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When you hear the word burnout, what comes to mind?

If you think to yourself, “Yes, that’s me, I am burned out,” note that you are not alone; between 44% and 76% of U.S. employees experience burnout at least sometimes.

For many, the word burnout is associated with overwork or other workplace stressors. The World Health Organization defines burnout as an occupational risk, not a health condition.

In August, I focus on burnout, what it is, and herbs you might want to consider to untangle the hormonal tangle that creates burnout.

My plan for August:

Week 1: What is Burnout?

Week 2: Ashwagandha - Grounding Your Nervous System

Week 3: Skullcap - Finding Calm at the End of the Rope

Week 4: Lion’s Mane - Tending To Your Nerves

Like always, my posts are long, deep, and rely heavily on science. You can use the headings to skim them and read the parts that are most relevant to you, or save them and go back to them again and again.

Skullcap - Finding Calm at the End of the Rope

Skullcap and milky oats are the two foundational nervine tonics I use to build any formula for stress.

In a world full of sensory impressions jumping at us from billboards, TV, our phone, and even our household appliances (imagine the noise from the vacuum cleaner, washer, and dryer), there is no dull moment for the nervous system.

Skullcap dials down that noise and helps the nervous system get the rest it needs.

Plant ID

Name: American Skullcap

Botanical name: Scutellaria lateriflora

Common names: Mad-dog Skullcap, also known as Blue Skullcap or Side-Flowering Skullcap

What’s in a name

The name skullcap comes from the shape of the plant’s flowers and seed pods, which bear a striking resemblance to tiny medieval helmets or caps.

The botanical name Scutellaria derives from the Latin scutella, meaning “little dish” or “small shield,” and refers to the plant’s unique calyx, or green outer petals.

Botanical Family: Lamiaceae, mint family

Part used: Leaves

Degree: Skullcap is a 3rd degree remedy. It is used solely for medical purposes, unlike first degree remedies, which can be used as food (dandelion leaves), and 2nd degree herbs, which can be used for seasoning (oregano, thyme). It is, however, a relatively non toxic, safe herb; therefore, it is not considered a 4th degree remedy.

Description

A non scented mint

Skellcap can grow up to 6-18 inches tall.

Stem - as in all mints, the stem is square in shape.

Leaves - green, downy leaves grow opposite the stem. The leaves are heart shaped, 1/2-2 1/2 inches long. They are attached to the stem by a short petiole (stem).

Flowers - The flowers are paired along the stem, each with a short petiole. The petals are blue with white inside. The shape is of a long tube, three or four times longer than the calyx (outer petals that are green)

Growing

In New Hampshire, where I live, skullcap is a self seeding annual. In warmer weather, it is a perennial. Skullcap thrives in cool, moist, and partially shaded woodland environments. It requires consistently damp, nutrient-rich, organic soil.

History and lore

American skullcap is a native of North America, where it has a long history of use in traditional Native American medicine. The Cherokee used it during ceremonies to mark the transition of young girls to womanhood and to promote menstruation, for breast pains, and to help expel the afterbirth. The Iroquois used an infusion of the powdered roots to prevent smallpox and to keep the throat clean.

In North American folk medicine, skullcap was used as a sedative and nerve tonic, or “nervine,” and for anxiety.

Dr. Lawrence Van Derveer (1740-1815), a revolutionary era physician who founded the Medical Society of New Jersey, was best known for his studies of the plant Scutellaria lateriflora as a cure for hydrophobia (rabies). However, by 1852, the Eclectic physicians Drs. John King and Robert Newton had dismissed the skullcap as a treatment for rabies.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Eclectic physicians prescribed skullcap for nervousness caused by illness, teething, and mental or physical exhaustion; nervousness with muscular spasms and heart disorders due to stress.

The American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy, a foundational 1915 textbook by physician and herbalist Dr. Finley Ellingwood. includes the following additional uses for skullcap: twitching, nervous tics, epilepsy, paralysis agitans (a progressive, degenerative neurologic disease), irritability and restlessness, nervous excitability, and sleeplessness.

Energetic Architecture

Psychological Profile

The skullcap person is an intense thinker, driven, who frequently carries tension in the jaw or shoulders, and exhibits a furrowed brow; people who are at the “end of their rope”, emotionally reactive, recovering from mental breakdown, or recovering from stimulant overuse. They are hypersensitive to sensory stimuli such as light, noise, and smell.

Taste

Bitter

Energetics

Temperature: Cooling

Fluids: Drying

Tone: Relaxing

Tissue State

Tense/Restriction - Skullcap is beneficial for type A personalities, intense thinkers, and go getters who hold tension in their muscles, particularly in the neck and shoulders.

Hot/Excitation - Skullcap is for the nervous system that is overloaded, or overexcited by sensory impressions, because the allostatic bucket is spilling. The brain reached its capacity to process stimuli; therefore, even the slightest sensory input leads to irritability.

Pharmacology

Flavonoids - are a diverse group of naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds that are responsible for the vibrant colors of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. In plants, they function as protective agents against environmental stressors. In humans, flavonoids act as powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. The roots, stem, and leaves of skullcap contain predominantly baicalein and its glycoside baicalin, wogonin, scutellarein, scutellarin, and lateriflorein. In addition, apigenin, hispidulin, and luteolin .

Essential oils and Terpenoids - are considered secondary metabolites as plants use them as a defense mechanism for survival instead of for growth. They exhibit antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Skullcap essential oil includes τ-cadinene, calamenene, β-elemene, α-cubebene, and α-humulene. Common terpenoids found in skullcap include β-farnesene, hexadecanoic acid (a saturated fatty acid), β-caryophyllene, germacrene D, linalool, and eugenol.

Indoleamines - a class of monoamine neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. S. baicalensis and S. lateriflora are identified as sources of phytomelatonin and serotonin, which contribute to their traditional use for treating insomnia and anxiety. Skullcap extracts have been shown to contain GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), glutamine, β-alanine, and taurine

Phenolic Acids - act as powerful antioxidants. Studies identified gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and ferulic acid in skullcap extracts.

Actions

Foundational actions

Foundational actions are associated with the energetic pattern and can be experienced viscerally in the body.

Skullcap’s foundational action is relaxant. It helps release tension stored in the muscles.

Primary actions

Primary actions relate to organs, systems, or tissues.

Nervine - In small doses, skullcap is a nervous system trophorestorative. It nourishes a nervous system that is depleted due to long term overstimulation.

Sedative - In larger doses, skullcap can help sedate the person with insomnia due to stress.

Anxiolytic - Due to the presence of Indoleamines in skullcap, it can help reduce anxiety.

Analgesic - Skullcap can reduce pain through two pathways:

• As an antispasmodic, it relaxes muscle tension and spasm, especially in the neck and shoulders, which can reduce neck, shoulder, and head pain.

• The flavonoids in skullcap impact inflammatory processes by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX) pathways or by activating dopamine (D2) receptors. They can be applied to reduce acute and chronic pain both internally and topically.

Secondary actions

Secondary actions imply an end result without specifying energetics or the system affected

Antioxidant - Flavonoid and phenolic compounds in skullcap reduce oxidative stress.

Anti-inflammatory - Skullcap reduces inflammation by using the flavonoid compounds, primarily baicalin, baicalein, and wogonin, to inhibit pro-inflammatory enzymes, such as cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX), thereby reducing the production of inflammatory mediators like prostaglandins and leukotrienes.

Organ affinity

• Nervous system

• Digestive System

• Musculoskeletal System

Clinical Pattern

Neuroprotection and Cognitive Health

The antioxidant capacity of the American skullcap provides significant protection for the brain. Skullcap extracts are effective at scavenging toxic free radicals, suppressing oxidative stress, and protecting DNA from fragmentation.

Skullcap was found to increase resilience to age related cognitive and musculoskeletal decline. It is shown to reduce neurodegeneration by protecting brain tissue from vacuolization, a stress driven pathological change in which fluid filled spaces or bubbles form within neurons, axons, or the myelin sheath.

In addition, skullcap might protect the brain from regenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by suppressing nerve apoptosis and protecting neurons.

Stress Response and Cortisol Inhibition

American skullcap may help the body manage physical and psychological stress by modulating the HPA axis.

In vitro studies have shown that American skullcap extract can inhibit cortisol release by 58% to 91% in human adrenal cells. This makes it a potential therapeutic agent for conditions exacerbated by excess cortisol, such as stress related anxiety and depression.

Sleep Management and Insomnia

Skullcap has a long history (over 200 years) of use as a mild sedative to treat sleep disorders. It contains phytomelatonin and serotonin, which help regulate circadian rhythms and promote a healthy sleep-wake cycle.

Recent clinical trials indicate that a standardized extract of American skullcap significantly improves sleep efficiency and overall sleep quality in individuals with mild to moderate primary insomnia with no anxiety or depression.

Skullcap reduces sleep onset latency (the time it takes to fall asleep) and increases total sleep time.

Anxiety Relief

American skullcap is widely recognized for its ability to reduce anxiety and improve mood.

The flavonoids, particularly baicalin and baicalein, bind to the benzodiazepine site of GABAA receptors, which are the same targets used by conventional anti-anxiety medications. It also shows affinity for serotonin receptors, further supporting its use in treating phobias and panic attacks.

Clinical and animal studies demonstrate skullcaps have anxiolytic effects , reducing parameters of anxiety, such as those measured by the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS).

Anti-inflammatory

Although much of the research focuses on COX-2 and 5-LOX, the key drivers of inflammation in the body, inhibition is focused on Chinese skullcap; some evidence suggests that flavonoids found in American skullcap, including baicalin, baicalein, and wogonin, inhibit COX and 5-LOX pro-inflammatory activity.

A 2014 study found that wogonin from skullcap can suppress Th2 immune cells, which promote immune response to allergens and parasites. By suppressing Th2 cells, skullcap downregulates IgE and IL-5 production, thereby reducing the inflammatory response. The results suggest that wogonin from skullcap might be beneficial as a preventative for allergic disorders such as food allergy, atopic dermatitis, and asthma.

Pain Relief

American skullcap is used as an analgesic and antispasmodic to treat neuralgia, migraines, and other types of headaches, as well as pain associated with muscle tension, fibromyalgia, and various types of tension.

Native American medicine traditionally used American skullcap as an infusion to treat breast pain and premenstrual tension.

The pain-relieving effects of skullcap are closely tied to its potent anti-inflammatory actions, which help reduce nociception (the perception of pain). The flavonoids baicalin, baicalein, and wogonin inhibit the cyclooxygenase (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) enzymes,, thus suppressing the synthesis of inflammatory markers such as prostaglandin E2, which are central to the pain response.

Essential Oil from skullcap contains linalool, a compound with known antinociceptive (pain-blocking) and antihyperalgesic properties.

Gut brain axis

Traditionally, Native American and Persian folk medicine used American skullcap to treat nervous tension related to the digestive system. Modern western herbalists frequently prescribe it for digestive disturbances that overlap with anxiety or physical tension.

In IBS models, skullcap significantly reduces levels of TNF-α, a key pro-inflammatory cytokine.

A major concern in IBS is extreme sensitivity to abdominal pain. Skullcap flavonoids, specifically baicalin and baicalein, inhibit pain signaling.

Preparation and dosage

Standard infusion: 4-8 ounces three times daily.

Tincture fresh: 1:2 95%A

Tincture dry: 1:5 60%A

Dosage: 10 drops to 5 ml (1tsp) 2-4 times daily.

Glycerite dried: 1:6 100% G

Dosage: 2-5 ml (0.4-1tsp) 2-4 times daily.

Safety

Skullcap is considered a safe herb.

The worst thing a burnout person can do is use stimulants. It is as if you owe the bank money, and, instead of committing to a payment plan, you borrow more.

For the burnout person, the best thing is to nourish, ground, and calm the nervous system.

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts. I hope you find them beneficial.

I’d love to hear how you’re finding ways to grow your health. Please join the conversation and leave a comment below!

Upgrade to pay

This post is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

Buy Me Coffee

When you hear the word burnout, what comes to mind?

If you think to yourself, “Yes, that’s me, I am burned out,” note that you are not alone; between 44% and 76% of U.S. employees experience burnout at least sometimes.

For many, the word burnout is associated with overwork or other workplace stressors. The World Health Organization defines burnout as an occupational risk, not a health condition.

In August, I focus on burnout, what it is, and herbs you might want to consider to untangle the hormonal tangle that creates burnout.

My plan for August:

Week 1: What is Burnout?

Week 2: Ashwagandha - Grounding Your Nervous System

Week 3: Skullcap - Finding Calm at the End of the Rope

Week 4: Lion’s Mane - Tending To Your Nerves

Like always, my posts are long, deep, and rely heavily on science. You can use the headings to skim them and read the parts that are most relevant to you, or save them and go back to them again and again.

Ashwagandha - Grounding Your Nervous System

Ashwagandha is considered to be an adaptogen, a herb that helps the body adapt to stress. Many adaptogens are stimulants; they help by increasing energy when the body is depleted. However, for a person with burnout, expanding more energy is the worst thing that could happen. It is as if you maxed out your credit card, so you take a loan to shop for more instead of opting for a payment plan.

Ashwagandha is your payment plan. It calms the nervous system and helps you rest so you can heal.

Plant ID

Name: Ashwagandha

Botanical name: Withania somnifera.

Common names: Indian ginseng, winter cherry

What’s in a name

The name ashwagandha comes from Sanskrit, where it means “the smell” (gandha) of a horse (ashva). The name alludes to the strong scent of the roots, which the Indians found similar to that of a sweaty horse.

In Ayurveda, shwagandha is believed to impart the strength, vitality, and stamina of a stallion to whoever consumes it.

The Latin name somnifera means “sleep-inducing”, pointing to the herb’s traditional use as a sedative.

Botanical Family: Solanaceae or nightshade

Part used: Roots

Degree: Ashwagandha is a 3rd degree herb. It is used as a remedy only and will not be used as food (1st degree) or as seasoning (2nd degree). At the same time, it is not a toxic herb (4th degree)

Description

Ashwagandha is a short shrub up to 30 inches tall.

Roots - Long, unbranched, and light brown.

Leaves are broad and elliptic, typically 2 inches long, and dull green.

Flowers - Inconspicuous bell shaped flowers grow in clusters of five and are pale green.

Seeds - A small, smooth, spherical berry that ripens from green to bright red. The seeds sit inside a papery casing that resembles a Chinese lantern.

Growing

Ashwagandha is native to India, Africa, and the Middle East, where it is perennial. It is not frost hardy; thus, it is winter-hardy only in USDA zones 8a to 12b, but can be grown as an annual in colder regions. It will thrive in full sun and well-drained sandy soil.

History and lore

Ashwagandha is a foundational herb in the Ayurvedic medicine system (Traditional Indian Medicine), where it is revered as a Rasayana herb, a herb that builds vitality and stamina.

The earliest mention of the herb is found in the Charaka Samhita, a foundational medical text written by Ayurvedic practitioner Charaka, who lived between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D.

In Unani medicine, the medicine practiced in Persia, Greece, and the Middle East, Withania somnifera is called asgandh. It is mentioned in many old Unani books for treating aging, stress, and improving fertility.

Renowned physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna, c. 980 – 22 June 1037) writes about ashwagandha or Asgandh as it was known in the traditional Unani medicine. He favored using ashwagandha to treat the root causes of joint pain and inflammation rather than just masking symptoms, and noted its sedative effect.

Energetic Architecture

Taste

Slightly sweet

Bitter

Astringent

Energetics

Temperature: Slightly warming, not as a stimulant but as a gentle warmth that feeds the flame of vitality in a cold, depleted, exhausted person.

Fluids: slightly moistening, not in the sense of building mucus, but more when it nourishes depleted tissue.

Tone: Neutral

Tissue State

Cold/ Depression - For low metabolic rate in people who might be recovering from illness and are weak, undernourished, and emaciated. A cold depression tissue state might manifest as a pale complexion, cold hands and feet, fatigue, hair loss, and brittle nails. Ashwagandha acts as a powerful adaptogen, stimulating cellular energy pathways.

Dry/ Atrophy - When there are insufficient fluids to carry nutrients into cells and remove waste products. In dry conditions, cell membranes lose flexibility, and compounds can’t flow in and out of the cell easily, leading to atrophy. People with a dry, atrophic state will have lethargic skin, thin, brittle hair, nails, and bones, and a dry mouth and tongue that might be cracked.

Specific Indications

Ashwagandha is for the “wired and tired” person who is exhausted but can’t wind down. Although they might crash in the afternoon, they get a second wind at 10 pm and have a hard time falling asleep, even though they are fatigued. Their minds are constantly buzzing, unable to stop thinking. Anxious and exhausted.

Pharmacology

Steroidal Lactones - Share the core foundational structure as the steroidal backbone that is common in many hormones, such as Cholesterol, cortisol, testosterone, and estrogen. Ashwagandha contains withanolides, a type of steroidal lactone that can interact with steroid hormone receptors in cells, modulate glucocorticoid signaling (which means they can influence how your cells respond to cortisol), and influence thyroid hormone synthesis.

The steroidal lactones are trophorestorative; they build vitality over the long term.

Alkaloids - are nitrogen containing compounds that act on the interface between different nerves and between nerves and muscles. Ashwagandha contains the following alkaloids: Withanine, Somniferine, Somnine, Withasomnine, Anaferine, and Isopelletierine. These alkaloids bind to GABA receptors on cells, providing acute calmness and a sedative effect.

Sitoindosides - are produced when the steroidal lactone withanolides are bound to a sugar molecule, which increases water solubility and bioavailability. The Sitoindosides are antioxidants and have a protective effect on the brain. They also inhibit the breakdown of acetylcholine, thereby promoting focus, memory, and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) function.

Flavonoids and Phenolics - Kaempferol,quercetin, rutin, chlorogenic acid, and withaniol are responsible for the antioxidant action of ashwagandha and its protective effects on nerves. They also provide an anti-inflammatory effect by modulating NF-κβ, cells’ inflammatory “on” response to threats. Quercetin may have a mast cell stabilizing effect.

Actions

Foundational actions

Foundational actions are associated with the energetic pattern and can be experienced viscerally in the body.

Ashwagandha doesn’t cleanly fit into the six visceral foundational actions. The foundational actions of aromatics, astringents, demulcents, relaxants, stimulants, and bitters do not capture the essence of ashwagandha.

Primary actions

Primary actions relate to organs, systems, or tissues.

Nervous system tonic trophorestorative - Ashwagandha works when used long term in capsule or powder form, helps rebuild a depleted nervous system.

Nervine relaxant sedative - The alkaloid GABAergic activity provides relaxant action.

Mild Adaptogen - Ashwagandha has a normalizing effect on the HPA axis by modulating glucocorticoid receptors, thereby suppressing cortisol’s response. It is a relaxing adaptogen, unlike most adaptogens, which are stimulants.

Thyroid trophorestorative - Studies suggest ashwagandha interacts with thyroid receptors likely through the Steroidal Lactones withanolides. Ashwagandha increased T4 production and improved T4 to T3 conversion, making it beneficial for hypothyroidism.

Secondary actions

Secondary actions imply an end result without specifying energetics or the system affected.

Antioxidant - Flavonoid and phenolic compounds in ashwagandha reduce oxidative stress.

Anti- inflammatory - By putting the brakes on neurotransmitter signaling, GABA protects the brain from allostatic stress. Reducing allostatic overload and promoting sleep reduces inflammation.

Organ affinity

• Nervous system

• Thyroid

• Reproductive system

• Immune system

Clinical Pattern

Nervous System

HPA Axis

The stress response was meant to be an acute adaptive response to threats from the inner or outer environment. When an acute response becomes chronic, it stops being functional and starts to feed inflammation and tissue damage.

The stress response is a hormonal cascade that begins in the hypothalamus with the secretion of CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone), which stimulates the pituitary gland to produce ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone), a messenger hormone that initiates cortisol release by the adrenal gland.

Cortisol got a bad PR. It is much more than a stress hormone; it is an alertness hormone that wakes you up in the morning and keeps you active and engaged until the evening, when it starts to fall. Cortisol does not work alone to keep you alert; it also affects other hormones in the body. Therefore, fluctuations in cortisol affect metabolism, sleep, cardiovascular health, mood, and reproductive health.

A 2023 study suggests that ashwagandha root extract containing 2.5% withanolides can effectively reduce stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol and increasing serotonin in healthy individuals with mild to moderate symptoms. By reducing cortisol and increasing serotonin, ashwagandha helps reduce stress, improve sleep, enhance cognitive and learning skills, and improve mood.

Sleep

Cortisol and melatonin are hanging on the two sides of a seesaw; when one is elevated, the other is suppressed. By reducing cortisol, ashwagandha helps improve sleep quality and quantity.

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials involving 400 participants found that Ashwagandha extract has a small but significant effect on overall sleep. Sleep onset was reduced, and so was the amount of disruptive movement during sleep.

Supplementing with ashwagandha is associated with increased total sleep time and improved sleep efficiency.

The effects of supplementing with ashwagandha are significantly more prominent in individuals clinically diagnosed with insomnia compared to healthy sleepers.

Anxiety

Ashwagandha reduces anxiety through two pathways:

HPA Axis modulation

By normalizing the nervous system, reducing stress and inflammation, and promoting sleep, ashwagandha reduces amygdala reactivity, enhances the hippocampus’s ability to contextualize threats as non dangerous, and increases prefrontal cortex volume and function.

GABAergic effect

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It makes the nervous system less reactive to incoming signals.

When supplementing with medicines or herbs that bind to GABA receptors, you want to be cautious not to exceed the nervous system ceiling. Beyond a certain inhibitory effect, the brain will try to protect itself by reducing the number of GABA receptors. This is, for example, the case with Benzodiazepines and why they are so addictive. The inhibtory effect of benzodiazepines is so profound that the brain reduces the number of GABA receptors. When you remove Benzodiazepines, you have enough GABA but not enough GABA receptors for them to bind to. The withdrawal from Benzodiazepines takes as long as it takes the body to produce new receptors.

Ashwagandha, however, works in a much gentler way that doesn’t reduce the number of GABA receptors. The alkaloids and sitoindosides exhibit partial agonist activity at GABA-A receptors, meaning they bind to GABA-A receptors and produce a mild response that reduces anxiety without downregulating the number of GABA-A receptors.

Endocrine system

The endocrine system is like an orchestra. Each hormone has its own sound. When all hormones resonate, the music they create is harmonious. However, if one hormone is out of tune, it affects all the others.

DHEA

Another hormone produced by the adrenal gland is DHEA, the mother hormone (or substrate) for estrogen and testosterone. DHEA has an interesting relationship with cortisol. It acts as a buffer to reduce the damaging effects of cortisol; for example, DHEA opposes cortisol’s catabolic effects on muscle and bone, supports immune function when cortisol suppresses it, and promotes neurogenesis when cortisol impairs it.

In early signs of stress, both DHEA and cortisol will be elevated because DHEA tries to hold back cortisol. Ashwagandha intake is associated with a significant reduction (approximately 8%) in DHEA-S levels in stressed adults.

However, in chronic stress and burnout, DHEA will be suppressed, which might affect estrogen and testosterone production, leading to reduced libido and zest for life and fertility issues in both men and women.

The ratio between DHEA and cortisol may tell a story that is far more important than their isolated lab results.

Reproductive Hormones - HPG Axis

The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is the hormonal communication cascade governing reproductive function and sex hormone production across all sexes. Like the HPA axis, it operates as a hierarchical feedback system, but instead of cortisol as the endpoint, the endpoints are estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone .

High Cortisol levels directly affect the HPG by suppressing GnRH pulse amplitude and frequency, so the pituitary doesn’t get a clear resonant message. Moreover, cortisol reduces pituitary sensitivity to GnRH; even if the hypothalamus is sending appropriate pulses, the pituitary responds less vigorously. LH and FSH secretion diminishes.

In the ovaries and testicles, cortisol directly impairs the conversion of cholesterol into sex hormones, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, even when receiving adequate LH and FSH stimulation.

By acting on GABA receptors in the hypothalamus, ashwagandha facilitates GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone) expression, which, in turn, modulates the reproductive hormone cascade.

In men, the results are a significant increase in testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which contribute to improved sperm count, motility, and overall fertility.

Clinical trials in women have shown significant improvements in libido and satisfaction from sex. Ashwagandha may help normalize estrogen levels in premenopause, which contributes to the alleviation of menopausal symptoms like hot flushes.

Thyroid hormones

Ashwagandha demonstrated a normalizing effect on thyroid function in patients with hypothyroidism. It is believed to act directly on the hypothalamus pituitary thyroid (HPT) axis by directly stimulating the thyroid gland to secrete T3 and T4. As these hormone levels rise in the blood, they trigger a negative feedback loop that naturally reduces TSH secretion from the pituitary gland.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial involving 50 patients with subclinical hypothyroidism found that treatment with 600 mg of standardized Ashwagandha root extract daily for 8 weeks yielded significant increases in T3 (41.5%) and T4 (19.6%). At the same time, TSH levels decreased by 17.4%.

In studies on rats with induced hypothyroidism, ashwagandha extract (500 mg/kg/day) produced similar results to levothyroxine, a standard clinical treatment in restoring TSH, T3, and T4 levels.

Immune modulation

Ashwagandha exhibits significant immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties through several pathways.

The inflammatory cascade

NF-κB is the master switch that activates the immune system. It regulates cytokine expression, wound healing, and genes involved in immune cell proliferation. Withanolides modulate NF-κB. By affecting the master switch, ashwagandha produces a broad effect across multiple types of immune cells simultaneously.

CRP (C-reactive protein) is produced by the liver in response to the presence of pro-inflammatory white blood cells (IL-6 and IL-1β) . It’s not itself causing inflammation, and it doesn’t tell you where the inflammation is located. specifically

Studies suggest that ashwagandha reduces CRP by mitigating the inflammatory effects of sleep disturbances and insomnia and by improving metabolic health.

By reducing stress and inflammation, ashwagandha reduces oxidative stress markers, such as lipid peroxidation, and inhibits superoxide production in human monocyte cells.

Adaptive immunity modulation

Studies suggest that ashwagandha supports the adaptive immune system by promoting T helper cells, T cytotoxic cells, and B cells.

Th1 and Th2 are adaptive immune cells. Th1 provides immunity against viruses and bacteria that invade cells, and Th2 promotes immunity against parasites and allergens in the extracellular matrix. An imbalance between Th1 and Th2 will lead to an overactive immune system. When Th1 becomes dominant, autoimmune disease will follow; when Th2 is dominant, allergies become an issue.

In immune depleted states due to high cortisol, which suppresses Th1 and promotes Th2 dominance, ashwagandha may restore a more favorable balance by boosting Th1.

Human clinical trials have demonstrated that Ashwagandha supplementation can significantly increase immunoglobulin levels, including IgA, IgM, and IgG.

The adaptive immune cells “live” in the lymphatic system, spleen, and thymus. Animal studies have shown that ashwagandha root tincture can increase the weight of the spleen and thymus.

Innate immunity modulation

Macrophages are innate immune cells that live in the lymphatic system. Part of their role is to engulf and destroy pathogens in a process called phagocytosis. Ashwagandha was found to promote phagocytosis.

NK (Natural Killer) cells are immune cells that locate and destroy cancer cells and damaged cells. Studies suggest that ashwagandha increases the number of NK cells and improves their function.

Preparation and dosage

The immune modulating polysaccharides and sitoindosides, responsible for much of the neuroprotective and cognitive activity, are poorly extracted with alcohol. They are absorbed much better when taken with water or in capsule or powder form.

Standard decoction: 4-8 ounces, 3 times daily in coconut milk with honey.

Capsule: 2-6 capsules (1000-3000 mg) three times a day. I usually recommend my clients take 2 capsules three times daily.

Safety

Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Avoid using alongside any Barbiturates and anxiolytics because of Ashwagandha’s effect on GABA receptors, so it potentiates these meds.

Ashwagandha might interact with steroids.

Avoid in people with heat conditions (redness, heat, swelling, and pain).

Avoid if you have sensitivity to plants in the Solanaceae botanical family.

Avoid in hyperthyroidism.

Avoid in hemochromatosis (excess iron)

The worst thing a burnout person can do is use stimulants. It is as if you owe the bank money, and, instead of committing to a payment plan, you borrow more.

For the burnout person, the best thing is to nourish, ground, and calm the nervous system.

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts. I hope you find them beneficial.

I’d love to hear how you’re finding ways to grow your health. Please join the conversation and leave a comment below!

Upgrade to pay

This post is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

Buy Me Coffee

When you hear the word burnout, what comes to mind?

If you think to yourself, “Yes, that’s me, I am burned out,” note that you are not alone; between 44% and 76% of U.S. employees experience burnout at least sometimes.

For many, the word burnout is associated with overwork or other workplace stressors. The World Health Organization defines burnout as an occupational risk, not a health condition.

In August, I focus on burnout, what it is, and herbs you might want to consider to untangle the hormonal tangle that creates burnout.

My plan for August:

Week 1: What is Burnout?

Week 2: Ashwagandha - Grounding Your Nervous System

Week 3: Skullcap - Finding Calm at the End of the Rope

Week 4: Lion’s Mane - Tending To Your Nerves

Like always, my posts are long, deep, and rely heavily on science. You can use the headings to skim them and read the parts that are most relevant to you, or save them and go back to them again and again.

Burnout 101

The word “burnout” is a catchword, but what do people mean when they claim to be burned out, and what is the difference between burnout and fatigue?

What is burnout?

Burnout happens when stress pushes your nervous system and life forces past its capacity for a long time. Stress buildup depletes the nervous system, reducing its ability to adapt to a changing environment. This leads to the nervous system becoming stuck in a sympathetic (fight-or-flight) response.

Allostasis is the body’s mechanism for maintaining stability (homeostasis) in the face of environmental changes. In allostatic overload, the stress response stays active too long. This causes biological “wear and tear” from chronic, ongoing stress. The body may forecast danger even at rest.

Some common symptoms of burnout

Although fatigue is part of the picture of burnout, burnout has many more pervasive symptoms; it is a whole body experience.

Low vitality

The person experiencing burnout feels deep exhaustion and malaise. It is the type of exhaustion that is not relieved by sleep, making it hard to get out of bed in the morning. They might opt to use stimulants such as coffee or sweets to function.

Another aspect of vitality that is diminished in burnout is libido.

Low cognitive capacities

Those with burnout may have slow processing or feel “brain fog.” Memory loss is common. They may struggle to follow complex conversations or read, remember, and focus on tasks for more than a few minutes.

Emotional dysregulation

People who experience burnout often become emotionally dysregulated, which may manifest as a tendency to cry. They might feel frazzled or “at the end of their rope,” which makes them inclined to “flip out” over small, trivial matters.

At the same time, they might be overwhelmed with anxiety.

Plunged Interest and motivation

People with burnout might lose interest and motivation in activities that they once considered fun. The loss of interest stems from depleted resources.

It is important to note that under the heavy blanket of exhaustion, the burnout person remembers what brought him joy but lacks the energy to engage.

This is like a phone with a 2% battery: the hardware and software are intact, but there is not enough power.

Somatic

Long term exposure to stress leads to sensory hypersensitivity. Every noise, touch, or light is experienced as a “personal attack.”

Stiff neck and shoulders are common in people with burnout, as well as digestive complaints such as constipation and indigestion, and cardiovascular complaints, such as heart palpitations and high blood pressure.

Sleep disruptions

Although they are tired people with burnout, struggle to fall and stay asleep. They feel “tired and wired,” unable to settle down and get a rejuvenating sleep. The body does not anticipate “safety,” leading to shallow, restless sleep that might be disturbed by dreams that fail to reach deep, restorative sleep stages.

Stress response 101

The autonomic nervous system is a fast acting automatic response to changes within and outside the body. It manages all life sustaing functions and maintains stability over time. For the autonomic nervous system to maintain stability or allostasis, it needs to balance the two branches: the parasympathetic branch, a rest and digest response, and the sympathetic branch, a fight or flight and fawn response.

When one of these branches is activated, the other is inhibited. A healthy nervous system can move with ease between these two autonomic responses in adaptation to the organism’s needs.

Stress and the HPA axis

Hormones manage the stress response. The command post of all hormones is the hypothalamus. When your hypothalamus senses changes in the inner or outer environment that it interprets as a threat, it produces corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH).

The pituitary responds to an increase in CRH by secreting adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) into systemic circulation. ACTH travels through the bloodstream to the adrenal cortex.

The adrenal cortex responds by synthesizing and releasing cortisol, a glucocorticoid steroid hormone, into systemic circulation.

Cortisol increases the body’s capacity to fight or flee by elevating blood glucose, prioritizing energy for immediate survival functions, suppressing inflammation, and enhancing alertness, sensory processing, and memory.

Rising cortisol signals the hypothalamus and pituitary glands to stop secreting CRH and ACTH, thereby suppressing the stress response.

The stress response was designed to be a short term response only.

From stress to burnout

Burnout is not a static condition; instead, it’s the accumulation of various steps that lead to total depletion of resources.

First step - The high

In the first step, high cortisol, DHEA, adrenaline, and noradrenaline, along with slightly elevated thyroid function, reflect the body’s efforts to mobilize resources.

Subjectively, it might feel like heightened energy and productivity, a sense of purpose and capability, and adaptive social and emotional functions. You might feel fatigue, but you can push through. Although you might feel mildly anxious, you are motivated.

Second phase - Compensating

Your body’s capacity to handle stress and your energy reserves are unique to you. This is why the time you move from the first phase to the second is indevidual: it can be weeks for some, months for others.

Running at high gear for longer than your body’s capacity allows means the body needs to find ways to compensate for dwindling resources, leading to hormonal changes that can raise red flags.

How does your hormone look on the 2nd stage:

Cortisol

Cortisol levels remain elevated, but the circadian cycle begins to flatten, meaning the morning peak loses its momentum, making it hard to get up in the morning; at the same time, evening cortisol levels don’t drop as they should, so you count sheep or toss and turn in bed.

DHEA

DHEA is a substrate of estrogen and testosterone, and is regulated by ACTH, the same pituitary hormone that regulates cortisol.

DHEA is an antagonist to cortisol; it buffers some of cortisol’s more damaging effects, particularly on the brain and immune system.

In healthy short term stress conditions, DHEA and cortisol will be slightly elevated. However, in the long term, DHEA will begin to decline. The adrenals have been sustaining high output for long enough that DHEA synthesis starts to suffer. This is significant because DHEA is neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and counterbalances many of cortisol’s catabolic effects.

When the ratio between cortisol and DHEA shifts upward, the balance tips toward net catabolic, pro-inflammatory physiology.

Pregnenolone

Pregnenolone is the mother hormone; it is the precursor steroid for cortisol, DHEA, progesterone, testosterone, and estrogens. Under sustained cortisol production, more pregnenolone is converted to cortisol at the expense of other downstream hormones, leading to a decline in reproductive hormones and DHEA, shifting the entire hormonal ecosystem.

Glucocorticoid receptor

The hypothalamus is a small area at the base of the brain, just above the pituitary gland, where the endocrine and nervous systems converge; it plays a critical role in the feedback loop that suppresses cortisol secretion.

When cortisol receptors in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and pituitary are chronically overstimulated, they become less sensitive. The negative feedback loop is becoming less efficient, which means cortisol stays elevated longer after stressors because the braking signal is weakening.

Subjectively, that might feel like exhaustion that is not remedied by a good night’s sleep, a reactive, irritable mood, brain fog and focus issues, social withdrawal, and anxiety. First signs of somatic complaints start to appear: gut issues, tension headaches, tense muscles, and pain or frequent illness.

The person in stage two might be trying to press on, but they might notice that achieving their desired outcome becomes harder; they might try to compensate with coffee or other stimulants, only to accelerate their progress towards total dysregulation.

Third stage - dysregulation

When the compensation strategies fail, people become burned out.

How does your hormone look on the 3rd stage:

Cortisol

Cortisol, which was elevated in stages one and two, may now be low to flatlined.

The circadian cycle is profoundly dysregulated; cortisol is low in the morning when it should be high and not meaningfully lower in the evening, which means you struggle to get up from bed in the morning but also have a hard time falling asleep.

DHEA

is substantially depleted, and with it, its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory functions are substantially compromised.

Systemic hormonal dysregulation

The endocrine system functions like a very complex orchestra. Each hormone has its own unique sound, but they all work together to create homeostasis. When all hormones function well, they create harmony. However, when one hormone is out of tune, it sounds like a cacophony.

Chronic high cortisol has a profound effect on all the other hormones:

Reproductive hormones are often significantly disrupted: low testosterone in men, menstrual irregularities in women, and estrogen dominance relative to progesterone, leading to heavy bleeding and fibroids.

Thyroid function is frequently suppressed as the body tries to conserve energy.

Insulin sensitivity may be disrupted from months of cortisol-driven glucose dysregulation.

Melatonin rhythm is often disrupted because the circadian cycle is dysregulated.

Burnout & Neuroinflammation

Over time, burnout leads to neuroinflammation, which becomes more pronounced in stages two and three.

While in stage one, as cortisol’s anti-inflammatory function is largely intact, in stage two, as glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity begins to decline in immune cells, the anti-inflammatory signaling that cortisol provides becomes less effective. Immune cells, particularly macrophages and microglia, become increasingly resistant to cortisol’s suppressive signals. The result is an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Microglia are the brain’s resident immune cells. Under normal conditions, they perform surveillance, pruning, and maintenance functions. Under chronic inflammatory signaling, they shift into an activated state, causing local low grade inflammation within the brain tissue itself.

Signs of brainflammation

The hippocampus has the highest density of glucocorticoid receptors, making it particularly vulnerable to cortisol exposure, which can enhance inflammation. At the same time, its high metabolic demand increases oxidative stress and promotes inflammation.

The hippocampus is critical for emotional processing and memory consolidation. Prolonged burnout can reduce neural connections and may lead to:

Memory and cognitive dysfunction

Overactive stress response with no brakes

Anxiety and emotional reactivity without proportion to present circumstances.

Cognitive rigidity with black and white

A dysregulated endocrine system and neuroinflammation can become a beast that feeds itself. Where burnout feeds hormonal imbalance and brain inflammation, and these, in turn, increase stress and burnout.

The worst thing a burnout person can do is use stimulants. It is as if you owe the bank money, and, instead of committing to a payment plan, you borrow more.

For the burnout person, the best thing is to nourish, ground, and calm the nervous system.

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts. I hope you find them beneficial.

I’d love to hear how you’re finding ways to grow your health. Please join the conversation and leave a comment below!

Upgrade to pay

This post is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

Buy Me Coffee

Welcome to August in Growing Health

When you hear the word burnout, what comes to mind?

If you think to yourself, “Yes, that’s me, I am burned out,” note that you are not alone; between 44% and 76% of U.S. employees experience burnout at least sometimes.

For many, the word burnout is associated with overwork or other workplace stressors. The World Health Organization defines burnout as an occupational risk, not a health condition.

In August, I focus on burnout, what it is, and herbs you might want to consider to untangle the hormonal tangle that creates burnout.

My plan for August:

Week 1: Burnout 101

Week 2: Ashwagandha - Grounding Your Nervous System

Week 3: Skullcap - Finding Calm at the End of the Rope

Week 4: Lion’s Mane - Tending To Your Nerves

Burnout, as we will discover in August, is a whole body condition that can arise from any kind of stress. Once stress becomes chronic and exceeds the body’s capacity and resources, the road to burnout is paved.

Understanding the early signals of burnout is crucial for putting the brakes on and stopping the acceleration of the hormonal dysregulation.

In a culture that glorifies productivity, it is crucial to internalize that burnout is not fun and that, once it reaches its full manifestation, you are locked in an endocrine vicious cycle that is hard to untangle. Prevention is much easier than reversing.

Like always, my posts are long, deep, and rely heavily on science. You can use the headings to skim them and read the parts that are most relevant to you, or save them and go back to them again and again.

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts. I hope you find them beneficial.

I’d love to hear how you’re finding ways to grow your health. Please join the conversation and leave a comment below!

Upgrade to pay

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

Buy Me Coffee

Constipation is not just unpleasant; it is also toxic and can be the root cause of other conditions.

When stool sits in the colon for longer than normal, waste products and hormones leak back into the blood. For example, estrogen might be activated by a bacterial enzyme and then reabsorbed into the body, leading to estrogen dominance and conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, fibrocystic breast tissue, and PMS.

When toxins remain in the body for longer, they promote systemic inflammation, increase gut permeability, and contribute to the development of autoimmune conditions.

The gut brain axis is a network of communication between the enteric nervous system, which sends and receives information from the gut, and the brain. Constipation compromises the gut brain axis, leading to cognitive conditions such as brain fog, but also mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

Another axis affected by constipation is the gut skin axis. Dysbiosis and intestinal permeability drive systemic inflammation and immune dysregulation that manifests on the skin. The skin is an elimination organ; when primary elimination pathways are compromised, the body uses secondary pathways, including the skin, which drives inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and acne.

I hope I have convinced you that constipation is a worthy topic to focus on.

In July, I plan to answer your constipation questions:

Week 1: Why am I constipated?

Week 2: Dandelion - Move Your Shit

Week 3: Cascara Sagrada - A Stimulant Laxative

Week 4: Psyllium -Bulk Your Poop

As a clinical herbalist, I am a root cause practitioner. This means we are going to dig into the roots of the problem to understand what causes constipation and what the best approach to a care plan is.

The first post is especially long, as there are so many causes of constipation. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Psyllium -Bulk Your Poop

Modern foraging groups consume between 100 and 150 grams of fiber per day. The fiber they eat comes from tuber roots, fruits, nuts, and seeds. The average person in Western culture consumes 10 to 15 grams of fiber a day, about 10% of what we think our ancestors, the hunter-gatherers, used to eat.

The human body evolved over eons, relying on a rich fiber diet. The digestive system and our relationship with gut bacteria depend on the amount of fiber in our diet. Less fiber leads to irregular bowel movements, dysbiosis, and metabolic conditions.

Psyllium husk powder is a good source of fiber that can be easily ingested in a smoothie or with yogurt to support digestive and metabolic health.

Plant ID

Name: Psyllium Husk

Botanical name: Plantago ovata

Common names: Ispaghula, blond plantain,desert Indian wheat, blond psyllium.

What’s in a name

The common name psyllium is derived from the Greek word for ‘flea,’ due to its small, prolific seeds (each plant can produce up to 15,000) that are tiny, oval, and brown, resembling clustered fleas. Each plant is highly prolific, capable of producing up to 15,000 of these “flea-like” seeds in a single season.

In West Asia, Pakistan, and India, it is commonly referred to by its Persian name, Isabgol, meaning “horse flowers” because they resemble a horse’s head.

Part used: Seed husk

Degree: 2nd degree. You wouldn’t eat a bowl full of psyllium, but you can safely add some to your meal.

Description

Plantago ovata is a broadleaf deciduous annual / biennial herb that grows close to the ground, reaching heights of 4 to 16 inches.

Leaves are about 6 inches long, blue green, and form a rosette.

Flowers grow on top of a 3 inch tall spike. They are tan and fuzzy, attracting pollinators.

Fruits are small, two seeded capsules.

Seeds are tiny, 1/16 of an inch in size, ellipsoid, and reddish-brown to black.

Growing

Psyllium Husk is native to the Mediterranean, and West and South Asia. It grows well in mild temperatures (60-85F) in a sunny area of the garden with rich, well drained soil.

History and lore

Psyllium Husk originated in the Mediterranean region, including Southern Europe and North Africa, and was traded by merchants to India, where it naturalized and became extensively cultivated.

It has a long history of use in the Unani tibbi medical system, an ancient, holistic healing system rooted in Greco-Arabic traditions where it was used for constipation, diarrhea, intestinal ulcers, and as a stool softener for hemorrhoids.

In Ayurveda, psyllium has a long history of use for a vata type constipation, diarrhea, high stomach acids, and hemorrhoids. It is sometimes combined with fenugreek (Methi) powder and used with warm milk, yogurt, buttermilk, or ghee.

Energetic Architecture

Taste

Neutral, slightly starchy, bland.

Energetics

Temperature: Cooling

Fluids: Moistening

Tone: Neutral to slightly toning.

Tissue State

Heat/Excitation - Psyllium is beneficial for inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract. Specifically for leaky gut, IBS, and diverticulitis. The gel physically coats the inflamed mucosa, acting as a protective barrier that buffers the tissue from further irritation.

Dry/Atrophy - Psyllium moistens and softens hard, dry stool and dry mucosa, easing bowel movements.

Pharmacology

Polysaccharides - Psyllium is mainly made out of long complex chains of sugar molecules that act like a “structural goo” or mucilage.

The Main Structure - Heteroxylan is composed of a long, straight chain of sugar xylose, with branching sugar chains, primarily arabinose and more xylose. Unlike the fiber found in wheat or oats, psyllium’s “branches” are very long, dense, and complex. This complex branching is exactly what makes it so good at trapping water and forming a thick gel.

Rhamnogalacturonan-I is a pectin-like polymer that is much smaller than the heteroxylan but very important. It is highly hydrophilic, meaning it loves water and acts as the “starter” that pulls water into the rest of the fiber, allowing the whole husk to hydrate and expand.

Proteins - about 2.5%

Minerals (Ash) - approximately 2.1%.

Lipids - about 0.5%.

Phenolic Compounds - The husk contains phenolic molecules and exhibits antioxidant activity, though these are found in much higher concentrations in the whole seed.

Ferulic Acid - present in very low amounts compared to other cereals. Unlike cereal fibers, psyllium does not rely on ferulic acid for creating more permanent chemical links (covalent bonds) that lock its structure in place. Instead, it forms a “physical” gel held together by temporary, flexible hydrogen bonds that bind the complex sugar branches of the fiber. Because these connections are physical rather than permanent chemical glues, the resulting gel is uniquely flexible and “self-healing,” meaning it can be broken apart by stirring or heating and then easily reform its structure once it settles.

Actions

Foundational action

Foundational action is associated with the energetic pattern and can be experienced viscerally in the body.

Demulcent - The soluble fiber in psyllium forms a gel when it comes into contact with water. The effect on tissue is moistening, cooling, and soothing.

Primary actions

Primary actions relate to organs, systems, or tissues.

Bulk laxative - The gel that forms when psyllium is mixed with fluids bulks the stool and creates pressure in the colon, activating bowel receptors.

Antidiarrheal — When stool is too watery, psyllium can absorb some of the fluids, increase the consistency of the stool, and reduce the motility rate.

Hypocholesterolemic - Soluble fiber from psyllium binds bile acids in the intestinal lumen, forcing the liver to pull cholesterol from circulation to synthesize new bile.

Hypoglycemic — By creating a viscous barrier in the small intestine, psyllium slows glucose absorption, suppressing postprandial blood sugar spikes.

Prebiotic - The soluble fiber feeds beneficial gut bacteria, particularly bifidobacteria. Fermentation in the colon produces short chain fatty acids like butyrate, which are critical for colonocyte health.

Mucosal trophorestorative - When used long term, psyllium might restore intestinal mucosal integrity.

Secondary action

Secondary actions imply an end result without specifying energetics or the system affected.

Anti-inflammatory to intestinal mucosa - By directly coating and protecting the mucosa from irritants and supporting a healthy microbiome through providing a prebiotic that, when fermented, becomes butyrate, which reduces inflammation.

Organ affinity

Digestive tract

Clinical Pattern

Dietary fiber splits into two major categories based on water solubility. Another factor that affects how dietary fiber acts in the body is the extent of its fermentation capacity.

Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and does not form a gel; it does, however, add bulk to stool, speeds transit by increasing stool mass, and stimulates stretch receptors. Insoluble fiber does not have a significant prebiotic effect or affect glucose or cholesterol metabolism.

Soluble fiber dissolves in water, ferments easily, has a strong prebiotic effect, promotes butyrate and short chain fatty acid production, but might cause bloating and gas.

Psyllium is unique because it is a soluble fiber with limited capacity to ferment, which allows psyllium to :

• Form a robust viscous gel that suppresses glucose digestion and absorption, bile acid reabsorption, and has a normalizing effect on stool.

• It reaches the colon largely intact, without being rapidly fermented,, which means far less gas and bloating than with other soluble fibers, such as inulin.

• It still has modest prebiotic effects, but through slower fermentation.

Digestive health

Constipation and diarrhea

In normal digestion, waste products and fiber reach the colon in a soup-like consistency with water and digestive enzymes. In the colon, most of the water is reabsorbed, and the stool is formed. Two factors affect healthy stool formation: hydration and transit time.

If transit time is slow or the body is dehydrated, it will absorb more water from the chyme, and the stool that forms will be dry and hard. Slow transient time could be due to insufficient fiber, hypothyroidism, insufficient mucosal secretions, regardless of systemic hydration, sedentary lifestyle, and dysbiosis.

If the transit time is too fast, fluids don’t have sufficient time to be reabsorbed by the body. The stool will not form and stay soupy.

Psyllium is unique because it is therapeutic for both constipation and diarrhea.

The high water holding capacity of psyllium moistens the stool and prevents it from becoming dry and hard in the colon, acting as a softener and emollient.

On the other hand, the gel formed when psyllium and water are combined absorbs excess water in the intestinal lumen, bulking up loose watery stool and slowing transit. Pesyllium will be beneficial for mild to moderate loose stool, loose stool from insufficient fiber intake, IBS with diarrhea predominance, post-antibiotic loose stool while rebuilding the microbiome, and diarrhea associated with GLP-1 agonist medications.

In acute severe diarrhea with constant watery diarrhea (Bristol 6-7) that never resolves, such as during an IBS flare or acute infectious diarrhea, adding fiber can actually worsen things. Adding psyllium only when the daily number of bowel movements is reduced to 5-6.

Gut Microbiome and Prebiotic Effects

The gut microbiome plays a critical role in transit time by fermenting soluble fiber and producing butyrate and short chain fatty acids.

Research on the extent to which psyllium husk is fermented in the colon is inconclusive. Recent studies suggest that it is partially or slowly fermentable. Supplementing with psyllium can increase beneficial butyrate producing bacteria while reducing strains associated with hard stools and slow transit.

At the same time, when the gut microbiome ferments psyllium, it produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate, which are essential for long-term gut health.

Metabolic health

Glycemic control

Psyllium’s viscous gel physically envelops starch, thereby slowing its movement into the small intestine, spreading the glucose load over a longer time window. Glucose breakdown is also compromised as the gel doesn’t allow amylase, the enzyme that breaks down disaccharides and polysaccharides into glucose, to access the starch.

Weight management and satiation

When nutrients, especially fats and carbohydrates, reach the distal ileum (the terminal portion of the small intestine), specialized endocrine cells release hormones (GLP-1) in response to their presence. These hormones slow the entire upper GI process; gastric emptying slows, small intestinal transit slows, appetite decreases, and digestive secretions are modulated.

Psyllium’s viscous gel slows nutrient absorption in the small intestine, suppressing glucose absorption. At the same time, nutrients enter the distal ileum before they are fully absorbed, thereby reducing appetite.

Meta-analyses show that taking psyllium before meals can lead to significant reductions in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference in overweight individuals.

Cholesterol & LDL

Bile acids are synthesized in the liver from cholesterol and secreted into the small intestine to aid fat digestion. Normally, around 95% of bile acids are reabsorbed in the terminal ileum and recycled back to the liver.

Psyllium’s gel binds bile acids in the intestinal lumen, preventing their reabsorption and moving them to the colon for elimination in stool. When the liver senses a reduction in bile acid return, it upregulates LDL receptors to pull more cholesterol from circulation and produce more bile acids. The result is reduced LDL.

Psyllium is most beneficial for mild to moderate LDL elevation in the context of metabolic syndrome, and poor dietary fiber intake contributes to reduced bile acid excretion, and as part of a comprehensive cardiovascular protocol.

Clinical trials have demonstrated reductions of up to 17% in LDL cholesterol and 11% in total cholesterol with daily supplementation.

However, psyllium should not be used as a standalone therapy for high LDL. It should be used alongside other strategies to address the high lipids.

Preparation and dosage

The best way to ingest psyllium is in capsule or powder form. The texture of the powder is not pleasant, but adding psyllium to a smoothie, porridge, or yogurt will make it easier to ingest.

Whole husk or powder:

• 5-10g in 8oz or more of water, 1-3 times daily.

• Always followed by additional fluids.

Timing considerations:

• For constipation — with meals or before bed

• For blood sugar regulation — 10-20 minutes before meals

• For cholesterol, consistency matters more than timing, though before meals it is reasonable.

Safety

Psyllium should always be used with plenty of water, as gel formation requires adequate fluid to work properly. Without enough water, the psyllium mass can become a thick, sticky, doughy bolus that might:

• Slows or stops in the esophagus — there are documented cases of esophageal obstruction from psyllium taken without adequate fluid, particularly in people with any pre-existing esophageal narrowing or motility issues.

• Compounds constipation rather than relieving it — instead of a slippery gel moving things along, you get a dense fibrous mass that makes the constipation worse.

• Creates a mechanical obstruction risk in anyone with existing bowel narrowing, strictures, or adhesions.

Extra caution should be used with elderly people who often have reduced thirst sensation and baseline dehydration.

Psyllium is safe for the FODMAP diet.

I’d love to hear how you’re finding ways to grow your health. Please join the conversation and leave a comment below!

Upgrade to pay

This post is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

Buy Me Coffee

Constipation is not just unpleasant; it is also toxic and can be the root cause of other conditions.

When stool sits in the colon for longer than normal, waste products and hormones leak back into the blood. For example, estrogen might be activated by a bacterial enzyme and then reabsorbed into the body, leading to estrogen dominance and conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, fibrocystic breast tissue, and PMS.

When toxins remain in the body for longer, they promote systemic inflammation, increase gut permeability, and contribute to the development of autoimmune conditions.

The gut brain axis is a network of communication between the enteric nervous system, which sends and receives information from the gut, and the brain. Constipation compromises the gut brain axis, leading to cognitive conditions such as brain fog, but also mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

Another axis affected by constipation is the gut skin axis. Dysbiosis and intestinal permeability drive systemic inflammation and immune dysregulation that manifests on the skin. The skin is an elimination organ; when primary elimination pathways are compromised, the body uses secondary pathways, including the skin, which drives inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and acne.

I hope I have convinced you that constipation is a worthy topic to focus on.

In July, I plan to answer your constipation questions:

Week 1: Why am I constipated?

Week 2: Dandelion - Move Your Shit

Week 3: Cascara Sagrada - A Stimulant Laxative

Week 4: Psyllium -Bulk Your Poop

As a clinical herbalist, I am a root cause practitioner. This means we are going to dig into the roots of the problem to understand what causes constipation and what the best approach to a care plan is.

The first post is especially long, as there are so many causes of constipation. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.Join me to find out what plant based alkaloids whisper to our bodies. How we can benefit from their gifts, and when to be wary of their poison.

Cascara Sagrada - A Stimulant Laxative

Constipation is painful, uncomfortable, and tiring. When you are constipated, pooping is the only thing on your mind; you are willing to do what it takes for a healthy bowel movement. Cascara sagrada is sold as an off the counter laxative. However, it has some safety issues that are worth considering.

Before you reach for a stimulant laxative like cascara sagrada or senna, take the time to research and understand how they work and how to best use them.

Plant ID

Name: Cáscara Sagrada

Botanical name: Rhamnus purshiana or Frangula purshiana

Common names: Bearberry, Cascara, Cascara Buckthorn, chittem bark, Cascara Sagrada, Chittam Bark, Coffee-Tree

What’s in a name

The name cascara sagrada comes from Spanish; It means sacred bark.

Botanical Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn family)

Part used: bark

Degree: Cascara sagrada is a 3rd degree remedy. It’s only used as medicine; however, it is not a low dose botanical.

Description

Cascara Sagrada is a large deciduous shrub or small tree that grows 15 to 40 feet tall. It features a slender trunk (8 to 20 inches in diameter) with ascending branches that form a narrow, upright crown.

Bark: The outer bark is brownish to silver-gray and often splotched with light-colored lichens. The inner bark is bright yellow or smooth, intensely bitter, and darkens upon exposure to sunlight.

Leaves: Simple, alternately arranged, and clustered near the ends of twigs. They are oblong, 2-6 inches long. The top of the leaf is dark, shiny green, while the bottom is paler. In autumn, the foliage turns a vibrant yellow.

Flowers: Small, umbrella shaped clusters of tiny greenish yellow or greenish-white flowers appear briefly in the spring (May to June). Each flower is cup shaped and measures about 3-5 mm across.

Berries: Round berries, about the size of a large pea. They start bright red and quickly ripen to a deep purplish-black by late summer. Each berry contains 2 to 3 seeds.

Growing

Cascara Sagrada is native to the Pacific Northwest and grows in zones 4a-9b. It prefers a partly shaded area in moist, hummus rich soil with a pH of 4-7.

History and lore

Cascara sagrada has a long history of use by the native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, who introduced it to white settlers in 1870. Dr. Bundy, who was an Eclectic physician from Northern California, wrote about cascara sagrada in 1878:

“It acts upon the sympathetic nervous system, especially upon the solar plexus, stimulating the nutritive and assimilative forces, increasing the digestive processes generally. It acts upon the secretory system in a marvelous manner, especially where the secretions are deficient and perverted, and this seems to be one of its special indications. Constipation depends upon the nature of the diet, deficiency or a faulty composition of the intestinal secretions, disordered glands that pour their secretions into the intestines, impairment of muscular power, which leads to a deficiency in their propelling power which may result from nervous or mechanical influences, congestion of the portal circulation, normal secretion of intestinal juices interfered with, deficiency in biliary secretions of a healthy character, congestion of mucous membranes of intestines, and last and the most frequent, constipation which has been caused by resisting the calls of nature from carelessness or circumstances that prevent obedience at the proper time.”

Following the listing of cascara sagrada in the Pharmacopeia of the United States (1890), the use of cascara sagrada as a digestive stimulant and to relieve constipation skyrocketed.

Energetic Architecture

Psychological profile

Cascara is used to help clear energetic blockages and release stagnant emotions, such as frustration or repressed anger. It is for the person who has a hard time letting go of clinging to old habits, past grievances, leading to emotional constipation.

Taste

Intensely bitter

Energetics

Temperature: Cooling

Fluids: Drying

Tone: Increasing tone

Tissue State

Damp/Stagnation - Cascara works well for people with a sluggish digestive system when digestion, absorption, and elimination are stagnant. Sluggish, infrequent bowel movements. They might feel heavy or full but have a hard time eliminating.

It acts as a stimulant that irritates the lining of the digestive tract, increasing heat and excitation; therefore, it should not be used with people who are in a hot or excited state.

Lax tissue state - Cascara is specific for the type of constipation caused by smooth muscle tone loss in the colon. Peristalsis is weakened and doesn’t effectively propel stool into the rectum.

Pharmacology

Anthraquinone glycosides - are aromatic carbon based compounds that give the inner root its yellow color. The anthraquinone glycosides in cascata sagrada include emodin, chrysophanic acid, aloe-emodin, cascarosides A, B,C, and D. They have antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, laxative, insecticidal, and antioxidant properties.

Tannins - that can help balance the inhibiting effect of cascara on the reabsorption of water and electrolytes

Volatile oil

Actions

Foundational action

Foundational action is associated with the energetic pattern and can be experienced viscerally in the body.

Cascara sagrada is a stimulant as it moves stagnation by creating irritation and excitation.

Primary actions

Primary actions relate to organs, systems, or tissues.

Laxative - cascara works by actively stimulating colonic motility through the enteric nervous system.

Cholagogue - cascara improves bile production by the liver and the release of bile by the gallbladder. By doing so, cascara addresses the roots of constipation in a sluggish, stagnant liver.

Bitter - as a bitter herb, it promotes digestive enzyme secretion and motility, hence improving digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Purgative/Aperient -cascara actions are dose dependent. In high doses, cascara is purgative; it will stimulate rapid, forceful bowel evacuation with watery, urgent, often multiple evacuations. In low doses, however, cascara is an aperient acting as a gentle, mild laxative that produces soft formed stool and supports natural bowel rhythm.

Organ affinity

Colon

Clinical Pattern

Laxative

The most common use of cascara sagrada is as a short term laxative for constipation. However, not all constipation can be attributed to the same root cause. Cascara is specific for constipation due to atony of the bowel, meaning the smooth muscles of the colon are underactive and not functioning properly.

Cascara helps relieve constipation through two pathways:

promoting peristalsis

The anthraquinone glycosides in cascara are not metabolized in the stomach and small intestine but reach the colon mostly intact. In the colon, gut bacteria convert the glycosides into their anthrone aglycones. These active aglycones irritate the mucus membrane, promoting spasmodic peristalsis movement that propels the stool downward. Food takes about 6 hours to reach the colon; therefore, cascara sagrada produces its laxative effects about 6 hours after a meal.

Cascara sagrada is considered a mild laxative compared to senna, for example, which also contains anthraquinone glycosides. However, long term use of cascara causes smooth muscle atrophy from disuse, and the enteric nervous system loses functional tone because the colon becomes increasingly dependent on external stimulation to move anything.

Inhibiting the reabsorption of water and electrolytes

Chyme arrives at the colon as a soup of fiber, waste products, fluids, enzymes, bile acids, and electrolytes. In the colon, most fluids and electrolytes are absorbed back into the body. Cascara sagrada inhibits the reabsorption of water and electrolytes, leading to softer stool and increased bowel pressure, which facilitates evacuation.

Long term use of cascara sagrada can have a drying effect on the body and lead to an electrolyte imbalance.

Simon Mill warns us about the effects of long term use of herbs containing anthraquinone glycosides, due to the risk of loss of colonic muscle tone. He suggests the use of one part anthraquinone glycosides containing herb with two parts chamomile, which is anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory, and four parts psyllium that bulk the stool.

Preparation and dosage

It is rare to give cascara or any stimulant laxative by itself; They are mostly used in a formula with carminative herbs. The addition of a carminative and a bulking herb (psyllium) can help prevent intestinal cramps and explosive bowel movements.

Cascara sagrada requires the presence of sugar and bile to be activated in the colon. Simon Mills recommends using cascara with bitter roots that promote bile secretion and also contain polysaccharides such as dandelion.

The tea is unpleasant.

Tincture: aged dried bark 1:5 40%A

Dosage: 1-2 ml (0.2-0.4 tsp) in a little water just before bedtime. Normally, it will promote morning evacuation.

Capsules: 500-1000mg morning and or evening.

Safety

Cascara sagrada or any herb containing anthraquinone glycosides is not appropriate for constipation associated with tension or spasm in the bowel induced by tension in the gut brain axis. Constipation worsened by stress, alternating with diarrhea, or with passing small goat like stool should not be treated with stimulant laxatives but instead with a visceral relaxant or herbs that relax smooth muscles, such as chamomile, valerian, lobelia, or carminatives like fennel and anise.

Fresh cascara bark has emetic, or vomit inducing properties.

Cascara sagrada should be used for no longer than seven days. Long term use of anthraquinones might have notable side effects:

Development of Melanesia coli, a condition in which the colon lining takes on a dark brownish black hue, increasing the risk for cancer

Anthraquinone dependency is developed in individuals who have been using it as a laxative over prolonged periods. The muscles in the colon lose tone and can’t propel stool down into the rectum, leading to chronic constipation.

Overconsumption of anthraquinones causes abdominal cramps, gastrointestinal discomfort, vomiting, dermatitis, nausea, bloody diarrhea, and dizziness.

Overuse of cascara sagrada can cause potassium deficiency and cardiovascular complications. Also, potassium deficiency might be exacerbated by the simultaneous application of thiazide diuretics, corticosteroids, and licorice root.

Avoid during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or in children under 12 years old.

Avoid in inflammatory bowel conditions, intestinal obstruction, acute intestinal inflammation, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, appendicitis, abdominal pain of unknown origin, fever, and liver conditions.

I’d love to hear how you’re finding ways to grow your health. Please join the conversation and leave a comment below!

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This post is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

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Constipation is not just unpleasant; it is also toxic and can be the root cause of other conditions.

When stool sits in the colon for longer than normal, waste products and hormones leak back into the blood. For example, estrogen might be activated by a bacterial enzyme and then reabsorbed into the body, leading to estrogen dominance and conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, fibrocystic breast tissue, and PMS.

When toxins remain in the body for longer, they promote systemic inflammation, increase gut permeability, and contribute to the development of autoimmune conditions.

The gut brain axis is a network of communication between the enteric nervous system, which sends and receives information from the gut, and the brain. Constipation compromises the gut brain axis, leading to cognitive conditions such as brain fog, but also mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

Another axis affected by constipation is the gut skin axis. Dysbiosis and intestinal permeability drive systemic inflammation and immune dysregulation that manifests on the skin. The skin is an elimination organ; when primary elimination pathways are compromised, the body uses secondary pathways, including the skin, which drives inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and acne.

I hope I have convinced you that constipation is a worthy topic to focus on.

In July, I plan to answer your constipation questions:

Week 1: Why am I constipated?

Week 2: Dandelion - Move Your Shit

Week 3: Cascara Sagrada - A Stimulant Laxative

Week 4: Psyllium -Bulk Your Poop

As a clinical herbalist, I am a root cause practitioner. This means we are going to dig into the roots of the problem to understand what causes constipation and what the best approach to a care plan is.

The first post is especially long, as there are so many causes of constipation. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.Join me to find out what plant based alkaloids whisper to our bodies. How we can benefit from their gifts, and when to be wary of their poison.

Dandelion - Move Your Shit

Whenever I speak about the liver, detox, or bitters, I share the story of dandelion. Every spring, millions of Americans spray herbicides on their lawns to kill dandelions. Then they send their kids and pets to play on the lawn, now filled with toxic chemicals. They do not realize that the one herb that could help detox these chemicals is dandelion.

Plant ID

Name: Dandelion

Botanical name: Taraxacum officinale

Common names: lion’s tooth (or Lion’s tooth). Other names include Blowball, Cankerwort, Faceclock, Puffball, Pee-a-bed, Irish daisy, and Milk witch.

What’s in a name

The name dandelion comes from the Old French phrase dent de lion. It means “lion’s tooth” and describes the tooth-like lobes of dandelion leaves.

The botanical name Taraxacum has its roots in the Medieval Arabic word tarakhshaqūn, which translates to “bitter herb”.

Botanical Family: Asteraceae

Part used: roots and leaves; flowers can also be used.

Degree

Dandelion is a 1st degree herb, meaning it can be used as food. You can eat a bowl of dandelion greens or prepare a daily beverage from roasted dandelion root.

Description

Roots: Thick, fibrous, and brown on the outside with a white interior, typically growing 6 to 12 inches deep. Dandelion roots produce an abundant, milky sap.

Leaves: Dandelion forms a rosette of toothed leaves close to the ground. The leaves are green and smooth on top, lighter and smoother underneath, and a white central rib exudes milky sap.

Flowers: Bright yellow flower heads consist of many tiny florets, a trait of the Asteraceae family. The blooms display heliotropism, following the sun.

Seeds: Dandelion seeds form into characteristic “wish balls,” each containing around 5,000 seeds that disperse by wind.

Growing

Dandelions grow on every lawn, but they thrive in soil rich in potassium and nitrogen. If wildcrafting, make sure the lawn hasn’t been sprayed and that pets haven’t used it as a toilet.

To grow dandelions, spread seeds directly on the soil in a sunny spot. Do not cover the seeds; they need light to germinate. After germination, thin the seedlings to about 6-9 inches apart. Dandelion is a resilient plant and requires little care.

History and lore

Dandelion is native to Asia and Europe, where it holds a long tradition as both food and medicine. Historical records indicate cultivation and use dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries in China and Egypt, where dandelion was valued for its roles in detoxification, increased urine output, and support for digestion.

In traditional Chinese medicine, dandelion first appeared in “Tang Bencao,” the oldest classical medical text from the Tang Dynasty (657–659 AD), where it was described as a remedy for breast swelling and pain. Later, the Yunnan Materia Medica by Ren Lanmao from the Ming Dynasty included dandelion, as did the Compendium of Materia Medica by Li Shizhen; both reference dandelion as a detoxification herb.

The record shows that dandelion was used in Egypt during the 10th and 11th centuries as food and for detoxification, increased urine output, and improved digestive health.

Nicholas Culpeper, an 18th-century English botanist and physician, described dandelion as beneficial for liver, gallbladder, and spleen obstructions.

“it wonderfully openeth the passages of urine, both in young and old; it powerfully cleanseth aposthumes, and inward tumours in the urinary passages, and, by during the temperate quality, doth afterwards heal them; for which purpose the decoction of the roots and leaves in white wine, or the leaves chopped as pot-herbs with a few alisanders, and boiled in their broth, is very effectual.”

~ Nicholas Culpeper

Energetic Architecture

Psychological Profile

People who might benefit from dandelion show two opposing psychological profiles.

They tend to be short-tempered, easily angered, irritable, or dull-minded, experiencing mental sluggishness, brain fog, or a reduced capacity for sharp, quick thinking.

These psychological profiles have a direct link to the liver.

Taste

Leaves - Bitter Salty

Roots - Bitter Sweet

Energetics

Temperature: Cooling

Fluids: Drying

Tone: N/A

Tissue State

Hot/Excitation - Dandelion is used when the liver’s hepatic and biliary pathways are running hot, overworked, and inflamed. Symptoms can include constipation from bile deficiency, or skin issues and fatigue due to detox problems.

Damp/Stagnation - Dandelion helps biliary stagnation, sluggish portal circulation, fluid retention, and metabolic waste buildup. The heat excitation may result from stagnation.

Pharmacology

Sesquiterpenoids are responsible for the dandelion’s bitter taste. Plants make bitter compounds to deter herbivores. Sesquiterpenoids are best extracted in high alcohol and are degraded by heat. In dandelion, these compounds directly affect the liver.

Inulin - Dandelion root is one of the richest dietary sources of inulin. Spring root contains 12-15%, while autumn-harvested root is up to 35-40% of its dry weight. Inulin acts as a resistant starch. It does not break down in the stomach or small intestines but works as a prebiotic in the colon.

Phenolic Compounds - These give the dandelion flower its bright yellow color. Plants produce phenolic acids to protect against sunlight. Phenolic acids are best extracted in water and are more stable in that medium. They provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Triterpenoids are produced to maintain plant structural integrity. They are best extracted in oil or 60-70%A. They give dandelion its anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and possibly anti-tumor and membrane-stabilizing actions.

Phytosterols regulate cell membrane enzyme activity and signaling. They are best extracted in oil or 60-70%A. Their effects include hormone modulation, reducing cholesterol, and anti-inflammatory action.

Flavonoids - Dandelion contains the flavonoids uteolin and quercetin, which are antioxidants.

Actions

Foundational action

Foundational action is associated with the energetic pattern and can be experienced viscerally in the body.

Dandelion’s foundational action is bitterness. It binds to bitter receptors, triggering a whole-body response. This increases vagal tone, digestive enzymes, and bile production. It also supports liver and gallbladder function.

Primary actions

Primary actions relate to organs, systems, or tissues.

Digestive tonic - The term tonic suggests long term use and a capacity building action. Dandelion promotes HCL, pancreatic enzymes, and bile production, and improves digestive system tone.

Cholagogue - Dandelion enhances bile production.

Alterative - Alterative herbs help eliminate metabolic waste, allowing fluids to flow smoothly. Dandelion’s alterative action is threefold. It promotes bile production, which increases stool formation and elimination. Dandelion also supports gut bacteria and enhances urination, helping remove water-soluble toxins.

Diuretic - Dandelion leaves promote urination.

Hepatoprotective - Glutathione is the body’s main antioxidant. Dandelion contains flavonoids that deliver antioxidants directly. These compounds also prompt the liver to make more of its own antioxidants.

Secondary action

Secondary actions imply an end result without specifying energetics or the system affected.

Anti-inflammatory - By reducing oxidative stress in the liver, dandelion reduce liver inflammation.

Organ affinity

• Liver

• Gallbladder

• Digestive system

• Kidneys

• Lymph

Clinical Pattern

“Often, a few months on dandelion can really tone up the hepatic structures, remove stagnation, jaundice, or gallstones, improve digestion, decongest the portal system, and remove difficulties caused by heat rising to the skin. It also seems to act on the waters of the body, gently promoting lymphatic activity”

~Matthew Wood

Liver health

Dandelion has a long history of use for liver and gallbladder conditions. Recent studies suggest that dandelion is hepatoprotective due to the antioxidant effect of the phenolic acids and flavonoids on liver cells. Dandelion was found to not only exhibit scavenging effect but also to increase glutathione, the body’s innate anti oxidant.

Dandelion has an anti-inflammatory protective effect on liver cells. By inhibiting NF-κB activation (the inflammation switch in cells) and reducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6, it reduces liver inflammation.

In addition, compounds in dandelion, specifically taraxasterol, may prevent liver cell death (apoptosis). Taraxasterol may also inhibit the activation of cells responsible for excessive scar tissue production in the liver, thus preventing liver fibrosis.

Digestive health

A digestive tonic, dandelion slowly restores tone and function to the digestive system and liver. The famous herbalist Dr. William Cook wrote about dandelion in his book, The Physiomedical Dispensatory (1869):

“The root is a mild laxative and alterant, of the relaxing-tonic grade, slowly and gently influencing the liver, small intestines, and kidneys. It is most useful in mild grades of chronic hepatic obstruction and torpor, with biliousness and weakness of the stomach; in engorgements of the liver and spleen, and abdominal dropsy dependent on these conditions. Though slow in action, it is well received by the system. “

Dandelion roots and aerial parts contain sesquiterpene lactones, bitter tasting compounds that promote appetite, increase digestive enzyme activity, and support bowel movement and diuresis.

Inulin, a naturally occurring polysaccharide and dietary fiber found in dandelion, acts as a probiotic, promoting the development of a healthy intestinal microbiome.

Alterative qualities

Alterative herbs support nutrient assimilation and waste product elimination through fluid metabolism. A sluggish liver and low bile production can lead to constipation.

Irregular bowel movement causes dysbiosis, changes to gut bacteria, which increases gut permeability and systemic low grade inflammation, leading to skin conditions such as acne and eczema.

Dandelion is a gentle lymphatic deobstructant; it removes blockage in lymph vessels. Dandelion is beneficial for skin conditions associated with liver or digestive imbalances.

Metabolic health

The roots, leaves, and flowers of dandelion are the sources of its metabolic benefits. All parts of the plant contain compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and inulin that regulate lipid and sugar metabolism.

Blood sugar regulation

The roots and leaves of dandelion were found to help regulate blood sugar by inhibiting ⍺ amylase production. ⍺ Amylase is a pancreatic enzyme that breaks down di- and oligosaccharides to monosaccharides. In the absence of ⍺ Amylase, sugars are not digested, therefore they can’t be absorbed.

Chicoric acid from dandelion increases insulin production and enhances insulin receptor sensitivity, reducing diabetes and insulin resistance.

Improving lipid profile

Tincture of dandelion root increases pancreatic lipase, the enzyme that breaks down fats into fatty acids and monoglycerides. Lipase inhibition reduces fat absorption, which can help reduce obesity.

Animal studies that used all parts of dandelion and various preparations (capsules, powder, and tincture) found that dandelion decreased total cholesterol and triglycerides and increased HDL.

Cardiovascular benefits

Dandelion leaves are a rich source of potassium, which is directly linked to lowering blood pressure. The leaves also possess diuretic properties that help reduce fluid retention.

The plant’s high concentration of polyphenols and flavonoids helps combat oxidative stress, a major driver of hypertension and metabolic dysfunction.

Phenolic compounds in dandelion may regulate nitric oxide synthase, helping blood vessels dilate, and inhibit atherosclerosis.

Preparation and dosage

Fresh leaves can be eaten in a salad.

Standard infusion: Leaf 4-8 ounces 3 times daily

Standard decoction: Root 2-4 ounces 3 times daily.

Tincture: fresh leaves 1:2 95%A, dried leaves 1:5 30%A

Dosage: 2-5 ml (0.4-1tsp) 3 times daily

Tincture fresh root 1:2 30%A

Dosage 4-5 ml (0.8-1 tsp) 3 times daily

Glycerite: dried root 1:5

Dosage: 1-3 ml (0.2-0.6 tsp) 3 times daily

Safety

Generally safe to use

Avoid if allergic to plants in the Asteraceae botanical family.

Recipes For Remedies

I’d love to hear how you’re finding ways to grow your health. Please join the conversation and leave a comment below!

Upgrade to pay

This post is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

Buy Me Coffee

Constipation is not just unpleasant; it is also toxic and can be the root cause of other conditions.

When stool sits in the colon for longer than normal, waste products and hormones leak back into the blood. For example, estrogen might be activated by a bacterial enzyme and then reabsorbed into the body, leading to estrogen dominance and conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, fibrocystic breast tissue, and PMS.

When toxins remain in the body for longer, they promote systemic inflammation, increase gut permeability, and contribute to the development of autoimmune conditions.

The gut brain axis is a network of communication between the enteric nervous system, which sends and receives information from the gut, and the brain. Constipation compromises the gut brain axis, leading to cognitive conditions such as brain fog, but also mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

Another axis affected by constipation is the gut skin axis. Dysbiosis and intestinal permeability drive systemic inflammation and immune dysregulation that manifests on the skin. The skin is an elimination organ; when primary elimination pathways are compromised, the body uses secondary pathways, including the skin, which drives inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and acne.

I hope I have convinced you that constipation is a worthy topic to focus on.

In July, I plan to answer your constipation questions:

Week 1: Why am I constipated?

Week 2: Dandelion - Move Your Shit

Week 3: Cascara Sagrada - A Stimulant Laxative

Week 4: Psyllium -Bulk Your Poop

As a clinical herbalist, I am a root cause practitioner. This means we are going to dig into the roots of the problem to understand what causes constipation and what the best approach to a care plan is.

The first post is especially long, as there are so many causes of constipation. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.Join me to find out what plant based alkaloids whisper to our bodies. How we can benefit from their gifts, and when to be wary of their poison.

Why am I constipated?

Constipation is not just unpleasant; it is a report card from your digestive system that can result from an imbalance outside the digestive system itself. However, constipation can also cause whole body conditions such as hormonal imbalances, stress, and fatigue.

What is constipation?

You probably think to yourself, I know what constipation is; many of my clients told me they are not constipated, however, when I asked them how often they poop, they said 2-3 times a week.

There is a direct link between swallowing food and needing to evacuate. This connection is very clear in babies who poop after every meal. The peristalsis movement is the automatic, wave-like contraction and relaxation of muscles in the digestive tract, which moves food from the mouth down toward the stomach, and the gut continues all the way to the colon and rectum.

If an adult client has fewer than one bowel movement per day, I will consider them constipated.

Constipation, however, is not just about the number of bowel movements but also about quality. If your poop looks like goat poop, small dry balls, if it is hard to pass, or if you don’t evacuate completely, then you are constipated, even if you empty on a daily basis.

What causes constipation?

The root causes of constipation can be divided into two categories: structural and functional.

Structural abnormalities leading to constipation

Structural abnormalities leading to constipation are physical blocking or narrowing of the colon and rectal passage that prevent stool passage.

Structural abnormalities can happen because of a tumor blocking the anal passage. I had a friend who discovered her stage 4 colon cancer following a very painful bout of constipation.

Any trauma or surgery in the pelvic floor can result in rectal prolapse, adhesions, and constipation.

Rectocele is a condition in women where the wall of tissue between the rectum and vagina weakens and bulges, trapping stool and making complete evacuation difficult.

Hemorrhoids are swollen, blood-clotted veins in the lower rectum or anus that can physically obstruct the passage or make defecation severely painful. Constipation can cause hemorrhoids, but hemorrhoids can also worsen constipation.

The most effective treatment for structural constipation is pelvic floor physiotherapy.

Functional root cause of constipation

Most people are more familiar with the functional root cause of constipation. In the context of constipation, the term functional means that the physiology is healthy, but for some reason, it is not working well.

Functional root cause of inflammation might include:

• Insufficient digestive fire

• A diet low in fiber

• Dehydration

• Sedentary lifestyle

• Stress

• Hypothyroidisim

• Dysbiosis and SIBO

• IBS

• Hormonal imbalance

• Dysautonomia

• Insulin resistance

• Medications

Insufficient digestive fire

Insufficient digestive fire means that the digestive system is not producing enough digestive enzymes to break down, absorb, and move food through the system.

When enzymes and digestive juices are not produced, the body struggles to break down food and absorb nutrients. Low nutritional status can set the stage for deficiency in the building blocks of digestive enzymes.

Hypochlorhydria

Hypochlorhydria happens when the stomach does not produce enough stomach acid. Many people who struggle with GERD assume that they produce too much stomach acid, but in most cases, the opposite is true. Stomach acid is crucial for breaking down proteins into amino acids and for extracting B vitamins and zinc from the food you eat. If chyme, the soup of acids and food that your stomach “spits” into the small intestines, is not acidic enough, motility is stunted, pancreatic enzyme secretion is reduced, and SIBO can occur.

Bile

Bile production is another important factor in digestion and motility. It is produced by the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and released in response to food in the small intestines. Bile binds together undigested food, waste products, and cholesterol to create stool. When bile enters the colon, it promotes motility and water secretion. Bile gives the stool its color.

Bile production and secretion can be a result of a low caloric diet, a low fat diet, liver imbalance, gallbladder imbalance, or removal.

A diet low in fiber

“Eat more fiber” is advice most people with constipation have heard at some point. Fiber plays a dual role in preventing and treating constipation: it provides bulk that activates stretch receptors in the colon wall, triggering peristalsis; it feeds the microbiome, whose metabolic products, especially short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, directly stimulate colonocyte function and motility; and it holds water in the stool. Without adequate fiber, the colonic mucosa is understimulated, the microbiome is starved, butyrate production drops, and stool becomes hard and slow.

Dehydration

As the mix of undigested food, waste products, and digestive enzymes passes through the colon, it reabsorbs some of the fluids back into the body, which transforms the soup into formed stool.

At the same time, mucus membranes in the colon secrete fluid that lubricates the stool, making it easier to pass. In conditions of chronic dryness or when mucus membranes are not functioning well, stool becomes dry and hard to pass.

Sedentary lifestyle

I like to say that when you move, your digestion moves too. Physical movement directly stimulates gut motility through multiple pathways.

Movement increases blood flow to the pelvic floor, delivering nutrients to the tissue and removing waste products, leading to optimal tissue function.

Movement activates the vagal nerve, coordinating digestive secretion and motility. Low vagal tone is associated with dysbiosis and constipation.

Walking after every meal, and squatting can promote blood flow to the pelvic floor and improve vagal nerve tone.

Stress

Many people, especially women, hold stress and trauma in the pelvic floor. The longer you hold stress in the pelvic floor, the harder it will be to release the tension as it moves from functional tension to a holding pattern and can lead to ischemia, a condition where blood and lymph flow are stunted because the tension doesn’t allow free flow.

At the same time, muscle tension around the colon and rectum hampers peristalsis and narrows their lumens.

Stress also means less blood is diverted to the digestive system and less digestive enzyme production, which reduces overall digestive fire.

Hypothyroidism

The thyroid regulates all metabolic processes. In the digestive system, it refers to the amount of digestive juices produced, the rate of nutrient breakdown and absorption, and motility.

In hypothyroid conditions, all digestive functions, including motility, are slowed down.

Dysbiosis and SIBO

Dysbiosis is any condition that affects the composition or placement of gut bacteria. SIBO is a type of dysbiosis in which the numbers of gut bacteria in the small intestines are higher than normal, leading to nutrient deficiencies, bloating, and gas.

Gut bacteria in the colon ferment fiber and resistant starch, producing short chain fatty acids such as butyrate. These metabolites directly promote serotonin production. About 95% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut, where it functions as a signaling molecule that drives peristalsis.

A diet low in fiber and resistant starch means less short chain fatty acids are produced, but also alters gut bacteria strains and ecology. The end result is less serotonin production and reduced motility.

SIBO, an increase in the number of bacteria in the small intestine, can also lead to constipation. The excess bacteria in the small intestines compete with you for nutrients, they inhibit digestive enzyme production, leaving you with insufficient digestive fire, and slow motility, so they have access to the food longer.

IBS

IBS is a cluster of digestive symptoms resulting from dysfunction of the enteric nervous system. Some people experience IBS with constipation, while others struggle with diarrhea, and yet others might have alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea.

The enteric nervous system contains about 500 million neurons that are embedded in the lumen of the digestive tract. IBS is a condition in which the sensory threshold in the enteric nervous system is dramatically lowered. The gut becomes hypersensitive; normal amounts of gas, normal peristaltic contractions, and normal luminal contents are perceived as pain or discomfort.

In IBS-C (constipation), you get segmental contractions that do not propel the food downward but instead create pockets where food is churned.

In IBS, the gut brain axis is dysregulated in both directions. On the one hand, psychological stress directly worsens gut symptoms; on the other hand, gut dysfunction drives central nervous system changes, including dysbiosis, intestinal permeability, and gut inflammation, leading to stress, anxiety, depression, and cognitive changes.

People with IBS-C will benefit most from anti-spasmodic herbs to reduce spasms and restore coordinated motility. In addition, bitter herbs can stimulate serotonin production and help modulate visceral sensations.

Reproductive hormones imbalance

Constipation and reproductive hormones are linked in a mutual dance.

Reproductive hormones are conjugated by phase Ⅱ liver detoxification, bind to bile, and are excreted with the stool. When transit time is slow and conjugated estrogen sits in the colon, bacterial enzymes reverse the conjugate process, reactivating estrogen. Estrogen can be absorbed back into the blood through the colon wall. Constipation is a primary process of creating estrogen dominance.

Progesterone acts as a muscle relaxant in the body. In the luteal phase, when progesterone is the dominant reproductive hormone, women may experience transient constipation that resolves once progesterone drops.

Dysautonomia

In a healthy autonomic nervous system, the two branches, sympathetic (stress) and parasympathetic (digest and relax), are modulated. The nervous system adapts to internal and external inputs by shifting between branches.

In dysautonomia, the nervous system loses this flexible function and becomes stuck and dysregulated, leading to loss of peristalsis coordination, insufficient digestive fire, and a dramatic reduction in the urge to empty the bowel.

Constipation associated with dysautonomia will benefit from stimulating the vagal pathways. Breathwork, humming and singing, and washing your face with cold water. Bitter and aromatic herbs promote vagal tone.

Insulin resistance

Insulin resistance and constipation are bidirectional conditions. Chronically elevated blood glucose and insulin damage nerve cells in the periphery, including the nerve cells that are involved in the digestive system. Enteric neuropathy dysregulates peristalsis, slows down motility, and reduces rectal sensitivity, so the urge to evacuate is blunted.

Slow transit times disrupt the balance of your gut microbiome, promoting strains that compromise the intestinal barrier, allowing endotoxins such as LPS to leak into the bloodstream, triggering an immune response and low grade systemic inflammation, which directly interferes with insulin signaling and increases insulin resistance.

Medications

Many common prescription and over-the-counter medications can promote constipation by slowing down gut motility or altering fluid absorption.

To find out if a medication you are using gives you constipation, consider if your constipation issue began when you started using the medication. Also, read the side effects in the notes that came with the medication or find them on Google.

Never discontinue a medication that was prescribed to you by a medical professional without consulting them.

There are so many root causes of constipation, and an effective treatment depends on identifying the root cause. This can be even more complex in people who struggle with more than one trigger. That’s where I come in. My special talent is asking the right questions that will unravel what triggers your constipation.

In the next couple of weeks, I am going to explore three herbs that help relieve different types of constipation.

Understanding why you are constipated is crucial to developing a strategy to relieve it.

I’d love to hear how you’re finding ways to grow your health. Please join the conversation and leave a comment below!

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This post is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

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Welcome To July In Growing Health

Poop isn’t a topic we usually discuss around the dinner table, but maybe we should.

In July, I focus on constipation. If you have ever been constipated, you know that the feeling of pressure and fullness is not pleasant.

However, constipation is not just unpleasant; it is also toxic and can be the root cause of other conditions.

When stool sits in the colon for longer than normal, waste products and hormones leak back into the blood. For example, estrogen might be activated by a bacterial enzyme and then reabsorbed into the body, leading to estrogen dominance and conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, fibrocystic breast tissue, and PMS.

When toxins remain in the body for longer, they promote systemic inflammation, increase gut permeability, and contribute to the development of autoimmune conditions.

The gut brain axis is a network of communication between the enteric nervous system, which sends and receives information from the gut, and the brain. Constipation compromises the gut brain axis, leading to cognitive conditions such as brain fog, but also mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

Another axis affected by constipation is the gut skin axis. Dysbiosis and intestinal permeability drive systemic inflammation and immune dysregulation that manifests on the skin. The skin is an elimination organ; when primary elimination pathways are compromised, the body uses secondary pathways, including the skin, which drives inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and acne.

I hope I have convinced you that constipation is a worthy topic to focus on.

In July, I plan to answer your constipation questions:

Week 1: Why am I constipated?

Week 2: Dandelion - Move Your Shit

Week 3: Cascara Sagrada - A Stimulant Laxative

Week 4: Psyllium -Bulk Your Poop

As a clinical herbalist, I am a root cause practitioner. This means we are going to dig into the roots of the problem to understand what causes constipation and what the best approach to a care plan is.

The first post is especially long, as there are so many causes of constipation. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.Join me to find out what plant based alkaloids whisper to our bodies. How we can benefit from their gifts, and when to be wary of their poison.

I’d love to hear how you’re finding ways to grow your health. Please join the conversation and leave a comment below!

Upgrade to pay

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

Buy Me Coffee

The human body developed with plants from Primordial times. There is kinship and language that transcends way before intellect. Before we developed logic thinking and thought of ourselves as separate, and in a position of knowing we were part of nature. Nature spoke to our bodies, and we understood the lesson.

When I started to study herbalism, people told me to sit by the plants and listen to their teachings. The herbs in my farm didn’t speak English or Hebrew. I was disappointed and thought something was wrong with me.

Now I know that the language plants are speaking is through color, smell ,and taste. They tell their story through the environment where they call home and the constituents they have developed over centuries.

In June, I am focusing on plants that contain alkaloids. All alkaloids containing herbs are toxic to some degree, and all are bitter. Some are 3rd-grade medicines that can be used as tonics, others are 4th-grade medicines that are highly toxic and should never be used without the supervision of an experienced herbalist.

Here is what to look for in June in Growing Health:

Week 1: Alkaloids in Herbal Medicine

Week 2: Goldenseal - Herbal Gold At Risk

Week 3: Coffee - Your Daily Boost

Week 4: Lobelia - The Optimal Relaxant

Biochemistry could be daunting for some people, including myself. In my writings, I tried to make the topic simple and easy to understand. I answer questions such as What is so unique about alkaloid containing herbs? What can you use them for? What are some safety considerations? And how best to extract alkaloids from plants?

Lobelia - The Optimal Relaxant

Dr. Christopher Hobbs said that lobelia has a brain; it is one of the most intelligent herbs in a herbalist’s arsenal, knowing where it is needed most and going there. An optimal relaxant, lobelia, relaxes muscles when tension is due to physical or mental stress.

Plant ID

Lobelia is not a showy plant. The stem is lean, the flowers simple, take a bite, however, and you will not stay indifferent. With a couple of bites, the nauseating effect will set in, triggering vomiting.

Lobelia is one of the most prominent herbs used by herbalists to relax muscles, tissues, and the mind. It has a strong presence when used; therefore , I use it only with other herbs in a formula, limiting it to 5% of the formula.

Name: Lobelia

Botanical name: Lobelia Inflata

Common names: Indian tobacco, Pukeweed, cardinal flower

What’s in a name

Lobelia is named in honor of the famous French physician and botanist Matthias De Lobel (1570–1616), who was attached to the court of King James I.

The botanical name, Inflata, is due to its inflated seed pods.

Lobelia inflata is also known as Indian tobacco, because the Penobscot tribes, who were native Americans, smoked the dried leaves as a substitute for tobacco.

Botanical Family: Campanulaceae (Bellflower Family)

Part used: The aerial parts, leaves, and seeds

Degree: 3rd degree. Lobelia is not a foodlike herb (1st degree) or a herb you use daily as a tonic. It is a medicinal plant.

Description

Lobelia is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant that can reach up to six to forty inches.

Stems: Erect, lean, and covered in fine, tiny hairs that are usually green with a slight violet tint and produce a milky sap.

Leaves: Alternate around the stem without a stalk. They are oval to ovate, 3 inches long, and toothed.

Flowers: Small, about quarter of an inch, two-lipped, and arranged in loose, leafy clusters. They are typically pale blue, lavender, or white with a pale yellow center.

Fruit/Seeds: are papery capsules that inflate at maturity, resembling a small bladder.

Growing

Lobelia inflata is a self seeding annual that is native to Eastern America.

United Plant Savers lists lobelia as a to-watch plant. As a self seeding annual, if an entire patch is harvested before seedpods mature and drop seeds, populations could be reduced or eliminated. Wildcrafters are advised to leave some mature plants to re-sow, or if seeds are mature, scatter those of many plants throughout the habitat.

Lobelia is easy to grow. It prefers full sun to part sun, rich, moist soil, and ample water. Space plants 6 inches to 1 foot apart.

History and lore

Lobelia inflata has a long history of medicinal use in America.

Native Americans used it for respiratory and muscle disorders, as a purgative, and as a ceremonial medicine. The leaves were chewed, smoked, or burned as a natural insect repellent.

Samuel Thomson popularized lobelia in the early 19th century. He made it a cornerstone of “Thomsonian Medicine,” using it to induce vomiting, break fevers, and relax muscles.

The Eclectic physicians of the 19th century adopted lobelia and used it widely for asthma and bronchitis.

Energetic Architecture

Psychological Profile

Lobelia is indicated for psychological tension that leads to physical tension. The lobelia person holds emotions in his body; they are tense, restless, and fidgety.

Lobelia was also used for easing the symptoms of withdrawal from smoking tobacco or from drugs such as opioids where muscle spasm can be a symptom of the physical withdrawal.

Taste

Bitter - The bitter taste suggests lobelia is stimulating to the digestive system, promoting stomach acids, pancreatic enzymes, and bile production.

Acrid - Matthew Wood explains acrid as “tasting like bile in the back of the throat.” Not a pleasant taste. The acrid taste suggests activation of the vagus nerve and an antispasmodic action.

Energetics

Temperature: Warming mildly diffusive

Fluids: Drying Slightly

Tone: Relaxing

Tissue State

Wind/ Tension - where there is physical tension in the smooth or skeletal muscles. The tension could be due to mental stress, injury, tissue damage, or cramps.

Muscle tone is determined by the nerve-muscle junction that drives conscious skeletal muscle movement, as well as by smooth muscles. Skeletal muscles allow for physical conscious movement. Smooth muscles are the muscle fibers that wrap around organs, tissues, and vessels of the body, determining their resting muscle tone, which is mostly unconscious.

The bitter, acrid taste activates the vagus nerve, shifting the body from a sympathetic, tense state to a parasympathetic, relaxed state.

Alkaloids found in lobelia are known to affect the intersection between nerves and muscles.

Dry/atrophy - tissue state can be secondary to a tense tissue state, when tension compacts the tissue, preventing the flow of blood and lymph and creating ischemia. In ischemia, the tissue doesn’t receive enough nutrients due to impaired blood flow, and waste products aren’t cleared because of lymphatic stagnation, leading to atrophy.

Pharmacology

Alkaloids - The main alkaloid is lobeline. Lobeline is a partial agonist at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, meaning it sometimes but not always blocks nicotine receptors. Because nicotinic receptors are spread everywhere in the body, lobelia’s effect extends to skeletal muscle contraction, the central nervous system, including the sympathetic, parasympathetic, brain stem, and cortex, the smooth muscles in the bronchi, and around blood vessels

It was evaluated for smoking cessation, treatment of drug and alcohol abuse, adult ADHD, anti-depressant, anti-epileptic, and Parkinson’s disease.

Flavonoids

Terpenoids - specifically β-amyrin palmitate- have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antidepressant, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, and antifungal activities

Other Terenoids, such as lupeol and oleanolic acid, are antispasmodic.

Terpenoids are fat soluble compounds, which means they are easily absorbed through the skin when used topically, and can pass through the phospholipid membrane of cells.

Actions

Foundational actions

Foundational actions are associated with the energetic pattern and can be experienced viscerally in the body.

The foundational action of lobelia is a relaxant. It acts as a physical relaxant for skeletal and smooth muscles, as well as for mental tension.

Smooth muscles are found in most tissues of the body; in the respiratory tract, cardiovascular system, kidneys, digestive tract, and reproductive system. The same principle of smooth muscles relaxant works in all these body tissues.

Primary actions

Primary actions relate to organs, systems, or tissues.

Emetic - The acrid taste of lobelia can stimulate an emetic (puking) reaction that activates the vagus nerve and shifts the nervous system from a sympathethic (stress) response to a parasympathetic (relax) response.

Expectorant - On the one hand, lobelia relaxes the smooth muscles around the bronchi, allowing better air flow and restoring an effective cough. On the other hand, by stimulating the vagus nerve, lobelia promotes mucus production, leading to thinner gunk that is easier to expel.

Diaphoretic - Lobelia helps drive heat from the center of the body to the periphery, thereby stimulating sweating. Lobelia relaxes vascular smooth muscle, leading to peripheral vasodilation and increased blood flow to the skin surface. Peripheral circulation increases, heat dissipation through the skin, and sweating.

Sialagogue - By increasing vagal tone, lobelia stimulates the production of all digestive juices, including saliva, stomach acids, pancreatic enzymes, and bile.

Sedative - The combination of vagal activation and profound smooth and skeletal muscle relaxant properties sends the brain a message that it is safe to relax and rest.

Hypotensive`- relaxing the smooth muscles around blood vessels can help reduce blood pressure. At the same time, vagal nerve activation reduces heart rate.

Bronchodilation - due to the relaxation of the muscles around the bronchi.

Secondary actions

Secondary actions imply an end result without specifying energetics or the system affected.

Antispasmodic - By relaxing the smooth muscles, lobelia can be beneficial for women with dysmenorrhea, and for kidney or gallbladder stones.

Organ affinity

Muscle, both skeletal and smooth muscles. However, through its effects on muscles, lobelia’s effects on other organs and systems are extensive.

Nervous system

Clinical Pattern

Lobelia’s main action is as a relaxant; it extends this action to other areas of the body.

Vagus nerve trophrestorative

The effect of lobelia on the vagus nerve suggests a trophorestorative effect. However, unlike most trophrestorative herbs, it is not used for a long period; Lobelia normalizes the function of the vagus nerve.

In conditions of chronic stress, trauma, pain, and sympathetic dominance, there is a progressive reduction in vagal tone. Vagal pathways become dormant, digestive secretions are reduced, heart rate variability is lower, and the bronchi lose tone.

Lobelia, being bitter and acrid, stimulates vagal function. A consistent use of lobelia helps build vagal tone.

The vagal nerve communicates with receptors in the heart, bronchi, GI tract, and vascular (blood vessels) smooth muscles via the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine. When the vagal nerve is chronically reduced, the Acetylcholine receptors on these target tissues lose their sensitivity to acetylcholine, and they stop responding normally to vagal signals.

Lobelia’s cholinergic activity at these junctions could restore receptor sensitivity and neuroeffector junction competence. The tissue relearns how to respond to vagal input.

In trauma, chronic stress, and dysautonomia, a miscommunication between the brain and the tissue means the brain doesn’t get consistent, accurate information from the tissue. The result is dysregulated organ function, not because the organs themselves are broken but because the feedback loop governing them is impaired.

Lobelia, in this sense, improves innervation by restoring the quality of sensory information flowing from the tissue to the brain. The brain gets better data, makes better regulatory decisions, and organ function normalizes as a consequence.

In the lungs

Historically, lobelia was used as a primary drug for respiratory stimulation, especially in cases of oppressed or difficult breathing.

Lobelia stimulates the respiratory center of the brain, resulting in deeper, stronger breathing; it is used as a bronchodilator and antispasmodic for the treatment of asthma, whooping cough, spasmodic croup, and pneumonia.

Impaired cough reflexes are thought to contribute to recurrent bronchitis and pneumonia. Botanical expectorants increase quantity, decrease viscosity, and promote expulsion of secretions of the respiratory mucous membranes. Lobelia is an excellent expectorant that promotes cough reflex and helps clear the lungs.

Lobelia was used for asthma and bronchitis, whooping cough, spasmodic croup, and chronic forms of sore throat.

Research on Lobelia chinensis suggests that it has a protective role against severe lung inflammation. Lobelia can decrease proinflammatory cytokines (such as TNF-α and IL-6) and inhibit inflammatory mediators (iNOS and COX-2).

Also, Lobelia inflata extracts have shown significant antimicrobial activity against common respiratory tract pathogens, specifically Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus.

Metabolic conditions

Lobelia, being a bitter and acrid herb, points to its effect on improving digestion, absorption, and elimination. It supports digestive enzyme, bile, and insulin production, optimizing the breakdown of food, absorption, and utilization of glucose. At the same time, it stimulates peristalsis and promotes bowel movements.

α-Glucosidase and α-amylase are digestive enzymes that break down disaccharides into monosaccharides, smaller sugar molecules that the body can absorb. By inhibiting these enzymes, lobelia exhibits an antidiabetic effect.

The triterpenoid β-amyrin palmitate, found in Lobelia inflata, exhibits anti-diabetic and anti-hyperglycemic properties by physically blocking the entry of glucose from the intestine into the bloodstream.

Smoking cessation

Lobelia is a nicotine partial antagonist, meaning it binds to nicotinic receptors in the brain, providing a “weak” version of the stimulation nicotine usually provides, which helps reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

By blocking nicotine receptors, it prevents nicotine from being able to bind to the receptor and trigger the full “high” from a cigarette.

In addition, the alkaloid lobeline from lobelia inhibits the sudden “surge” of dopamine that normally occurs when a person smokes, which further reduces the drug’s addictive appeal.

Antidepressant

While historically known for smoking cessation, the alkaloid lobeline also demonstrates antidepressant effects, particularly following chronic stress or during substance withdrawal. β-amyrin palmitate is a non-alkaloid bioactive component isolated from the leaves of Lobelia inflata that has been shown to produce antidepressant effects by targeting brain nicotinic receptors.

Nicotinic receptor activation drives dopamine release into the nucleus accumbens, a brain center involved in motivation and mood regulation. Because nicotine improves mood, motivation, and sense of engagement, it is so addictive.

People with depression who experience an inability to feel pleasure, also typical of the withdrawal from smoking, benefit from lobelia binding to the nicotinic receptors and the dopamine release that follows.

Research suggests lobeline may influence the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein critical for neuronal health and mood regulation.

Hippocampal Cell Proliferation: It has been observed to promote cell proliferation in the hippocampus, an area of the brain often associated with the pathophysiology of depression.Abstinence-Induced Depression: Lobeline has also been shown to attenuate depression-like behaviors specifically induced by ethanol abstinence

Preparation and dosage

Given by mouth for the various purposes for which it has long been used, the dosage of the specific medicine should be small and frequently repeated. As an emetic or antispasmodic, the dose is from fifteen to thirty minutes. Given hypodermically, from five to fifteen drops is usually sufficient in all children’s cases, and from ten to thirty drops in adult cases. If no untoward results occur after the first dose, and the condition demands it, a more or less frequent dose, and an increase in the size of the dose is justified by the severity of the symptoms, and by the demand for its influence. Every prescriber will soon learn to make these adjustments correctly. In an occasional case, a very small dose is sufficient.

~ Ellingwood

Strong infusion: Traditionally, strong infusion was used for emetic purposes; 2 ounces every few minutes.

Tincture: Fresh flowers and seeds 1:2 95%A, Dried flowers and seeds 1:5 65%A, 5%vinegar

Dosage: 5-20 drops as needed

Glycerite: Dried herb 1:6,

Dosage: 10-30 drops as needed

Capsules: 1/4-1 capsules (100-400mg) per dose. Hard to dose as a capsule, as 1 capsule is a high dose.

Topical use: The tincture may be applied topically. An oil or a salve preparation should use 95% alcohol as an intermediate solvent.

Safety

The FDA considers lobelia a toxic herb claiming it will cause convulsions, coma, and death. These are potential effects of its primary alkaloid, lobeline; however, there is no record of the whole herb causing these problems.

I always use lobelia in the context of a formula with other herbs. Lobelia will be 5% of the total tincture.

Lobelia can produce severe symptoms such as nausea, profuse sweating, vomiting, and deep relaxation. But these symptoms typically pass quickly, and the person feels better. However, because of these symptoms, lobelia is not recommended for frail people or for long term use.

Avoid during pregnancy

Being an emetic, lobelia will make you throw up if you take too much.

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This post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not meant to provide medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.

Resources

An antidepressant principle of Lobelia inflata L. (Campanulaceae). (n.d.). Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 81(7), 620–621. https://doi.org/10.1002/jps.2600810705

Biological activity, phytochemistry and traditional uses of genus Lobelia (Campanulaceae): A systematic review. (2019, April). Elsevier. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0367326X1831596X

Dwoskin, L. P., & Crooks, P. A. (2002). A novel mechanism of action and potential use for lobeline as a treatment for psychostimulant abuse. Biochemical Pharmacology, 63(2), 89–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-2952(01)00899-1

Easley, T., & Horne, S. (2016). The modern herbal dispensatory: a medicine-making guide. North Atlantic Books.

Elkhawas, Y. A., Gad, H. A., AbdelRazek, M. M. M., Mandour, A. A., Bishr, M. M., Al Musayeib, N. M., Ashour, M. L., & Khalil, N. (2024). Lc-esi-ms/ms-based comparative metabolomic study, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of three lobelia species: molecular modeling and admet study. ACS Omega, 9(18), 20477–20487. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.4c01587

Gladstar, rosemary gladstar. (2000). planting the future.

Lobelia. (n.d.). Dr. Christopher Hobbs, Ph.D. Retrieved June 2, 2026, from https://christopherhobbs.com/herbal-therapeutics-database/herb/lobelia/

Miller, D. K., Crooks, P. A., & Dwoskin, L. P. (2000). Lobeline inhibits nicotine-evoked [(3)H]dopamine overflow from rat striatal slices and nicotine-evoked (86)Rb(+) efflux from thalamic synaptosomes. Neuropharmacology, 39(13), 2654–2662. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0028-3908(00)00140-4

Phytochemical composition and pharmacy of medicinal plants. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2026, from https://www.google.com/books/edition/Phytochemical_Composition_and_Pharmacy_o/DkzVEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=The+Phytochemistry+and+Pharmacology+of+the+Genus+Lobelia&pg=PA385&printsec=frontcover

Pizzorno, J. E., Murray, M. T., & Joiner-Bey, H. (2016). Bronchitis and pneumonia. In The Clinician’s Handbook of Natural Medicine (pp. 147–157). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-7020-5514-0.00022-1

Wood, M. (2017). The book of herbal wisdom: using plants as medicines. North Atlantic Books.

Zheng, Q., Wang, Y., & Zhang, S. (2021). Beyond alkaloids: novel bioactive natural products from Lobelia species. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12, 638210. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.638210

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

Buy Me Coffee

The human body developed with plants from Primordial times. There is kinship and language that transcends way before intellect. Before we developed logic thinking and thought of ourselves as separate, and in a position of knowing we were part of nature. Nature spoke to our bodies, and we understood the lesson.

When I started to study herbalism, people told me to sit by the plants and listen to their teachings. The herbs in my farm didn’t speak English or Hebrew. I was disappointed and thought something was wrong with me.

Now I know that the language plants are speaking is through color, smell ,and taste. They tell their story through the environment where they call home and the constituents they have developed over centuries.

In June, I am focusing on plants that contain alkaloids. All alkaloids containing herbs are toxic to some degree, and all are bitter. Some are 3rd-grade medicines that can be used as tonics, others are 4th-grade medicines that are highly toxic and should never be used without the supervision of an experienced herbalist.

Here is what to look for in June in Growing Health:

Week 1: Alkaloids in Herbal Medicine

Week 2: Goldenseal - Herbal Gold At Risk

Week 3: Coffee - Your Daily Boost

Week 4: Lobelia - The Optimal Relaxant

Biochemistry could be daunting for some people, including myself. In my writings, I tried to make the topic simple and easy to understand. I answer questions such as What is so unique about alkaloid containing herbs? What can you use them for? What are some safety considerations? And how best to extract alkaloids from plants?

Coffee - Your Daily Boost

Most people don’t think of coffee as an herb; however, it is one of the most widely used herbs in the world. Many folks self prescribe coffee for its stimulating effects, which work by blocking the receptors (Adenosine) that tell you you have had enough and it’s time to slow down.

Coffee does not increase your energy; instead, it blocks the signal from the protein that triggers drowsiness and signals fatigue. You are functioning on fumes, but you don’t sense it.

Plant ID

Name: Coffee

Botanical name: There are two main strains, Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora

Common names: Buna (Ethiopia), Qahwa (Arabic), Kahve (Turkish), Koffie (Dutch), Coffee (English).

What’s in a name

The word “coffee” is believed to originate in the Ethiopian region of Kaffa (also spelled “Kefa” or “Keffa”), where Coffea arabica, the coffee plant, was first discovered. The locals referred to the drink made from the beans as “bun” or “bunn.”

Botanical Family: Rubiaceae

Part used: Seeds

Degree

Coffee is a 2nd degree herb. You wouldn’t eat a plateful of coffee like you would dandelion leaves or violets; however, it is appropriate as a tonic for daily use, unlike 3rd degree remedies, which are used only as medicine.

Description

Coffee is a shrub or small evergreen tree that can grow to more than 30 feet (9 meters).

Leaves are elliptical, dark green and waxy, measuring from 1 to 16 inches, and carry yellow veins. Their color ranges from purple to yellow to dark green (the most common). The leaves grow in pairs across from each other.

Flowers are small, white or pink, and fragrant. They open after a dry period and may last only a few days.

Fruits, called cherry, can be bright red, purple, yellow, orange, blue, or black when mature, depending on the species. They are waxy, grow along the stem, and contain one or two seeds.

Seeds or “coffee beans” are the rounded oblong seeds, each with a flat face marked by a lengthwise groove.

Growing

Coffee plants thrive in tropical conditions. It requires high altitudes of 2000-6000 ft (600–2,000 meters), consistent tropical temperatures of 60-75 F (15-24 C), rich, well-draining soil, and a pH between 5.5 and 6.5 for optimal nutrient absorption.

For high quality beans, coffee plants require filtered sunlight and 1,500-2,000 mm of rainfall annually. Sustained rainfall followed by shorter dry periods triggers the coffee plant to bloom and fruit.

History and lore

According to legend, a goat herder named Kaldi was the first person to discover coffee beans and their benefits. Kaldi noticed that after his goats ate the cherries of a particular tree in the ancient coffee forests of the Ethiopian plateau, they were so full of energy that they didn’t want to sleep at night.

The brewing of coffee originated in Yemen, spread to Mecca and the wider Arabian Peninsula, and by the early 16th century had reached Cairo, Damascus, and Istanbul, where Sufi Muslims used it to aid concentration during night prayers.

Through Mediterranean trade routes, coffee entered Europe in the mid-16th century, first in Italy and later in other regions. Coffee houses were established in Western Europe by the late 17th century.

Energetic Architecture

Taste

Coffee is bitter, which suggests a stimulating effect on digestive enzymes and bile production from the liver.

Energetics

Temperature: When you drink a cup of coffee, the immediate effect is that of a peripheral vasoconstriction and an increase in cortisol, leading to a short-term warming sensation. People feel flushed, energized, and warm. However, the chronic adrenal output may deplete the warming metabolic fire rather than sustaining it, leading to a cold constitution over time. People who drink numerous cups of coffee daily might experience cold hands and feet, relying on the coffee’s stimulant effect to feel warm rather than generating endogenous warmth.

Fluids: Coffee dries the body by suppressing mucus production and increasing urination.

Tone: While coffee stimulates the nervous system, it has a relaxing effect on smooth muscles in the periphery. It allows the airways to relax and the bronchi to dilate, relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter and biliary smooth muscle.

Tissue State

Short term people with cold, damp, and atonic conditions might benefit from coffee. However, in the long term, these people will deplete their already marginal energy reserves.

Pharmacology

Carbohydrates - account for 60% of the total weight of raw coffee beans. The polysaccharides serve various functions, such as binding aroma, stabilizing foam, promoting sedimentation, and increasing the viscosity of the extract. Polysaccharides are reduced during roasting by degradation into simple carbohydrates, making them easily extractable with water.

Volatile compounds - More than 800 kinds of coffee aroma components are found in coffee, most of which are generated during roasting, mostly basic acids, organic acids, phenols, and sugars.

Alkaloids - Caffeine is the main alkaloid component in coffee fruits and the source of the bitter taste of coffee.

Phenolic acids - are degraded by heat during coffee roasting, leading to the formation of bitter and aromatic phenolic compounds, which are responsible for the color and astringency of coffee.

Flavonoids - such as catechin, epicatechin, and quercetin are responsible for the antioxidant effect of coffee.

Terpenoids - are oily, fat-soluble compounds naturally present in the lipid fraction of coffee beans that were found to show antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and potentially anti-carcinogenic properties.

Actions

Foundational actions

Foundational actions are associated with the energetic pattern and can be experienced viscerally in the body.

Not a surprise that the foundational action of coffee is a central nervous system stimulant. By blocking adenosine, coffee increases alertness, and temporarily elevates mood and cognitive speed.

Primary actions

Primary actions relate to organs, systems, or tissues.

Diuretic - The blocking effect of coffee on adenosine receptors extends beyond the nervous system to the kidneys, too. When coffee binds to adenosine receptors in the nervous system to the kidneys, too. When coffee binds to adenosine receptors in the kidneys, it increases blood flow to the kidneys, raises the glomerular filtration rate, and reduces sodium reabsorption, resulting in a well-known diuretic effect.

Vascular tone modulating - Blood vessel tone in the brain is mainly modulated by adenosine. By blocking adenosine receptors in the brain, caffeine causes brain blood vessels to narrow. However, the modulation of blood vessel tone in the rest of the body is achieved by the vagus nerve. When the vagus nerve is activated, the body is in parasympathetic mode, and blood vessels are dilated. Coffee being bitter means it activates the vagus nerves.

One caveat to mention. The degree of vasoconstriction in the body largely depends on your habitual caffeine intake and overall health. People who do not drink coffee regularly may experience more pronounced, temporary blood vessel constriction and a brief spike in blood pressure.

Digestive tonic - The bitter taste promotes the secretion of gastric acid, pepsin, bile, and pancreatic enzymes, as well as increases upper GI motility.

Cholagogue - Stimulates the gallbladder and promotes the flow of bile to aid in emulsifying and absorbing fats.

Laxative - As a bitter cholagogue, coffee increases motility by promoting bile and digestive enzyme production, activating the vagus nerve, and stimulating the small intestinal muscles.

Astringent - The phenolic compounds, like chlorogenic acids, can have a similar effect to tannins in wine, eliciting a drying, constricting effect on the tissue.

Secondary actions

Secondary actions imply an end result without specifying energetics or the system affected.

Antioxidant: Rich in caffeic and chlorogenic acids, and flavonoids which scavenge free radicals, coffee helps lower systemic inflammation

Organ affinity

• Central nervous system

• Urinary tract

• Liver

• Digestive tract

Clinical Patterns

Most of the research on the clinical effects of coffee has focused on the alkaloid, specifically caffeine. Caffeine was found to have a different mechanism of action in each body system.

Central nervous system

Caffeine crosses the blood brain barrier rapidly and almost completely, where it binds to adenosine receptors and blocks them. By blocking adenosine’s inhibitory effect, caffeine indirectly affects the release of norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, glutamate, and GABA.

Dopamine

By blocking adenosine receptors, caffeine increases dopamine production and sensitivity to dopamine, which explains why your mood and motivation improve when you drink coffee and why you might develop mild physical dependence.

Norepinephrine

When caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, the adenosine inhibitory effect on norepinephrine is suppressed. The brain and the body produce more norepinephrine, promoting a sympathetic response that includes increased alertness, memory, and focus, but at the same time, an increase in anxiety.

Acetylcholine

Adenosine normally suppresses acetylcholine release and promotes sleep. By blocking adenosine, caffeine allows the release of acetylcholine to proceed, which promotes memory consolidation, alertness, attention, and learning.

GABA

At high doses, caffeine directly blocks GABA receptors, increasing the overall stimulating effect of caffeine and with it the tendency toward anxiety.

Glutamate

Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It stimulates nerve cells to send signals, making it vital for cognition, learning, and memory. By blocking adenosine, caffeine increases glutamate, which

amplifies excitatory signaling throughout the brain, and increases neural firing rates and processing speed

Digestion

As an alkaloidal bitter, coffee stimulates digestive vitality through cephalic phase responses to aroma and taste. In the stomach, Chlorogenic acids from coffee stimulate parietal cells to produce gastrin.

Parietal cells respond to the presence of gastrin and histamine by elevating cAMP, a chemical messenger that drives HCL production. PDE is an enzyme that breaks down cAMP once HCl amounts are sufficient. Caffeine inhibits PDE activity, prolonging cAMP’s shelf life and leading to elevated HCl.

The duodenum, the higher third of the small intestine, is where chyme, a half-digested soup mixed with stomach acids from the stomach, is mixed with bile, pancreatic enzymes, and intestinal secretions.

Regular and decaffeinated coffee stimulates cholecystokinin (CCK) secretion, a hormone that enhances gallbladder contractility and bile production, leading to increased bile and pancreatic enzyme flow.

A 2015 meta-analysis study found that coffee consumption was associated with a significant reduction in risk of gallstone disease in women but not in men.

Histamine

While coffee by itself doesn’t contain much histamine, the roasting process increases its histamine content.

DAO enzymes are enzymes that metabolize histamine, both intrinsic (produced by the body) and extrinsic (entering the body from the outside). Coffee acts as a DAO inhibitor, reducing the DAO enzyme activity in the gut and increasing histamine load. lin lininging

Some of the symptoms of increased histamines are headaches or migraines, heart palpitations, anxiety, nausea, and flushing, which explains why some people react to caffeine with these symptoms.

Liver

Coffee consumption has been shown to benefit liver health. Studies suggest that coffee improves liver enzymes (ALT, AST, and GGTP) in people with Hepatitis B and C, as well as in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease. Coffee intake of more than 2 cups per day in patients with preexisting liver disease has been shown to be associated with lower incidence of fibrosis and cirrhosis, lower hepatocytes carcinoma rates, as well as decreased mortality.

Metabolic health

Metabolic conditions, including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, are a rapidly growing global problem with large social, health, and economic consequences..

A 2021 meta-analysis found that short term consumption of caffeine inhibits glucose uptake and glycogen synthase activity in skeletal muscle by blocking adenosine receptors. Other mechanisms include increased levels of epinephrine and free fatty acids, which can increase insulin resistance after caffeine intake.

However, studies suggest that habitual coffee drinkers who drink 3-4 cups of coffee daily might benefit from the protective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of caffeine, as well as the slowing down of glucose intestinal absorption.

Large prospective studies consistently show that 3-4 cups per day, both caffeinated and decaffeinated, is associated with a 25-30% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Another factor to consider is that coffee is a good dietary source of magnesium, which can help increase insulin sensitivity.

Cardiovascular system

Caffeine has a dual effect on the heart; it increases heart rate and blood pressure, which means the heart works faster and harder.

In the heart, adenosine regulates heart rate by slowing the heart. However, when caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, adenosine can’t apply the brakes, and heart rate increases.

cAMP is an excitatory chemical messenger that stimulates the heart muscle to contract forcefully. PDE is the enzyme that breaks down cAMP and removes it from the blood, so it no longer increases heart contraction force. Caffeine inhibits PDE, prolonging cAMP levels and leading to more forceful contractions that raise blood pressure.

Kidneys

In the kidneys, caffeine increases blood flow and renin secretion, thereby increasing diuresis.

Antioxidant

Coffee beans contain a high level of chlorogenic acid. During roasting, chlorogenic acid undergoes progressive destruction and transformation, accompanied by the parallel release of a series of secondary metabolites. However, a substantial amount of chlorogenic acid, ranging from a few mg to perhaps close to 1 g, still remains.

At the same time, studies suggest that, although coffee may contain high levels of phenolics, their individual physiological effects may be limited by their low bioavailability in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Safety

While I love my warm cup of coffee first thing in the morning, a couple of words of caution.

If you struggle with insomnia, have problems falling or staying asleep, then coffee and caffeine are not your cup of…

Feeling tired and wired? Need a lift me up? Consider a good night’s sleep or finding time to rest and recharge. Coffee doesn’t add energy to your energy reserve; it blocks the sensation of fatigue.

Not listening to your body is the same as not picking up the phone when the bank calls. It will not make your debt disappear; it will just accumulate more interest until you are bankrupt. Shutting down your body’s signals when you are fatigued can lead to burnout and disease.

If anxiety, especially one where you feel chest pressure or heart palpitations, is something you struggle with, avoid caffeine.

Coffee is contraindicated for people with a hot, dry constitution.

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This post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not meant to provide medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.

Resources

Arya, M., & Rao, L. J. M. (2007). An impression of coffee carbohydrates. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 47(1), 51–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408390600550315

Histamine, caffeine intolerance, and coffee allergy. (n.d.). The EDS Clinic. Retrieved May 30, 2026, from https://www.eds.clinic/articles/histamine-caffeine-intolerance-coffee-allergy

Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research. (2001, January 1). Pharmacology of caffeine. NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223808/

Masé, G. (2013). The wild medicine solution: healing with aromatic, bitter, and tonic plants. Simon and Schuster.

Moon, S.-M., Joo, M.-J., Lee, Y.-S., & Kim, M.-G. (2021). Effects of coffee consumption on insulin resistance and sensitivity: a meta-analysis. Nutrients, 13(11), 3976. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113976

Nehlig, A. (2022). Effects of coffee on the gastro-intestinal tract: a narrative review and literature update. Nutrients, 14(2), 399. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14020399

Rawel, H. M. R. (2007, August 8). Nutritional contribution of coffee, cacao and tea phenolics to human health. Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sabine-Kulling/publication/225135030_Nutritional_contribution_of_coffee_cacao_and_tea_phenolics_to_human_health/links/0912f5102b8d986a95000000/Nutritional-contribution-of-coffee-cacao-and-tea-phenolics-to-human-health.pdf

Wadhawan, M., & Anand, A. C. (2016). Coffee and liver disease. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, 6(1), 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jceh.2016.02.003

Zhang, Y.-P., Li, W.-Q., Sun, Y.-L., Zhu, R.-T., & Wang, W.-J. (2015). Systematic review with meta-analysis: Coffee consumption and the risk of gallstone disease. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 42(6), 637–648. https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.13328

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

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The human body developed with plants from Primordial times. There is kinship and language that transcends way before intellect. Before we developed logic thinking and thought of ourselves as separate, and in a position of knowing we were part of nature. Nature spoke to our bodies, and we understood the lesson.

When I started to study herbalism, people told me to sit by the plants and listen to their teachings. The herbs in my farm didn’t speak English or Hebrew. I was disappointed and thought something was wrong with me.

Now I know that the language plants are speaking is through color, smell ,and taste. They tell their story through the environment where they call home and the constituents they have developed over centuries.

In June, I am focusing on plants that contain alkaloids. All alkaloids containing herbs are toxic to some degree, and all are bitter. Some are 3rd-grade medicines that can be used as tonics, others are 4th-grade medicines that are highly toxic and should never be used without the supervision of an experienced herbalist.

Here is what to look for in June in Growing Health:

Week 1: Alkaloids in Herbal Medicine

Week 2: Goldenseal - Herbal Gold At Risk

Week 3: Coffee - Your Daily Boost

Week 4: Lobelia - The Optimal Relaxant

Biochemistry could be daunting for some people, including myself. In my writings, I tried to make the topic simple and easy to understand. I answer questions such as What is so unique about alkaloid containing herbs? What can you use them for? What are some safety considerations? And how best to extract alkaloids from plants?

Goldenseal - Herbal Gold At Risk

Plant ID

Name: Goldenseal

Botanical name: Hydrastis canadensis L

Common names: Yellow root, yellow puccoon

What’s in a name

The common name goldenseal refers to the yellow rhizome that bears annual scars of previous stems. These scars resemble the wax once used to seal letters.

The botanical name Hydrastis is derived from two Greek words for water (hydor) and function (astis), alluding to its historical use as a diuretic to promote fluid flow.

canadensis, the Latin term meaning “of Canada,” points to the plant’s native range, which extends from southeastern Canada into the eastern United States.

Botanical Family: Buttercup (Ranunculaceae)

Part used: Roots

Degree: Goldenseal is considered a 3rd degree remedy.

1st degree remedies are herbs you can use as food, such as nettle or dandelion leaves.

2nd degree herbs are spices you can use to season your food. You are not going to use a large amount of them, but you can use them as a tonic daily.

3rd degree herbs are used for strictly medicinal purposes.

4th degree are low dose botanicals.

Description

Goldenseal is a slow-growing perennial herb that spreads via root like, yellow underground stems (rhizomes).

Young plants are often single-stemmed. Mature (reproductive-aged) individuals have forked stalks covered with small hairs. Stalks may reach 30 cm (1 foot) in height.

Leaves grow in alternating pairs. They are shaped like an open hand and are toothed.

Flowers are single, white, and green on a short flowering stalk rising from the highest leaf.

Fruits resemble raspberries, containing 10-30 black, shiny, smooth seeds.

Growing

Goldenseal is a slow growing perennial that is native to the woods of the Eastern United States and Southern Canada, growing in rich, moist, and often alkaline soils in a full-shaded area.

The seeds of goldenseal take years to propagate, therefore starting propagation from root divisions is highly recommended.

Goldenseal is recognized as an At-Risk herb by the United Plant Savers due to habitat loss, slow propagation rate, and overharvesting. It is a worthy plant to grow in your garden if you have a full shaded area. When buying goldenseal medicine, make sure it was sustainably harvested.

History and lore

Goldenseal has a long history of use as a medicine and a dye by the Cherokee and Iroquois, who used the bitter root for digestive complaints,as a wash for skin and the eyes, whooping cough, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. The bright yellow rhizome was used to dye clothing, baskets, and body paint.

The first settlers in America learned about goldenseal medicine from the Native Americans.

Samuel Thomson, regarded as the founding father of Physio-medicalism, H. canadensis was a simple bitter, given as a powder in hot water to treat digestive distress and for “correction of the bile” (Thomson, 1835).

In the mid-to-late 19th century, Goldenseal reached the height of its reputation under the care of the Eclectic physicians. They described it as a “mucous membrane tonic” and prescribed it for digestive, respiratory, and immune concerns.

Felter and Lloyd, in King’s American Dispensatory (1898), wrote:

“It exerts a peculiar influence upon the mucous tissues… imparting tone when relaxed, and restraining undue secretion.”

Energetic Architecture

Taste

Bitter

Energetics

Temperature: Cooling

Fluids: Drying

Tone: Toning

Tissue State

Damp/Relaxation - Goldenseal is indicated for conditions involving boggy, relaxed mucous membranes, such as chronic catarrh, loose bowels, and excessive vaginal or sinus secretions.

Pharmacology

Alkaloids - For a goldenseal root to be considered potent, it needs to have an alkaloid concentration, comprising no less than 2% hydrastine and 2.5% berberine Berberine is a yellow compound that inhibits bacterial replication and disrupts bacterial biofilms. At the same time, berberine increases insulin sensitivity, inhibits intestinal secretion, and stimulates bile secretion.

Hydrastine is a colorless alkaloid that has a drying astringent effect on the mucosa, toning effect on blood vessels, and strong uterine properties that make doldenseal unsafe during pregnancy.

Canadine is a pale yellow alkaloid that is found in relatively small amounts in goldenseal (0.5%), that is sedative and antipsychotic.

Flavonoids in goldenseal enhance berberine’s antibacterial activity and act as efflux pump inhibitors. Bacteria use efflux pumps to protect themselves from antimicrobial compounds, whether pharmaceutical or natural. When bacteria sense antimicrobial compounds, they actively pump them out of the cells, leading to antibiotic resistance.

Organic acids

Sterols, Volatile oil, resin, fatty acids.

Actions

Foundational action

Foundational action are associated with the energetic pattern and can be experienced viscerally in the body.

The foundational action of goldenseal is astringent. It tightens and tones inflamed mucous membranes. It is traditionally used to reduce excess mucus and catarrh in the respiratory, digestive, and reproductive tracts.

Primary actions

Primary actions relate to organs, systems, or tissues.

Anti-infective alteratives - goldenseal helps metabolize bacterial waste products from the extracellular terrain.

Hepatic - influences liver enzyme inhibiting phase Ⅰ liver detox because it suppresses P450 enzymes, and it protects the liver by reducing cholesterol in the liver.

Cholagogue and choleretic - increasing the secretion and flow of bile.

Digestive tonic - promoting the secretion of gastric acid, pepsin, bile, and pancreatic enzymes, and increasing upper GI motility.

Mucosal tonic - tightens and tones leaky mucous membranes.

Emmenagogues - promote menstruation

Secondary actions

Secondary actions imply an end result without specifying energetics or the system affected.

Anti-microbial - local acting antimicrobial. It primarily acts on the digestive and urinary tracts, where it directly contacts the infected tissue.

Anti-inflammatory

Anti-septic

Organ affinity

• Mucosa in the digestive and respiratory tract

• Urinary tract

• Skin

• Eyes

Clinical Pattern

Most research on the medicinal uses of goldenseal focuses on the antimicrobial actions of the Isoquinoline alkaloids. Many researchers isolated them, especially berberine from whole plants, and studied their effects in isolation.

In the 19th century, however, goldenseal was used differently. At the time, herbalists understood goldenseal as a bitter herb that, when used in small doses, stimulates the mucus membranes of the digestive tract, promotes tissue building and rejuvenation, and strengthens the heart and the nervous system.

It was only when the antimicrobial berberine was discovered that its use in large doses began.

The Eclectic John William Frye (1909) writes:

“Hydratis is an energetic tonic to the circulatory and mucous structures. It is especially valuable in diseases associated with irritation or debility of the gastric mucus surface.”

Antimicrobial

Berberine and calandine extracted from goldenseal were found to be effective against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The whole-plant extract

demonstrated equivalent or superior antibacterial activity compared to the individual alkaloids.

Extraction of the aerial parts of goldenseal was shown to inhibit an efflux pump. When the aerial part was combined with berberine from goldenseal, antimicrobial activity was enhanced. The authors speculated that flavonoids from the aerial parts of goldenseal acted as MDR pump inhibitors, while berberine could directly act against the bacteria.

Isoquinoline alkaloids have a local antimicrobial effect, meaning they must come into direct contact with the affected tissue. Therefore, Goldenseal’s antimicrobial effect is primarily limited to the digestive tract through direct contact, with modest activity in the urinary tract via renal excretion of berberine.

Skin and mouth

Topical use of goldenseal in compresses and poultices can be used for bacterial and fungal skin infections, as well as for skin cancer and ulcers.

In his classic text Back to Eden (1939), Jethro Kloss emphasized the special influence of H. canadensis on mucous membranes and skin, and recommended using a tea as a wash for “open sores, inflammations, eczema, ringworm, and erysipelas.”

Berberine and flavonoids from goldenseal inhibited oral pathogens, Streptococcus mutans and Fusobacterium nucleatum, suggesting that the flavonoids potentiated berberine’s antimicrobial activity.

Excess damp conditions

Goldenseal has a long history of use for excess damp conditions, characterized by profuse mucus secretion in the digestive and upper respiratory tracts.

Felter in The King’s Dispensatory (1898) gives specific indications:

“Catarrhal states of the mucous membranes unaccompanied by acute inflammation (except in acute purulent otitis media); relaxed tissues, with profuse secretion of thick and tenacious yellowish or greenish-yellow muco-pus; relaxation and ulceration of tissues of mouth and throat; imperfect recovery from diarrhea or dysentery, with mucous discharges and relaxation; aphthae, ulceration, or erosion of mucous surfaces; atonic gastric irritability; irritation of mucous surfaces, with feeble circulation; muscular soreness aggravated by pressure;. passive hemorrhages from the pelvic organs; ice water dyspepsia; skin diseases depending upon gastric wrongs, which also indicate hydrastis.”

The Ecelectics used goldenseal for chronic inflammation, chronic gastritis, and chronic catarrhal conditions in the digestive tract, as well as in the bladder, vagina, uterus, bronchi, and eyes.

In the digestive tract

Thomas Easley suggests that goldenseal can be a trophorestorative herb for the digestive tract in conditions in which the mucosa loses tone and becomes boggy, with traces of mucus in the stool and a low grade infection.

Goldenseal’s trophorestorative action helps restore appropriate regulation; it’s not just drying indiscriminately; instead, it helps the mucosa remember how to self-regulate secretions.

Diarrhea

Cholera, dysentery, and summer diarrhea were common causes of diarrhea in the 19th century. Way before germ theory was established, herbalists used goldenseal for diarrhea.

We now know that stomach bugs don’t damage the gut’s epithelial cells; instead, they are absorbed into the cells, where they initiate a process that causes the cells to secrete water into the lumen, creating the diarrhea soup.

Goldenseal’s effect on the gut cells is multi-dimensional. It acts as an antimicrobial, directly inhibiting pathogenic bacteria, interfering with the binding of pathogens to epithelial cells, and reducing fluid secretion.

By reducing the E.coli load in the gut through these pathways is likely to also reduce the migration of pathogenic bacteria to the urinary tract, thereby helping prevent urinary tract infections.

In the respiratory tract

Alkaloids are naturally bitter. When we ingest them, they are registered in the brain and activate the vagal nerve. A cascade that starts in the brain and travels through the vagus nerve promotes dilation of the bronchial tubes, thinning of mucus, and stimulation of the cough response, which helps eliminate gunk from the lungs.

Recent studies support the use of goldenseal for upper respiratory disorders. In vitro studies show strong inhibition of influenza A growth, as well as of TNF-α, a proinflammatory cytokine, and prostaglandin E2, which are produced in response to a viral infection.

Goldenseal was used as a snuff powder to treat rhinitis and nasal polyps, and is useful in combination with other herbs for a neti pot rinse. It is an effective astringent and disinfectant for pharyngitis and tonsillitis when there is a runny nose and enlarged, mucus filled tonsils.

For cardiovascular conditions

Doctor Finley Ellingwood describes goldenseal’s action on the heart in his book American Materia Medica:

“It stimulates the respiration and circulation, imparting tone and increased power through the heart’s action, increasing arterial tension and capillary blood pressure.”

A 1998 study found that berberine, derived from goldenseal, relaxes arteries by increasing the release of Endothelium Derived Hyperpolarizing Factor (EDHF), a mediator that causes smooth muscle relaxation by hyperpolarizing the cell membrane, making it less excitable, and by upregulating nitric oxide production in arterial endothelium.

Hyperlipidimia

Hepatocytes (liver cells) cover their surface with a dense array of LDL receptors that bind LDL particles. The more functional LDL receptors your liver expresses, the more efficiently LDL gets cleared from circulation.

The root extract of goldenseal is highly effective at upregulating hepatic LDL receptor expression in hepatic cells and at reducing plasma cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in hyperlipidemic hamsters, with greater activity than the isolated berberine.

Anti-cancer

Berberrine from goldenseal shows anti-inflammatory and antitumor properties.

A study with people with prostate cancer found that while berberrine significantly inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells, it did not exhibit toxicity to noncancer cells in human prostate epithelial cells. In addition, evidence indicates that berberine induces apoptosis in prostate carcinoma cells.

Preparation and dosage

Standard decoction: 2-4 ounces, 3 times daily.

Tincture: Dried root 1:5 60%A

Dosage: 10 drops to 2 ml (0.4 tsp) 2-4 times daily

Glycerite : Dried root 1:8

Dosage: 2.5-10 ml (0.5-2 tsp), 2-4 times daily

Capsules: 500-2000mg 2-3 times daily

Powdered goldenseal can be mixed with barberry powder to make a poultice for skin ulcers.

Safety

Goldenseal is a drying herb that disrupts vitamin B absorption, therefore it should not be used as a simple (single herb) for longer than two weeks. In small doses as part of a formula with demulcents, it can be used longer; however, vitamin B should be evaluated.

Avoid in a dry constitution.

Avoid in pregnancy

Goldenseal interferes with the liver’s Phase Ⅰ detoxification pathways, specifically CYP3A4, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9, which metabolize and eliminate some medications. When taken alongside these meds, it might prolong their half life in the body, leading to an increase in dosage beyond the intended dosage.

Medication herbs contradiction

People who use the following medications should avoid goldenseal:

Statins (simvastatin, lovastatin, atorvastatin)

Calcium channel blockers (amlodipine, diltiazem, verapamil)

Beta blockers (metoprolol, carvedilol, propranolol)

Blood thinner (Warfarin)

HIV antiretrovirals

Antidepressants (fluoxetine, paroxetine, tricyclics)

Antipsychotics (haloperidol, risperidone)

Benzodiazepines (diazepam, midazolam, alprazolam)

Opioids (fentanyl, oxycodone, methadone)

Codeine (convert to morphine)

Immunosuppressants (cyclosporine, tacrolimus)

Macrolide antibiotics (erythromycin, clarithromycin)

Antifungals , antidepressants , antipsychotics

Estrogens and progesterones (including hormonal contraceptives)

Recipes for Remedies

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This post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not meant to provide medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.

Resources

Abidi, P., Chen, W., Kraemer, F. B., Li, H., & Liu, J. (2006). The medicinal plant goldenseal is a natural LDL-lowering agent with multiple bioactive components and new action mechanisms. Journal of Lipid Research, 47(10), 2134–2147. https://doi.org/10.1194/jlr.M600195-JLR200

Amalaradjou, M. A. R., & Venkitanarayanan, K. (2011, October 3). Natural approaches for controlling urinary tract infections. IntechOpen. https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/20575

Berberine monograph. (n.d.).

Easley, T., & Horne, S. (2016). The modern herbal dispensatory: a medicine-making guide. North Atlantic Books.

Goldenseal root (Hydrastis Canadensis): standards of analysis, quality control, and therapeutics. (2001).

Hoffmann, D. (1998). The herbal handbook: a user’s guide to medical herbalism. Simon and Schuster.

Horn, J., R. (2012, September 12). Goldenseal Drug Interactions. Pharmacy Times. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/goldenseal-drug-interactions

Inhibition of H1N1 influenza A virus growth and induction of inflammatory mediators by the isoquinoline alkaloid berberine and extracts of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). (n.d.). International Immunopharmacology, 11(11), 1706–1714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intimp.2011.06.002

Junio, H. A., Sy-Cordero, A. A., Ettefagh, K. A., Burns, J. T., Micko, K. T., Graf, T. N., Richter, S. J., Cannon, R. E., Oberlies, N. H., & Cech, N. B. (2011). Synergy-directed fractionation of botanical medicines: A case study with goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). Journal of Natural Products, 74(7), 1621–1629. https://doi.org/10.1021/np200336g

Mantena, S. K. M., K. (2006, February 1). Berberine, a natural product, induces G1-phase cell cycle arrest and caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in human prostate carcinoma cells. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. https://aacrjournals.org/mct/article/5/2/296/285475/Berberine-a-natural-product-induces-G1-phase-cell

Pengelly , A. P. PhD. (n.d.). An Appalachian Plant Monograph. ACES.

Setzer, W. N. (2018). The phytochemistry of Cherokee aromatic medicinal plants. Medicines, 5(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines5040121

Stansbury, J. (2018). Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals, Volume 2: Circulation and Respiration, including the Cardiovascular, Peripheral Vascular, Pulmonary, and Respiratory Systems. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Wong, K. K. (n.d.). Thieme e-journals - Planta medica / abstract. Planta Medica, 64(08), 756–757. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-957575

Wood, M. (2017). The book of herbal wisdom: using plants as medicines. North Atlantic Books.

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

Buy Me Coffee

The human body developed with plants from Primordial times. There is kinship and language that transcends way before intellect. Before we developed logic thinking and thought of ourselves as separate, and in a position of knowing we were part of nature. Nature spoke to our bodies, and we understood the lesson.

When I started to study herbalism, people told me to sit by the plants and listen to their teachings. The herbs in my farm didn’t speak English or Hebrew. I was disappointed and thought something was wrong with me.

Now I know that the language plants are speaking is through color, smell ,and taste. They tell their story through the environment where they call home and the constituents they have developed over centuries.

In June, I am focusing on plants that contain alkaloids. All alkaloids containing herbs are toxic to some degree, and all are bitter. Some are 3rd-grade medicines that can be used as tonics, others are 4th-grade medicines that are highly toxic and should never be used without the supervision of an experienced herbalist.

Here is what to look for in June in Growing Health:

Week 1: Alkaloids in Herbal Medicine

Week 2: Goldenseal - Herbal Gold At Risk

Week 3: Coffee - Your Daily Boost

Week 4: Lobelia - The Optimal Relaxant

Biochemistry could be daunting for some people, including myself. In my writings, I tried to make the topic simple and easy to understand. I answer questions such as What is so unique about alkaloid containing herbs? What can you use them for? What are some safety considerations? And how best to extract alkaloids from plants?

Alkaloids in herbal medicine

Plant based medicines work better than synthetic man made medicines because they are more likely to resemble endogenous metabolites and break down into biological intermediates that the body can recognize, absorb, transport, and bind to more easily.

Most plants are built from carbon and oxygen; however, plants that contain alkaloids contain one or more nitrogen atoms. In other words, they contain amino acids, molecules that are common in animals and humans, but are unique when they occur in plants.

It is essential for the production of structural proteins and enzymes, for DNA replication and synthesis, and for neurotransmitter synthesis.

As an element, nitrogen is odorless and tasteless; it is also nontoxic. In the body, nitrogen inflate the lungs, allowing oxygen and carbon dioxide to flow freely in and out of the body.

When nitrogen binds to other atoms in a molecule, the effect is stabilizing and grounding.

Taste

Alkaloids taste bitter, which signals to our bodies the presence of toxins. Some alkaloids are more toxic than others and should be avoided altogether. Some should be avoided during pregnancy or in the presence of liver disease, and others are considered safe. The intensity of the bitter taste is not always directly correlated with the degree of toxicity.

The association between bitterness and toxicity led the body to evolve more bitter taste receptors than any other taste receptors. These bitter receptors are found in the mouth and digestive tract, but also in parts of the body where you wouldn’t expect them, such as the brain and lungs. When bitter tasting compounds such as alkaloids bind to bitter receptors, they trigger the release of digestive enzymes in the gut and the liver. The body tries to get rid of these compounds as soon as possible. At the same time, they exert their effects on other parts of the body, such as the lungs and the brain.

It is important to note that not all bitter tasting herbs contain alkaloids. Some herbs, such as dandelion, artichoke, burdock, and gentian, contain Sesquiterpene Lactones; others, such as grapefruit, contain flavonoids; and some bitter herbs, such as lavender and wormwood, contain aromatic volatile oils.

Actions

Herbs containing alkaloids were traditionally used for addiction and alcoholism, but also for creating altered consciousness in ceremonies.

Although all alkaloids contain nitrogen and are alkaline, their actions vary greatly. Some, like berberine containing herbs, have a more tonic effect, building tissue integrity and reducing permeability; others work through their toxicity.

The presence of nitrogen suggests an affinity for sensory input and consciousness. For example, alkaloids like indole have been used in therapy for people with addiction or PTSD.

Alkaloids act at the interface between nerves and between nerves and muscles. Recent research has shown potent anesthetics, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, antimalarial, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, and antidiabetic effects. Well-known alkaloids used in clinical settings include morphine, strychnine, quinine, ephedrine, and nicotine.

Alkaloids exert their effects through various pathways, including scavenging reactive oxygen species, modulating inflammation, inducing apoptosis in cancer cells, and combating resistant pathogens and malaria.

Not all alkaloids are the same.

Despite sharing a similar chemical backbone, alkaloid structures and functions vary widely. Some of the most common alkaloid compounds that are found in herbs are:

Tropane alkaloids

Tropane alkaloids are derived mainly from plants in the Solanaceae family. They act as anticholinergics, decreasing smooth muscle spasms and reducing secretions, particularly in the digestive tract. Herbs containing tropane alkaloids are Datura (Jimsonweed or thorn apple), Belladonna (Atropa belladonna), and Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger).

All tropane containing herbs are 4th degree remedies, meaning they are low dose botanicals that should be used only under the guidance of an experienced herbalist.

Isoquinoline alkaloids

Isoquinoline alkaloids are a large and pharmacologically diverse family of compounds that are synthesized from tyrosine in plants. Although they share the tyrosine backbone, you can’t predict what an isoquinoline will do just from knowing it’s an isoquinoline; you have to know the specific compound.

Some soquinoline containing herbs, such as Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), Barberry (Berberis vulgaris), and Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium), act as digestive stimulants, gastrointestinal tonics, antimicrobials, and immune stimulants.

Others like Opium (Papaver somniferum) and Corydalis (Corydalis yanhusuo) are analgesic.

Pyridine

Pyridine alkaloids are primarily derived from nicotinic acid. Many of them bind to cholinergic receptors. In low doses, they have an antispasmodic effect on bronchial smooth muscles. In medium doses, they can trigger an emetic response. In high doses, however, they can cause paralysis and respiratory failure.

Lobelia inflata is a good example of an herb that contains pyridine alkaloids. It is used as a muscle relaxant in different parts of the body, but is especially known for its benefits for people with asthma. The Eclectics valued lobelia’s emetic action because emetics activate the vagus nerve, which helps shift people who were stuck and paralyzed in stress response.

Pyrrolizidine

Pyrrolizidine is derived from plants in the Asteraceae and Boraginaceae families. Necine is the core structure of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Saturated necine molecules don’t have double bonds and are nontoxic. However, unsaturated necine, with one or more double bonds, produces toxic metabolites when broken down in the liver, which can cause liver damage. Some herbs containing unsaturated necine are borage, comfrey, and boneset.

Quinoline

Quinoline synthesized from tryptophan or tryptamine in plants. Cinchona officinalis, a member of the Rubiaceae botanical family, is known as “fever tree” because of its antimalarial properties.

Indole

Many medicinal alkaloids are indoles. These are lipophilic aromatic compounds that can cross the blood brain barrier, exert a central nervous system effect, and bind to serotonin receptors.

All indole alkaloids are synthesized from tryptophan and have a similar structure to serotonin, melatonin, and tryptamine. The body can recognize indole structures, allowing them to bind to serotonin, adrenergic, dopaminergic, and opioid receptors and exert their effect.

Their actions depend on the specific plant and on dosage. Some plants, like Yohimbe (Pausinystalia yohimbe), are stimulating, while others, like passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), are sedating.

Some ‘plants’ actions are dose dependent. dependents. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a plant from the Rubiaceae botanical family that contains indole alkaloids. In small doses, it acts on adrenergic receptors, increasing energy, focus, sociability, and reducing fatigue. In large doses, however, it produces an opioid metabolite that is sedating, analgesic, and euphoric.

Purine alkaloids

Most people interact with purine alkaloids daily, as they are found in caffeine. Purine alkaloids are derived from the amino acid purine, that increase wakefulness and alertness, act as cardiac stimulants and vasodilators, dilate the bronchi, and increase urination.

The overall stimulating action can lead to insomnia, heart palpitations, and anxiety.

Another factor to consider is that tolerance develops rapidly; what works at week one may require dose escalation by week four, and withdrawal is real and might include symptoms such as headache, fatigue, and irritability.

Purine alkaloid metabolism is highly individual and depends on liver capacity, so two people can have dramatically different experiences with the same dose.

Bioavailability

As their name suggests, alkaloids are alkaline, meaning that they form salts. In alchemy, Sal is the process of condensing and creating form, which explains the grounding and stabilizing effect of alkaloids.

When dissolved, alkaloids raise the pH above 7. Therefore, when you introduce alkaloids to a solution that is already alkaline, they will have a hard time dissolving. The best way to extract an alkaloid is to add acids to your menstrum, such as vinegar.

Some alkaloids, such as capecium (cayenne), can be extracted with vinegar; others, like berberrine, containing herbs (goldenseal, barberry), can be decocted as the alkaloids contained in them are water soluble, morphin though extracted from the opium poppy, is hard to extract and will require a warm ethanol extraction process.

You can use 10% vinegar or hydrochloric acid in your ethanol extraction to increase the acidity of the menstrum and increase the bioavailability of the alkaloids.

Alkaloids containingg plants have a profound effect and a wide range of therapeutic uses. From pain relief to anti-inflammatory effects, these herbs have played a significant role in traditional and modern medicine. By understanding their properties, benefits, and safety considerations, we can harness alkaloids safely and effectively to support health and well-being.

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This post is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not meant to provide medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

Buy Me Coffee

Welcome to June in Growing Health.

The human body developed with plants from Primordial times. There is kinship and language that transcends way before intellect. Before we developed logic thinking and thought of ourselves as separate, and in a position of knowing we were part of nature. Nature spoke to our bodies, and we understood the lesson.

When I started to study herbalism, people told me to sit by the plants and listen to their teachings. The herbs in my farm didn’t speak English or Hebrew. I was disappointed and thought something was wrong with me.

Now I know that the language plants are speaking is through color, smell ,and taste. They tell their story through the environment where they call home and the constituents they have developed over centuries.

In June, I am focusing on plants that contain alkaloids. All alkaloids containing herbs are toxic to some degree, and all are bitter. Some are 3rd-grade medicines that can be used as tonics, others are 4th-grade medicines that are highly toxic and should never be used without the supervision of an experienced herbalist.

Here is what to look for in June in Growing Health:

Week 1: Alkaloids in Herbal Medicine

Week 2: Goldenseal - Herbal Gold At Risk

Week 3: Coffee - Your Daily Boost

Week 4: Lobelia - The Optimal Relaxant

Biochemistry could be daunting for some people, including myself. In my writings, I tried to make the topic simple and easy to understand. I answer questions such as What is so unique about alkaloid containing herbs? What can you use them for? What are some safety considerations? And how best to extract alkaloids from plants?

Join me to find out what plant based alkaloids whisper to our bodies. How we can benefit from their gifts, and when to be wary of their poison.

I’d love to hear how you’re finding ways to grow your health. Please join the conversation and leave a comment below!

Upgrade to pay

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

Buy Me Coffee

Before the invention of chemistry labs, herbalists learned about herbs by observing their shapes, colors, and growing conditions. The doctrine of signatures was an extensive body of work, founded on the observations of generations of folk herbalists and alchemists.

Although today, we tend to dismiss much of their work as not scientific, studies suggest that the doctrine of signature is founded on chemistry.

Herbs, as it turned out, work not because of folklore or a vibe but because of the chemicals they contain. One class of these chemicals is polyphenols, compounds that determine the color of leaves, flowers, and fruits.

In May, I am going to go deep into the world of color in food and medicine.

My plan:

Week 1: Polyphenols in Herbal Medicine

Week 2: Hawthorn - A Heart Feeling Herb

Week 3: Milk Thistle - Liver First Aid

Week 4: Goldenrod - The Golden Healer

Goldenrod is a vibrant flower that blooms in late summer and early fall. Many people who struggle with fall allergies blame goldenrod for their symptoms, when in fact ragweed is the culprit. Both plants are members of the Asteraceae family, grow in roadside ditches and open fields, and bloom at the same time.

While ragweed pollen is light and carried by the wind, the pollen of goldenrod is heavy and sticky. It is carried by insects from plant to plant.

As ragweed produces the airborne pollen that triggers seasonal allergies, goldenrod blooms concurrently and has been historically used in herbal medicine to help alleviate those same symptoms.

Plant ID

Name: Goldenrod

Common names: Aaron’s Rod, blue mountain tea, wound weed, woundwort.

Botanical name: Solidago

What’s in the name

The common name goldenrod is clearly due to the golden stalks that appear in late summer, when the plant is in full bloom.

The botanical name Solidago is derived from the Latin words solidus (”whole”) and ago (”to make”), or bring together, referencing its historical use in medieval herbal medicine as a prominent wound healing remedy.

Botanical Family: Asteraceae

Part used: The aerial parts, leaves, and flowers

Degree: 3rd degree. Goldenrod is not the type of herb you would use as food (1st degree) or use as seasoning (2nd degree), however, it is also not a small dose botanical (4th degree)

Description

Goldenrod grows to 2-3 feet in height. The green leaves alternate around the stem. The apex is branching with clusters of golden flowers that bloom at the end of summer.

Growing

Goldenrod is an herbaceous perennial that thrives in full sun and well drained soil. Some people grow goldenrod in their gardens because of its beautiful flowers and because it is easy to cultivate. Where I live, goldenrod is found in abundance in meadows where it can easily be wildcrafted.

History and lore

In many traditions, goldenrod is seen as a symbol of good luck, wealth, and prosperity. It was believed that finding a goldenrod on your path meant fortune was about to smile upon you.

In ancient Greece, for example, goldenrod was dedicated to the Greek god of wealth, Plutus, and was believed to attract financial success. In some Native American traditions, goldenrod symbolizes protection and healing and is used as a good luck charm.

In England, goldenrod was used as a divining rod to find hidden springs of water and hidden gold and silver. There is quite a bit of lore surrounding the harvesting of the divining rod, saying that it must be cut after sunset and before sunrise, and only on certain holidays, the first night of a new moon, or the night before. The person harvesting the rod was to face the East, “so that it shall be one which catches the first rays of the morning sun, or it will be valueless,” and some traditions considered the seventh son of a seventh son to be the most fitting person to do the divining.

Goldenrod is significantly woven into United States history. After the Boston Tea Party, the infamous dumping of imported tea into Boston Harbor to protest British taxation, the colonists had to find native alternatives for their favorite hot beverage, and goldenrod leaves were the first plant used to brew tea. Goldenrod tea became known as “Liberty Tea.”

Energetic Architecture

Ruling Planet

The 7th-century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper associated goldenrod with Venus. Historically, Solidago (goldenrod) has been used for skin issues and to heal wounds, enhance beauty; actions ruled by Venus.

Also, the abundance of bright yellow flowers was considered a sign that goldenrod attracts gold and fortune, which are Venusian traits.

Ruling Element

In some places, I read that goldenrod is associated with the water element, as it likes to dip its feet in water and has an astringent effect on the water element in the upper respiratory tract and eyes in allergic reactions.

However, I also heard it mentioned in association with the air element because of its feathery appearance and its movement in the wind.

Psychological Profile

Goldenrod is a plant that helps you keep going when all you can do is take one step, and then another, and another. It brings a quality of sunshine when the gray clouds hang low above your head.

The fiery flowers are a symbol of inner fire, full willpower, resilience, direction, purpose, but also burnout, carrying more than possible, losing sight of our surroundings in the face of a singular goal.

In her book “ Health Through God’s Pharmacy, herbalist Maria Treben writes:

“Goldenrod proves its worth as a medicinal plant which influences the human emotions most favourably. It should therefore be drunk without delay in cases of disappointment and emotional stress”

Taste

• Bitter

• Pungent

• Astringent

Energetics

Temperature: Warming

Fluids: Drying

Tone: Toning

Because goldenrod is warming and drying, when formulating, consider using it alongside plantain, a mild, moistening demulcent, and peach leaves, which are cooling and anti-inflammatory.

Tissue State

The six tissue states represent conditions of excess and deficiency.

Damp/ Stagnation - when there is excess production of mucus that is leaking from the tissue, such as in a leaky nose, and teary eyes associated with seasonal allergies. Goldenrod energetically dries; it moves stagnation, promotes fluid circulation, and supports excretion.

lax/ - tissues that have lost tone, structure, and elasticity, resulting in saggy, weak, or leaky conditions. As an astringent, goldenrod tones the tissue, helps restore form, and stops leakage.

Pharmacology

• Glycosides - contain a sugar molecule bound to a non-sugar bioactive compound, which increases goldenrod bioavailability because it makes it water soluble (70% of the body is fluids) and can be cleaved by gut bacteria, releasing the non-sugar compound in the gut.

• Polyphenolic acids - including flavonoid molecules flavanones, quercetin, and kaempferol that are responsible for its mast cell stabilizing action. The polyphenolic acids act as antioxidants, scavenging for free radicals, reducing inflammation, and building tissue tone and integrity. Quercetin and kaempferol are both mast cell stabilizers that inhibit COX and 5-LOX pathways, thus reducing inflammation.

• Triterpene saponins are soap like compounds that increase urination, promote expectoration from the upper respiratory tract, and act as anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial.

• Monoterpenes - are volatile oils that are aromatic and warming, that increase circulation and act as antibacterials and bronchodialators.

• sesquiterpenes - bitter compounds that bind to bitter receptors on the tongue and the gut, promoting digestion. Also, inhibiting NF-κB, the main inflammatory switch.

Actions

Foundational actions

Foundational actions are associated with the energetic pattern and can be experienced viscerally in the body.

Goldenrod is astringent, meaning it causes tissue to contract; it is indicated when tissues are weak, atonic, and/or “leaking” because the tissues don’t have the tone they need to hold in fluids. It is beneficial for swollen or injured tissue.

Primary actions

Primary actions relate to organs, systems, or tissues.

• Kidney tonic - Through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, goldenrod helps protect and support the kidneys.

• Diuretic - A gentle diuretic, goldenrod’s glycosides dilate the small blood vessels in the kidneys, increasing blood flow to the kidneys. At the same time, the saponins from goldenrod act as mild irritants on the filtering tubules, promoting fluid secretion.

• Anticatarrhal - Catarrh refers to excessive mucus production and accumulation in mucous membranes, classically in the upper respiratory tract. Golderod reduces boggy mucus by toning and tightening boggy, overly permeable mucous membranes through its anti-inflammatory action and by stabilizing mast cells.

Secondary actions

• Secondary actions imply an end result without specifying energetics or the system affected.

• Anti-inflammatory - Goldenrod reduces inflammation in the urinary and upper respiratory tracts and cools down allergic inflammatory conditions. When used topically, goldenrod reduces musculoskeletal inflammation.

• Antiseptic - Goldenrod is beneficial for urinary tract infections, both bacterial and yeast, and for upper respiratory infections.

Organ affinity

• Upper respiratory tract

• Urinary tract

Clinical Pattern

Urinary tract support

Golderod has a long history of use for urinary tract conditions.

Peter Holmes, herbalist and author of Energetics of Western Herbs, writes:

“Goldenrod is one of the very few known trophorestoratives to the kidney organ. In any chronic kidney condition, this remedy is an indispensable asset and should be used long term.”

The polyphenols in goldenrod, including flavanones, quercetin, and kaempferol, are absorbed by the gut lining, conjugated by the liver into water soluble compounds, and then eliminated by the kidneys. Goldenrod’s active compounds are essentially concentrated and delivered to the kidney and urinary tract by normal metabolic processing.

Diuretic

Most diuretic herbs work by irritating the kidneys. Irritation causes the kidney to flush the irritant out, leading to increased urine production as a side effect.

Goldenrod has a different mechanism of action that works with the body’s natural diuretic signal without “pushing” the kidneys into action. ANP (Atrial Natriuretic Peptide) is a cardiac hormone that regulates fluid and blood pressure by acting directly on the kidneys. BNP (B-type natriuretic peptide) acts as a crucial communicator between the heart and kidneys. When the heart works harder, it releases BNP, which signals the kidneys to excrete water and salt, thereby reducing blood pressure and the heart’s workload. NEP is the enzyme that breaks these signals down and turns them off.

Goldenrod flavonoids inhibit NEP, prolonging the duration and effectiveness of the body’s diuretic signals. Instead, it overrides the body’s normal function with an external irritant; goldenrod restores normal regulatory function.

The mild diuretic effects of goldenrod can be beneficial in conditions such as edema or high blood pressure caused by fluid retention.

Urinary tract infection

Goldenrod has a long history of use for urinary tract infections; modern science now confirms its antimicrobial activity in the urinary tract.

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli are Gram negative bacteria that are the leading cause of urinary tract infections. In many cases, UTI becomes a chronic condition because bacteria establish a mature biofilm on the bladder epithelium, making it dramatically harder for antibiotics to penetrate; within the biofilm, bacteria can exist in metabolically dormant states that are largely antibiotic resistant.

A 2021 in vitro study found that goldenrod has antimicrobial activity against Uropathogenic Escherichia coli, supporting its traditional use as a urinary antiseptic. In addition, goldenrod suppressed biofilm formation. However, the results do not support using goldenrod alongside antibiotics, as it didn’t show synergy with antibiotics and shortened the post-antibiotic effect, increasing the risk of recurrence.

Clinically, this study suggests that goldenrod’s antiseptic effects are beneficial in the early stages of a mild UTI, when no antibiotic is needed.

The antiseptic effect of goldenrod in treating UTI is compounded by its mild diuretic properties, which help flush the infection out, as well as its modest spasmolytic, antioxidant, and analgesic properties.

Interstitial cystitis

The urinary tract tissue of people who struggle with Interstitial cystitis shows an increased number of mast cells compared to normal bladder tissue. These mast cells are chronically activated, releasing histamine, tryptase, TNF-α, and NGF (nerve growth factor).

Hypersensitivity in the urinary tract involves increased permeability of the UT endothelium, which contributes to the sensation of burning and pain. The UT endothelium acts as a sensory web that sends, receives, and amplifies information in the extracellular environment. Altered signals in the UT can affect the tissue, leading to increased permeability and inflammation that are very similar to those of leaky gut.

Goldenrod can support people with Interstitial cystitis due to its mast cells stabilizing, anti-inflammatory, mild diuretic, and mild anti-spasmodic effects.

Respiratory

Traditionally, the young flowers and leaves of goldenrod were used to treat excess mucus and leakage from the upper respiratory tract (nose, nasal cavity, sinuses, throat, and voice box) due to allergies and hay fever.

Goldenrod flowers contain a high amount of volatile oils, which give them a pungent aroma. The aromatic terpenes can volatilize across the alveolar membrane (air sacs), be exhaled through the bronchial tree, irritate the epithelium of the upper respiratory tract, stimulate mucous secretion, and thin and loosen mucus.

In addition, quercetin in goldenrod reduces inflammation by inhibiting the enzyme that promotes leukotriene synthesis. Leukotrienes are potent bronchoconstrictors; for people with allergies, hay fever, and asthma, goldenrod can help prevent bronchoconstriction and make breathing easier.

Another effect of quercetin is the stabilization of mast cells, which prevents the histamine release cascade and the resulting symptoms of upper respiratory congestion, teary eyes, brain fog, and fatigue.

Preparation and dosage

When extracting compounds from goldenrod, you want to consider their bioavailability.

Standard infusion of goldenrod extracts yields flavonoid glycosides, phenolic acids, saponins, tannins, and polysaccharides, which account for goldenrod’s mast cell-stabilizing, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects.

Dosage: 15 grams in a quart of water daily.

A 50% alcohol extraction of goldenrod will extract flavonoid glycosides, phenolic acids, saponins, aromatics, and tannins. Alcohol extraction better preserves the aromatic compounds responsible for the antiseptic elimination pathway through the lungs and urinary tract.

Tincture fresh 1:2 95%A

Tincture dry 1:5 50%A

Dosage: 2-4 ml 0.4-0.8 tsp 1-4 times daily

Glycerides: Dried flowers 1:8

Dosage: 2.5-10ml 0.5-2 tsp 2-4 times daily

Topical use: Dried flowers 1:4 in oil, apply 2-3 times daily

Safety:

Generally safe.

Avoid if allergic to the Aster botanical family such as chamomile, calendula, elecampane etc

Avoid in conditions of edema due to kidney failure. If the kidney itself has failed, pushing more blood through damaged nephrons or irritating compromised tubules is harmful rather than helpful.

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Resources I used for goldenrod monograph

Easley, T., & Horne, S. (2016). The modern herbal dispensatory: a medicine-making guide. North Atlantic Books.

Fursenco, C., Calalb, T., Uncu, L., Dinu, M., & Ancuceanu, R. (2020). Solidago virgaurea L.: A Review of Its Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities. Biomolecules, 10(12), 1619. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10121619

HMPC. (n.d.). Assessment report on Solidago virgaurea L., herba.

Stansbury, J. (2021). Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals, Volume 5: Immunology, Orthopedics, and Otolaryngology, including Allergies, the Immune System, the Musculoskeletal System, and the Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth, and Throat. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Treben, M. (1980). Health through God’s pharmacy. Ennsthaler.

Wojnicz, D., Tichaczek-Goska, D., Gleńsk, M., & Hendrich, A. B. (2021). Is it Worth Combining Solidago virgaurea Extract and Antibiotics against Uropathogenic Escherichia coli rods? An In Vitro Model Study. Pharmaceutics, 13(4), 573.

https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13040573

Wood, M. (2017). The book of herbal wisdom: Using plants as medicines. North Atlantic Books.

This post is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.

Everything here is freely offered without paywalls. If you appreciate what you find, please consider a free or paid subscription. Your financial support allows me to spend more time growing as a clinician and a researcher so I can bring the fruits of my work and share it with you.

Buy Me Coffee

Before the invention of chemistry labs, herbalists learned about herbs by observing their shapes, colors, and growing conditions. The doctrine of signatures was an extensive body of work, founded on the observations of generations of folk herbalists and alchemists.

Although today, we tend to dismiss much of their work as not scientific, studies suggest that the doctrine of signature is founded on chemistry.

Herbs, as it turned out, work not because of folklore or a vibe but because of the chemicals they contain. One class of these chemicals is polyphenols, compounds that determine the color of leaves, flowers, and fruits.

In May, I am going to go deep into the world of color in food and medicine.

My plan:

Week 1: Polyphenols in Herbal Medicine

Week 2: Hawthorn - A Heart Feeling Herb

Week 3: Milk Thistle - Liver First Aid

Week 4: Goldenrod - The Golden Healer

Milk thistle is a unique and beautiful addition to a herb garden. Extracting the seeds from the thistle is a painful work, though.

Plant ID

Name: Milk Thistle

Botanical name: Silybum marianum

Common names: Our Lady’s Thistle, St Mary’s Thistle (from the German Marendistil)

What’s in a name

The name “milk thistle” (Silybum marianum) derives from the distinctive botanical feature of its leaves: the white, vein-like markings, which are associated with a Christian legend. According to folklore, these white, milky streaks were created when a drop of the Virgin Mary’s milk fell onto the plant while she was nursing Jesus.

Botanical Family: Asteraceae

Part used: The seeds

Degree

3rd degree, Milk thistle is strictly an herbal remedy that shouldn’t be used as food (first degree) or to season food (2nd degree). However, it is not considered a low dose botanical (4th degree)

Description

Milk thistle is a tall, often 3 to 4-foot plant with thick, branched stems, leaves, and flower heads that are covered with a thin down.

Leaves: Large, long, shiny, and wavy, with white marbled veins and spines on the edges.

Flowers: Large, purple flower heads, protected by spiny, thorny bracts.

Seeds: Hard, smooth, and shiny with a white, silky pappus.

Growing

Milk thistle is native to the Mediterranean but is now widespread all over the world. In Greece, it is considered a weed and is found on roadsides and waste ground.

In the wild, milk thistle grows as a biennial, but in cultivation it is an annual herb. It prefers high fertility soil.

Before seeding milk thistle, scarify the seeds with sandpaper. The seeds can be seeded directly into the bed in late winter as optimal germination occurs in 35-56 F. Seeds should be buried about ten inches deep, and spaced 24–36 inches apart.

History and lore

Milk thistle has a long history of use as food and as medicine.

Pliny the Elder (Gaius Plinius Secundus, 23–79 AD) recommended the juice of milk thistle mixed with honey as a remedy for “carrying off the bile.”

The Greek physician Dioscorides (40–90 AD) was among the first to document its healing properties. It was historically used to treat snake bites, liver conditions, and gallbladder issues.

17th-century English physician and author, William Westmacott, wrote in 1694:

“It is a friend to the liver and blood; the prickles cut off they were formerly used to be boiled in the spring and eaten with other herbs; but as the world decays, so doth the use of good old things and other more delicate and less virtuous brought in.”

In 1597, herbalist John Gerard described it as “the best remedy against melancholy diseases.”

Energetic Architecture

Ruling Planet

Culpeper put milk thistle under Jupiter, a planet also associated with the liver.

Jupiter is a radiating planet with no clear boundaries. Milk thistle can benefit people with non alcoholic fatty liver, a condition developed due to losing the protective boundary of satiation sensation, which leads to overindulgence in food, alcohol, or drug addiction.

Ruling Element

The sturdy stem and sharp thistle point toward the fire element, which in the body manifests in inflammation. The antioxidant flavonoids in milk thistle have a cooling effect on inflammation, specifically in the liver.

Taste: Bland, mildly bitter, and oily.

Energetics

Temperature: Cooling

Fluids: Moistening

Tone: Neutral

Tissue State

Heat/Excitation - Milk thistle shines in hot, inflamed, or toxic liver states such as hepatitis or cirrhosis. It is beneficial for medication-induced liver damage, acute (poisonous mushroom exposure), and chronic exposure to hepatotoxic substances.

Dry/Atrophy - The dryness might be secondary to the heat. Excessive chronic inflammation dries and irritates the tissue. Milk thistle is an oily herb that can “oil” the tissue, thus reducing the irritation.

Specific Indications

Mathew Woods suggests milk thistle for:

“Dull heavy head, despondency, with coated tongue, lack of appetite, nausea”.

Pharmacology

Silymarin - is the main compound in milk thistle and the one that is responsible for much of its action. Silmarin is a mixture of unique flavonoid complexes that contains silybin, isosilybin, silychristin, isosilychristin, silydianin, and silimonin.

The highest concentration, comprising approximately 50–70% of the extract, is silybin, the major bioactive component of milk thistle. Various studies show silybin to have.

Silybin has hepatoprotective effects and strong antioxidant properties that modulate a variety of cell-signaling pathways, thereby reducing the production of pro-inflammatory mediators.

Silybin undergoes phase Ⅰ and Ⅱ of liver detoxification, then binds to bile and is excreted with the stool. The elimination half-life of silybin is approximately 6 hours.

The bioavailability of silybin is lower when extracted with water and when absorbed orally. But it is significantly increased when extracted with ethanol or glycerin. Silybin is not easily absorbed by the gut lining; its absorption rate depends on the presence of other substances, such as fat, proteins, amino acids, cholesterol, or other flavonoids, which can mitigate its absorption.

Other flavonoids - such as taxifolin, quercetin, dihydrokaempferol, kaempferol, apigenin, naringin, eriodyctiol, and chrysoeriol.

Fixed oils - including 60% linoleic acid, 30% oleic acid, and 9% palmitic acid.

Sterols - cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and sitosterol.

Sugars and proteins

Actions

Foundational actions are associated with the energetic pattern and can be experienced viscerally in the body.

Milk thistle doesn’t fit perfectly into any of the six foundational actions (aromatics, astringents, demulcents, relaxants, stimulants, and bitters). It has some qualities similar to bitters, such as its cooling effect and its supportive action on the liver and digestive function. However, most bitters are drying while milk thistle is moistening.

Primary actions relate to organs, systems, or tissues.

• Hepatoprotective - The silymarin complex from milk thistle has shown a well documented protective action on the hepatocyte (liver cells).

• Cholagogue - stimulates bile flow, which supports fat digestion, helps move congestion out of the liver, and contributes to its alterative action.

• Alterative - herbs that improve metabolic waste clearance and tissue nutrition over time. Milk thistle’s alterative action is derived from its hepatoprotective and cholagogue effects. A healthier liver clears metabolic waste more efficiently.

• Galactagogue - Increase milk production.

Secondary actions imply an end result without specifying energetics or the system affected.

Anti-inflammatory - The polyphenols and flavonoids reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.

Antioxidant - The liver has high energy needs because it works nonstop. That is especially true when the body is exposed to toxins, whether in acute conditions such as poisoning or in chronic exposure, such as from drugs or alcohol addiction. The byproducts of constant energy production, inflammation, and phase Ⅰ and phase Ⅱ detox are increased free radicals. The polyphenols in milk thistle act as direct intracellular antioxidants; they scavenge free radicals in the hepatocytes and protect them from oxidative damage.

Organ affinity

• The liver

• The kidneys

Clinical Pattern

While milk thistle has an affinity for the liver and does promote bile production, it is not the first herb to reach for when dealing with stagnant liver or when needing to encourage bile production.

Milk thistle is best kept in the herbalist’s arsenal for when liver damage is likely. It has a profound lifesaving effect on people who have ingested poisonous compounds; Amanita muscaria mushrooms are a good example, or for people who suffer from chronic liver conditions that are degenerative, due to alcohol, drugs, or pharmaceutical abuse, or long term exposure to chemical toxins. Some of the conditions that can benefit from milk thistle are non-alcoholic fatty liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver failure.

What is oxidative stress?

At its core, oxidative stress occurs when the body produces more ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) than its antioxidant capacity can neutralize.

The mitochondria, your powerhouse for energy production, use the oxygen you breathe to generate energy. However, a small percentage of electrons escape the final process and end up as superoxide , a reactive oxygen species (ROS).

In a healthy mitochondrion, only a small number of electrons escape the final process and become superoxide, a compound that is easily cleaned up by your innate antioxidants.

The problem happens either in inflammatory conditions or when the mitochondria are not functioning well. In these cases, ROS is higher than normal and exceeds the capacity of the body’s built in antioxidant system.

When there aren’t enough antioxidants to neutralize ROS, they wreak havoc on your body. They damage DNA, which might lead to cancer; oxidize lipids, which can lead to cardiovascular conditions; oxidize nerves, leading to brain degenerative disease; and increase inflammation and metabolic conditions.

Oxidative stress and the liver

The liver, being the body’s chemical lab, fulfills several crucial functions, including producing compounds (bile and cholesterol), storing compounds (glucose, iron, and more), and, of course, all its detox functions. The liver needs plenty of energy to carry out all these functions; therefore, the number of mitochondria in each one of its cells is higher than in most other organs in the body. Mitochondrial dysregulation and liver inflammation can lead to particularly high levels of ROS.

Silmarin from milk thistle has the double Wham, bam effect: it acts directly as an antioxidant, scavenging ROS and clearing them, but it also stimulates glutathione production in liver cells.

Hepatoprotective

Milk thistle’s effects on hepatocytes (liver cells) are profound and are attributed to three pathways:

Antioxidant - Silymarin has a direct scavenging effect because the flavonolignans have phenolic hydroxyl groups that can donate hydrogen atoms to neutralize reactive oxygen species.

However, milk thistle’s profound antioxidant effect is derived from its effects on glutathione, our body’s built- in intracellular antioxidant. Silymarin upregulates glutathione synthesis in hepatocytes, increasing glutathione concentrations in cells under oxidative stress by 35-50%.

Anti-inflammatory - Milk thistle inhibits COX-2, a key inflammatory mediator. Silymarin also inhibits the NF-κB cascade, the inflammatory switch that initiates the release of inflammatory cytokines.

Anti-fibrotic - Silybin reduces fibroblasts, indirectly preventing the deposition of collagen fibers that lead to the formation of liver scar tissue and the progression of liver injury

Metabolic conditions

Non alcoholic fatty liver is a common condition in people with type two diabetes and obesity. Increased caloric intake exhausts the choline reserve, which means the liver can’t export the excess fat to the body. The increase in liver fat leads to lipotoxicity, inflammation, and oxidative stress. The end result might be the formation of scar tissue in the liver (fibrosis) and, later, cirrhosis, a structural damage to the liver that alters its function.

A 1997 study found that a four month treatment with silymarin significantly decreased fasting blood glucose levels, mean daily blood glucose levels, and HbA1c. In addition, there was a significant decrease in fasting insulin levels and in the need to administer insulin.

Other studies showed a reduction in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL levels.

A 2012 study that compared the effects of silymarin and metformin on liver enzymes in people with nonalcoholic fatty liver found that although ALT and AST decreased in both groups, the reduction in the silymarin group was more pronounced.

Combined treatment with vitamin E, silybin, and phospholipids improved liver health, particularly plasma markers of liver fibrosis and insulin resistance.

Anti-oxidant beyond the liver

The antioxidant effects of milk thistle expand way beyond the liver.

Nephropathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus and drug induced toxicity. A small percentage of silymarin is eliminated through the kidneys and bladder, where it has been shown to protect the kidneys from oxidative stress associated with diabetes mellitus.

Milk thistle can play a dual role in cancer treatment. On the one hand, it shows promising effects in inhibiting cancer cells’ proliferation and motility; on the other hand, it helps protect the body, especially the liver, from the oxidative stress associated with chemotherapy.

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of silymarin have been shown to protect neurons following spinal cord injury and in brain degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Cholagogue

In liver conditions or in the absence of essential nutrients, bile production may drop significantly. Low bile production reduces fat absorption and the elimination of fat soluble toxins, such as hormones and excess cholesterol. Silymarin has cholagogue properties, increasing bile production and promoting bile flow.

Preparation and dosage

The elimination half-life of silybin is approximately 6 hours; therefore, frequent intake is important to maintain its circulation.

Tincture dried seeds 1:30 70%A

Dosage 3-8 ml (0.6-1.6 tsp) 4 times a day

While the tincture works well for general liver support and maintenance, a standardized extract is needed for more complex liver conditions where you aim to increase silymarin’s bioavailability.

Silymarin’s bioavailability might be a little tricky because:

• It is not easily soluble in water; therefore, teas are largely ineffective.

• It is found in relatively low concentrations in whole seed preparations.

• Silymarin is a complex of a number of flavonolignans (silybin, silydianin, silychristin) that behave differently.

Standardized extract is the preferred preparation and is better absorbed when taken with fats and proteins; 140-180 mg of silymarin 3 times daily.

Safety

Milk thistle is generally a safe herb to use.

As part of the Aster botanical family, milk thistle might trigger an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to other plants in the family, such as calendula and chamomile.

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Resources I used on my research

Achufusi, ed G. O. A. (2024, February 28). Milk Thistle. StatPearls. https://Milk Thistle - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf

Bijak, M. (2017). Silybin, a Major Bioactive Component of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum L. Gaernt.)-Chemistry, Bioavailability, and Metabolism. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 22(11), 1942. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules22111942

Borah, A., Paul, R., Choudhury, S., Choudhury, A., Bhuyan, B., Das Talukdar, A., Dutta Choudhury, M., & Mohanakumar, K. P. (2013). Neuroprotective potential of silymarin against CNS disorders: Insight into the pathways and molecular mechanisms of action. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics, 19(11), 847–853. https://doi.org/10.1111/cns.12175

Cultivation of milk thistle (Silybum marianum L. Gaertn.), a medicinal weed. (n.d.). Industrial Crops and Products, 34(1), 825–830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2011.03.027

Easley, T., & Horne, S. (2016). The modern herbal dispensatory: a medicine-making guide. North Atlantic Books.

Grieve, M. (1984). A modern herbal: the medicinal, culinary, cosmetic and economic properties, cultivation and folklore of herbs, grasses, fungi, shrubs and trees with all their modern scientific uses.

Hajiaghamohammadi, A. A., Ziaee, A., Oveisi, S., & Masroor, H. (2012). Effects of metformin, pioglitazone, and silymarin treatment on non-alcoholic Fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled pilot study. Hepatitis Monthly, 12(8), e6099. https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.6099

Koltai, T., & Fliegel, L. (2022). Role of silymarin in cancer treatment: facts, hypotheses, and questions. Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, 27, 2515690X211068826. https://doi.org/10.1177/2515690X211068826

Loguercio, C., Federico, A., Trappoliere, M., Tuccillo, C., de Sio, I., Di Leva, A., Niosi, M., D’Auria, M. V., Capasso, R., Del Vecchio Blanco, C., & Real Sud Group. (2007). The effect of a silybin-vitamin e-phospholipid complex on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A pilot study. Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 52(9), 2387–2395. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-006-9703-2

Masé, G. (2013). The wild medicine solution: healing with aromatic, bitter, and tonic plants. Simon and Schuster.

Rafieian-Kopaie, M., & Nasri, H. (2012). Silymarin and diabetic nephropathy. Journal of Renal Injury Prevention, 1(1), 3–5. https://doi.org/10.12861/jrip.2012.02

Silymarin protects spinal cord and cortical cells against oxidative stress and lipopolysaccharide stimulation. (n.d.). Neurochemistry International, 57(8), 867–875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuint.2010.09.005

Stansbury, J. (2018). Herbal formularies for health professionals.

Velussi, M., Cernigoi, A. M., De Monte, A., Dapas, F., Caffau, C., & Zilli, M. (1997). Long-term (12 months) treatment with an anti-oxidant drug (silymarin) is effective on hyperinsulinemia, exogenous insulin need and malondialdehyde levels in cirrhotic diabetic patients. Journal of Hepatology, 26(4), 871–879. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0168-8278(97)80255-3

Wood, M. (2017). The book of herbal wisdom: using plants as medicines. North Atlantic Books.

This post is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.

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Before the invention of chemistry labs, herbalists learned about herbs by observing their shapes, colors, and growing conditions. The doctrine of signatures was an extensive body of work, founded on the observations of generations of folk herbalists and alchemists.

Although today, we tend to dismiss much of their work as not scientific, studies suggest that the doctrine of signature is founded on chemistry.

Herbs, as it turned out, work not because of folklore or a vibe but because of the chemicals they contain. One class of these chemicals is polyphenols, compounds that determine the color of leaves, flowers, and fruits.

In May, I am going to go deep into the world of color in food and medicine.

My plan:

Week 1: Polyphenols in Herbal Medicine

Week 2: Hawthorn - A Heart Feeling Herb

Week 3: Milk Thistle - Liver First Aid

Week 4: Goldenrod - The Golden Healer

When I moved to a new home a couple of years ago, I had to take down a couple of large trees that were dangerously leaning on the house. Without these trees, my back porch and yard felt totally exposed to neighbors and to deer, whose hoof marks I found in my garden and who munched on my plants. I planted two hawthorn trees and planned to prune them every spring to allow them to grow into a living fence. As I researched hawthorn, I was surprised to learn that it was traditionally used to mark boundaries between fields.

A remarkable tree, hawthorn, is a well known cardiovascular disease, but its less known benefits of teaching how to set and protect your boundaries are crucial for its role as a cardiovascular and nervine tonic.

Plant ID

Name: Hawthorn

Botanical name: Crataegus

Common names: quickthorn, thornapple, May-tree, whitethorn, Mayflower or hawberry.

What’s in a name

Hawthorn gets its name from Old English haguþor, combining “haw” meaning hedge with “thorn,” referring to its sharp spines. Historically hawthorn was used for hedging. In Britain, it is often called the “May-tree” because it blooms in May.

The botanical name Crataegus comes from the Greek krataigos, in which kratai- means mighty, strong, or powerful.

Botanical Family: Roseaceae

Part used: leaves, flowers, and fruits.

Degree: 3rd degree

Description

Hawthorn is a shrub or tree that can reach 15-30 feet tall with dense, tangled branches that carry long, sharp thorns.

The leaves are toothed and lobed, about 6cm long. The flowers are hermaphrodite, meaning both male and female reproductive parts are contained within each flower. Flowers are highly scented, white or occasionally pink with five petals, and grow in flat-topped clusters. The fruits are round, red, and about 0.4 to 0.8 inches in diameter.

Growing

Hawthorn is a hardy, low-maintenance tree or shrub thriving in full sun (6+ hours) and well-drained, slightly acidic to alkaline soil.

The flowers are harvested in late summer (here in New Hampshire) when they are in full bloom. The red fruits are harvested in late fall.

History and lore

In England and Ireland, hawthorn was called May tree, and people would wait for it to blossom before they tilled their fields and sheared their sheep. Hawthorn’s blossoms were considered God’s blessings, its thorns, however, pointed to a dark side.

The flowering branches decorated the Maypole and were used in fertility rituals, but bringing hawthorn into the home was forbidden, as it was believed to bring death. In Celtic mythology, hawthorn is a gateway tree that holds a doorway between our realm and the fairy realm.

Sir Samuel Ferguson’s story“The Fairy Tree” tells of a group of maidens who sneak out to dance on a hill with the hawthorn (the fairy tree), ashes, and rowans. They slow down and quickly fall asleep and are enchanted, “For, from the air above, the grassy ground beneath, and from the mountain-ashes and the old Whitehorn between, a Power of faint enchantment doth through their beings breathe, and they sink down together on the green.”

The fairies come to visit them, and one of them is taken away and never seen again.

Light and darkness, birth and death, hawthorn was connected to fate.

Energetic Architecture

Ruling Planet

In his book, The Complete Herbal, a classic 17th-century guide to herbal medicine by English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper, Culpeper places Hawthorn under the rulership of Mars due to its bright red berries, sharp thorns, and its strong action on the heat/excitation tissue state, aka inflammatory conditions.

Ruling Element

The fiery, bright red fruits that are cooling the heat of inflammation suggest hawthorne has an affinity for the fire element, as does its affinity to the heart, which is the carrier of the body’s and soul’s warmth.

Alchemical Principal

Hawthorn is primarily associated with sulfur due to its protective, fiery, and cardiovascular-stimulating properties.

Psychological Profile

Hawthorns have a dual effect on the spiritual heart. On the one hand, it supports, nourishes, and opens the heart. On the other hand, it is a protective herb that forms a thorny hedge around the heart. It is for people who need to learn to open their hearts while keeping boundaries.

Taste

Hawthorn flowers and young leaves have a mild, delicate, and often nutty or almond-like flavor with subtle floral or sweet notes.

The berries are mostly sour.

Energetics

Temperature: Cooling

Fluids: Moistening

Tone: Toning

Tissue State

Heat/Excitation - Hawthorn is cooling and moistening when inflammation creates heat and dryness in the tissue, leading to irritation.

Damp/Stagnation - Hawthorn is astringent, which means it tones and tightens tissue, preventing fluid leakage and stagnation, such as in edema.

Pharmacology

In the past 20 years, more than 150 different compounds have been found in hawthorne berries, including:

Flavonoids - including flavones such as quercetin and glucosylated flavonols, anthocyanins.

Triterpenoids such as Oleanolic acid , with liver protection, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects, and Crataegolic acid, which possesses significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties.

Oligomeric proanthocyanidins are a “super antioxidant,” they help neutralize free radicals, reduce chronic inflammation, and protect against cellular damage.

Organic acids, such as chlorogenic acid, act as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and antimicrobials.

Pectin oligosaccharides with 2–11 polymers - fresh hawthorn fruit was reported to be as high as 20.5% and demonstrated antioxidant, hypolipidemic, antiglycation, and antibiotic properties.

Actions

Foundational actions are associated with the energetic pattern and can be experienced viscerally in the body.

Hawthorn is astringent, meaning it returns tone and integrity to the blood vessels, preventing leakage and edema.

Primary actions relate to organs, systems, or tissues.

Heart tonic - Hawthorn is the classic heart tonic; it nourishes and supports the heart and cardiovascular system.

Hypotonic - Hawthorn reduces blood pressure partly because it is a mild diuretic and partly because it has a vasodilating effect.

Antiarrhythmic - used to manage mild heart palpitations and strengthen heart muscle. It works by increasing coronary blood flow.

Anxiolytic - By steadying heart rate, hawthorn reduces anxiety.

Secondary actions imply an end result without specifying energetics or the system affected.

Anti-inflammatory - The polyphenols and flavonoids reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.

Antioxidant - The cardiovascular system has high energy needs because the heart works nonstop. The byproduct of constant energy production is oxidative stress. The polyphenols in hawthorn berries act as direct extracellular antioxidants; they directly scavenge free radicals in the vascular space and protect endothelial cell membranes from oxidative damage.

Organ affinity

• The cardiovascular system

• The nervous system

Clinical Pattern

“From these results my deductions are that Crataegus Oxyacantha is superior to any other of the well known and tried remedies at present in use in the treatment of heart disease, because it seems to cure while the other remedies are only palliative at best…

Crataegus may be regarded as specific, or the nearest approach to a specific, in the following cardiac diseases: Angina pectoris, valvular deficiency, with or without enlargement, endo-myo and pericarditis, tachycardia, rheumatism (so-called) of the heart, cardiac neuralgias, from whatever cause, palpitation, vertigo, apoplexy, dropsy, and functional derangements.”

~ Ellingwood

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in developed countries, mainly through the development of atherosclerosis, a condition in which the arteries narrow and lose their flexibility, therefore cannot manage blood pressure. The end result is high blood pressure that may lead to a heart attack, aneurysm, and stroke.

Atherosclerosis and high blood pressure are symptoms of hyperlipidemia (high LDL and triglycerides), inflammation, and increased oxidative stress. Studies suggest that hawthorne affects all the risk factors for atherosclerosis.

Endothelium Protection

Early stages of atherosclerosis are characterized by reduced nitric oxide-mediated vasodilator responses and increased vasoconstriction, leading to elevated blood pressure, elevated inflammatory markers, and increased LDL oxidation. You might want to think of it like narrowing a water hose, which increases the pressure of the water flowing through it.

Hawthorn extracts reduced inflammatory markers and elevated nitric oxide levels in both human and animal experiments.

Hyperlipidimia

A 2025 study found that hawthorn flavonoids alleviated hyperlipidemia and its complications, as evidenced by reduced body weight gain and fat accumulation, and by improved dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota. Also, hawthorn flavonoids were found to have a protective effect on the liver in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, reducing lactate dehydrogenase levels and improving inflammation.

Another study found that pectin from hawthorn berries had a prebiotic effect on gut bacteria, promoting strains that had a positive effect on hyperlipidemia.

Antioxidant

While high LDL contributes to atherosclerosis, the presence of LDL alone does not cause it; rather, when LDL remains in the blood longer, it is more likely to be oxidized by free radicals.

In inflammation, metabolic processes increase to meet the body’s increased energy needs. Metabolism produces free radicals; in a healthy metabolism, the body’s innate antioxidants can bind to and remove these free radicals. However, in chronic inflammation, the antioxidant system may be overwhelmed, leading to oxidative stress and the release of free radicals into the blood and matrix.

Rutoside, a flavonol glycoside present in hawthorn, is one of the most potent antioxidant compounds identified in the plant. Its molecular structure contains ten hydroxyl (–OH) groups, which significantly enhance its ability to scavenge free radicals. Rutoside protects biomolecules from oxidative damage, stabilizes cell membranes, and supports the regeneration of other antioxidants, such as vitamin C. Numerous studies have also highlighted its anti-inflammatory, vasoprotective, and cardioprotective effects.

Neuroprotection

Oxidative stress plays a leading role in nervous system degenerative conditions such as alzheimers and parkinson. Neurons are particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage because they have very high metabolic rates and relatively limited antioxidant defenses compared to other cell types.

Hawthorn flavonoids were found to inhibit NF-κB the master inflammatory that drives microglial inflammatory cascades that damage cholinergic neurons. Suppressing microglial inflammation is crucial for slowing neurodegeneration.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is increasingly recognized as central to Alzheimer’s pathology.

High levels of hawthorn were found to protect against mitochondrial membrane injury and cell death, central to preventing the development of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Cholinergic neurons are especially dense in areas of the brain that are associated with memory consolidation (Hippocampus), executive function and focus (Prefrontal cortex), emotional memory (Amygdala), and cognitive processing. When Cholinergic neurons degrade, the whole cortex loses a fundamental modulatory input, leading to degenerative conditions. Some studies suggest that hawthorn extract can inhibit enzymes that break down acetylcholine, increasing its activity in the brain and leading to better memory, focus, and executive function in people with Alzheimer’s.

Mood

Some research suggests that the neuroprotective effects of hawthorn extend beyond degenerative diseases and can help reduce stress and anxiety.

Preparation and dosage

Standard decocation: 4-8 ounces 3 times daily

Tincture: dried leaf and flower 1:5 45%A.

Dosage: 1-5 ml (0.2-1 tsp)2-4 times daily

Fluid extract: Dried berries and flowers 1:1 50%A

Dosage: 1-2 ml (0.2-0.4 tsp) 2-4 times daily

Glycerite: Dried flowers and berries 1:8

Dosage 5-20 ml (1-4 tsp) 2-4 times daily

Solid extract: 0.5-1 tsp up to 3 times daily

Capsules: 1000-2000 mg 3 times daily

Safety

Hawthorn is a tonic herb that embodies the saying “food is medicine.” It is safe to use as food long-term.

Hawthorn is best known as a cardiovascular remedy; its superpower, however, is in protecting the boundaries.

Recipe for Remedy

Resources I used on my research

Karaküçük, M. (2019, October). Neurobiological Effect of Thirty-Five Crataegus Taxa (Hawthorn) Growing in Turkey and Iran through Cholinesterase and Tyrosinase Inhibition and Antioxidant Assays. Researchgate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338187646_Neurobiological_Effect_of_Thirty-Five_Crataegus_Taxa_Hawthorn_Growing_in_Turkey_and_Iran_through_Cholinesterase_and_Tyrosinase_Inhibition_and_Antioxidant_Assays

Easley, T., & Horne, S. (2016). The modern herbal dispensatory: A medicine-making guide. North Atlantic Books.

Ellingwood, F., & Lloyd, J. U. 1849-1936. (2014). American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy (1915).

Hawthorn monograph — Herbrally. (n.d.). HerbRally. Retrieved May 6, 2026, from https://www.herbrally.com/monographs/hawthorn#_edn6

Kępińska-Pacelik, J., & Biel, W. (2026). Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.): A Review of Therapeutic Potential and Applications. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 31(2), 226. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31020226

Lu, M., Zhang, L., Pan, J., Shi, H., Zhang, M., & Li, C. (n.d.). Advances in the study of the vascular protective effects and molecular mechanisms of hawthorn (Crataegus anamesa Sarg.) extracts in cardiovascular diseases. Food & Function, 14(13), 5870–5890. https://doi.org/10.1039/D3FO01688A

Masé, G. (2013). The wild medicine solution: Healing with aromatic, bitter, and tonic plants. Simon and Schuster.

Wu, M., Liu, L., Xing, Y., Yang, S., Li, H., & Cao, Y. (2020a). Roles and mechanisms of hawthorn and its extracts on atherosclerosis: a review. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 11, 118. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.00118

Wu, M., Liu, L., Xing, Y., Yang, S., Li, H., & Cao, Y. (2020b). Roles and mechanisms of hawthorn and its extracts on atherosclerosis: a review. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 11, 118. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.00118

Yeni, Y., & Hacımüftüoğlu, A. (2024). The SH-SY5Y Human Cell Line: Hawthorne Berry (Crataegus spp.) Protects against 6-OHDA Induced Neurotoxicity In Vitro Model of Parkinson’s Disease. İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, 21, 881–889. https://doi.org/10.38079/igusabder.1308558

Zhao, Q., Liu, Y., Li, M., Zhao, L., Wang, T., Xiao, Y., Wei, S., Wu, K., Yang, J., Wang, Y., Zhao, Y., Du, F., Chen, Y., Deng, S., Shen, J., Xiao, Z., Li, Z., Wang, S., & Wu, X. (2025). Hawthorn pectin mitigates high-fat diet induced hyperlipidemia in mice through promoting Dubosiella newyorkensis. Carbohydrate Polymers, 359, 123570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2025.123570

Zheng, L., Lu, Z., Ma, Y., Cui, P., Zhang, X., Gan, J., & Li, G. (2025). Hawthorn total flavonoids ameliorate hyperlipidemia through AMPK/SREBP1-c and PPARα/PGC-1α/CPT-1A pathway activation and gut microbiota modulation. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 105(8), 4326–4337. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.14188

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Resources I used for Hawthorne plant monograph

Karaküçük, M. (2019, October). Neurobiological Effect of Thirty-Five Crataegus Taxa (Hawthorn) Growing in Turkey and Iran through Cholinesterase and Tyrosinase Inhibition and Antioxidant Assays. Researchgate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338187646_Neurobiological_Effect_of_Thirty-Five_Crataegus_Taxa_Hawthorn_Growing_in_Turkey_and_Iran_through_Cholinesterase_and_Tyrosinase_Inhibition_and_Antioxidant_Assays

Easley, T., & Horne, S. (2016). The modern herbal dispensatory: A medicine-making guide. North Atlantic Books.

Ellingwood, F., & Lloyd, J. U. 1849-1936. (2014). American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy (1915).

Hawthorn monograph — Herbrally. (n.d.). HerbRally. Retrieved May 6, 2026, from https://www.herbrally.com/monographs/hawthorn#_edn6

Kępińska-Pacelik, J., & Biel, W. (2026). Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.): A Review of Therapeutic Potential and Applications. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 31(2), 226. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31020226

Lu, M., Zhang, L., Pan, J., Shi, H., Zhang, M., & Li, C. (n.d.). Advances in the study of the vascular protective effects and molecular mechanisms of hawthorn (Crataegus anamesa Sarg.) extracts in cardiovascular diseases. Food & Function, 14(13), 5870–5890. https://doi.org/10.1039/D3FO01688A

Masé, G. (2013). The wild medicine solution: Healing with aromatic, bitter, and tonic plants. Simon and Schuster.

Wu, M., Liu, L., Xing, Y., Yang, S., Li, H., & Cao, Y. (2020a). Roles and mechanisms of hawthorn and its extracts on atherosclerosis: a review. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 11, 118. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.00118

Wu, M., Liu, L., Xing, Y., Yang, S., Li, H., & Cao, Y. (2020b). Roles and mechanisms of hawthorn and its extracts on atherosclerosis: a review. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 11, 118. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.00118

Yeni, Y., & Hacımüftüoğlu, A. (2024). The SH-SY5Y Human Cell Line: Hawthorne Berry (Crataegus spp.) Protects against 6-OHDA Induced Neurotoxicity In Vitro Model of Parkinson’s Disease. İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, 21, 881–889. https://doi.org/10.38079/igusabder.1308558

Zhao, Q., Liu, Y., Li, M., Zhao, L., Wang, T., Xiao, Y., Wei, S., Wu, K., Yang, J., Wang, Y., Zhao, Y., Du, F., Chen, Y., Deng, S., Shen, J., Xiao, Z., Li, Z., Wang, S., & Wu, X. (2025). Hawthorn pectin mitigates high-fat diet induced hyperlipidemia in mice through promoting Dubosiella newyorkensis. Carbohydrate Polymers, 359, 123570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2025.123570

Zheng, L., Lu, Z., Ma, Y., Cui, P., Zhang, X., Gan, J., & Li, G. (2025). Hawthorn total flavonoids ameliorate hyperlipidemia through AMPK/SREBP1-c and PPARα/PGC-1α/CPT-1A pathway activation and gut microbiota modulation. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 105(8), 4326–4337. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.14188

This post is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.

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Before the invention of chemistry labs, herbalists learned about herbs by observing their shapes, colors, and growing conditions. The doctrine of signatures was an extensive body of work, founded on the observations of generations of folk herbalists and alchemists.

Although today, we tend to dismiss much of their work as not scientific, studies suggest that the doctrine of signature is founded on chemistry.

Herbs, as it turned out, work not because of folklore or a vibe but because of the chemicals they contain. One class of these chemicals is polyphenols, compounds that determine the color of leaves, flowers, and fruits.

In May, I am going to go deep into the world of color in food and medicine.

My plan:

Week 1: Polyphenols in Herbal Medicine

Week 2: Hawthorn - A Heart Feeling Herb

Week 3: Milk Thistle - Liver First Aid

Week 4: Goldenrod - The Golden Healer

Did you hear the saying “eat the rainbow”?

Here is the WHY 👇

“Herbalists do not apply drugs to disease. We apply phytochemistry to living ecologies to help maintain ecological balance by exploiting the evolutionary content that made the ecology what it was to begin with.”

~Herbalist Guido Masse

Herbs work not because of some new age, energetic magic, but because of their chemistry.

Every time you take a plant into your body, be it a veggie or an herb, your body will metabolize (break down) the “green molecules” from the plant in a series of chemical reactions. Each step in the process modifies the molecules, creating new substances with varied potency.

Basic class in nutrition tells us about macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, along with vitamins and minerals. Plants, however, contain a multitude of compounds, mostly unknown to us.

Some of these compounds are secondary metabolites. Compounds that plants evolved to signal other plants, animals, and humans. In plants, secondary metabolites work in synergy with other molecules. That is why, in herbalism, we don’t speak about the active substance in a herb but about the relationship between its different constituents.

What are polyphenols?

Polyphenols are the largest group of secondary metabolites, with over 8000 phenolic structures currently known, and many others that remain a mystery.

A benzene ring is a two-dimensional (flat) molecule composed of six carbon atoms, each bonded to a hydrogen atom (C6H6). In the phenolic ring, one hydrogen atom is missing, leaving C6H5 with a lone pair. Creating a molecule that is constantly on the lookout for partners.

Polyphenols have poly or many phenol rings with two or more aromatic rings, each bearing one or more hydroxyl groups.

Polyphenols are a diverse group of highly complex compounds. They are divided into four subclasses by the number of rings in the molecule, how the rings are connected, what other functional groups are attached to the basic phenol ring, and the number of hydroxyl groups attached to the phenol skeleton.

Why did plants develop polyphenols?

When plants first emerged from the premodern swamp, they found a strong energy source, the sun. However, the sun’s energy carries its own risk of damaging DNA. Polyphenols are responsible for the color in plants that reflects the ultraviolet light, thus protecting the plant from sun radiation.

Some polyphenols (such as lignin) contributed to stronger cell walls, helping plants grow upright toward the sun to maximize exposure.

For insects that don’t have a liver, polyphenols might be toxic because they can’t metabolize and eliminate them. The bright colors of plants that contain polyphenols might serve as a defense mechanism, helping deter insects. However, for some plants, these bright colors attract specific insects toward their flowers.

When plants are damaged, you see an increase in their flavonoid constituents, which suggests that polyphenols have a role in the plant’s immune system.

Four subclasses of polyphenols:

• Phenolic Acids

• Stilbenes

• Flavonoids

• Lignans

In the next part, I am going to geek out about the phytochemistry of these four subclasses.

Too much?

Hop to the next chapter: Health benefits of polyphenols.

Phenolic Acids

Phenolic acids are simple single ring structures composed of an aromatic ring and a carboxylic acid group, which makes them very easy to metabolize. They are readily bioavailable because of their small size, which allows easy absorption in the small intestine, followed by further modification in the liver through phase Ⅱ liver detox (methylation, glucuronidation, and sulfation), thereby changing their structure and biological activity.

While phenolic acids that are not bound to fiber can be easily absorbed in the small intestines, phenolic acids that are bound to fiber reach the colon, where they are liberated from the fiber by gut bacteria and absorbed.

Phenolic acids that do reach the colon selectively inhibit pathogenic gram-negative bacteria while being relatively gentle on beneficial anaerobic bacteria.

Phenolic acid is found in berries, apples, rosemary, sage, coffee, and cereal grains.

Stilbenes

Stilbenes are a small class of polyphenol but a famous one mainly because they contain resveratrol. Two phenol rings connected by a two-carbon bridge.

Stilbenes are anti-inflammatory and, hence, promote cellular longevity while stimulating apoptosis, a programmed cell death in cancer cells. Some examples of stilbene are grapes and mulberries.

Flavonoids

Flavonoids make up the largest class of polyphenols. Because many of the early identified compounds in this class were isolated from yellow-pigmented plants, the name was derived from the Latin flavus, meaning yellow.

Different subclasses produce different colors depending on their structure:

Yellow to cream tones – flavonols and flavones, such as quercetin and kaempferol, produce yellow pigmentation. You see this in onion skins, the yellow of chamomile flowers, St. John’s Wort’s yellow blooms, and goldenrod. The presence of flavonols and flavones suggests mast cell stabilization and anti-inflammatory signaling.

Red, purple, blue – anthocyanins are technically a subclass of flavonoids and are responsible for the red-purple-blue spectrum you see in berries, red cabbage, purple corn, and red roses. The same anthocyanin molecule can actually shift color depending on the pH of the cell sap; more acidic environments push toward red, more alkaline toward blue. This is why hydrangea color changes with soil pH. Anthocyanins have a particularly strong affinity for vascular tissue. The research on bilberry and blueberry for retinal health, capillary integrity, and arterial endothelium function

Pale cream or white coloration suggests the presence of Isoflavones, which bear structural similarity to estrogen and earn their hormonal modulating reputation from that structural feature—not really related to pigmentation at all.

However, many plants contain multiple polyphenols, making it tricky to summarize their actions based on color alone.

Lignan's

Lignans are small structural polymers found in plant cell walls and seeds; rather than being freely dissolved in plant fluids, they give plants their form. They are highly concentrated in seeds (flax seeds), woody stems, whole grains, and fibrous vegetables.

There is emerging evidence that lignans fermented by gut bacteria produce metabolites that act as phytoestrogens; they bind to estrogen receptors in the body with a much weaker effect than endogenous estradiol, roughly 1,000 to 10,000 times weaker. Therefore, reducing the risk of estrogen dominance breast and uterine cancer.

Form affects function

Polyphenols are flat, that are mostly fat soluble molecules; therefore, they are easily diffused through the cell membrane into the cell, where they bind to nuclear receptors, affect DNA enzymes, and alter gene expression or the way the body reads and expresses our genes.

Why is this important?

Different polyphenols activate different transcription factors and affect different gene clusters. A varied polyphenol-rich diet is essentially sending a complex set of signals to your genome simultaneously. This is why “ Eat the rainbow” is such a solid recommendation.

Gene expression changes take time to translate into meaningful physiological shifts. You’re not getting an immediate pharmacological hit; instead, you’re gradually shifting your cells’ transcriptional landscape. This is why using polyphenols consistently over time is crucial.

Many of these polyphenols are mildly stressful to cells at the molecular level—they’re often pro-oxidant at the cellular signaling level, even while being antioxidant in vitro. That mild stress is precisely what activates the adaptive gene expression response. Your cells sense a challenge and upregulate their defense and repair machinery. This is the same fundamental logic as exercise—the stress is the signal.

There’s growing evidence that diet-induced epigenetic modifications can be passed to subsequent generations. The implications for thinking about food as medicine across generational timescales are significant.

Health benefits of polyphenols

As you ingest polyphenols, they come in direct contact with the GI tract, where they exert their anti-inflammatory effect. The next organ to interface with these polyphenols is the liver, where they act as hepato-protective. From the liver, polyphenols are carried in the blood; they have profound anti-inflammatory effects and protect the heart, blood vessels, and neurons. Polyphenols leave the body via the urinary tract, where they reduce inflammation in the epithelium (inner lining) of the urinary tract.

GI tract

Polyphenols taste bitter, meaning they stimulate digestive enzymes and bile production, as well as liver enzymes and detoxification function. They modify the glycemic index of food, reducing glucose absorption and supporting healthy metabolism.

While not all tannins are polyphenols, all polyphenols are tannins, meaning they increase tissue tone. This makes polyphenols beneficial for cases of leaky gut and gut inflammation, where the gut’s integrity is disrupted, leading to excess mucus discharge and increased oxidative stress.

The more complex polyphenols, such as flavonoids attached to glycosides and lignans, do not absorb in the small intestine; instead, they travel to the colon,, where they act as selective prebiotics, feeding beneficial gut bacteria.

In the liver

When the liver sustains toxic injury—whether from chemicals, drugs, alcohol, several things are happening simultaneously:

Increased oxidative stress due to the liver trying to metabolize all these toxins. The increase in ROS load during phase 1 cytochrome P450 processing indicates that the liver is essentially burning itself while trying to detoxify.

Glutathione depletion – the liver’s primary endogenous antioxidant defense is glutathione. In the presence of liver damage or severe toxicity, glutathione gets consumed rapidly, leading to an increased oxidative burden. When glutathione reserves are depleted, hepatocyte (liver cells) death accelerates dramatically.

Inflammatory cascade – damaged hepatocytes release damage trigger Kupffer cell activation and inflammatory signaling, which causes secondary damage beyond the initial toxic injury.

In the cardiovascular system

Blood is the carrier of nutrients, oxygen, hormones, enzymes, and signaling immune cells. All tissues of the body are vascularized; some tissues more than others. Therefore, healthy blood vessels are essential to the function of cells, tissues, and organs. Polyphenols have a profound effect on blood vessel integrity; therefore, they benefit all tissues, particularly in highly vascularized organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys, and brain.

In piteri dishes, polyphenols act as antioxidants, and at high doses, that might be one of the ways they work. However, it is not the main pathway through which they protect blood vessels, mainly because in the context of herbs or foods, they are not in sufficient amounts to have a significant antioxidant effect. Instead, when they enter the cells, they promote the production of our innate antioxidant glutathione.

In the nervous system

The connection between gut health, microbiome, and the brain is mind blowing, pan intendended. Polyphenol feeds gut bacteria, which, through fermentation of the pholinic acid, create metabolites that can cross the gut brain barrier.

These metabolites can reduce brain inflammation, increase BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a protein that protects and supports neuronal growth and plasticity. Some flavonoids inhibit serotonin breakdown; others exhibit GABAergic activity, calming the nervous system. Yet other polyphenols suppress the breakdown of acetylcholine, increasing focus and memory.

Overall, polyphenols have a regenerative effect on the nervous system following trauma, such as stroke.

Bioavailability

The best way to use polyphenols is to eat them three to four times a day. When they come in the context of food, their absorption is optimized. Polyphenols bound to glycosides are water soluble and can be used in smoothies or tea.

I’d love to hear how you’re finding ways to grow your health. Please join the conversation and leave a comment below!

My resources:

Kiokias, S., Proestos, C., & Oreopoulou, V. (2020). Phenolic acids of plant origin-a review on their antioxidant activity in vitro (o/w emulsion systems) along with their in vivo health biochemical properties. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 9(4), 534. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9040534

Kumar, N., & Goel, N. (2019). Phenolic acids: Natural versatile molecules with promising therapeutic applications. Biotechnology Reports (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 24, e00370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.btre.2019.e00370

Manach, C. (2005, January). Bioavailability and bioefficacy of polyphenols in humans. I. Review of 97 bioavailability studies. Elvevier; Am. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916523275127?via%3Dihub

Mills, S. Y. (1991). Out of the earth: the essential book of herbal medicine.

YARNELL, ERIC. (2019). Phytochemistry and pharmacy for practitioners of botanical medicine.

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Resources I used for Cleavers plant monograph

Beirami, A. D., Akhtari, N., Noroozi, R., Hatamabadi, D., Hasan, S. M. F., Ayatollahi, S. A., Ayatollahi, N. A., & Kobarfard, F. (2024). Bringing back Galium aparine L. from forgotten corners of traditional wound treatment procedures: An antimicrobial, antioxidant, and in-vitro wound healing assay along with HPTLC fingerprinting study. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 24(1), 279. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04355-y

Charlie. (2026, January 25). Cleavers monograph. The Public Herbarium. https://thepublicherbarium.org/2026/01/25/cleavers-monograph/

Culpeper, N. (2020). Culpeper’s complete herbal: over 400 herbs and their uses. Arcturus Publishing.

Easley, T., & Horne, S. (2016). The modern herbal dispensatory: a medicine-making guide. North Atlantic Books.

Farm, C. (2010, December 22). Cleavers - herbal encyclopedia. Cloverleaf Farm. https://cloverleaffarmherbs.com/cleavers/

Galium.—cleavers. (n.d.). Henriette’s Herbal Homepage. Retrieved April 9, 2026, from https://www.henriettes-herb.com/eclectic/kings/galium.html

Grieve, Mrs. M. (n.d.). A modern herbal. Botanical.Com. Retrieved April 9, 2026, from https://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/cliver74.html

Ilina, T., Skowrońska, W., Kashpur, N., Granica, S., Bazylko, A., Kovalyova, A., Goryacha, O., & Koshovyi, O. (2020). Immunomodulatory activity and phytochemical profile of infusions from cleavers herb. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 25(16), 3721. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25163721

Stansbury, J. (2018). Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals, Volume 1: Digestion and Elimination, including the Gastrointestinal System, Liver and Gallbladder, Urinary System, and the Skin. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Tierra, M. (1998). The way of herbs. Simon and Schuster.

Wood, M. (2017). The book of herbal wisdom: using plants as medicines. North Atlantic Books.

This post is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.