Herbalism

Natural Healing Herbal Remedies

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Herbal medicine has been in use for thousands of years as taught in various systems (like Ayurveda from India). All cultures around the world have utilized the native herbs and plants at their disposal for both food and medicinal purposes. Humanity and herbalism has coevolved together throughout the ages, and this will continue so long as the planet’s ecosystem remains healthy and productive. This is an herbalism guide presenting some of the most common herbs used to bolster the different systems of the body and treat common ailments.

Table of Contents

Gentle plant-based medicines are a practical way to self-treat mild everyday disorders, and can also help with more severe health issues. Commonly used medicinal herbs place less stress on the body than synthetic drugs, are usually less expensive or can be foraged with experience, and often can be used for long periods of time with little negative side effects.

While perhaps not as acutely powerful as prescription drugs, herbal medicines help heal the root cause of an issue rather than simply managing symptoms of poor health, as synthetic drugs do. For example, a herbal treatment for a cold consisting of ginger, echinacea, elderberry, and dandelion will work with the body to improve immune function, reduce inflammation, purify the blood, and decongest. This herbal formula could be used as simply as a tea, as an extract or tincture, or as a combination of supplements using dried powdered product.

Used consistently and with the right dosing, much needed nutrients and plant polyphenols from the herbal formula will have been received, helping reduce the severity of the viral infection, and at the end you are likely to feel healthier and stronger than before. Rather than feeling worn out from the effects of having being a battleground between powerful chemicals and a virus, herbal medicine treats the deficiencies that allowed the cold to arise in the first place. Synthetic drugs heavily stress the liver and cause long-term damage at the expense of short-term symptom relief, whereas herbal medicines also provide symptom relief but without stressing the other organs of the body.

The placebo effect is very powerful, with 70% of the success of any remedy being due to the belief that the remedy will work. The placebo effect is best paired with remedies that don’t stress the body and create their own side-effects and symptoms. Many drugs to show they work better than placebo have to have their potency increase, causing more widespread cellular damage. With any medicine a light-touch is best, and most herbal medicines function as adaptogens by bringing the body into balance while providing plant nutrients that the body may require for optimal health. The combination of the placebo effect and scientifically proven efficacy of herbal products is a very effective way to treat and manage disease, stress, and imbalances.

Self-care is a responsibility we all have. Herbal medicine is easily incorporated into a holistic wellness practice founded on self-care while still accepting natural health remedies when advantageous. Earth centered healing is the combination of all the different herbal practices used worldwide, and is becoming the new world herbalism.

Before purchasing any herbal products, know where each and every herb came from. A good place to start is to ensure that all the herbs were grown organically. Organically grown products will ensure you avoid the most common agricultural chemicals and pesticides, and organic farming is more sustainable for the Earth. There are issues and huge variability within the organic certification process, so if biodynamically grown products can be sourced then that is best. Biodynamic growing methods are completely sustainable, enriching the earth and local ecosystems, and use no synthetic chemicals, instead utilizing natural methods for pest control and mold prevention.

Regenerative organic farmers focus first on creating superior quality soil. Soil is a living ecosystem composed of microorganisms, insects, worms, fungi, and many more critters. Once established and in synergistic balance with one another, living soil enables plants to thrive and function at their highest frequency, improving nutrient density and therefore herbal medicine efficacy. If you’re a gardener, practicing Hügelkultur is one of the easiest ways to create living soil. The highest potency herbs will have been grown in nutrient-rich living soil.

There are hundreds if not thousands of herbs known to be effective in treating a wide range of health issues. Each continent and culture has their own set of herbs they use for medicine. The herbs listed below are commonly available in most places and have synergistic overlap in many ways. Formulations for some common ailments and issues using these herbs is the next section below.

Ginger is a root bulb used as a spice in many parts of the world. Has a tan skin and yellow aromatic flesh.

• Supports healthy digestion, relieves gas and bloating, and can be useful for vomiting

• Anti-inflammatory, improves immunity, and aids in expelling toxins

• Reduces nausea, helpful for morning sickness and seasickness

• Supports the lung, spleen, heart, and stomach

Ginger root can be used fresh in cuisine, and dried ginger root can be brewed into a tea or made into a tincture. Dried ginger can also be candied and consumed that way.

Ginger Root - from Mountain Rose Herbs

Turmeric is a bright orange root bulb used commonly as an earthy spice in Indian and related cuisine. Used as a dye. Belongs to the same family as ginger.

• Potent anti-inflammatory, helps reduce joint pain, and help with arthritis

• Digestive aid, calms the gut, useful for inflammatory intestinal diseases like crohn’s, celiac, and IBS

• Improves brain function and lowers risk of brain disease like Alzheimer’s

Can be eaten, gargled, tinctured, or brewed into a tea. Learn more about turmeric and curcumin.

Turmeric Root - from Mountain Rose Herbs

From the daisy family, echinacea is very popular worldwide. Most commonly known and used for its anti-viral properties.

• Stimulates the immune system, useful for a sore throat, infected tonsils, or congestion

• A strong blood purifier, helps with acne, boils, warts, and styes

• Well tolerated for short-term use

The root, leaves, and flowers all have slightly different effects. Easily prepared as a tea or used as a tincture.

Echinacea Root | Echinacea Leaf - from Mountain Rose Herbs

Elderberry is rich in anthocyanins, which are dark plant pigments with strong anti-inflammatory effects.

• Prevents oxidative damage and improves digestion

• Fights viral infections (cold, flu, covid)

• Cleanses the blood and protects the tissues of the circulatory system

Dangerous eaten raw due to cyanides, elderberry is commonly jammed, powdered, or prepared into extracts. Safe when dried and brewed into a hot tea. Learn more about elderberry.

Elderberries - from Mountain Rose Herbs

A plant common to many lawns and gardens, with yellow flowers and deep tap roots. The whole plant is edible.

• Cools and cleanses the liver, improves digestion, and reduces inflammation

• Helps with headaches, depression, and promotes calm.

• Used to treat issues associated with the kidneys, liver, and gallbladder.

Dandelion can be eaten raw, cooked, infused into oils or honey, and brewed as a tea.

Dandelion Root - from Mountain Rose Herbs

Gingko is a hardy tree which is the oldest living species of plant on earth at more than 225 million years old. Slow to grow and can live over 1000 years.

• Improves brain function, memory, and alertness

• Protects blood vessels, improves circulation, and is an powerful antioxidant

• Useful for low-grade headaches, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and vertigo

• Has anti-radiative properties

Dried ginkgo leaves have a gentle effect and are easily used in teas, capsules, and extracts.

Gingko Leaf - from Mountain Rose Herbs

A gentle herb used worldwide most commonly to promote relaxation and calm, for digestion, or for skin preparations.

• Supports digestive health, helps with stomach ulcers, and improves regularity

• Relaxant, relieves stress and tension, and improves sleep

• Chamomile has an emollient effect, softening and soothing the skin

Chamomile flowers can be used in teas, tinctures, prepared as a gargle, added to baths, used in compresses, and as an inhalation.

Chamomile Flowers - from Mountain Rose Herbs

Known as the mushroom of immortality, Reishi is highly rejuvenating.

• Has powerful immune strengthening, antiviral, and antitumor properties

• Regulates blood sugar and lowers cholesterol by fighting free radicals

• Reduces fatigue and fights depression through its strong neuroprotective effects.

Reishi mushroom can be eaten raw, brewed into a tea, tinctured, or made into a herbal broth for soup.

Reishi Mushroom - from Mountain Rose Herbs

Eleuthero root is also known as Siberian Ginseng, and is native to Siberia (Asia).

• Improves vital energy, sexual energy, and enhances digestion

• Supports the adrenals, boosts the immune system, and fights fatigue

• Reduces inflammation, improves sleep, and helps with depression

Eleuthero root is mildly stimulating and best used separate of strong stimulants. Can be brewed into a tea or is commonly consumed as a powdered supplement. The stronger version of Siberian Ginseng is Panax Ginseng (Asian Ginseng). Learn more about Panax Ginseng.

Eleuthero Root - from Mountain Rose Herbs

One of the great benefits of creating custom herbal teas is these formulations can holistically treat many different problems at once. For example, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the adrenal system is known as the “mother” and is nourished by the digestive “spleen” system. If lasting results are desired for an adrenal issue, then the formula much support the adrenals and the digestive power as well. A ginger turmeric tea supports both systems and is commonly available or easily made. Other supportive herbs like reishi, chamomile, or others could be added.

When establishing a herbal medicine tea cabinet, storing the different products in a cool dry place in airtight containers will preserve maximum freshness and potency. Specific ratios can be followed, or a general blend can be created using the desired herbs. Teas are a very gentle way to use herbal plant medicine, and to increase the effect of a herbal tea it is recommended to consistently drink more tea rather than attempt to increase the potency of the tea.

There are many types of herbal formulations, and how to make herbal formulations can take some skill. For that reason it is best to start with a smaller set of herbal products (like the list above) that can be used for many common ailments and create tea blends from those products. There are many other healing herbs out there beyond the ones recommended here, and proper research should be done on any herbal product to be used. Everyone is unique different inside and out, and what works well for someone might not work as well for someone else. Pay attention to how you feel after taking a new herbal product and decide for yourself whether it was helpful, neutral in effect (and might therefore require more time to feel), or harmful.

Start an herbal treatment with a small dose and work up to a full dose over a day or two. Test for any individual reactions. Some herbs are taken very specifically and only when needed, whereas tonic herbs can be taken for long periods of time, years even. Herbal remedies are best taken in repeating cycles, a good example being 10 days on and 3 days off. This ensures the medicine won’t become accustomed too, and the effectiveness will be maximized.

When administering herbal medicine to children, use common sense. Start with a low dose and work up to a therapeutic dose over a period of 2-3 days. Children respond rapidly, and it is wise to consult with an experienced herbalist or holistic wellness practitioner.

Because herbal medicine is gentle, it is well suited for use on common ailments encountered before, during, or after pregnancy. Stimulating herbs like eleuthero root are best avoided during pregnancy, but all the other herbs listed above are safe for use around pregnancy.

The herbal formulas below are proven to be safe, effective, and well-tolerated by a wide range of people with common health complaints.

Useful for skin health, acne, skin inflammatory diseases, radiance and glow.

• Dandelion root

• Echinacea root

• Chamomile flower

• Elderberry

• Reishi mushroom

Refined and added sugars should be strictly avoided, as should heavily refined oils. A high-fiber diet from the likes of fruits and vegetables is ideal. Drink only clean purified water. Limit the amount of chemicals applied to the skin. Pure aloe vera gel is moisturizing and helps the skin to heal.

Useful for fatigue, depression, unstable emotions, overwork stress, jet lag, pollution, heavy metals.

• Ginger rhizome

• Echinacea root

• Eleuthero root

• Reishi mushroom

• Chamomile flower (for long periods of time)

Stretching keeps the body flexible and relieves built-up tension. Drinking purified water reduces stress on the kidneys, and reducing sugar and heavily processed food consumption improves the energy systems of the body.

Useful for mental clarity, depression, focus, brain fog, headaches.

• Ginkgo leaf

• Dandelion root

• Eleuthero root

• Reishi mushroom

• Chamomile flower

Lavender oil used in aromatherapy can help lift mood immediately. Walking or more vigorous exercise stimulates brain neurogenesis and promotes deep breathing. Reducing tension in the body with a yoga practice is very helpful. Brain training and memory games, or learning a new language all benefit brain health.

Useful for joint injuries, leaky gut, arthritis, rheumatism, brain fog, bursitis, colitis.

• Turmeric rhizome

• Chamomile flower

• Ginger rhizome

• Elderberry

• Reishi mushroom

Avoid added sugars and processed foods, stimulants, and alcohol. Reduce your environmental stress in the way of air pollution, noise, and pesticide exposure.

Useful for chronic (AIDS/HIV, cancer) and acute infections (cold, flu), chronic fatigue. Deep immune system therapy needs to support and strengthen the bone marrow and increase immune potential.

• Echinacea leaf

• Elderberry

• Ginger rhizome

• Reishi mushroom

• Eleuthero root

Increase water intake, adding garlic to the diet helps to inhibit viral growth, and heat therapy can help if the temperature of the body is within normal ranges. Nourishing soups, broths, and teas are helpful.

Useful for cancer, skin ailments, infections, headaches, and other toxic conditions in the body.

• Dandelion root

• Elderberry

• Echinacea root

• Eleuthero root

• Gingko leaf

Detoxing methods like green tea fasting and heat therapy are useful supporting therapies to help purify and cleanse the blood.

Useful for gas, bloating, foul breath, painful digestion, unnormal stools, acne, inability to gain weight.

• Ginger rhizome

• Elderberry

• Turmeric rhizome

• Chamomile flowers

• Dandelion root

Fasting, dietary modifications, and switching to reverse-osmosis filtered water from tap water all help heal the digestive system. Refined sugar and zero fiber feeds pathogenic microorganisms in the microbiome and upsets digestion.

Useful for stress, anxiety, nervousness, sleeplessness.

• Chamomile flowers

• Reishi mushroom

• Turmeric rhizome

• Dandelion root

• Ginkgo leaf

Meditation or light stretching helps calm the mind and promote relaxation. Keep the sleeping environment cold, and taking a cool/cold shower or bath helps to drop body temperature and make sleep deeper and onset easier.

All the formulas above are recommended to be taken first and foremost as a tea. Create a loose mix of roughly equal parts of the herbs you wish to use and steep that in purified water heated to 170-212F (75-100C) for 4-6 minutes. Add wild raw honey for sweetness and to reduce any bitterness if desired. For the reishi mushroom, break off the amount to use and chop it down into small chunks for steeping. A good pair of scissors will do the trick. To add some pleasant flavor to the herbal tea formulations above, Hibiscus Flowers and/or Licorice Root can be added.

For times when brewing a cup of tea takes too long, I have also taken Ginkgo and Panax ginseng in powdered supplemental form as manufactured by Illuminate Labs. Illuminate Labs third-party tests all their supplement products for accuracy, quality, and consistency, and I highly recommend their products when a stronger more targeted use of just Ginkgo or Panax ginseng is desired.

Mountain Rose Herbs is an organic purveyor of natural health products like teas, extracts, essential oils, spices, and raw powders. All their products are certified USDA organic and of a very high quality.

I have been sourcing many of my natural health products from MRH for a decade or more now. They are an excellent company with fair prices and quick shipping. If you’re interested in starting your natural herbal medicine cabinet, you can find all the products recommended in this guide on MRH, and the links to each product are above in the common healing herbs section.

It’s a lot of fun creating custom tea blends, experimenting with extracts, and utilizing the power of aroma therapy thanks to Mountain Rose Herbs. Have at it!

The benefits to herbal teas are many. Different tea blends are easy to create, and their purpose can range from simply enjoying a flavorful drink to combating serious health problems. Once a selection of natural herbal medicines is on hand, experimentation and imagination can open the door to many new possibilities in a safe and holistic way. Unlike standardized herbal extracts, herbal teas might not be as powerfully concentrated in certain plant polyphenols, but the entire plant is unaltered and the synergy created through the entourage effect is more holistic in effect. The ritual of brewing a herbal formula and allowing yourself to slow down is also very grounding and relaxing and one of the reasons I love tea so much.

One herb I haven’t mentioned yet in this article is green tea. Tea leaves are one of my favorite herbs, and having green tea regularly is a great way to stay healthy, keep the digestive system happy, increase focus, and sleep better. If you’re interest in green tea or other pre-made tea blends from a reputable company, I recommend you check out the different teas that Pique Tea sells. Their matcha green tea is very tasty and of a very high quality, being sourced only from organic and/or biodynamic tea growers. WILDFREEORGANIC for 5% off.

If you have any herbal medicines you absolutely love and highly recommend, please share with everyone by leaving a comment below.

Resources:

1. Handbook for Herbal Healing, Christopher Hobbs

2. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism, Malcolm Stuart

3. Healing Secrets of the Native Americans, Porter Shimer

4. Kam-Hansen S, Jakubowski M, Kelley JM, et al. Altered placebo and drug labeling changes the outcome of episodic migraine attacks. Sci Transl Med. 2014;6(218):218ra5.

Disclosure: This article does not constitute as medical advice, it is presented for informational purposes only. For medical conditions please consult a medical professional.

Amazon, Pique Tea, and Mountain Rose Herb affiliate links are used throughout the article. Sales price through these links remains the same, and the commission is used to grow Wild Free Organic 🙏 Namaste