The Herbalism Thread

[Foreigner]

I'm noticing that more and more, people are incorporating herbal supplements and medicines into their lives here in Canada. People I know who formerly considered it "alternative medicine" now just view it as a staple in their lives. It seems to be because the internet age has given people more access to both traditional and scientific information about herbalism, and also because conventional pharmaceuticals are being seen as less effective in a lot of chronic illness.

So with that said, what herbs do you take?

I'm an herbalist so the things I take vary from week to week, but right now I'm taking a 14 mushroom extract powder once a day to boost my immune system because I'm visiting a different climate zone which is challenging my body. I also take rhodiola rosea daily to help with cortisol and serotonin levels.

 

[DubiousDoctor]

I disagree with people who disregard herbalism as pointless in the face of modern medicine, but more so those who recognize 'powers' greater than active alkaloids and other active compounds in herbs or who love the natural goodness of nature (which unfortunately is often what the term herbalism references).

With that said... I take a morning dose of spirulina and hot sauce, as well as an evening dose of fish oil. Uhoh are none of those herbs?

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Intake magnesium and zinc, which aren't herbs (maybe change the title to include natural supplements?). I used to take tulsi, or holy basil, which I very highly recommend, you look into for basically any complaint. I try to eat a lot of bananas and kale.

 

[ela.sand]

i haven't really tried any herbal supps yet.
though i'm thinking of adding gingko and ginseng to my diet, to aid with studying.

 

[Mysterie]

^ you should try rhodiola rosea for studying, it has made a greater impact on my concentration & focus levels than gingko/ginseng ever has

having said that if i had the money i would be taking herbal supplements, ive always wanted to properly trial ashgwandha

 

[xx001]

You can't really judge herbalism as a whole. We have to judge by each individual case. A lot of plants are highly valuable and potent medicines Many are falsely touted as having healing properties. As always, we need evidence of efficacy.

 

[ela.sand]

^thanks, i'll look into that rhodiola.
come to think of it, actually herbal tea should count: i occasionally use hops/valerian tea for sleeping, sage/altaea for sore throat, nettle as diuretic, and obviously camomile for the stomach

 

[DubiousDoctor]

Ah yes theanine (naturally occurring in small amounts green tea) as well. It's a must have for functioning on large amounts of caffeine for me. I ran out in remote country once and I either could not get going in the morning or found myself on edge and jumping at the slightest noise depending if I didn't have a coffee or did respectively.

 

[Maya]

My night will not be complete without drinking Peppermint tea or Green tea. I prefer Peppermint tea though amongst all others because it is naturally caffeine-free and adds a soothing and calming effect to my body in addition to the magnesium supplement intake.

 

[RhythmSpring]

Rhodiola Rosea helps me with my "drive."

Lion's Mane enhances my long term memory access.

Milk Thistle helps keep my liver functioning well while I take other meds that tax it.

Occasional Reishi helps me feel centered and balanced.

Salvia Divinorum keeps my brain young.

Chuchuhuasi keeps my heart turning the right direction.

 

[SirTophamHat]

I use rhodiola rosea and white tea for their health benefits. Well with white tea it's pretty much the best beverage on earth, but fanboyism aside that's what I take.

 

[p-helix]

I am taking ginger and turmeric to help stop the swelling of my right knee, and will add to these, ginkgo tincture and pineapple juice from tomorrow. I would like to deal with the inside like this and apply ice to the outside for several days.

 

[Jabberwocky]

^thanks, i'll look into that rhodiola.
come to think of it, actually herbal tea should count: i occasionally use hops/valerian tea for sleeping, sage/altaea for sore throat, nettle as diuretic, and obviously camomile for the stomach

I tried rhodiola and noticed no difference, but that was just me.

 

[red22]

Hour-long Truth Calkins lecture: http://www.4shared.com/video/gHVudOy_ba/Truth_Calkins_Jing_City_LIVE_f.html



As yet incomplete scan of the following book

[deleted cuz of OCR type-os]

 

[Maya]

I actually tried Rhodiola too hoping it will help me with the anxiety but it made it worse. I guess the effects vary from person to person.

 

[desertshore]

I took for a while rhodiola rosea and griffonia seeds... and I guess I should go back to them. I was in general more energetic and.. well, I just felt better. And they also helped me resist sugar cravings and junk food eating and all that stuff

 

[Thorns Have Roses]

Not counting teas*, the only thing I'm taking right now is an ashwaganda extract, to keep my ambient anxiety level down. It makes my days easier to bear, but it doesn't help acutely, so I'm still totally nonfunctional.

In the past I've tried rhodiola rhosea but felt any benefit could be considered placebo. St. John's Wort was more interesting for it's odd interaction with antihistamines and a couple of hypomanic episodes it caused me when I first started it than for helping with depression (I mean, my most self-destructive action yet took place while I was on it).

*if you want to know, I drink both coffee, green and black teas (2-3 caffeinated beverages per day). For herbal teas, a cup of tulsi every day, a cup of chamomile in the evening, sometimes mint or peppermint.

 

[Foreigner]

Teas count as herbal medicine, since they're plants with a medicinal action.

Funny that rhodiola doesn't work for you but SJW does. For me it's the opposite. I've taken SJW extract and felt nothing. I get no side effects either, so I'm assuming that my body must ultra-rapidly process it or something. Caffeine doesn't work on me either.

For the past month I've been taking he shou wu and it has made the hair on my head a lot thicker and healthier. Not to mention I'm more virile than ever. I started taking it because I wanted to see if it really affects hair growth like TCM claims it does, and so far it seems to be true. I used to have dreadlocks and the hair follicles were permanently damaged in some places where the dreads got torn out (long story), and the he shou wu is making it grow back.

I just love herbal medicine. It's an art form that holds so many healing secrets.

 

[red22]

For the past month I've been taking he shou wu and it has made the hair on my head a lot thicker and healthier. Not to mention I'm more virile than ever. I started taking it because I wanted to see if it really affects hair growth like TCM claims it does, and so far it seems to be true. I used to have dreadlocks and the hair follicles were permanently damaged in some places where the dreads got torn out (long story), and the he shou wu is making it grow back.

One of the ingredients in Truth Calkins' "Jing City": http://www.4shared.com/video/sW3B8z4N/Truth_Calkins_-_Jing_City_-_LI.html

 

[thujone]

Teas count as herbal medicine, since they're plants with a medicinal action.

Oh? I've been drinking a lot of Jiaogulan tea lately, I don't know about all the medicinal effects but it's a good bitter tea to drink whenever. I also drink American [Panax quinquefolius] ginseng tea from time to time. I prefer it to the more popular Korean ginseng because it has more of a calming effect while still extending your daily energy by hours more than normal. I'd like to go full time on it but I'm a bit addicted to the stimulant effect of caffeine. I usually start my day with coffee then brew some black tea, have a few hours of great productivity but feel a bit burned out by lunchtime. I'd be curious to know if the effects of ginseng get more pronounced if it's being consumed daily.