Elecampane is a striking and handsome plant crowned with deep yellow-orange open flowers “like a cross between a dandelion and a sunflower”.It has an ancient medicinal reputation and was described by Dioscorides and Pliny in the first and second centuries. Pliny said “let no day pass without eating some of the roots of Enula, considered to help digestion and cause mirth (cheer).” One explanation for the specific epithet helenium comes from the legend of Helen of Troy (she of the face that launched a thousand ships) who was said to be wearing an elecampane flower in her hair when she was abducted from her homeland by the Trojan prince Paris which started the Trojan wars. The legend says that she was so heartbroken to be taken from Sparta that one of these plants emerged wherever her tears fell.

Elecampane is a general warming and stimulating remedy that gets things moving. It has a long history of use as a tonic herb for the respiratory system and is specific to bronchial infections. It is warming and clearing to the lower respiratory system and along with moving stuck mucous, and restoring healthy mucous, it is strongly antimicrobial. While most commonly used for congestion in the lungs it can also be used for stuck mucous in the sinuses or to correct postnasal drip. In addition to being an excellent expectorant it also soothes the tissue irritation and inflammation that results from coughing. Herbalist extraordinaire, the late Dorothy Hall, says “as a ‘chest’ herb, for respiratory improvement, it relieves symptoms as well as treating cause factors. Invaluable.”

In addition to its well-known respiratory properties elecampane supports digestive function and traditionally it was used for all sorts of digestive woes from intestinal parasites to stagnant digestion to imbalanced intestinal flora. World authority on herbal medicine, Simon Mills, mentions that elecampane can be considered like angelica (Angelica archangelica), “as a useful warming digestive tonic, this further supporting its role as a remedy for the infirm and convalescent.” 

References

Hall D. Dorothy Hall’s Herbal Medicine. Sydney:Lothian. 1988. p. 155

Grieve M. A Modern Herbal. Penguin:London; 1980. p. 279

Elecampane. Herbarium [Internet] Herbal Academy. [Accessed Sep 28 2022] Available from https://herbarium.theherbalacademy.com/monographs/#/monograph/3039

Hall D. Dorothy Hall’s Herbal Medicine. Sydney:Lothian. 1988. p. 155

Mills S. The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine. Penguin:London. 1991. p.478

Efficacy of olive leaves on the outcomes of hospitalised COVID-19 patients: A randomised, triple-blinded clinical trial

Olive leaves can improve the clinical status of COVID-19 patients and decrease the length of hospitalisation an October 2022 clinical trial has found. The randomised, triple-blinded trial was conducted in Iran on 141 patients hospitalised with COVID-19 confirmed with a PCR test. The research project investigated the efficacy of olive leaves extract on the vital signs and laboratory parameters of COVID-19 patients. The researchers said the mechanism by which olive leaves fights viruses is not yet fully understood however it may interfere with the attachment of the virus to the target cell and its subsequent engulfment by immune cells.

Eligible patients were allocated to the following groups: intervention A received olive leaves extract (250mg every 12 hours for five days), intervention B received olive leaves extract (500mg every 12 hours for five days), and the control group received placebo (every 12 hours for five days). The outcomes (vital signs, laboratory tests and length of hospitalisation) were compared by group.

Based on the results, olive leaves extract effectively reduced respiratory rate, pulse rate and body temperature, and increased blood oxygen saturation of COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, it decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR: used in the clinical field as a non-specific marker of systemic inflammation) and C-reactive protein (CRP: seen in acute infections and inflammatory conditions) levels in COVID-19 patients. The findings also showed that olive leaves extract can shorten the duration of hospitalisation and lead to the early discharge of the patient. There was no difference between the two doses of olive leaves extract (250mg and 500mg) in terms of efficacy. The researchers suggested that further studies, with a larger sample size, be conducted to discover the efficacy of olive leaves in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

References

Ahmadpour E, Toulabi T, Yadegarinia D, Yarahmadi S, Mohammadi R, Keyvanfar A. Efficacy of olive leaves extract on the outcomes of hospitalized covid-19 patients: A randomized, triple-blinded clinical trial. Explore (NY). 2022 Oct 29:S1550-8307(22)00204-X. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2022.10.020. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36319585; PMCID: PMC9617633.

If you’re looking for a nurturing mother’s hug as we hurtle towards the, often stressful, Christmas circus look no further than motherwort. It is commonly known as ‘mother’s little helper’ because of its ability to help ease the stress and tension of weary mothers who need some mothering themselves. This is also suggested by its English name which means ‘mother’s herb’. It is often used when there is a rapid, fluttering or pounding heartbeat (palpitations) associated with anxiety, nervousness or hormonal shifts (as in menopause). Motherwort has a special affinity for women throughout their lives however men can find benefit in using it as well for maladies of the nervous system and heart triggered by stress.

This bitter herb is traditionally used for the women’s reproductive system, the bitterness supporting liver function to positively influence the hormones. It is predominantly a womb remedy for painful, delayed or suppressed periods. It is also used to prepare for childbirth where it is useful as a partus preparator and to facilitate the birth during labour.

As well as being a nervine tonic motherwort is also an acclaimed cardiotonic, known for strengthening the heart, as indicated by the Latin name cardiaca. In her famous book, A Modern Herbal, Maud Grieve says “old writers tell us there is no better herb for strengthening and gladdening the heart.” It can be used to decrease hypertension, especially when it is associated with nervous system imbalances like anxiety, and is also one of the go to remedies for hyperthyroidism. Nervous cardiac disorders, such as heart palpitations, are commonly experienced by those with Graves’ disease, the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in clinical practice in iodine sufficient areas.

References

de la Forêt R. Motherwort Monograph. Herb Mentor c2022 Learningherbs.com  (updated 30 Jan 2020; accessed 19 Oct 2022). Available from https://herbmentor.learningherbs.com/?s=motherwort

Eich K. Motherwort: Healing the Anxious Heart and Mind.Redroot Mountain School of Botanical Medicine. (updated 15 Feb 2009; accessed 19 Oct 2022). Available from http://www.redrootmountain.com/motherwort-healing-the-anxious-heart-and-mind/53

McIntyre A. The Complete Woman’s Herbal. Gai Books Limited:London. 1994. p. 97

Grieve M. A Modern Herbal. Penguin:London; 1980. p. 555

Comfrey, also known as knitbone, is used externally for speeding up the healing of clean wounds, broken bones, pulled ligaments and sprains, varicose veins, burns, hernias and for fostering proper scar formation. Author of Medical Herbalism, David Hoffmann, says care should be taken with very deep wounds as external application of comfrey can cause tissue to form over the wound, before it is healed deeper down, which can lead to abscess. In the 17th century Nicholas Culpeper mentioned comfrey in his enlarged version of The English Physician in 1656. He stated: “It is said to be so powerful to consolidate and knit together… outward Wounds and Sores in the Fleshy or Sinewy part of the Body whatsoever.” Today this historical statement is widely supported by modern clinical data. Multiple randomised controlled trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of comfrey preparations for the topical treatment of pain, inflammation and swelling of muscles and joints in degenerative arthritis, acute myalgia in the back, sprains, contusions and strains after sports injuries and accidents, also in children aged three and over.

One double-blind, multicentre, randomised clinical trial, in patients with acute upper or lower back pain, showed that comfrey root extract has a remarkably potent and clinically relevant effect in reducing acute back pain. In the study, conducted over five days, 120 patients were treated with 4g of comfrey or placebo ointment three times a day. In the course of the trial the pain intensity on active standardised movement decreased on average approximately 95.2% in the comfrey group and 37.8% in the placebo group.

In the past comfrey was used internally in bronchitis and irritable cough, to soothe and reduce irritation while promoting expectoration, however it is now for external use only after being surrounded by controversy. Comfrey contains varying amounts of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) which are substances that are potentially toxic to humans by causing liver damage. Long term studies in rats, which were unethically fed large amounts of comfrey, demonstrated that PAs were hepatotoxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic however there have been no human clinical trials regarding comfrey ingestion. There are four case studies implicating comfrey ingestion in veno-occlusive disease in the liver however there are also multiple confounding factors in these case studies, such as concomitant use of hepatotoxic drugs and malnutrition. It is due to these potential risks that comfrey is recommended for external use only.

References

Hoffmann D. Medical Herbalism. Rochester: Healing Arts Press. 2003. p. 586

Staiger C. Comfrey: a clinical overview. Phytother Res. 2012 Oct;26(10):1441-8. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4612. Epub 2012 Feb 23. PMID: 22359388; PMCID: PMC3491633.

Giannetti BM, Staiger C, Bulitta M, Predel HG.  Efficacy and safety of comfrey root extract ointment in the treatment of acute upper or lower back pain: results of a double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled, multicentre trial.  British Journal of Sports Medicin. 2010;44:637-641.

[iv] de la Forêt R. Comfrey Monograph. Herb Mentor c2022 Learningherbs.com  (updated 31 Jul 2017; accessed 2 Sep 2022). Available from https://herbmentor.learningherbs.com/herb/comfrey/

A large member of the parsley family, angelica was traditionally viewed as a warming and tonifying agent. It was seen principally as a protection against contagion, with an almost supernatural ability to protect against an often cold and diseased environment. This mystical reputation explains its common and generic name. Legend has it that a monk dreamed that he met an angel who showed him a herb that could cure the scourge of the bacterial disease bubonic plague in Europe in 1665. The herb was angelica and the monk named it in honour of the angel in his dream. Angelica water was incorporated into the official English plague remedy developed by the Royal College of Physicians in London and called the King’s Excellent Plague Recipe.

Angelica’s warming benefit works in the digestive tract and lungs. It is a warming aromatic bitter useful for stimulating the appetite and digestion. Its carminative action soothes intestinal overactivity, flatulence and colic, and the antispasmodic action reduces pain and spasms in intestinal infections. The combination of these activities in practice makes it useful in convalescence, debility, fatigue, poor nutritional uptake such as iron depletion, food allergies and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) accompanied by bloating. In The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine, author Simon Mills says “there is probably no better convalescence remedy in the Western materia medica.” The warming effect also makes angelica useful in a fever as it produces diaphoresis. As a relaxing expectorant, and antispasmodic, it can be used in lung infections. It was also used a diuretic and to encourage normal menstruation. In current medical culture the plant’s anticarcinogenic and cerebral enhancement properties are being studied and, so far, appear promising.

Angelica is one of the Herbal Extract Company’s exclusive herbs and Mills sums up its lack of popularity perfectly: “It is difficult to quantify adequately the potential of angelica today. It has indeed been neglected in some quarters, probably due to the passing of the debilitating infectious disease in modern times [written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic]. Yet it is clear that it still has great value. It can certainly be relied upon whenever there is infection, particularly when febrile or subfebrile and involving the digestive system and lungs…Whether angelica belongs to a former age when confrontations with toxins were more vigorous, when it could be relied upon to support and strengthen an embattled body, or whether it still has application in the greyer areas of today’s conflicts with pathogenic forces is a very valid question. However, there is no doubt that it still has an important application in its other major role, as a warming restorative in debilitating diseases and through convalescence.”

References

Castleman M. The New Healing Herbs. Hinkler Books: Victoria. 2011. p. 68-9

Mills S. The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine. Penguin:London. 1991. p.411-2

Quave, C.L. Quave Research Group Website. Version 11.0, April 2015. Angelica archangelica L., Apiaceae by Jessica Elinburg [Internet]; 2015 [accessed Sep 22 2022]. Available from https://etnobotanica.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Plant-Monograph-Book-4.2013.pdf

Mills S. The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine. Penguin:London. 1991. p.412

Boldo is an evergreen shrub or small tree, indigenous to Chile and Peru, used for gastrointestinal and liver diseases. The native Andean people have used boldo leaves for centuries for aiding digestion and as a general tonic. Explorers to South America observed the native people using boldo leaves as a culinary spice. In Chile boldo was used as an anthelmintic. In Peru the leaves were mainly used by indigenous tribes to maintain liver health, to eliminate gallstones and to support good digestion. In 1875 it was introduced to British and American pharmacists as a treatment for mild stomach, liver and bladder discomforts.

In texts, pharmacopoeias and handbooks the 1:1 fluid extract is listed as a diuretic, cholagogue (stimulate the release of bile), choleretic (stimulate bile production) and anthelmintic for hepatobiliary disorders such as gallstones, for gastrointestinal disorders such as constipation and mild dyspepsia and for cystitis, rheumatism and as an aid to slimming.

Much of the information on boldo is based on the above traditional uses because there are no well-defined controlled clinical trials in humans using it as therapy for any condition. Most investigations have been carried out using the isolated alkaloid boldine. Brazilian researchers attempting to discover new drugs to treat dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease believe the group of alkaloid compounds found in boldo might be a healthy alternative to synthetic acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, one approach used to treat the disease. The researchers believe that because boldo is widely known and used in traditional medicine to treat gastrointestinal discomfort, its constituents could have an affinity for the enzyme acetylcholinesterase and could be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. In this context, a 2022 preclinical study aimed to discover potential acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in the aqueous extract of boldo leaves and to evaluate antioxidant activity. The researchers said the preliminary results are of scientific relevance and further studies are warranted.

References

Pamplona-Roger GD. Plants That Heal. Maryland: Review and Herald Publishing; 2004. p. 72-73

European Medicines Agency. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Assessment report on Peumus boldus Molina, folium Final. 22 November 2016 [Internet]. London: European Medicines Agency Document reference f.: EMA/HMPC/453726/2016; c1995-2013 [cited 2022 Oct 24]. Available from https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/final-assessment-report-peumus-boldus-molina-folium_en.pdf

Silva BYK, Lopes ASN, Maia PJS, Mar JM, Silva LS , Sanches EA, et al. Chemical and Biological Evaluation of the Aqueous Extract of Peumus boldus Molina (Monimiaceae) Leaves. Extract on Pre-diabetic Subjects. Pharmacog Res. 2022;14(1):45-52.