Herbs to Know: Chamomile

Common Name(s): Chamomile, German Chamomile

Scientific/Latin Name: Matricaria chamomilla; recutita

Place of Origin: Europe

Commonly thought of: Common herb for sleep and relaxation.

Past Uses: Used for a number of things such as flatulence, colic, hysteria, and intermittent fever. Chest colds, Sore throat, Abscesses, Anxiety, Insomnia, Psoriasis, Acne, Eczema, Minor Burns, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Stomach Ulcers and child illnesses such as chickenpox, diaper rash, and colic

Active Constituents: Sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, coumarins, and polyacetylenes are considered the most important constituents

Medicinal uses: Used primarily as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antispasmodic. Also used to help with stomach pain and sluggish digestion. It is known to be very effect for urinary tract pain as well as painful menstrual symptoms. Topically used to help heal wounds as well as clear up boils, shingles, and other skin infections. Can be used for inflammation of the mouth, throat and eyes, as well as hemorrhoids

Usually used as: Essential Oil, Tea, Cream/Ointment, Wash

Growing/Wildcrafting: Growing chamomile on rich, heavy, and damp soils should be avoided. It can also withstand cold weather with temperature ranging from 2°C to 20°C. The crop has been grown very successfully on the poor soils (loamy sand). The roots of the plant are shallow, the plant is unable to draw moisture from the lower soil and needs frequent irrigation to maintain moisture.

Cautions: Do not use if allergic to chamomile, ragweed, daises, chrysanthemums or pollen. Often used as an eyewash and can cause allergic conjunctivitis. May make asthma worse so people with asthma shouldn't take it. Should be avoided if pregnant as it may cause miscarriage. Can act like estrogen in the body so women with history of hormone sensitive cancers (Breast, Uterine, Cervical, Ovarian) should ask their doctor first. May cause drowsiness so do not take before driving. It is advisable to stop taking Chamomile at least two weeks before surgery as it may cause increased bleeding.

Drug Interactions: Do not take with Blood thinners (May increase bleeding risk), Sedatives such as antiseizure medication, barbituaries, drugs to treat insomnia or alcohol. It may lower blood pressure so do not take on any blood pressure medications. Do not take while taking any medications for diabetes. Chamomile is broken down by the liver in the same manner as some other drugs so it might cause problems with Fexofenadine (Seldane), drugs that can lower cholesterol, birth control pills, and some anti-fungal medication

Extra Notes: "Chamomile was used for the process of mummification in the ancient Egypt. Chemical compounds and oils that are used in medical and cosmetic industry are extracted from the flower. Homemade chamomile tea can be used for lightening of the blond hair. Besides its decorative morphology, chamomile can be very useful in the garden. It facilitates growth of the surrounding plants and even heals nearby sick plants."
-softschools.com

Where to find Recipes:
Chamomile Tincture -- Wellness Mama
Chamomile Bath & Tea Recipe -- Sara Dawn
Chamomile Eye Soother -- Mother Earth News (Bottom of page)
Chamomile Lotion -- Natures Garden Candles

How to make Preparations: The flowers and flower heads are the main organs of the production of essential oil. Soaking the heads in a carrier oil such as grapeseed can create a very nice oil to be used topically.

Dosages:
"Pediatric
Ask your doctor before giving chamomile tea to a child. Children under 5 should not take more than half a cup of tea per day.
To relieve colic: Some doctors suggest 1 - 2 oz. of tea per day. Your doctor may recommend other doses.

Adult:

• Tea: Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 2 - 3 heaping Tbs. (2 - 4 g) of dried herb, steep 10 - 15 minutes. Drink 3 - 4 times per day between meals.
• Tincture (1:5, 45% alcohol): 30 - 60 drops of tincture 3 times per day in hot water.
• Capsules: 300 - 400 mg taken 3 times per day.
• Gargle or mouthwash: Make a tea as above, then let it cool. Gargle as often as desired. You may also make an oral rinse with 10 - 15 drops of German chamomile liquid extract in 100 mL warm water, and use 3 times per day.
• Inhalation: Add a few drops of essential oil of chamomile to hot water (or use tea) and breathe in the steam to calm a cough.
• Bath: Use 1/4 lb. of dried flowers per bath, or add 5 - 10 drops of essential oil to a full tub of water to soothe hemorrhoids, cuts, eczema, or insect bites.
• Poultice: Make a paste by mixing powdered herb with water and apply to inflamed skin.
• Cream: Use a cream with a 3 - 10% chamomile content for psoriasis, eczema, or dry and flaky skin."

- University of Maryland Medical Center

Sources:  

Singh, Ompal, Zakia Khanam, Neelam Misra, and Manoj Kumar Srivastava. "Chamomile (Matricaria Chamomilla L.): An Overview." Pharmacognosy Reviews. Medknow Publications Pvt Ltd, Spring 2011. Web. 17 June 2015. 

Ehrlich, Steven D., NMD. "German Chamomile." University of Maryland Medical Center. University of Maryland Medical Center, 7 May 2013. Web. 17 June 2015.  

This is also a good source of information for those of you putting together your Materia Medica (← Find out how to make your own on the side bar page titled "Materia Medica").

~Lindsey Shemwell (The Budding Botanist) 

Herbs to Know: Ginger

Common Name(s): Ginger
Scientific/Latin Name: Zingiber officinale

Place of Origin: Asia

Commonly thought of: A spicy root great with sushi.

Past Uses: Has been used for thousands of years in Asia, India, and the Middle East, most often used in Chinese medicine as an aid for digestion and nausea. Was one time used to treat colic, diarrhea, heart conditions, flu and cold symptoms, headaches, and painful menstrual periods.

Active Constituents: Essential oils such as gingerol, zingerone, shogaol, farnesene, and small amounts of ß-phelladrene, cineol, and citral. Studies suggest that zingerone, a chemical compound which gives pungent character to the ginger root, is effective against E.coli induced diarrhea, especially in children (Do not give to children under 2). Holds good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, and magnesium.

Medicinal uses: Primarily used for it's strong effectiveness against nausea and commonly suggested for motion sickness, morning sickness, and nausea brought on by chemotherapy. Some suggest it is also good for helping with pain caused by arthritis.

Usually used as: Capsules, Raw (Sliced), Tea

Growing/Wildcrafting: You can grow your own ginger by getting your own rhizome (from the store or organically) and placing it horizontally with a very shallow covering of soil. The plant itself will sprout from the rhizome.

Cautions: Ginger in large doses are used for long periods of time can cause heartburn, diarrhea, and irritation of the mouth and it is best to only use recommended dosages for short period or as needed. If you have problems with the gallbladder, ask your doctor, because of ginger's effects on bile production it could cause gallbladder inflammation or cause gallbladder problems to worsen. It is also not recommended if you are taking blood thinners (Ginger may increase bleeding risk), diabetes medication (May lower blood sugar), High-Blood Pressure medications (May lower blood pressure)

"In general, don’t take more than 4g of ginger per day, including food sources. Pregnant women should not take more than 1g per day.

• For nausea, gas, or indigestion: Some studies have used 1g of ginger daily, in divided doses. Ask your doctor to help you find the right dose for you.
• For pregnancy-induced vomiting, some studies have used 650 mg to 1 g per day. Don't take ginger without first talking to your doctor.
• For arthritis pain: One study used 250 mg 4 times daily."

-University of Maryland Medical Center

Extra Notes: The part of ginger most commonly used is actually not a "root" but a rhizome which is actually an underground stem.

Where to find Recipes:
Ginger Root Profile -- Wellness Mama (Recipes close to bottom of page)
14 Uses for Ground Ginger -- The Nerdy Farm Wife

How to make Preparations: Often times ginger is sliced and chewed, however it can be taken in the form of ginger candies, tea, and capsules.

Sources:
"Ginger." NCCIH. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, May 2006. Web. 12 June 2015. -- Website Link 

Ehrlich, Steven D., NMD. "Ginger." University of Maryland Medical Center. University of Maryland Medical Center, 13 Dec. 2010. Web. 12 June 2015.  -- Website Link

Rudrappa, Umesh. "Ginger Root Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits." Nutrition And You.com. Nutrition and You, n.d. Web. 12 June 2015. -- Website Link

This is also a good source of information for those of you putting together your Materia Medica (← Find out how to make your own on the side bar page titled "Materia Medica").

~Lindsey Shemwell (The Budding Botanist) 

Herbs to Know: Echinacea

Common Name(s): Echinacea, Purple Cone Flower
Scientific/Latin Name: Echinacea purpurea (augustifolia) 

Place of Origin: North America

Commonly thought of: A pretty purple garden flower

Past Uses:Used long ago by Native Americans for various skin conditions (Topically), Toothaches and throat infections (Chewing of roots), and pain, coughs, stomachaches, and snake bites (Ingestion). Used by white settlers in the past to treat, scarlet fever, syphilis, malaria, blood poisoning, and diphtheria

Active Constituents: polysaccharides, echinacoside, cichoric acid, ketoalkenes and alkylamides

Medicinal uses: More commonly used to help reduce the symptoms and time of the flu and common cold and is used often as an immune support booster to help fight infections and prevent illness. May be recommended to treat a list of infections including ear infections, urinary tract infections, sinusitis, hay fever, and slow healing wounds. There is a study to suggest it may even lessen the outbreak of cold sores caused by the herpes virus used as an extract.

Usually used as: Tea, Extract, Capsules, and Ticture

Growing/Wildcrafting: While it once grew wild all over North America because it was so widely popular among white settlers and early Americans it's much more common to grow and often found in gardens. It can be grown from a seed rather easily with proper care.

Cautions: Not good to take if you have any kind of immunodeficiency because it excites the immune system. Not good to take if you show allergies to the plant or similar plants like ragweed.

Extra Notes: According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, "Several clinical trials have shown that people who take echinacea as soon as they feel sick reduce the severity of their cold and have fewer symptoms than those who do not take the herb. One study of 95 people with early symptoms of cold and flu (such as runny nose, scratchy throat, and fever) found that those who drank several cups of echinacea tea every day for 5 days felt better sooner than those who drank tea without echinacea.
A review of 14 clinical trials found that echinacea reduced the odds of developing a cold by 58% and the duration of a cold by 1 - 4 days. However, some experts dispute these findings claiming that there were several weaknesses in the analyses. Echinacea preparations tested in clinical trials differ greatly. It is important to choose a high quality echinacea supplement. Talk to your health care provider for recommendations."

Where to find Recipes: Echinacea Tincture, Echinacea-Elderberry Cough Syrup,

How to make Preparations: A tincture is a combination of herb parts soaked in vodka for a period of time, they have a longer shelf life than typical preparations and is taken usually by individual drops into a glass of water.  How to harvest Echinacea for tea,

Sources:

Karger, S., GmbH. "Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 10 Apr. 2003. Web. 12 June 2015. -- Website Link

Erhlich, Steven D., NMD. "Echinacea." University of Maryland Medical Center. University of Maryland Medical Center, 7 May 2013. Web. 12 June 2015. -- Website Link

This is also a good source of information for those of you putting together your Materia Medica (← Find out how to make your own on the side bar page titled "Materia Medica").

~Lindsey Shemwell (The Budding Botanist) 

Herbs to Know: Dandelion

For at least the rest of the week I have decided to start talking about individual herbs that are well known and popular as well as being medicinal. Some of these like this first one many people don't realize not only are edible but have medicinal use! This is also a good source of information for those of you putting together your Materia Medica (← Find out how to make your own on the side bar page titled "Materia Medica").

Common Name(s): Dandelion, Dent-de-lion, Cakerwort, Priests Crown
Scientific/Latin Name: Taraxacum officinale

Place of Origin: Europe and Asia

Commonly thought of: As a common weed, a bane to lawn care workers and gardeners everywhere.

Past uses: While above is the most consistent thought of the dandelion it was at one point in Europe used to reduce fevers, boils, eye problems, diarrhea, fluid retention, liver congestion, heartburn, and skin ailments. It was used also in Asia to treat breast problems, liver diseases, appendicitis and digestive problems.

Active Constituents: Taraxacin and Taraxacerin (Giving dandelion it's "bitter" qualities) as well as flavanoids such as carotene-β, carotene-α, lutein, crypto-xanthin and zea-xanthn (In the leaves)

Medical Uses: It is still today used to aid in digestion and increased appetite, being a bitter (an herb that tastes bitter) it is believed it triggers gastric juices which aids in digestion. It is also believed to help expel toxins from the liver and is believed to be a good source of vitamin A. It is also used as a diuretic (causes you to urinate) and a laxative. The inner parts of the flower stem have been known to help stinging or burning of the skin.

Usually used as: A tea, capsules, or tincture. Typically it is the dandelion root and leaves that are used in medicinal cures, the capsules and tinctures are usually made from the root and the tea is made from the leaves and sometimes the root as well. It is believed the root has the most potent medicinal qualities.

Growing/Wildcrafting: Usually wildcrafted as it grows rampant in most of the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Rarely grown because it's considered a "weed" and not at all ideal as an indoor plant due to it's "puffball" stage where it releases it's seeds. If you intend to collect the leaves and flowers it's best done after the flowers have completely bloomed. If collecting the roots it is also best done after flowering during the summer.

Cautions: Very few, however if the person is normally allergic to the plant, it is not advisable to ingest it. Do not use if pesticides were used nearby (Often picked from the yard, where pesticides are commonly used) Also if you have ulcers, the increase of gastric juices can inflame your ulcers and cause pain.

Extra Notes: Being a good source of vitamin A and generally very safe to take, it is often put on salads where the yellow flowers, leaves, and even sometimes the stem and root can be eaten whole and fresh, receiving the highest amount of benefits.

"Today, the dandelion has both medical and culinary uses. Dandelion greens are one of the most nutritious greens available. One cup of raw greens has:
112% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A
535% RDA of vitamin K
32% RDA of vitamin C
103 mg of calcium
1.7 mg of iron
218 mg of potassium."
-http://www.naturalremedies.org/dandelion/

Where to find Recipes: Dandelion Teas, Pink Dandelion Wine, Dandelion Root Coffee, Dandelion Jelly, Dandelion Salve,

Dosages: The recommended dose for dandelion leaf tea is 1-2 teaspoons steeped in hot water 3 times a day. For dandelion root tea, the recommended dose is ½ -2 teaspoons steeped in hot water 3 times a day. Whether the capsules are the leaf or the root, the recommended dose is 500 mg 3 times a day. The recommended dose for both the leaf tincture and the root tincture is 100-150 drops 3 times a day.

How to make Preparations: Most commonly used as teas, using dried leaves and flowered parts. The fresh greens can also be used in cooking as well as in salads. The roots can be dried and ground and made into coffee

Sources:
Hourdajian, Dara. "Introduced Species Summary Project - Columbia University."Introduced Species Summary Project - Columbia University. Columbia University, 13 Nov. 2006. Web. 10 June 2015. -- Website Link

 "Dandelion Herb Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits." Nutrition And You.com. Nutrition-and-you.com, n.d. Web. 10 June 2015. --Website Link

Wang, Kim. "Dandelion Health Benefits." Natural Remedies RSS. Natural Remedies, 2010. Web. 10 June 2015.  -- Website Link

Sierralupé, Sue, and Candace Hunter. "Dandelion: The Liver Cleanser." The Practical Herbalist. The Practical Herbalist, n.d. Web. 10 June 2015. -- Website Link

~Lindsey Shemwell (The Budding Botanist)

Materia Medica

I finally get to the more creative part of my research, the Materia Medica. While the one I've created is a binder instead of a book it's still extremely useful for learning and establishing your own herbal knowledge.

So what is a Materia Medica? It's a comprehensive guide to the medicinal and therapeutic effects of a substance. Many Materia Medicas are plant based because they come from times long ago where medicinal herbs were the primary source of healing.

There are plenty of Materia Medicas out there, some dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, some even farther back.

Dioscorides De Materia Medica in Arabic, Spain, 12th-13th century

Image from wikipedia

 Materia Medica from 1749

Image from http://www.kb.se/aktuellt/pressbilder/Linnes-natverk

Compendium of Materia Medica, Chinese, printed in 1593

Image from http://www.nlc.gov.cn/newen/nlcnews/201106/t20110607_43348.htm

In this post I primarily wanted to highlight the necessity of the Materia Medica is cataloging the medicinal herbs from our past and what they cured, healed, or helped. Many of these, in their time, were comparable to medical texts by doctors today. They helped educated apothecaries and medieval doctors on what herbs could help ailments. 

I like to think of it as further proof that while herbs might not have a whole lot of science, there has to be a reason they've been used for so long, and are STILL being used today.

Besides this, you can check out the "Materia Medica" page I've created (← look to the left for pages) detailing how to make your own Materia Medica with illustrations and pages created by me to make it easier for you. I recommend in creating your own Materia Medica printing out at least around 50 pages of the Herbal Care Sheet, because there are hundreds of different herbs  and while you can never be expected to use or know them all, just knowing 50 can greatly help you.

Use the Materia Medica as a reference when you desire to use any kind of herbal treatments or herbal knowledge. If you follow the one I've designed it should include a place for recipes and how to prepare different herbal treatments. 

In the next 4 posts this week I will be breaking down some of the most common herbs that you are more than welcome to use as they will have been referenced from reliable sources. I will include the links to recipes and preparations for these particular herbs and talk about their history as well and what group of people used them.

The Materia Medica is a time honored compilation of pre-modern medicine, and with the modern world becoming more and more interested in the medicine of the past more and more research is being done on herbs and their medicinal uses and safety. This is a great time to begin investing some of yours into herbal research. As more and more information is released on herbs it's important to keep up with that information, just like, society, technology and science evolves where what we once thought is now obsolete, so does new finding of herbs and medicine. So make sure your sources are up to date.

Most importantly cite your sources. If you've ever written a college paper than you are more than likely already aware of how to do this. I'm not asking for you to write a paper and cite your sources so you can't be accused of plagiarism, I'm telling you to write down the website or book you obtained the information from for your own personal use and safety. That way if you realized your missing information or you want to look into the source some more you know where you got the information from.

← Don't forget the "Materia Medica" page is on the sidebar, check it out and begin making your own Materia Medica!

Happy Hunting!

~ Lindsey Shemwell (The Budding Botanist) 

A Bout of Botany

It's very difficult to learn Herbal Medicine with out learning some Botany along the way. So here's a little "bout" of Botany.

For starters some Scientific terms and their dictionary.com definitions:
Taxonomy → the branch of science concerned with classification, especially of organisms; systematics.
Physiology → the branch of biology that deals with the normal functions of living organisms and their parts.
Anatomy → the branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other living organisms, especially as revealed by dissection and the separation of parts.

So what all of that means is that Taxonomy is the classification or "Place" that an organism fits in. This is where we have out Kingdom, Phylum, Order, Family Class, Genus, and Species. We are usually a lot more familiar with the latter two because genus and species are what are commonly used in the scientific (or latin) names for organisms. (ex. Homo sapien, is the scientific name for human.)

Plants have the same type of classification, starting with the Kingdom Viridiplantae, instead of the Kingdom Animalia (Also called Metazoa). Meaning they are both living organisms, however they are not the same type of living organism.

Physiology deals with actual functions of living organisms and their parts, meaning how their actual parts work. A good example would be the human heart and how it pumps blood throughout the body. Physiology goes hand in hand with Anatomy because it's the study of the actual parts themselves instead of what they do. So it would be a concentration on just the structure of the heart instead of what the heart does. Anatomy would care more about the atria and ventricles (The chambers of the heart) than it would about the physical motion of the blood pumping.

These apply equally to plants and are often used to help determine the plants parts and how the overall plant functions.

Plant Anatomy & Physiology:
There are several different types of plants, some that grow flowers, some that bear fruit, some that bear neither. We could go into all of the taxonomy of each individual plant such as the Bryophytes (The mosses and hornworts) and the Magnoliaphyta (The Magnolias), but that would take awhile and I'm sure unless you're going into Botany like I am not quite as interesting.

So the big ones you would need to know are the Gymnosperms and the Angiosperms. Gymnosperms produce no flowers and bear no fruit, where it gets it's name Gymno meaning "naked" and sperm meaning "seed". The seeds are not wrapped in any form of fruit.

The Angiosperm translates to "vessel seed" because the seeds are wrapped in a fruit or "vessel" usually an ovary.

Just like humans, plants have male and female parts, for Angiosperms the male parts referred to as the Stamen which is broken up into two parts the Anther (Where the pollen comes from) and the Filament (Which helps support the Anther.  The female parts or the Pistil consist of four parts, the Stigma (Usually located in the middle of the flower), the Style (Which supports the Stigma), then the Ovary (Which is at the base of the Style), and the Ovule (Which is within the Ovary). The male parts cause the pollen we so very much "adore" because that is... well for lack of a better word... plant sperm attempting to travel and land on the Style of another plant and therefore contribute to plant reproduction forming seeds in the Ovaries and being turned into fruit (When you eat fruit you're eating the Pericarp which in some fruit bearing plants is the actual plants ovary.

With Gymnosperms the process is a little different. A good example of a Gymnosperm is the pine tree. Everyone is familiar with pine cones, the cones that often fall to the ground are actually the female cones that have released seeds. The male cones (which are much smaller) are responsible for the pollen that coats our cars every spring. The male cones release the pollen and it flies into the air in the form of tiny little grains that are shaped like Mickey Mouse heads. They fly to the next tree and pollinate the female cones. At this time the female cone that had been open for the time of pollination closes up until the seeds have been fertilized and are produced. Then it opens to release the seeds that have little "wings" and they spread by the power of wind. The female cone then falls from the tree and it is what we find all over the ground in the fall.

There are also two differentiators between plants calling them either Dicots (Trees, woody plants) and Monocots (Herbaceous or green plants). There are few differences that you can really only observe through a microscope, but the biggest and most noticeable are that a Dicot is a plant capable of what is called "Secondary growth". Primary growth, that most plants experience is vertical growth, what allows them to grow up and down. Secondary growth is the plants ability to grow outward or horizontal growth, often times Dicots grow bark or "wood" from special tissues that give trees and plants like Rosemary their woody appearance.

Plants actually grow down, not up. If you've ever grown or seen a plant grown from a seed you might have noticed the seed shell on the very tip of the plant when it emerges from the soil. This is because the Apical Meristem, the primary meristem of plant growth, is at the top of the plant, not the bottom. So the plant actually grows down into the dirt, and the seed and Apical Meristem are pushed out by the force. 

Constituents, what we talked about before  as being the parts of herbs that made them medicinal falls under Phytochemisty which is a newer type of chemistry that studies the chemical compounds in plants, such as those found to be constituents.

Now  that you know a little bit more about Botany you can understand more about herbs.

~Lindsey Shemwell (The Budding Botanist)

Understanding How Herbs Work

In one of my past posts I briefly mentioned what made an herb medicinal, tiny parts called Constituents that have different effects on the body. Herbs work similarly to pharmaceuticals because well, many pharmaceuticals were derived from herbal constituents.

Take Willow Bark for instance, Salix spp. (Many species of Willow tree) which is rich in salicylate is very similar to asprin (acetylsalicylic acid), primarily because the discovery of asprin was made from Willow Bark, by pulling out the salicylate constituent they were able to produce acetylsalicylic acid. Of course of the years asprin is made from more synthetic parts, which is a lot of the problem with pharmaceuticals. By only concentrating on the particular constituents and then multiplying the amount we now have quick pain relief, however it comes with a plethora of side effects, some even deadly. The other constituents that might have been able to counteract the ill effects were completely removed. While each herb has it's own side effects, for example Willow Bark does have fairly similar side effects to asprin, they are generally safer.

The most important idea to concentrate on when taking herbs is to not try to take them to cure a problem but to take them to prevent one. Yes, they can help cure ailments and illnesses but if you have the option to stop that illness before it starts you will find yourself not suffering to begin with. In severe situations herbs may not be able to help at all or even make it worse, so it's really important if you do have to take any form of medications to know or just be aware of the drug interaction particular herbs have or the the effects they can have on certain disorders and diseases, a good example of the latter is that ginger (Zingiber officinale) stimulates bile to aid in nausea and digestive upset, however, because it stimulates bile it is not good at all to take if you have any kind of gallbladder problems. It can make the pain worse. Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) stimulates blood flow especially to the brain, however, because it stimulates blood flow it is not advisable to take with any kind of blood thinner. This would be a drug interaction and something you would want to look out for.

St. John's Wort is one of the worst for drug interactions. It's known to change, if not make ineffective, many pharmaceuticals that may be important, such as Welbutrin and various forms of birth control. It also has side effects of its own which can range from sensitivity to light to actually causing anxiety in higher dosages. So it's very important to look into the side effects and drug interactions of each herb.

Some herbs however have very few to no known drug interactions or side effects such as Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) which is commonly used for liver detox and aiding in digestion. There is, however, the chance the user happens to be allergic, in which case Dandelion could cause contact dermatitis, so allergic reactions are also important to look out for.

While pregnant or breastfeeding it is important that you ask your doctor or a certified herbalist what's safe to take, many herbs are not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, just as many drugs are also not recommended. Even though herbs are all natural they still can have adverse side effects that you should watch out for.

Herbs and supplements can be a fantastic way to supplement a poor diet, or keep yourself healthy, even if you are currently on pharmaceutical drugs you may be able to find an herb you can take that may aid you or keep your other body systems healthy, it's all about sources and credibility.

Some good online sources for finding out about herb and drug interactions as well as herbal side effects:

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/herb_All.html
•  http://www.herbs-info.com/list-of-herbs.html
• https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/ (Requires subscription) 

There are also plenty of medicinal herbal guides sold in book stores such as Barnes & Noble.

~Lindsey Shemwell (The Budding Botanist)