceremonies to cleanse and make ready for empowerment. As a dye plant, produces the golden yellow color associated with the robes of spiritual adepts.

Cultivation: Plant these bulbs immediately on receipt for emergence in the fall. Usually flowers the second year, although the biggest bulbs may flower soon after planting. The bulb sends up a spear-like growth of green (see photo accompanying this write-up). Plant bulbs “tip up” in well drained soil, 3 inches deep and 6 inches apart. Depending on when the bulbs are purchased and in what season they are planted, emergence may take as little as 3 weeks or as long as 5 months. The bulbs work excellently in pots, and planting in 3-gallon pots is a good way to assure success while increasing the size and number of bulbs in short order. This technique also protects the bulbs from predation by ground squirrels or gophers. Saffron can also be gainfully grown in raised beds protected by hardware cloth underneath. The soil used to fill the beds should be sandy yet rich, kept well-weeded and watered infrequently.

What you will receive: Bag of dormant bulbs, 6-count, top size, as pictured in the hand.

Here’s a link to a planta-med publication showing saffron to be as effective as commonly prescribed antidepressants in treatment of mild to moderate depression https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/a-0660-9565