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Herbal Actions
Lesson 1
| Term | Definition | Indications | Herbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| acrid-action | a heating, irritating herb that causes a feeling of warmth in mouth or on skin or mucous membrane | stagnation ulcers, feeling of internal coldness, digestive problems, retention of mucous in upper respiratory tract | bloodrot, ginger, prickly ash |
| adaptogen | an herb that helps the body adapt to stress, increase endurance, speed recovery from illness & work and strengthen immune function | needing balance | eleuthero, schisandra, ashwagandha, lemon |
| adjuvant | an herb that is added to a formula or mixture of herbs in order to enhance or change its overall activity | reduce side effects of herbs or formulas, enhance activity or taste | licorice, ginger |
| adrenal tonic | an herb that supports adrenal function | blood sugar swings, bouts of depression, allergies, under stress for extended periods | eleuthero |
| alterative | herbs or foods that slowly alter the activity of a tissue, organ system or an organism by enhancing nutrition, energy or vitality; SYN: adaptogen, tonic | deficiency states, chronic fatigue syndrome, immune weakness, loss of muscle or organ tone, weak digestion | echinacea, eleuthero, yellow dock, sarsparilla, prickly ash |
| analgesic | an herb or procedure (such as hydrotherapy) that relieves or reduces feelings of pain | pain | jamaica dogwood, opium poppy, passionflower |
| anaphrodisiac | removes sexual interest, reduces libido | excessive sexual fantasies, desire | skullcap, hops |
| anesthetic | deadens sensation | pain | (orally) echinacea, prickly ash, clove oil; hydrotherapy (cold) |
| anodyne | an herb that relieves pain; SYN: analgesic | pain | jamaica dogwood, corydalis |
| anthelmintic | destroys or removes intestinal worms | worms | wormseed, garlic, tansy, rue, pomegranate |
| anti-allergic | herbs that counteract allergies | hay fever | nettles |
| anti-inflammatory | herbs that lower inflammation, either by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis or blocking the production of inflammatory substances by the immune system | arthritis, sprains, varicose veins | st. john's wort, turmeric, yucca, arnica, butcher's broom, horse chestnut, licorice, devil's claw, chamomile, yarrow |
| antibacterial | an herb that destroys bacteria or retards its growth | infections | goldenseal, usnea, yerba mansa, cat's claw, tea tree, propolis, garlic, bloodrot |
| antibiotic | destroys bacteria | infections - in combination with immune stimulants (acute) or tonics (chronic) | usnea, goldenseal |
| anticholesteremic | herbs that have a tendency to lower blood cholesterol with continued use | high cholesterol levels (over 180) | shepherd's purse, garlic, artichoke leaf, psyllium |
| anticoagulant | prevents clotting of blood (sometimes of milk) | abnormal clotting, varicose veins, cardiovascular disease | alfalfa, sweet clover, garlic |
| antidepressant | an herb that helps relieve mild depression | depression | St. John's wort, rosemary, lavender, grapefruit, gingko |
| antidiarrhetic | an herb that slows or stops diarrhea | diarrhea | blackberry root, black walnut, alum root, rehmannia, self heal, white oak bark |
| antiemetic | counteracts or relieves nausea and vomiting | nausea & vomiting associated with car, sea or morning sickness | ginger, lavender, peppermint |
| antifungal | an herb that kills pathogenic fungus or retards its growth | fungus, athlete's foot | black walnut, bloodrot, Pau d'arco, tea tree, garlic, barberry, coptis |
| anhydratic | herbs that dry tissues, removing excess water | leukorrea, dysentery | chinese skullcap, coptis, gentian |
| antihydrotic | an herb that slows the production of sweat SYN: anhydratic | perspiration | sage leaf |
| antilithic | dissolves and removes urinary gravel or stones(calculi); helps prevent formation | tendency to form gravel or stones in the urinary tract, beneficial for heavy meat eaters | stone root, gravel root |
| antimicrobial | an herb that kills microbes of any type, such as bacteria or viruses | flu, abscesses, athlete's foot | cajuput, plantain, tea tree, garlic, goldenseal, oregon grape root |
| antinauseant | an herb that quells nausea | upset stomach | ginger, lavender, chamomile |
| antioxidant | compounds that bind with free-radicals and deactivate them | hepatitis, cancer prevention, liver protection | chaparral, milk thistle, rosemary, ginko, basil, lemon balm(melissa) |
| antiperiodic | an herb or substance that helps relieve cyclic fevers | malaria, tropical fevers | quinine, sweet annie(artemisia annua) |
| antiphlogistic | an herb or other agent that reduces inflammation | inflammation (swelling, redness, heat), infection | yarrow, echinacea, arnica (internally), flaxseed (externally) |
| antipyretic | reduces fever by turning down the temperature control in the hypothalamus | fever | willow bark, honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, meadowsweet, peppermint |
| antirheumatic | an herb that lowers inflammation and helps relieve the pain & swelling associated with rheumatism | rheumatism | black cohosh, horsereadish, american spikenard, juniper, prickly ash |
| antiscorbutic | relieves and prevents scurvy by supplying vitamin C | vitamin C deficiency | rose hips, citrus fruits |
| antiseptic | inhibits the growth of harmful organisms, kills on contact | exposure to bacteria, cuts, wounds, abrasions | bloodrot, usnea, tea tree |
| antispasmodic | relieves or reduces spasms, especially in smooth muscles (uterus, intestine, blood vessels, bronchi) | uterine cramping during PMS, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, stranguary | wild yam, chamomile, kava, pulsatilla |
| antitoxin | has the ability to help the body remove as well as neutralize toxins from the blood, organs and tissues | lung and throat infections, urinary tract infections | andrographis, wild indigo, goldenseal, elder, yarrow |
| antitraumatic | an herb that helps the body deal with trauma and speed up the healing process | sprain, strain, blow | arnica, sweet clover, St. John's wort |
| antitumor | inhibits tumor growth, or prevents its formation | tumors | castor oil, poke root |
| antitussive | relieves or reduces the urge to cough | coughing, throat irritation | coltsfoot, mullein, licorice, loquat leaf |
| antiviral | an herb that kills viruses or slows the progression of viral infection in the body | viruses | lemon balm(melissa), osha, andrographics, licorice, olive leaf, shiitake, St. john's wort, garlic |
| aperient | a gentle stimulant to the digestion; a mild laxative | constipation, weak, painful digestion, stress affecting digestion and elimination | artichoke leaf, yellow dock, dandelion |
| aphrodisiac | a sexual stimulant | lowered sexual desire | damiana, muira puama, yohimbe |
| appetizer | stimulates the appetite | weak, painful digestion, lowered interest in food | artichoke leaf, gentian root, bitter tonics |
| aquaretic | a gentle herbal diuretic that increases the body's output of urine | edema | cleavers, horsetail, pipsissewa, parsley root, uva ursi |
| aromatic-action | herbs or remedies that are grateful to the digestion; mildly stimulating; usually essential oil containing | indigestion, stomachache | peppermint, fennel, cumin, dill seed |
| astringent-action | polyphenolic(tannin) containing herbs that contract tissues, removing moisture (drying) | burns, urinary tract infections, diarrhea | green tea, oak bark, willow bark, myrrh, rhatany, bilberry |
| azoturic | remedy that increases the elimination of nitrogenous waste products from the body through urine or feces | gout, people with a high meat intake in their diet | sarsparilla |
| antiplatelet | used in prevention of cardiovascular or thrombotic cerebrovascular disease | arterial thrombosis | garlic, ginger, yarrow |
| balsam | a resinous, aromatic, sticky plant exudate containing phenolic acids (benzoic acid derivatives), having stimulating, warming & anti-microbial properties | coldness, blood stagnancy, infections, scabies, respiratory ailments (asthma, bronchitis, coughs, etc.) | balsam of Peru, balsam of Tolu, styrax |
| bitter | herbs or foods that taste bitter and activate the appetite & digestion | weakness of digestion, chronic illness, nervous system weakness,stress, lowered hydrochloric acid output in stomach, poor protein digestion | gentian, artichoke, barberry, goldenseal, oregon grape |
| blood builder | an herb that helps enrich the blood, stimulating the production of new blood cells | anemia, general weakness | fo-ti(ho shou wu), dong quai, angelica |
| blood purifier | an herb that stimulates the immune system, liver & bowels to increase the removal of waste products from the blood by stimulating phagocytic immune cells, increasing bile output, or releasing toxins through sweat or urine | cancer, illness, hangover | echinacea, burdock, elder flowers, blue vervain, sarsaparilla, parsley root, red clover, yellow dock |
| blood moving | an herb that stimulates the movement of blood in various arts of the body, dilates blood vessels and directs through a stagnant area, relieving pain | blood stagnation | yarrow, ginger, sweet clover |
| bronchodilator | an herb that dilates the bronchi, allowing freer movement of air in and out | asthma | ephedra, tangerine peel, green tea, lobelia |
| calmative | a mild sedative or relaxing herb or activity | mild restlessness, nervousness, upset stomach, mild anxiety | catnip, linden, lemon balm, chamomile |
| cardiac | beneficial to the heart, sometimes helps relieve a feeling of fullness or discomfort in the cardiac region or near pyloric valve | feeling of fullness or oppression over the heart, heart weakness | hawthorn, motherwort, hops, cactus |
| carminative | herbs or essential oils that help the bowels release gas, relaxes spasms of the intestine & increases peristalsis to push gas out, help relieve gas pains | flatulence, gas pains | anise, caraway, cumin, fennel, peppermint |
| cathartic | an herb that helps facilitate the emptying of the bowels, stimulates peristalsis, decreases uptake of water from the fecal mass | constipation | aloe, rhubarb, senna, cascara |
| caustic | corrosive, destructive to living tissue, stimulates new granulation in stagnant ulcer | ulcers that won't heal, warts | spurge, buttercup, bloodroot (USE WITH CAUTION) |
| cholagogue | an herb that increases the flow of bile into the duodenum | weak digestion, poor fat digestion, gallbladder problems | artichoke leaf, dandelion, chicory, gentian, centaury, turmeric, fringetree, boldo |
| coagulant | an herb that promotes the coagulation of blood | bleeding | nettle, shepherd's purse |
| counterirritant | an irritation produced on one part of the boday, such as the dermatones on the skin, to relieve congestion in another part (such as the liver) | sore muscles, aches, pains, congestion in internal organs | cayenne, mustard seed plaster, ginger fomentation, camphor oil |
| decongestant | an herb that reduces congestion, especially in the nasal passages | nasal congestion | cayenne, magnolia buds, ephedra, eucalyptus, eyebright |
| demulcent | mucilagionous herbs which soothe irritated or inflamed tissue or mucous membranes | ulcers, sore throat, tonsillitis, bladder infections, inflammation or heat in the upper respiratory tract, bowels | marshmallow root, slippery elm, flaxseed, irish moss, comfrey, licorice |
| deodorant | an herb which destroys or lessens body odors | strong-smelling sweat or body odor | sage |
| depressant | an herb that lowers functional overactivity and tension by reducing nerve impulse transmission | anxiety, severe tension | california poppy, opium(caution) |
| depurative | a purifying or cleansing agent | acne, boils, styes | red clover, burdock, wild indigo, sarsaparilla |
| diaphoretic | an herb that promotes perspiration and facilitates the elimination of toxins via the skin | fever, flu, colds, general toxemia | yarrow, elder, peppermint, boneset, ginger, cayenne |
| digestant | an herb that promotes good digestion | weak digestion, painful digestion, bloating, lack of appetite | artichoke leaf, genitan, ginger, orange peel, fennel, cardamom, dandelion root, milk thistle seed, anise, cayenne, centaury |
| diuretic | an herb that increase urinary output, stronger than an aquaretic | edema, cystisis with difficult urination, high blood pressure | cleavers, uva ursi, parsley root, buchu, goldenrod, corn silk, shavegrass |
| emetic | an herb or other agent that causes nausea and vomiting | asthma, ingestion of toxic substances | lobelia, poke root, ipecac |
| emmenagogue | an herb that stimulates the onset of menstruation | late periods (not from pregnancy) | blue cohosh, pennyroyal, ginger, rosemary, black cohosh |
| emollient | an herb, usually containing mucilage or gum, applied externally to soothe and soften the skin | chapped skin, irritated skin, rashes, sunburn | comfrey, chickweed, flaxseed, malva |
| errhine | an herb that stimulates nasal discharge | nasal congestion | horseradish |
| expectorant | promoting the expulsion of mucous from the respiratory tract | bronchial and lung congestion, coughs, asthma | grindelia, lobelia(small amounts), licorice, elecampane, anise, poplar buds, yerba santa |
| febrifuge | a cooling herb which lowers fever | fever | elder, honeysuckle flowers, peppermint, boneset, catnip, chamomile, lavender |
| galactagogue | an herb that increases the flow of breast milk | insufficient quantities of breast milk | fennel, vitex, blessed thistle, hops, fenugreek |
| hemostatic | stops internal or external bleeding (hemorrhage) | bleeding | shepherd's purse, yarrow, agrimony, cayenne, goldenseal |
| hepatic | an herb that tonifies and strengthens the liver | poor digestion, hepatitis, headaches, PMS | milk thistle, centaury, dandelion, artichoke leaf, boldo |
| hormonal regulator | an herb that has a tendency to normalize hormone output from the glands | hormone imbalances | vitex |
| hydratic | an herb that moisturizes and moistens tissues or organs | dry disease | kombu, kelp, psyllium, flax, acacia gum |
| hypnotic | herbs that promote sleep | insomnia, sleeping disorders | valerian, california poppy, hops, wild lettuce |
| hypotensive | an herb that lowers blood pressure | high blood pressure | garlic, hawthorn, mistletoe |
| hypothyroidal | an herb that reduces the thyroxin output of the thyroid gland | hyperthyroidism | bugleweed, blue vervain, lemon balm |
| immune stimulant | an herb that has the tendency to activate various immune functions | colds, flu | echinacea, wild indigo, wild ginger, thuja, osha |
| irritant | an herb that stimulates nerve endings, sends more blood and energy to an area to remove congestion | asthma, bronchitis, upper respiratory congestion | lobelia |
| laxative | an herb that promotes bowel evacuation by hydrating and softening the fecal mass as it travels through the colon and by stimulating peristalsis | constipation | psyllium, flax, senna, cascara sagrada, yellow dock, rhubarb root |
| lymphatic | an herb that stimulates the flow of nymph in the lymph vessels, helping to remove waste from the tissues | swollen glands, tonsillitis, mumps | echinacea, poke root, red clover, red root |
| metabolic | an herb that regulates or stimulates the metabolic process | sluggish, slow metabolism | ginseng |
| mucilage | large molecular weight polysaccharides that occur in demulcent herbs with a gelatinous, slimy consistency | irritation of the mucous membranes and skin, constipation, sore throat, laryngitis, urinary tract infections | marshmallow root, flaxseed, slippery elm, Iceland moss, comfrey |
| mucolytic | an herb that dissolves or thins mucous so the body can move it out of the body | seborrheic dermatitis(dandruff or cradle-cap), non-malignant swellings and cysts | polygala, lemon, elecampane, pine bark, yerba santa |
| narcotic | a pain-relieving herb which can cause sleep in large doses | pain, insomnia due to pain | wild lettuce, jamaica dogwood, yellow jasmine(gelsemium) |
| nephritic | an herb used to support the health of the kidneys | weak kidneys, chronic low-grade infections, kidney stones | parsley root, marshmallow root, dandelion root, ginger root, goldenrod |
| nervine | an herb which affects the nervous system, different classes - relaxing, stimulating, tonic, neurotrophic | nervousness, anxiety | valerian, skullcap, lavender, lemon balm, linden, passionflower, wild oats, cacao, kola nut |
| oxytocic | stimulates uterine contractions, facilitating childbirth | prolonged or delayed labor | blue cohosh, beth root, black cohosh, partridge berry, goldenseal |
| pectoral | affects diseases of the respiratory tract | coughs, bronchitis, pneumonia | elecampane, licorice, red clover, marshmallow, horehound, hyssop, sundew, mullein |
| purgative | causes strong bowel evacuation | extreme constipation, removal of toxic factors from the body, some traditional cleansing rituals | aloe, buckthorn, castor oil, mandrake |
| refrigerant | an herb that relieves fever, internal heat and thirst | sunstroke, invasion of the body by summer heat, high fever | barberry, gentian, goldenseal, elder, honeysuckle flowers, forsythia fruit, ginseng |
| restorative | an herb or food that restores balance and strength to the body and its systems, roborant | convalescence | eleuthro, codonopsis, reishi, schisandra, gotu kola, ginseng, dong quai, gentian |
| rubefacient | a local irritant that increases circulation in the skin, relieving pain in the muscles and promoting healing | sports injuries, aches and pains of the muscles from inactivity or overactivity | ginger, horseradish, cayenne liniment, camphor balms |
| sedative | |||
| abortifacient | an herb that induces or causes premature expulsion of a fetus | unwanted pregnancy | tansy, goldenseal |
Created by:
bebethebutler
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