Calendula officinalis: Cute little flower? Yep. Easily grown? Yes again. But it's so much more. Like most of nature's plant "pharmacy", calendula is a sweet little garden blossom that is also a serious herb, honored for centuries for its wound- healing properties.
Also known as Mary's Gold or marigold (not to be confused with the ornamental plant), calendula "brings light to dark places", not unlike the sun. These "mini-sun" blossoms help dry out moist, dark, weepy wounds. Used topically, calendula is anti-inflammatory and helps stimulate tissue granulation and wound healing.
Whether you sprinkle these edible blossoms on your salads or use it to soothe your little one's boo-boos, calendula is a useful herb all year long...naturally.
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Chamomile is considered by many to be one of the safest, most gentle herbs available for helping a wide variety of disorders. Chamomile has long been used to help ease digestive disorders such as colic or gas in babies and indigestion or heartburn in adults.
For centuries, people have relied on chamomile tea at bedtime and as a remedy for restlessness in colicky and teething infants. Their mamas drink it to ease stress, anxiety and PMS tension; thus its reputation for being a calming herb that helps balance sleep disturbances. Used topically, it also helps comfort minor inflammations, skin irritations and wounds.
(While chamomile is a very safe, nontoxic herb, it may cause reactions in those who are allergic to plants in the ragweed family so should initially be given in small amounts to infants.)
Fennel Seed (Foeniculum vulgare)
Since the days of Hippocrates, fennel seed, or the fruit has been used not only as a tasty culinary herb but also to help ease flatulence, colic and indigestion, to help increase breast milk, as an anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory and to help dissolve mucous in the upper respiratory tract in children.
According to the American Botanical Council's Complete German Commission E Monographs, in Germany, fennel seed is licensed as a standard medicinal tea for dyspepsia. It is also used in cough syrups (antitussives and expectorants), and stomach and bowel remedies, especially in pediatrics. It is often used in combination with anise seed...as a component of galactagogue preparations.
Because fennel seeds are emmenagogues and promote menstruation, fennel seeds are not recommended during pregnancy in greater than culinary amounts. No restrictions are known during lactation.
So, these little beauties are beneficial for
indigestion, gas and coughs; as a helpful aid to laboring women and to enrich and increase the flow of breast milk. Not bad for a small little licorice-flavored seed!
Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)
The scalloped shape of the leaves, thought to resemble the mantle (cloak) of the Virgin Mary gave this herb it's name -- Our Lady's Mantle. Now simply called Lady's Mantle, it's one of Mama's favorite herbs.
Lady's Mantle has been used since the Middle Ages by women - for women. The root of its name comes from the word "alchemy". The leaves collect and hold dew and raindrops like little cups with lacy edges, and when collected, the water is believed to hold magical healing properties.
Lady's Mantle is an astringent herb rich in tannins, and approved by the German Commission E for treating diarrhea. It is useful topically for skin irritations such as rashes and eczema.
And for women, it's the best. Ironically, it both helps to normalize excessive menstrual and postpartum bleeding, and at the same time, help stimulate and regulate menstrual flow when bleeding is irregular and needs a little jumpstart to get going.
For these reasons, our friend Lady's Mantle is an obviously wonderful addition to Postpartum Recovery Tea. It is joined by other herbs (like cinnamon) that not only taste good, but also help reduce the very common excessive uterine bleeding following childbirth.
Helping to bring balance and normalize bleeding means lady's mantle helps more than just after having a baby. You can drink a steaming cup of tea during "that time of the month" as well as use it more regularly during menopause. It helps reduce menstrual cramping and for PMS, helps soothe the savage beast - a blessing for both women and everyone around them!
You can grow Lady's Mantle in your own garden, it's hardy in most zones and the flowers can be easily dried. It can tend to take over your garden, so if you don't want it to propagate be sure to trim the blossoms before they go to seed. I recommend starting with plants instead of seeds, however, as Lady's Mantle can take up to two years to flower if grown from seed.
Lavender (Lavendula augustifolia)
A rose is a rose, but ahh . . . lavender. Mamas around the world have known for centuries to wave a wand of lavender under a fussy childs nose before bedtime, add it to soaps and lotions and apply it to almost every boo-boo.
Lavenders innocuous little wand of purple blossoms packs a powerful punch. Lavender has been used for centuries for everything except doing your laundry and cooking your lunch. Scratch that---lavender makes a wonderfully, cleansing and freshening laundry rinse and a delicious addition to soups, cookies and teas.
Called the broom of the brain, lavender is reputed to sweep away all kafa impurities (Makhzan-El-Adwiya, Nadkarni, 1976). Emotionally, lavender calms and reduces irritability, insomnia, nightmares, apprehension, panic attacks, stress, nervous tension and hysteria and is generally balancing to the psyche, as well as the body. Thus, lavender is a perfect companion aromatherapy scent to be used during labor.
Both animal and human studies indicate that lavender's sedative qualities are real. According to the American Botanical Council, lavender is licensed in Germany as a standard medicinal tea for sleep disorders, nervous stomach and restlessness. That's why Earth Mama Angel Baby uses specially selected organic lavender in our Peaceful Mama Tea and Angel Baby Bath Blossoms because we know how important good rest is for both babies and their mamas.
Lavender was used as an antiseptic in ancient medicines. Its genus name comes from the Latin "lavare," to wash, referring to its use as a bath additive for the purification of body and spirit. It was also used as a bactericide to disinfect hospitals and sick rooms in ancient Persia, Greece, and Rome.
Topically, lavender is known as first aid in a bottle. It helps everything from headaches, burns and boils to insect bites, arthritis and minor cuts. Because it contains 12% tannins, it is also an astringent and is moisturizing to the skin.
Angel Baby Bottom Balm, Diaper rash and first aid balm, Earth Mama Bottom Balm, New Mama Bottom Spray and Angel Baby Diaper Rash Soap all have lavender in them. Now you know why!
In scientific language, lavender is antibacterial, anticonvulsive, antidepressant, antiinflammatory, analgesic, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, antitoxic, antiviral, anticoagulant, carminative, cholagogue, cicatrisant, cordial, cytophylactic, deodorant, decongestant, diuretic, emmenagogue, galactogogue,hypotensive, insecticidal, nervine, parasiticidal, rubefacient, restorative, sedative, sudorfic, tonic, vermifugal, and vulnerary.
Lavenders gorgeous scent is a spiritual pick-me-up, helps chase away depression, soothes the savage beast and generally smells like heaven. There are no known contraindications, side effects, restrictions during pregnancy and lactation or drug interactions. What more could you ask of a plant from Mother Natures pharmacy?
Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis)
Althaea officinalis-a.k.a. Marshmallow. No, we're not talking about the puffy white thing you toast over a campfire! We're talking about the lovely, mucilaginous (gooey), nutritious herb that coats and soothes mucous membranes and the gastrointestinal tract and can be used both internally and externally.
Marshmallow root contains polysaccharides, (making it slighly sweet, but probably not sweet enough to put on a stick and hold over a fire) and 25%-35% mucilage (the aforementioned goo.) Externally, marshmallow root is used for wounds, burns and inflammatory skin disorders, while taken internally, it is soothing and coating for inflammed mucous membranes, ulcers and even the respiratory and urinary tract. Mild and gentle, marshmallow has been used for a wide variety of ailments from bladder infections, bronchitis, colds, cough, skin problems, sore throats and wounds.
Oats (Avena sativa)
Ahhh... A bowl of steamy hot oatmeal on a cold morning. What better comfort food? But oats (Avena sativa) are way more than breakfast. Teeming with vitamins and minerals they are good for your heart, skin, nervous system and bones. As a prime source of complex carbohydrates they contain about 50% more protein than bulgur and twice as much as brown rice.
Besides being highly nourishing, they are also a wonderfully revitalizing, restorative and rejuvenating herb. In fact, the FDA allows food products containing whole oats to be labeled with the health claim that the product may reduce the risk of heart disease" if it contains at least 750 mg of soluble fiber per serving "when included as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. That's the government's way of telling you to eat more oats!
Medicinally, humans have long used three different parts of this plant. The milk stage (the fruit and arial parts of the plant that are harvested when it is still green), the oatstraw (which is the dried arial part) and, of course, oatmeal, the whole grain that gets milled and flattened.
Whole oats are delicious, but they are also good for your skin! A natural moisturizer, oats are also useful for skin injury, pruritus, seborrhea, dry and itchy skin, weeping eczema, contact dermatitis, chickenpox and more. So, of course, Earth Mama Angel Baby uses organic whole oatmeal in Postpartum Bath Herbs and Angel Baby Bath Blossoms.
Oats are also a wonderful herb used medicinally as a nervine (any herb that nourishes the nervous system and helps ease anxiety, stress, nervous exhaustion, depression and insomia). And since oatstraw is rich in calcium and magnesium, oatstraw tea is highly recommended during pregnancy for calming nervous stress and tension, according to noted herbalist Rosemary Gladstar. "It is a safe, natural tonic herb for the nervous system and is very relaxing and tasty," she adds. Naturally, both oatstraw and milk stage oats are in Peaceful Mama Tea. Be sure and share with daddy, he probably needs it too.
Oatstraws abundant calcium and magnesium are not only a valuable asset to nervine teas, but during late pregnancy may also help ease muscle cramping in the legs. Good for mama and good for baby! We put both milkstage oats and oatstraw in Third Trimester Tea & Postpartum Recovery Tea.
Oats are also packed with a plethora of vitamins and minerals including calcium, selenium, zinc, thiamin, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and manganese, flavones, saponins, copper, folate (folic acid), vitamin E & Vitamin A. (No wonder theyre so good for all us animals!) But theres more. Oats are also a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber and may help reduce blood sugar. (Excellent news for moms with gestational diabetes!)
Ok, so lets recap. No side effects or drug interactions, GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe), strengthens the nerves, helps reduce emotional distress, promotes sound sleep, keeps the bones and heart healthy, nourishes the skin and tastes deelish.
Good for mamas, good for babies. Who wouldnt love that?!
Bibliography:
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database:
http://www.therapeuticresearch.net/(5oyj0t45dtslv4i25tzjzm45)/home.aspx?li=0&st=0&cs=&s=ND
Dr. Dukes Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Database:
http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/
American Botanical Council:
http://www.herbalgram.org/
Medical Herbalism, The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine: David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG, copyright 2003
Herbal Healing For Women, Rosemary Gladstar, copyright 1993
Red Raspberry Leaf (Rubus idaeus)
Red raspberries are yummy indeed, but Mother Nature also blessed the leaves with healing and preventative properties used throughout pregnancy to tone the uterus, improve contractions to facilitate childbirth, prevent miscarriage, alleviate morning sickness and ease diarrhea.
Red raspberry leaf is an astringent herb rich in vitamins and minerals important for pregnant women, among them vitamins C, E, A and B complex, and the minerals calcium, phosphorous, manganese, potassium and iron.
According to noted herbalist Susun Weed, it is "safest of all uterine and pregnancy tonic herbs." Red raspberry leaf helps provide a speedy postpartum recovery. It also helps the contracting uterus work more effectively and may make childbirth easier and faster.
It is used to increase fertility in both men and women, prevent miscarriage and postpartum hemorrhage, tone the uterus, ease morning sickness, reduce pain during labor and after birth as well as helps assist in the plentiful production of breast milk.
Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica)
Stinging nettles happens to be one of our all-time favorite herbs. It has traditionally been used as a rich food source because of its many wonderful nutrients. When steamed lightly, the "sting" is neutralized in this delicious vegetable herb and they include such nutrients as carotene, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, potassium, iron, lycopene, chlorophyll, flavonoids, quercitin, rutin, and others.
Women in their third trimester especially benefit from taking nettles in moderate doses. The vitamin K contributes to its ability to help prevent hemorrhaging during childbirth. Stinging nettles can help reduce water retention without depleting the body of potassium, increase and enrich milk flow and because it is one of the best sources of digestible plant iron, is given to postpartum women to aid in restoring and rebuilding a mother's energy.
Besides their anti-inflammatory properties used to help ease gout, arthritis and PMS they are a good urinary tonic for women prone to urinary tract infections. Nettles have been recently been found in clinical studies to significantly relieve the symptoms of allergies and hay fever--great news for expectant mamas who are allergy-prone. No wonder we love this herb!
(Stinging nettles should not be taken in excessively large amounts during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester due to their uterine stimulant effect.)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Yarrow blossoms don't smell very pretty. The plants are kind of gangly and have umbrella-shaped clusters of blossoms on the top of a not-so-interesting stem.
Why do we care? Because yarrow blossoms (while not as sweet as a rose) are wonderful herbs that have been used externally for thousands of years to stop bleeding and heal boo-boos. Achillea millefolium is said to be so named because of its ability to heal the wounds of Achilles in Greek mythology. We weren't there at the time, but we assume it's true.
According to the Expanded Commission E Monographs from the American Botanical Council, "The ancient Europeans called it Herba Militaris, the military herban ointment made from it was used as a vulnerary drug on battle wounds (Grieve, 1967)."
Not only is yarrow used externally for wound healing, but it has antimicrobial properties and helps stop bleeding.
"The British Herbal Compendium reported diaphoretic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, aromatic bitter, hemostatic, hypotensive, and emmenagogic activities (Bradley, 1992)...its topical use for slow-healing wounds and skin inflammations the Indian Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia for fevers and wound healing. (Bradley, 1992)...Antimicrobial activity against a range of bacteria has been reported for aqueous and ether extracts of yarrow (Wichtl and Bisset, 1994).
