Herbal Remedies for Common Ailments
Herbal Remedies for Common Ailments
By Michael Castleman
October/November 2010
Medicinal herbs can provide natural, safer remedies to dozens of common ailments. This chart shows you more than 75 herbal remedies that do just that. For more information about herbal remedies, check out 75 Safe and Effective Herbal Remedies. As with any health issue, always be sure to talk to your doctor before trying a new medicine — including herbal medicines — or other remedy. In conjunction with a discussion with your primary healthcare provider, you can find more safety and usage information on the herbs below in Micheal Castleman’s The New Healing Herbs and in Dr. James A. Duke’s book, Dr. Duke’s Essential Herbs.
Read more: Mother Earth News
| Ailment | Herb |
| Acne | Calendula, aloe, tea tree |
| Alcoholism | Evening primrose, kudzu |
| Allergy | Chamomile |
| Alzheimer’s disease | Ginkgo, rosemary |
| Angina | Hawthorn, garlic, willow, green tea |
| Anxiety and stress | Hops, kava, passionflower, valerian, chamomile, lavender |
| Arteriosclerosis | Garlic |
| Arthritis | Capsicum, ginger, turmeric, willow, cat’s claw, devil’s claw |
| Asthma | Coffee, ephedra, tea |
| Athlete’s foot | Topical tea tree oil |
| Attention-deficit disorder | Evening primrose oil |
| Bad breath | Parsley |
| Boils | Tea tree oil, topical garlic, echinacea, eleutherococcus, ginseng, rhodiola |
| Bronchitis | Echinacea, pelargonium |
| Burns | Aloe |
| Cancer | Bilberry, blackberry, cocoa (dark chocolate), green tea, garlic, ginseng, maitake mushroom, pomegranate, raspberry, reishi mushroom |
| Cankers | Goldenseal |
| Colds | Echinacea, andrographis, ginseng, coffee, licorice root (sore throat), tea (nasal and chest congestion) |
| Congestive heart failure | Hawthorn |
| Constipation | Apple, psyllium seed, senna |
| Cough | Eucalyptus |
| Depression | St. John’s wort |
| Diabetes, Type 2 | Garlic, beans (navy, pinto, black, etc.), cinnamon, eleutherococcus, flaxseed, green tea |
| Diabetic ulcers | Comfrey |
| Diarrhea | Bilberry, raspberry |
| Diverticulitis | Peppermint |
| Dizziness | Ginger, ginkgo |
| Earache | Echinacea |
| Eczema | Chamomile, topical borage seed oil, evening primrose oil |
| Fatigue | Cocoa (dark chocolate), coffee, eleutheroccocus, ginseng, rhodiola, tea |
| Flu | Echinacea, elderberry syrup (also see “Colds”) |
| Gas | Fennel, dill |
| Giardia | Goldenseal |
| Gingivitis | Goldenseal, green tea |
| Hay fever | Stinging nettle, butterbur |
| Herpes | Topical lemon balm, topical comfrey, echinacea, garlic, ginseng |
| High blood pressure | Garlic, beans, cocoa (dark chocolate), hawthorn |
| High blood sugar | Fenugreek |
| High cholesterol | Apple, cinnamon, cocoa (dark chocolate), evening primrose oil, flaxseed, soy foods, green tea |
| Hot flashes | Red clover, soy, black cohosh |
| Impotence | Yohimbe |
| Indigestion | Chamomile, ginger, peppermint |
| Infection | Topical tea tree oil, astragalus, echinacea, eleutherococcus, garlic, ginseng, rhodiola |
| Insomnia | Kava, evening primrose, hops, lemon balm, valerian |
| Irregular heartbeat | Hawthorn |
| Irregularity | Senna, psyllium seed |
| Irritable bowel syndrome | Chamomile, peppermint |
| Lower back pain | Thymol, carvacrol, white willow bark |
| Menstrual cramps | Kava, raspberry, chasteberry |
| Migraine | Feverfew, butterbur |
| Morning sickness | Ginger |
| Muscle pain | Capsicum, wintergreen |
| Nausea | Ginger |
| Premenstrual syndrome | Chasteberry, evening primrose |
| Ringing in the ears | Ginkgo |
| Seasonal affective disorder | St. John’s wort |
| Shingles | Capsicum |
| Sore throat | Licorice, marshmallow, mullein |
| Stuffy nose | Echinacea |
| Tonsillitis | Goldenseal, astragalus, echinacea |
| Toothache | Willow, clove oil |
| Ulcers | Aloe, licorice |
| Varicosities | Bilberry, horse chestnut |
| Yeast infection | Garlic, goldenseal, Pau D’arco |
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