How To Use Medicinal Herbs For Health

Using medicinal herbs and plants for healing involves leveraging their natural properties to support health and treat ailments. Below is a concise guide on how to use medicinal herbs and plants for health, safely and effectively:

Understand Common Medicinal Herbs and Their Uses

These are some of the most common herbs that are used in daily health regimens.

• Chamomile: Calms anxiety, aids sleep, soothes digestion (used as tea or tincture).

• Peppermint: Relieves headaches, digestive issues (tea, oil, or fresh leaves).

• Echinacea: Boosts immunity, fights colds (tea, tincture, or capsules).

• Ginger: Reduces nausea, inflammation (tea, fresh root, or capsules).

• Turmeric: Anti-inflammatory, supports joint health (powder, capsules, or fresh root).

• Lavender: Reduces stress, promotes sleep (essential oil, tea, or sachets).

• Aloe Vera: Soothes burns, skin irritations (gel from fresh leaves).

Choose the Right Preparation Method

• Tea/Infusion: Steep leaves, flowers, or roots in hot water (e.g., chamomile or peppermint tea).

• Tincture: Concentrated extract made by soaking herbs in alcohol or glycerin (e.g., echinacea).

• Salve/Ointment: Mix herb-infused oils with beeswax for topical use (e.g., calendula for wounds).

• Essential Oils: Dilute with a carrier oil for topical use or aromatherapy (e.g., lavender oil).

• Capsules/Powders: Convenient for herbs like turmeric or ginger.

• Poultice: Crush fresh herbs and apply directly to skin (e.g., plantain for insect bites).

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Source Quality Herbs

• Grow Your Own: Plant herbs like basil, thyme, or mint in a garden or pots. Learn how to HERE.

• Buy from Reputable Suppliers: Choose organic, sustainably sourced herbs from trusted stores or apothecaries.

• Wildcrafting: Harvest wild plants ethically, ensuring correct identification and sustainable practices.

Use Medicinal Herbs Safely

• Research Interactions: Some herbs (e.g., St. John’s Wort) interact with medications.

• Start Small: Test for allergies with a small dose or patch test for topical use.

• Consult Professionals: Speak with a healthcare provider or herbalist, especially if pregnant, nursing, or on medication.

• Proper Dosage: Follow recommended guidelines (e.g., 1 tsp of dried herb per cup of tea).

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Practical Steps for Use

• For Minor Ailments: Use chamomile tea for stress or ginger for nausea.

• Topical Healing: Apply aloe vera gel for burns or comfrey salve for bruises.

• Immune Support: Take echinacea or elderberry at the onset of a cold.

• Anxiety: Instead of reaching for a prescription drug, I have used the following over the years for anxiety – passionflower, ashwaganda, valerian root and skullcap. These are great for sleeping too.

• Chronic Conditions: Work with an herbalist for conditions like arthritis (e.g., turmeric or boswellia).

A Few of My Favorite Books

I have taken a few classes and these books have been so educational in all I’ve learned about how to use medicinal herbs for health:

Ancient Remedies Revived – Receive 10% off your purchase

A Few More….

Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs (A Beginners Guide)

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

The Holistic Guide to Wellness

The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Healing Herbal Teas

Safety Precautions

• Avoid toxic plants (e.g., foxglove, hemlock) unless guided by an expert.

• Store herbs in airtight containers away from light and heat.

• Label homemade remedies with ingredients and dates.

Sample Recipes

Calming Tea: Steep 1 tsp dried chamomile and 1 tsp lavender in 1 cup hot water for 10 minutes. You’ll be relaxed in no time.

Sore Muscle Salve: Infuse 1 cup calendula flowers in 1 cup olive oil for 2 weeks, strain, mix with 1 oz melted beeswax, and pour into jars. Perfect for soreness from working out in the garden.

How to Identify Medicinal Plants

I use an app on my IPhone that is so helpful. I’m constantly finding plants that I have no clue what they are. This app is a great resource.

Search for “PictureThis” (my favorite one I use) for safe foraging in the app store. I just use the Free version and it works just fine.

Closing

I hope this has been helpful and you feel inspired to start diving into the wonderful use of these God given medicinal plants. They are pretty much my go-to for any ailment.

Resources:

Sen T, Samanta SK. Medicinal plants, human health and biodiversity: a broad review. Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol. 2015;147:59-110. doi: 10.1007/10_2014_273. PMID: 25001990.

Zhang W, Yan Y, Wu Y, Yang H, Zhu P, Yan F, Zhao R, Tian P, Wang T, Fan Q, Su Z. Medicinal herbs for the treatment of anxiety: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Pharmacol Res. 2022 May;179:106204. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106204. Epub 2022 Apr 1. PMID: 35378276.

Liu D, He XQ, Wu DT, Li HB, Feng YB, Zou L, Gan RY. Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.): Bioactive Compounds, Health Functions, and Applications. J Agric Food Chem. 2022 Apr 13;70(14):4202-4220. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c00010. Epub 2022 Mar 29. PMID: 35348337.

Daily JW, Yang M, Park S. Efficacy of Turmeric Extracts and Curcumin for Alleviating the Symptoms of Joint Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. J Med Food. 2016 Aug;19(8):717-29. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2016.3705. PMID: 27533649; PMCID: PMC5003001.

Medical Disclaimer:

The content on our website is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice. It is also not intended to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Wendy Walker, NTP (Little House Simple Living) and the publisher of this content do not take responsibility. This applies to any health consequences that might occur. It applies to any person reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content should consult their physicians. This is especially true for those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications. They should do this before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.

Wendy Lea Walker, NTP

Nutritional Therapy Practitioner

I’m Wendy. A wife, empty-nester mama, homemaker, homebaker, gardener and small-time farmer. I love sharing wisdom and mistakes I’ve learned along the way. Anyone can garden or homestead, no matter where you live. It’s a mindset. You just have to start somewhere. I believe food is medicine. Feed the body real whole foods and healing will begin.