British Herbal Medicine Association

Anon (1996c) British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. Published by the British Herbal Medicines Association. 

Folklore Burdock was traditionally used to heat skin complaints and inflammations. The roots can be eaten raw in salads or cooked like carrots and the young leaf stalks can be scraped and cooked like celery (Bown, 2003 British Herbal Medicine Association, 1983 Hutchens, 1973 Shealy, 1998 Tierra, 1998). 

Folklore The Mayans knew this plant as an aphrodisiac (Bown, 2003 British Herbal Medicine Association, 1983 Hutchens, 1973 Tierra, 1998). 

Folklore Hops are primarily associated with the brewing of beer, but many other herbs were used in brewing long before hops came to prominence. Hops were traditionally used to stuff pillows as a way of promoting sleep (Bown, 2003 British Herbal Medicine Association, 1983 Gruenwald et al, 2002 Hutchens, 1973). 

Folklore Kola is traditionally used in tonics for exhaustion and poor appetite. The tannins have an astringent effect in cases of diarrhoea. In the countries of origin the seed is ground as a condiment for food and chewed before meals to promote good digestion (Bown, 2003 British Herbal Medicine Association, 1983 Gruenwald et al., 2002 Tierra, 1998). 

Benefits The herb has stimulant effects due to the caffeine and chlorogenic acids. It is also diuretic and reportedly has lipolytic (fat-burning) effects. Folklore In South America, a tea brewed from the herb (also called mate ) is served on social occasions as a communal recreational beverage that is very stimulating. The mate is prepared in a bowl that is passed around the assembled people it is drank from the bowl by means of a silver straw with a strainer on the lower end to prevent the leaves being ingested (Bown, 2003 British Herbal Medicine Association, 1983 Graenwald et al., 2002). 

Folklore The name urtica is believed to be derived from the Latin verb urere , to bum, most probably referring to the stinging action of the plant. Nettle is a fibrous plant and was used in cloth manufacture from the Bronze Age until the early twentieth century. The fresh young plant tops have been cooked as a spinach-like vegetable dish, and used to be brewed into a nettle beer in certain parts of the United Kingdom. The herb was known as a blood purifier which, in current terms, is a detox herb. The herb has a high chlorophyll content and has been used as a source for extraction of this natural colour (Bown, 2003 British Herbal Medicine Association, 1983 Graenwald et al, 2002 Hutchens, 1973 Shealy, 1998 Tierra, 1998). 

Folklore Spanish missionaries in South America regarded the flower of this herb as a symbol of Christ s passion, the three stigmas representing the nails, the five anthers the wounds and the ten sepals the apostles present. The herb was used in native North American medicine, especially by the Houma tribe, who put it into drinking water as a tonic. It became popular as a treatment for insomnia in the nineteenth century and was included in the US National Formulary from 1916 to 1936 (Bown, 2003 British Herbal Medicine Association, 1983 Giuenwald el al, 2002 Hutchens, 1973 Tierra, 1998). 

Folklore Although there are steroidal compounds present in sarsaparilla, the rumoured presence of testosterone, which made it of interest to body-builders, has not been substantiated. The root has been used in soft drinks and root beers. Sarsaparilla was introduced into Europe following the Spanish colonization of South America. It was regarded as a cure-all and was established in pharmacopoeias until the early twentieth century (Bown, 2003 British Herbal Medicine Association, 1983 Giuenwald et al, 2002 Tierra, 1998). 

British Herbal Medicine Association (1983) The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1983. BHMA Publications, Dorset, United Kingdom. 

Battaglia S 1997 The complete guide to aromatherapy, 2nd edn. Watson Ferguson, Brisbane British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1996 British Herbal Medicine Association, PO Box 304, Bournemouth, Dorset BH7 6JX... 

Bradley, P. 1992. British Herbal Compedium . British Herbal Medicine Association, Bomemouth, Hampshire, England. 

Published by the British Herbal Medicine Association. Obtainable by mail order from BHMA Publications, P.0, Box 304, Bournemouth, Dorse BH7 6JZ... 

Bradley, P.R. 1992. British herbal compendium A handbook cf scientific information on widely used plant drugs. Bournemouth, Dorset British Herbal Medicine Association. 

Mitchell, H. 1983. British herbal pharmacopoeia. Bournemouth, U.K. British Herbal Medicine Association. 

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