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Common Name
Lavender
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Botanical Name
Lavandula angustifolia
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Part Used
Flower
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Clinical Summary
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Alcohol
50%
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Dose
10 to 30mL weekly
Herbalists and aromatherapists rely on lavender for everything from relieving stress, relaxing the mind and body and promoting sleep to healing wounds and encouraging healthy digestion.
In the digestive tract lavender’s relaxing effect can soothe spasm and colic related to tension and anxiety and relieves flatulence, nausea, indigestion and enhances the appetite. The fluid extract can also be taken for stomach and bowel infections causing vomiting or diarrhoea.
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Traditional Use
Prized for its delightful scent and pretty blooms lavender has been a favourite herb for centuries. It was used as an antiseptic in ancient Arabian, Greek and Roman medicines. In the 17th century, Culpeper described lavender as having ‘use for pains in the head following cold, cramps, convulsions, palsies and faintings’.
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Actions
Sedative, anxiolytic, nerve tonic, antidepressant, carminative, antispasmodic
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Indications
• Depression, anxiety, low mood, restlessness, insomnia, headache
• Indigestion, flatulence, colic, digestive weakness
• Menopausal symptoms, menopausal depression -
Energetics
Dry, hot
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Use in Pregnancy
No restrictions known for external use. Safety of internal use has not been scientifically established
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Contraindications & Cautions
None known
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Drug Interactions
Caution with barbiturates, benzodiazepines and central nervous system depressant drugs. Monitor with antihypertensive drugs. May be beneficial with antidepressant drugs, including imipramine, with medical supervision.
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Dietary Information
Vegan friendly. Gluten and dairy free
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Substitutes
Lemon Balm, Rosemary, Scullcap, Valerian, St. John’s Wort, Oats Seed, Rhodiola, Hops, Passion Flower