Women's herbs - some basic uses

[xkookykrysx.livejournal.com]

Damiana - vastly improves female sex drive. you have to take small doses consistently for at least a week and a half before you notice results. but I SWEAR that this stuff really works! I don't take it now, but I will if I ever become sexually active again.

Parsley - eating several taboulleh salads, fresh parsley, or several cups of parsley tea will bring on your period.

Black Cohosh - very good for starting your period. Take consistently, but stop a day into your period.

Dong Quai - general all-purpose women's herb - good for balancing female hormones. nice to take occasionally in small doses.

Raspberry Leaves - mostly good for the urinary tract and illnesses associated with it. Especially good at maintaining good tissue in the uterus, strengthening and toning it.

Cramp Bark - as the name implies, relieves painful cramps during menstration.

Uva Ursi - never used this myself, but have heard its also a "women's herb" - good for Uterine area

Comments

[4hour-ramona.livejournal.com]

this is a fab list! thanks!

some cautioning:

[crankygirlie.livejournal.com]

A quick caution:
Not all herbs are effective or recommended for all constituions, especially when you are consuming a single herb instead of a formula. Taking herbs without knowing exactly what they affect and how can be simply ineffective at best and harmful at worst. Taking single herbs outside a formula can do crazy things as well.

I'd highly recommend anyone looking for herbal supplements to see a chinese herbalist, as chinese medicine (which has been in practice for thousands of years) has made an art and science out of precicely mixing herbs for safety, effectiveness and zero side effects. Furthermore, the formulas are meant for your specific constitution and conditions, and your dosages are individualized as well. Anything outside that could be ineffective or harmful. Giving someone with a cold constitution a cooling herb (especially all alone) could make the person sicker, but if the herb was, say, in a formula balanced with warming herbs, or instead, that person was given an overall warming formula, it would probably be of help.

Dosages are also a big big deal...how much of herb x should you have? Western herbalists have not yet nailed it down and purchasing western herbs can be hit and miss. If you are keeping in contact with an herbalist, you can adjust your dosage to be effective for you. I am very sensitive to herbs and other pharmaceuticals, so I have very diluted formulas. Other people may need more.

Anyway, blah blah, blah, I'm just urging caution when taking western herbs without the consultation of an herbalist. And I wanted to highly recommend chinese herbal formulas above any other herbal remedies, as they have been most effective in my experience. :)

Laren

Re: some cautioning:

[xkookykrysx.livejournal.com]

thanks for the suggestions :)

Not to mention...

[sabbysteg.livejournal.com]

Some herbs can cause negative effects when taken in combination with other medications. (Ie., St John's Wort supposedly makes The Pill less effective.) Consult a doctor before taking herbs, too, especially if you're on any medication for a protracted length of time.

Re: Not to mention...

[ninaf.livejournal.com]

Amen.. its best to speak with an educated person before taking ANYTHING like this.

Re: Not to mention...

[ladyhelen.livejournal.com]

(Ie., St John's Wort supposedly makes The Pill less effective.)

I'll vouch for that one - I got pregnant that way.

[fairycorpse.livejournal.com]

I think I'll try that Dong Quai shit...my hormones could use some balancing (hey i am a teenager).

[katlynel.livejournal.com]

I make a tea from a teaspoon of white willow bark and a teaspoon of lavender, plus a dash of peppermint if I have it, steeped twenty minutes or so, for menstrual cramps. Quite gentle and effective and tastes yum too.

[crankygirlie.livejournal.com]

Thinly sliced ginger with brown sugar in hot water makes a nice tea that's fabulous for cramps.

If you are a person who runs really hot, feels hot a lot, can't stand the heat, etc, don't drink the ginger tea (ginger is very warming), but for everyone else, once a month, it's fabulous. :)

And it's delicious.

[caitlin.livejournal.com]

I've got a hot constitution, and I drink ginger tea when I have a sore throat or chest congestion or something like that.

Then again, I have this tendency to mix it and peppermint.... and echinacea...

So who knows. =)

C.

[crankygirlie.livejournal.com]

Hehehe. Ginger is very warming, and sore throats are generally arising from toxic heat.

The peppermint is very cooling, so that may be of assistance.

I always take a Yin Qiao formula when I feel a sore throat, and BAM, sore throat is gone (most of the time...some colds are very persistent). It's easy to find in a chinese pharmacy, and it's one of the safest, most commonly used formulas to prevent and cure colds (strangely enough, colds with sore throat are hot) with sore throat. It can also help with colds with headache, but there are other formulas specifically for that. I stick with Yin Qaio, it's so flexible... I always carry some with me, and give it away to friends and family who complain of a cold coming on. I *heart* that formula.

Oh, and if you have a sore throat, dry lungs, coughing, like most people do during the winter season, a delicious drink is Lo Han Kuo beverage. It's cheap from most chinese grocery stores (a dollar for a box of..um...a bunch?), and it's a huge help in soothing dry or sore throat and lungs. My acupuncturist gave a box to my husband and said, "drink it!" I didn't notice, and he wasn't drinking it for some reason, but I was really curious so I drank some. *heart heart heart* It's like chocolate broth or something. (no chocolate involved) It was so good, before he knew it, I had consumed it all and had to buy him more. Hee.

Laren

[ladyariadna.livejournal.com]

If herbs are too difficult to obtain, Traditional Medicinals sells a GREAT tea called "Women's Liberty" for balancing hormones and general overall women's health. I have found it wonderfully helpful when combating PMS and the like. It tastes good, too! It's one of the only teas I've been able to drink without needing sweetener.

[dia7.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of damiana before. I'll have to look into it. :-)

[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

This is completely awesome, thanks!