Passionflower has many uses and comes in many different varieties. The herb is mainly used for supporting anxiety and sleep but has a long list of other applications as well.
Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea)
Rhodiola Summary
Rhodiola was made famous by some earlier research done by Russian scientists in the 1960's. Although a lot of this research still hasn't been released to the public, there has been a lot of new studies put forward to make up for this loss.
Rhodiola is well revered as an adaptogen for treating fatigue, cognitive decline, depression, and for athletic enhancement. It's considered to be a mild stimulant, though it doesn't produce the "wired" feeling many other stimulants produce. It increases energy levels and makes us more tolerant of stressful situations.
Although there is still a lot of research lacking, we know that Rhodiola can reduce cortisol levels in the body after exposure to stress, however, the details on how this interaction exists is still not well understood. There is also a great deal of confusion around which chemicals are active in the herb, some studies showing the rosavins, others tyrosol and the rhodiolasides.
As a result, each manufacturer tends to have a preference for one chemical group over the other in their products.
What is Rhodiola Used For?
*Rhodiola rosea* is mainly used for its adaptogenic qualities, especially those specific to lowering cortisol levels. It's reliable for improving fatigue in debilitated or chronically fatigued people, as well as those experiencing generalized adaptive disorder, depression, or acute periods of extreme stress.
Rhodiola is a popular nootropic additive for increasing focus and mental endurance and is popular among athletes for increasing physical endurance as well.
Herb Details: Rhodiola
Weekly Dose
- (1:2 Liquid Extract)
20–40 mL - View Dosage Chart
Part Used
- Root/Rhizome
Family Name
- Crassulaceae
Distribution
- Northern climates of North America, Asia, and Europe
Herbal Actions:
- Adaptogen
- CNS Stimulant (mild)
- Antidepressant
- Cardioprotective
- Nootropic
Constituents of Interest
- Rosavin
- Tyrosol
- Salidroside
- Rhodiolaside
Common Names
- Rhodiola
- Rose Root
- Arctic Root
- Golden Root
- King's Crown
CYP450
Unknown
Duration of Use
- Long-term use of rhodiola is acceptable.
Botanical Information
Although Rhodiola rosea is the preferred species used, there are many species used in various indigenous medical systems such as Rhodiola alterna, Rhodiola brevipetiolata, Rhodiola crenulata, Rhodiola kirilowii, Rhodiola quadrifida, Rhodiola sachalinensis, and Rhodiola sacra.
The Crassulaceae family contains 34 genera and 1400 species. Most of the plants in this family can be found in colder climates.
Another medicinal species in this family is Kalanchoe.
Habitat Ecology, & Distribution:
Rhodiola grows at high altitude, mountainous regions of Europe, Asia, the Arctic, and North America.
Pharmacology & Medical Research
+ Altitude Sickness
Salidroside and Tyrosol from Rhodiola cerrulea extracts have been shown to regulate AMPK [11], which plays a major role in energy homeostasis [10]. It was also shown to maintain sodium channel transport by preserving NA+, K+, ATPase activity. The authors concluded that this mechanism may be responsible for Rhodiolas ability to reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness, particularly HAPE [11].
+ CNS Stimulant
Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated the CNS stimulating activity of Rhodiola rosea [8] based on various cognitive and fatigue scores.
Other studies have found the use of rhodiola at varying doses inconclusive as a stimulant [7].
+ Memory & Cognitive Performance
Rhodiola extracts have been shown in animal models to improve learning capacity and short/long-term memory in animals trained to perform certain tasks [2].
Rhodiola has been shown to inhibit monoamine oxidase (both MAO-A and MAO-B) in animal studies [4].
+ Depression
MAO-A inhibitors are effective in the treatment of depression [20]. Rhodiola has been shown to inhibit MAO-A & B in animal studies [4]. Other animal studies investigating the use of rhodiola on depression has shown a non-dose dependent improvement on depression scores in mice, which is due to the tyrosin and rhodiolaside content specifically [16, 18, 19].
A randomized double-blind clinical trial using a standardized Rhodiola rosea extract showed a significant antidepressant activity in the treatment group compared to placebo. This was based on various depressive symptoms including insomnia, emotional instability, and somatization. [17].
+ Stress And Fatigue (Adaptogenic)
A group of 56 healthy physicians in a double-blind randomized clinical trial were either given Rhodiola rosea extracts or placebo control for 2 weeks. Physicians were chosen based on criteria that investigated the likelihood that these physicians would experience mental exhaustion during a normal shift. A series of tasks were then given after each night shift to investigate any changes on mental fatigue as measured by a set of complex tasks. All of the physicians treated with Rhodiola rosea were noted to show improved test scores compared to those not treated with the herb. These effects were observed to be most active after two weeks of use, and not a single adverse reaction was reported during the study. [3].
Another study investigating the mental and physical effects of a long term, low dose (SHR-5 50 mg) on students during examination periods found significant improvements on test scores among the treatment group [9]. They were looking for the presence of mental and physical fatigue indications. The only test that showed no improvement in this study was the tapping test (muscular activation).
A study investigating the effects of Rhodiola rosea on free cortisol levels in chronically fatigues patients noted a reduction in cortisol levels after just a single treatment, and significantly after a 28-day course of treatment [21]. Rhodiola was also shown to reduce serum blood levels of cortisol after a stressful event in rabbits [22].
Animal research has shown that Rhodiola rosea extracts can reduce the expression of c-Fos in the hypothalamus of rats [23]. The expression of this gene is considered to be a valuable marker for identifying the activation of cells in the central nervous system associated with the stress response [24]. This suggests the mechanism of action for Rhodiola rosea on reducing cortisol levels is the result of HPA modulation in the hypothalamus, such as increasing feedback sensitivity and therefore reducing overall CRH release rather than acting directly on the adrenal glands.
+ Withdrawal
A Rhodiola rosea extract was shown to improve withdrawal symptoms in mice, with a noted increase in 5HT activity in treated animals. [1].
Clinical Applications Of Rhodiola:
Rhodiola serves as a reliable adaptogen with little to no side effects noted in any of the studies listed. It's useful for those suffering from high-stress conditions, chronically fatigued, or depressed.
This herb is also useful for increasing athletic performance in athletes and reducing the chances of being affected by altitude sickness when traveling above 2500 meters.
Cautions:
Caution when using Rhodiola with mania as the mental stimulation may produce negative side effects.
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References
Mannucci, C., Navarra, M., Calzavara, E., Caputi, A. P., & Calapai, G. (2012). Serotonin involvement in Rhodiola rosea attenuation of nicotine withdrawal signs in rats. Phytomedicine, 19(12), 1117-1124. [animal studies]
Petkov, V. D., Yonkov, D., Mosharoff, A., Kambourova, T., Alova, L., Petkov, V. V., & Todorov, I. (1986). Effects of alcohol aqueous extract from Rhodiola rosea L. roots on learning and memory. Acta physiologica et pharmacologica Bulgarica, 12(1), 3-16. [animal studies]
Darbinyan, V., Kteyan, A., Panossian, A., Gabrielian, E., Wikman, G., & Wagner, H. (2000). Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue—a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty. Phytomedicine, 7(5), 365-371. [RCT]
Van Diermen, D., Marston, A., Bravo, J., Reist, M., Carrupt, P. A., & Hostettmann, K. (2009). Monoamine oxidase inhibition by Rhodiola rosea L. roots. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 122(2), 397-401. [animal studies]
Ganzera, M., Yayla, Y., & Khan, I. A. (2001). Analysis of the marker compounds of Rhodiola rosea L.(golden root) by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. Chemical and pharmaceutical bulletin, 49(4), 465-467. [chemical analysis]
Panossian, A., Wikman, G., & Sarris, J. (2010). Rosenroot (Rhodiola rosea): traditional use, chemical composition, pharmacology and clinical efficacy. Phytomedicine, 17(7), 481-493. [review article]
Shevtsov, V. A., Zholus, B. I., Shervarly, V. I., Vol'skij, V. B., Korovin, Y. P., Khristich, M. P., ... & Wikman, G. (2003). A randomized trial of two different doses of a SHR-5 Rhodiola rosea extract versus placebo and control of capacity for mental work. Phytomedicine, 10(2), 95-105. [RCT]
Panossian, A., & Wagner, H. (2005). Stimulating effect of adaptogens: an overview with particular reference to their efficacy following single dose administration. Phytotherapy Research, 19(10), 819-838. [Review]
Spasov, A. A., Wikman, G. K., Mandrikov, V. B., Mironova, I. A., & Neumoin, V. V. (2000). A double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of the stimulating and adaptogenic effect of Rhodiola rosea SHR-5 extract on the fatigue of students caused by stress during an examination period with a repeated low-dose regimen. Phytomedicine, 7(2), 85-89. [RCT].
Lee, S. Y., Shi, L. S., Chu, H., Li, M. H., Ho, C. W., Lai, F. Y., ... & Chang, T. C. (2013). Rhodiola crenulata and its bioactive components, salidroside and tyrosol, reverse the hypoxia-induced reduction of plasma-membrane-associated Na, K-ATPase expression via inhibition of ROS-AMPK-PKCξ pathway. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013. [in vitro].
Reznick, R. M., & Shulman, G. I. (2006). The role of AMP‐activated protein kinase in mitochondrial biogenesis. The Journal of physiology, 574(1), 33-39.
Kerharo, J., & Adam, J. G. (1974). La pharmacopée sénégalaise traditionnelle: plantes médicinales et toxiques. (Pharmacopoeia).
Steinegger, E., & Hansel, R. (1992). Pharmakognosie 5 Aufl. Kap 6.2. 1. Freie Phenolcarbonsauren Springer Verlag Berlin. (Pharmacopoeia).
Hjaltalin, O. J. (1830). Islenzk grasafrædi. Koben havn.
insert
Kurkin, V. A., Dubishchev, A. V., Ezhkov, V. N., Titova, I. N., & Avdeeva, E. V. (2006). Antidepressant activity of some phytopharmaceuticals and phenylpropanoids. Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal, 40(11), 614-619.
Darbinyan, V., Aslanyan, G., Amroyan, E., Gabrielyan, E., Malmström, C., & Panossian, A. (2007). Clinical trial of Rhodiola rosea L. extract SHR-5 in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Nordic journal of psychiatry, 61(5), 343-348.
Perfumi, M., & Mattioli, L. (2007). Adaptogenic and central nervous system effects of single doses of 3% rosavin and 1% salidroside Rhodiola rosea L. extract in mice. Phytotherapy Research, 21(1), 37-43.
Panossian, A., Nikoyan, N., Ohanyan, N., Hovhannisyan, A., Abrahamyan, H., Gabrielyan, E., & Wikman, G. (2008). Comparative study of Rhodiola preparations on behavioral despair of rats. Phytomedicine, 15(1-2), 84-91.
Priest, R. G., Gimbrett, R., Roberts, M., & Steinert, J. (1995). Reversible and selective inhibitors of monoamine oxidase A in mental and other disorders. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 91(s386), 40-43.
Olsson, E. M., von Schéele, B., & Panossian, A. G. (2009). A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract shr-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue. Planta medica, 75(02), 105-112.
Panossian, A., Hambardzumyan, M., Hovhanissyan, A., & Wikman, G. (2007). The adaptogens Rhodiola and Schizandra modify the response to immobilization stress in rabbits by suppressing the increase of phosphorylated stress-activated protein kinase, nitric oxide and cortisol. Drug target insights, 2, 117739280700200011.
Xia, N., Li, J., Wang, H., Wang, J., & Wang, Y. (2016). Schisandra chinensis and Rhodiola rosea exert an anti-stress effect on the HPA axis and reduce hypothalamic c-Fos expression in rats subjected to repeated stress. Experimental and therapeutic medicine, 11(1), 353-359.
Luckman, S. M., Dyball, R. E., & Leng, G. (1994). Induction of c-fos expression in hypothalamic magnocellular neurons requires synaptic activation and not simply increased spike activity. Journal of Neuroscience, 14(8), 4825-4830.
Schizandra (Schisandra chinensis)
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
What is Rosemary?
Plants have ingenious ways of spreading their seeds around the world.
One of the most successful is the rosemary shrub.
The desirable flavor, and useful medicinal qualities of rosemary have enticed humans to carry its seeds along with them from Europe as they spread to all corners of the earth.
The majority of rosemary around the world is used for its desirable culinary quality, however, there are plenty of good medicinal uses of the plant as well.
It's used primarily as a nervine, circulatory stimulant, and digestive.
It stimulates blood flow to the body and the brain and has the benefits of promoting mental clarity, and moving other herbs deeper into the peripheral blood system.
The volatile oils contained in its leaves stimulate digestion and soothe upset stomachs.
Here's everything I know about rosemary.
Featured Rosemary Products
How Is Rosemary Used?
Rosemary is popular in cooking. It's used medicinally to increase blood flow to the brain, reduce nerve pain, and improve digestion. The essential oil is used topically to promote blood flow and stimulate the hair follicles involved with premature balding.
Herb Details: Rosemary
Herbal Actions:
- Antidepressant
- Antimicrobial
- Antispasmodic
- Emmenagogue
- Nervine Stimulant
- Nootropic
- Rubefacient
- Carminative
Weekly Dose
- (1:2 Liquid Extract)
15-30 mL - View Dosage Chart
Part Used
- Leaf & twigs
Family Name
- Lamiaceae
Distribution
- Originally from Mediterranean, but has since spread all over the world.
Constituents of Interest
- Volatile oil (borneol, camphene, camphor, linalool)
- Apigenin
- Rosmarinic acid
- Carnosol & Carnosolic acid
- Rosmaricine
Common Names
- Rosemary
- Roosmaryn (Afrikaans)
- Rozmarinë (Albania)
- Ikleel al-Jabal (Arabic)
- Rozmarin (Bulgaria)
- Romarin (France/Germany)
- Mannenro (Japan)
- Alecrim (Portugal)
- Mi Die Xiang (China)
CYP450
- CYP1A2
- CYP3A4
- CYP2C9
- Also P-gp
Quality
- Warm, Acrid
Pregnancy
- Caution advised during pregnancy.
Taste
- Sweet, Acrid, Slightly Bitter
Duration of Use
- Long term use is acceptable.
Botanical Info:
Rosemary is a member of the mint family, which is one of the largest plant families. It contains roughly 236 different genera, and 6900-7200 different species.
The Rosmarinus genus contains 4 different species, the one most commonly used as medicine is Rosmarinus officinalis, though the other species also have some use in the regions in which it grows.
It's hardy to colder climates, but grows primarily in the Mediterranean. It's also highly drought-resistant, and can survive without water for very long periods of time.
Clinical Applications of Rosemary
Rosemary is most useful as a circulatory stimulant, nervine stimulant, carminative and digestive.
It's used to treat cognitive conditions involving poor blood flow like Alzheimer's disease, syncope, and headaches. it's also used as a nootropic and for increasing blood flow to the follicles of the hair to support hair growth. The essential oil is especially useful here for addressing symptoms of premature balding. It's also an excellent nervine used for conditions like neuralgia, sciatica, and depression when associated with debility or concussion.
Its digestive properties make it useful for addressing flatulence, indigestion, dyspepsia, and recovery from intestinal tract infection.
Cautions:
Avoid using therapeutic doses of rosemary while pregnant. This doesn’t include small doses of rosemary used in cooking.
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Graviola (Annona muricata)
What is Graviola?
Graviola is a large tropical tree with a rich history of traditional use for conditions like cancer, parasitic infection, insomnia, and dysentery. Modern use remains very similar, mainly focusing on tension headaches and muscle aches, insomnia, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, and parasitic infection.
Although the entire plant has been used as medicine by various traditional medical systems, the most common form the plant is available in today is as a leaf extract, and raw leaves intended for tea.
Graviola is gaining in popularity outside worldwide as a general health supplement, blood sugar regulator, and anticancer agent. As a result, it's getting easier to find the herb as time goes on. It is likely this tea will become a staple in Western herbal medicine in the coming years.
Featured Graviola
How Is Graviola Used?
Graviola is mainly used as an adjunctive treatment for cancer, especially leukemia and other haematological cancers, as well as prostate, colon, and breast cancers.
Graviola is also popular as an anti-diabetic herb, and can be used to reduce hypertension, especially in combination with diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
Graviola is a potent anti-parasitic, useful for a wide range of different parasitic species, including worms, protozoa, and bacterial parasites.
Traditional Uses of Graviola
+ South America
Graviola originated from South America and/or the Carribean. All parts of the plant were used as medicine for a wide range of conditions.
The most common use of the plant appears to involve cancer treatment and parasitic infection.
The darkest leaves on the plants were used primarily as a sedative or antispasmodic. They were used to treat insomnia, arthritic pains, colic, dysentery, muscle aches, headaches, and diabetes. The leaves were often placed inside a pillow or bedsheets to improve sleep.
In Brazil, the leaves were made into a tea for treating various liver conditions. The oil of the leaves and unripe fruits were used topically for treating neuralgia, and arthritis.
In Peru, the leaves were used to treat excess catarrh, and the bark and root were used for treating diabetes, insomnia, and muscle aches.
In Guyana, the leaves were used as a heart tonic.
+ Southeast Asia
In Southeast Asia, graviola was an important treatment for malaria. It was made into candies, ice cream, and syrups for treating malaria and other parasites.
Herb Details: Graviola
Herbal Actions:
- Anticancer
- Antinflammatory
- Antioxidant
- Antispasmodic
- Anticonvulsant
- Antidepressant
- Antidiabetic
- Antibacterial
- Antiarthritic
- Antilithic
- Antimalarial
- Bradycardic
- Digestive stimulant
- Febrifuge
- Hepatoprotective
- Hypotensive
- Sedative
- Vasodilator
Weekly Dose
- (1:2 Liquid Extract)
40-80 mL - View Dosage Chart
Part Used
- Leaves
Family Name
- Annonaceae
Distribution
- North & South America, The Caribbean, Indonesia, Western Africa, Pacific Islands
Constituents of Interest
- Acetogenins
- Alkaloids (reticulin, coreximine, coclarine and anomurine)
- Essential oils (β-caryophyllene, δ-cadinene, epi-α-cadinol and α-cadinol)
- Quercetin
Common Names
- Graviola
- Custard Apple Tree
- Soursop
- Annona
- Guanabana (South America)
Quality
- Cool*
Pregnancy
- Unknown
Taste
- Sour
Duration of Use
- Avoid long term use.
Botanical Information
Graviola is a large tree, growing to a height of 10m. It requires high humidity, warm weather, and high annual rainfall in order to thrive. It produces large, edible fruits with an acidic taste (hence the common name soursop).
There are over 130 different genera in the Annonaceae family, and around 2300 different species. The Annona genus itself has about 70 different species. Annona muricata is the most commonly grown worldwide.
Phytochemistry
There are over 100 annonaceous acetogenins in the plant, which are considered to be the primary active constituents of the plant. Structurally these chemicals are derivatives of long chain (C35 or C37) fatty acids. These compounds are cytotoxic against tumour cell lines, and molluscicidal.
Graviola is also rich in alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, flavonoids, coumarins, lactones, anthraquinones, tannins, cardiac glycosides, phenols, and phytosterols.
+ Complete Phytochemical Makeup
Annonaceous Acetogenins
The leaves contain annomuricins A and B, gigantetrocin A, annonacin-10-one, muricatetrocins A and B, annonacin, goniothalamicin, muricatocins A and B, annonacin A, (2,4-trans)-isoannonacin, (2,4-cis)-isoannonacin, annomuricin C, muricatocin C, gigantetronenin, annomutacin, (2,4-trans)-10R-annonacin-A-one, (2,4-cis)-10R-annonacin-A-one, annopentocins A, B and C, cis- and trans-annomuricinD-ones, annomuricine, muricapentocin, muricoreacin and murihexocin C and annocatacin A and B.
Alkaloids
Graviola contains reticulin, coreximine, coclarine and anomurine.
Essential Oils
Graviola contains β-caryophyllene, δ-cadinene, epi-α-cadinol and α-cadinol.
Clinical Applications Of Graviola:
Graviola is useful for parasitic infection, including protozoan, and helminth parasites. It's used as a mild sedative and antispasmodic, and can be very useful for gastrointestinal inflammation and dysbiotic conditions.
Graviola is also a popular treatment for diabetes by slowing lipid per-oxidation, and restoring islet beta-cells in the pancreas.
It's commonly used as an adjunctive treatment of cancer, especially haematological cancers and colon cancer.
Cautions:
Graviola has been reported to increase symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.
Caution advised in combination with other hypoglycaemic drugs due to potential additive effect.
+ Contraindications
- May exacerbate Parkinson's Disease symptoms (Acetogenin content)
- Caution advised in combination with other hypoglycemic drugs due to potential additive effect.
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References:
Moghadamtousi, S. Z., Fadaeinasab, M., Nikzad, S., Mohan, G., Ali, H. M., & Kadir, H. A. (2015). Annona muricata (Annonaceae): a review of its traditional uses, isolated acetogenins and biological activities. International journal of molecular sciences, 16(7), 15625-15658.
De Sousa, O. V., Vieira, G. D. V., De Pinho, J. D. J. R., Yamamoto, C. H., & Alves, M. S. (2010). Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol extract of Annona muricata L. leaves in animal models. International journal of molecular sciences, 11(5), 2067-2078.
Torres, M. P., Rachagani, S., Purohit, V., Pandey, P., Joshi, S., Moore, E. D., ... & Batra, S. K. (2012). Graviola: a novel promising natural-derived drug that inhibits tumorigenicity and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo through altering cell metabolism. Cancer letters, 323(1), 29-40.
Coria-Tellez, A. V., Montalvo-Gónzalez, E., Yahia, E. M., & Obledo-Vázquez, E. N. (2016). Annona muricata: A comprehensive review on its traditional medicinal uses, phytochemicals, pharmacological activities, mechanisms of action and toxicity. Arabian Journal of Chemistry.
Gavamukulya, Y., Abou-Elella, F., Wamunyokoli, F., & AEl-Shemy, H. (2014). Phytochemical screening, anti-oxidant activity and in vitro anticancer potential of ethanolic and water leaves extracts of Annona muricata (Graviola). Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine, 7, S355-S363.
Arroyo, J., Martínez, J., Ronceros, G., Palomino, R., Villarreal, A., Bonilla, P., ... & Quino, M. (2009, September). Efecto hipoglicemiante coadyuvante del extracto etanólico de hojas de Annona muricata L (guanábana), en pacientes con diabetes tipo 2 bajo tratamiento de glibenclamida. In Anales de la Facultad de Medicina (Vol. 70, No. 3, pp. 163-167). UNMSM. Facultad de Medicina.
Adewole, S., & Ojewole, J. (2009). Protective effects of Annona muricata Linn.(Annonaceae) leaf aqueous extract on serum lipid profiles and oxidative stress in hepatocytes of streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats. African journal of traditional, complementary and alternative medicines, 6(1).
Adeyemi, D. O., Komolafe, O. A., Adewole, O. S., Obuotor, E. M., Abiodun, A. A., & Adenowo, T. K. (2010). Histomorphological and morphometric studies of the pancreatic islet cells of diabetic rats treated with extracts of Annona muricata. Folia morphologica, 69(2), 92-100.
Adewole, S. O., & Caxton-Martins, E. A. (2006). Morphological changes and hypoglycemic effects of Annona muricata linn.(annonaceae) leaf aqueous extract on pancreatic β-cells of streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats. African Journal of Biomedical Research, 9(3).
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
What is Lavender?
Lavender is one of the most famous herbs known to man. It's cultivated on a massive scale throughout Europe and North America and is a popular flavoring and aromatic agent for household products.
Medicinally lavender is best known for its ability to promote sleep. It's often sold as aromatherapy, in salves and creams, and incense for this purpose. Lavender is also great for internal use, where it interacts with the GABA system to produce relaxation and sleep.
Lavender essential oil can be used as a topical agent for insect bites, rashes, and infection.
What is Lavender Used For?
Lavender is mainly used in topical applications for rashes, skin irritations, mild infections, sunburn, and insect bites. Internally it's mainly used for anxiety-related conditions, GIT inflammation and discomfort, and insomnia.
Herb Details: Lavender
Herbal Actions:
- Analgesic (mild)
- Antibacterial
- Anti-cancer
- Anticonvulsant
- Antidepressant
- Antifungal
- Antioxidant
- Anxiolytic
- Antiparasitic
- Carminative
- Nervine Relaxant
- Neuroprotective
- Antispasmodic
Weekly Dose
- (1:2 Liquid Extract)
15–30 mL - View Dosage Chart
Part Used
- Leaves and flowers
Family Name
- Lamiaceae
Distribution
- Mediterranean and Southern Europe
Northern and Eastern Africa
Constituents of Interest
- Monoterpene Alcohols
- Athocyanins
Common Names
- Lavender
- Laventelit (Finland)
- English Lavender
Pregnancy
No adverse reactions expected.
Duration of Use
- This herb is generally regarded as safe for long term use.
Botanical Information
Lavender is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae). In the genus Lavandula, there are approximately 47 species — most of which are perennials, or small shrubs.
There are a number of lavenders used medicinally
Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender)
Lavandula stoechas (French Lavender)
Lavendula dentata (Spanish Lavender)
This list is disputed by many taxonomists, suggesting that French lavender may be Lavandula stoechas or Lavandula dentata, and that Spanish lavender could be either Lavandula dentata, or Lavandula lanata, or Lavandula dentata.
Clinical Applications Of Lavender:
Lavender is useful topically for female conditions including dysmenorrhoea and PMS due to its antispasmodic and analgesic effects. It's also useful topically for its anti-fungal and antibacterial effects. Internally lavender can be used for gastrointestinal complaints, including bloating, flatulence, and colic.
Lavender is a reliable nervine for its GABAergic activity. Additionally it has been shown to reverse the stimulating effects induced by caffeine, and inhibits acetylcholine release.
Cautions:
Lavender has been proven to be a very safe herb with a low incidence of adverse effects.
Avoid use with pharmaceutical sedatives due to the possibility of agonistic synergy.
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As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, we’re getting a lot of questions on what the potential role of herbal medicine is during the outbreak. Learn how the virus works and how to limit your chances of transmission.