Best Chinese healing herb (A-H)Alphabetized Chinese herbs indexWhen using the following Chinese healing herb it is best to follow an herbalists’ or manufacturers’ directions.
Do not use aloe for deep wounds, only superficial ones as use on deep wounds may delay healing! Also fights skin infections. Good for psoriasis. Excellent for general skin care. Taken internally, aloe juice may also benefit bowel diseases like Crohn’s & colitis. May even help with diabetes. Angelica (dang gui, Dong Quai), Chinese angelica, is on every important Chinese herbs index & has been used in China since the beginning of recorded time. It was used for menstrual problems & general women’s issues. Angelica is often used for digestive problems & to relieve excess mucus. Angelica is also anti-inflammatory and so is used for arthritis. It may also improve cirrhosis & hepatitis and boost red blood cells. Generally safe, but do not use if you have problems with photosensitivity, are pregnant or nursing. And, since Angelica is a natural blood clotter, do not use if there are any cardiac issues. Astragalus (huang qi) is one of the powerful Chinese healing herbs that has been in use for 2,000 years. It is used to increase stamina, relieve diabetes, heart disease & hypertension. It is also believed to treat liver damage similar to what milk thistle does. Generally safe, you can drink a tea made from astragalus roots. More likely, you will probably see astragalus sold as a tincture, in capsules or tablets. Chinese herbalists usually direct patients to cycle astragalus ingestion with the best time to take it being right after an illness to help strengthen the body.
Catnip is Chinese herbal remedy in use for 2,000 years. It was basically used for colds, coughs & congestion. It is also a good digestive aid, soothes nerves & relaxes smooth internal muscles like the uterus. It’s considered safe to use. Make a tea or use commercial preparations as directed. Cinnamon was used by the Chinese as long as 5,000 years ago for diarrhea, fever & menstrual problems. Currently cinnamon has been shown to kill many infections. It also aids digestive problems like bloating & gas. Cinnamon has recently been touted as antihypertensive. It is safe to use. Just make a tea & strain. I put some in my coffee to spike flavor. Clove a Chinese healing herb used for thousands of years. Additionally used for diarrhea, hernia, indigestion & ringworm. Clove is an oral anasthetic so is good for toothache. Also used in lip balms. Clove also aids digestion & kills a number of intestinal parasites. May also be used as an aid to hay fever medication. Cordyceps is a fungus found in the high mountains of China. It is a revered herb that is used for asthma, coughs, allergy, bronchitis, hepatitis, cirrhosis & immune deficiency. Take as directed by manufacturer or knowledgeable seller. Dandelion one of the Chinese herbal remedies to treat a variety of ills including boils, bronchitis, colds, hepatitis, obesity, pneumonia & ulcers. Currently we know it stimulates bile production which in turn reduces gall stones. It is also an excellent diuretic so it relieves bloating associated with PMS. Its diuretic properties also make dandelion an effective supplement for hypertension & congestive heart failure. Its diuretic properties also help with obesity caused by excess water weight. Dandelion is also rich in antioxidants which may prevent cancer. Dandelion may also reduce blood sugar levels found in diabetes & has anti-inflammatory properties which aids arthritis sufferers. You can eat its fresh leaves in salads or gently boiled. For more serious disorders, it’s best to make a strong tea out of leaves and/or roots or use tincture as directed. While dandelion is generally safe it should not be taken long-term because it may disrupt mineral balance. When consuming dandelion eat potassium rich foods like bananas to replace natural potassium loss in water loss. Also pregnant or nursing women should not take diuretics except under a doctor’s care. Dill is one of the Chinese herbal remedies used as a digestive aid for over 1,000 years. Research supports the use of dill to ease digestion problems. It also helps with urinary tract infections. New research suggests ill may also lower hypertension. You can chew a tsp of dill seeds to freshen breath. To help digestion you can take dill as an infusion or tincture. If using commercial product, follow directions. Dill is regarded as a safe herb to use. However, never consume dill seed oil because it is toxic even in small amounts. Dong Quai: see Angelica above. Elecampane (Xuan Fu Hua) a strong Chinese healing herb for water retention, respiratory problems & externally, for wounds & rashes. Ephedra (ma huang), is on every important Chinese herbs index & is one of the oldest & powerful Chinese herbs is used as a decongestant & stimulant. As a decongestant take ephedrine for colds, asthma & hay fever. It also helps reduce weight in clinically obese persons by stimulating metabolism Make sure to use commercial product made by reputable company. While usually safe to use many populations should not access this herb at all. List includes: Children under 2 years of age. Fenugreek is used for sugar problems, high cholesterol, constipation & preventing kidney stones. It is unpleasant to taste so take commercial product as directed. Garlic has been used worldwide for millennia for a host of illnesses. The Chinese also used garlic that was introduced from the outside. Click for our page on the
benefits of garlic
Ginger, is popular Chinese healing herb used for 5,000 years, considered one of the indispensable herbs. Chinese herbalists use ginger for colds, fever, leprosy, menstrual problems, arthritis, ulcers & kidney problems. They may be on to something. See our dedicated page on the
benefits of ginger
Considered an indispensable Chinese herbal remedy, Gingko has been shown to be beneficial for numerous health problems. It slows down the progress of Alzheimer’s & improve patient’s cognitive abilities. It generally improves cognitive abilities such as memory. One reason is that it increases blood flow to the brain. Gingko is a powerful cardiovascular booster so it helps people suffering from heart disease & stroke. It’s improvement of blood flow also eases intermittent claudicating which causes pain & weakness in the legs. Also relieves impotence & sexual problems caused by the taking of anti-depressants. Gingko has also been shown to benefit sufferers of macular degeneration, cochlear deafness & tinnitus (ringing in the ears). The medicinal parts of the gingko leaves are too dilute to provide any benefit so you must buy commercial gingko & follow manufacturer’s directions. While no serious side effects have been linked to gingko, certain populations should only use under a doctor’s care. Women who are pregnant or nursing, persons taking anti-coagulants or vitamin E. Ginseng an indispensable Chinese healing herb. Has been in use for 5,000 years. It is used for general good health, increase energy, cognitive ability & immunity. Ginseng may also help with hypertension, diabetes, cancer, emphysema, impotence, infertility, liver problems & high cholesterol. Be sure you purchase ginseng from reputable source or it will be useless except as a placebo. This wonderful Chinese healing herb should not be taken by people who have clotting problems or are taking blood-thinning medication.
One study showed it may prevent growth of cancer cells. Eat berries or drink goji berry juice or tea. Be warned that the juice is very expensive. Gotu Kola is a Chinese healing herb for fever & colds. It’s especially good for its effects on skin problems. Used topically, it supports wound healing, helps psoriasis sufferers & may even help in treating leprosy. Taken internally, it reduces high blood pressure & helps with varicose veins due to its enhancement of blood circulation. As a tea, take 2 cups of gotu kola to improve leg circulation. For wounds or psoriasis, apply compresses made from an infusion. Gotu kola is safe for almost all persons excepting those who are sensitive to it. Hop is used to make beer. The Chinese have used it for centuries to aid digestion, TB & leprosy. Hop has also been shown to fight infections, including TB, as the Chinese thought. They were also right about its digestive properties. A few cups of hop tea should be sedative or just follow manufacturer’s guidelines. It is a mild sedative that can ease anxiety & insomnia. Horsetail is one of the better Chinese herbal remedies, used by ancient Chinese herbalists for arthritis, dysentery, hemorrhoids & wounds. Horsetail is good as a supplement to other arthritic treatment. It stimulates urination & so is good for urinary tract infections & kidney stones. Research has also confirmed its use as a compress to speed wound treatment. Take as a tea or tincture. Follow manufacturer’s directions if using commercial product. Horsetail is safe for normal adult use. However, certain compounds in horsetail could be toxic in large amounts so don’t go over recommended amount & don’t expose children to herb. If you liked our page on Chinese healing herbs & want to get our helpful info every month, subscribe to our free monthly newsletter: HEALTHY WORLD DIGEST You'll receive anywhere from 5 - 10 healthy “nuggets” of information to get you feeling & looking your best. Just fill in our brief eZine subscription form & start to take charge of your life easily, today, right now. We promise. Click 2 go from Chinese healing herb (A - H) to our umbrella page
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