Category: Uncategorized

Author: Lorena Tran

Traditional medicines use yarrow to treat a variety of conditions, the most common being for healing wounds. In Hungarian traditional medicine, ointments made from yarrow leaves are used to treat burns and open wounds. European and Brazilian remedies use yarrow ointments and poultices to stop bleeding and treat skin rashes. Traditional Chinese medicine also treats wounds and bruising with yarrow, but additionally uses it for snakebites and varicose veins[1].

Few large-scale studies have assessed yarrow’s medicinal properties. However, in smaller studies yarrow has been found to promote quicker cell and tissue growth, which explains its role as a wound healer in traditional cultures[2]. Yarrow also has anti-inflammatory properties, as it reduced swelling in women who had recently given birth as well as patients with mouth and throat inflammation[1].

Sources:

[1] Ali SI, Gopalakrishnan B, Venkatesalu V. Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Properties of Achillea millefolium L.: A Review. Phytotherapy Research. 2017 Aug;31(8):1140-1161.

[2] Medellín-Luna MF, Castañeda-Delgado JE, Martínez-Balderas VY, Cervantes-Villagrana AR. Medicinal Plant Extracts and Their Use As Wound Closure Inducing Agents. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2019 May;22(5):435-443.

Author: Lorena Tran

The first documented use of dandelion’s medicinal properties was in the 1500s, when German physicians used mixtures of dandelion leaves and roots to treat liver problems[1]. Various cultures have used dandelion’s detoxifying properties in their traditional medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine, dandelion is used as a diuretic, or a substance that rids the body of excess salt and water by increasing urine production[2]. Turkish traditions also use dandelion as a laxative, while early Native American medicine used dandelion root extracts to treat indigestion[1]. So, dandelion’s abilities to detoxify the body’s liver and intestinal tract have been recognized for hundreds of years.

However, modern biomedical research has only recently begun to investigate the dandelion’s medicinal properties. Recent research on dandelion leaf extract has supported the plant’s role in Chinese medicine as a diuretic, which suggests that dandelion could be used to treat high blood pressure[2]. Diuretics like dandelion remove excess water and salt from the blood, resulting in lower blood pressure. Researchers also found that one of dandelion’s active compounds – taraxasterol – prevents alcohol damage in the livers of mice. This finding could potentially assist in the development of protective treatments for liver damage due to alcoholism[3].

Sources:

[1] Schütz K, Carle R, Schieber A. Taraxacum–a review on its phytochemical and pharmacological profile. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2006 Oct 11;107(3):313-23.

[2] Clare BA, Conroy RS, Spelman K. The diuretic effect in human subjects of an extract of Taraxacum officinale folium over a single day. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2009 Aug;15(8):929-34.

[3] Zheng Y, Lei L, Liang S, Ai J, Deng X, Li YQ, Zhang TP, Pu SB, Ren YS. Protective Effect of Fresh/Dry Dandelion Extracts on APAP-Overdose-Induced Acute Liver Injury. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2021 Nov 24.

Author: Lorena Tran

Though currently found worldwide, St. John’s wort is native to Europe, which is where it was first used medicinally. In ancient Greece, St. John’s wort was used for burns and open wounds, as well as insomnia. Beyond physical impairments, St. John’s wort can be used to treat depression, the first documented instance of this being in 17th-century Germany[1]. Since then, it has become one of the most popular medicinal remedies for depression, with traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine using St. John’s wort to calm the mind and lift the spirits[2].

St. John’s wort’s function as an antidepressant has been extensively studied. Though the plant cannot treat severe depression, studies have found that it is effective in treating mild to moderately severe depression. Notably, researchers found that St. John’s wort extract treats depression just as effectively as conventional antidepressant medications, with fewer side effects of anxiety, headaches and loss of appetite[3]. Studies have also shown that St. John’s wort can treat Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as seasonal depression[3, 4].

[1] Gupta RK, Möller HJ. St. John’s Wort. An option for the primary care treatment of depressive patients? European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. 2003 Jun;253(3):140-8.

[2] Ng QX, Venkatanarayanan N, Ho CY. Clinical use of Hypericum perforatum (St John’s wort) in depression: A meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2017 Mar 1;210:211-221.

[3] Barnes J, Anderson LA, Phillipson JD. St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum L.): a review of its chemistry, pharmacology and clinical properties. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 2001 May;53(5):583-600.

[4] Sarris J. Herbal medicines in the treatment of psychiatric disorders: 10-year updated review. Phytotherapy Research. 2018 Jul;32(7):1147-1162.