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Newsletter From Dr. Jared Hanson ND, LAc

Herbs for the Holidays

In my mind, it is an established truth that every substance in the world is a potential healing agent. The lowliest weeds in the sidewalk cracks are some of our most profound remedies. Here are some familiar (or not so familiar?) holiday plants and their medicinal uses.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe is the plant that grows in every way plants aren’t supposed to grow. It is parasitic, not rooting in the ground but stealing water and nutrients from other trees. It tends to grow on the north side of the host plant, rather than the sunny south side. And it thrives and blooms in winter, when most plants are sleeping or dead.

Long before modern day chemical research and clinical trials, and prior to homeopathic provings, in the Western world medicinal properties of plants were discerned through the Doctrine of Signatures, which used the observations of a plant’s form and milieu to determine how it would act on the human body. Following this tradition, mistletoe, so distinct in the plant kingdom, should be a powerful healing agent.

And so it is. Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian esotericist who founded anthroposophy, biodynamic agriculture, and the Waldorf schools, recommended mistletoe as a cancer remedy. Conventional scientific research has since supported this idea and mistletoe is now commonplace in European cancer treatment. It is not so well-embraced here in the states, despite the fact that Suzanne Somers opted to use mistletoe extracts rather than conventional chemotherapy when treating her breast cancer.

Mistletoe is also used to lower blood pressure, particularly when associated with atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, and is in general a good cardiovascular tonic. Historically though, its most significant application was in nervous system disorders, including epilepsy, convulsions and hysteria.

Holly

Holly as an herb is not well-known. Its main use was in malaria, not too common in these parts nowadays, but it also treats a wide variety of eye diseases. I was always warned against eating the berries, no doubt good advice. In alternative medicine, holly is most often used as a flower essence. It was one of the original 38 flower essences developed by Edward Bach, who started out treating people with fecal bacteria but somehow earned greater repute by treating people with flowers.

Flower essences address emotional and spiritual issues, often these issues are the foundation for physical disease and when the emotional issues resolve, the physical symptoms soon follow. Holly flower is specifically indicated in people who feel great envy, jealousy, distrust and vindictiveness towards others. Often this is born from a feeling that the person does not or did not receive the love they deserve. Holly flower essence allows them to give and receive love comfortably and to take pleasure in the achievements of others.

Myrrh

The wise man brought myrrh for a reason. Myrrh has a great reputation in wounds and gangrene (never amputate again!). It achieves this because it both kills microbes directly and because it stimulates the immune system. This antiseptic quality makes it useful in gum disease as well as respiratory infections. It is one of the four constituents of the classic naturopathic H.E.M.P. formula for strep throat. The other three are goldenseal (Hydrastis), Echinacea and Pokeroot (Phytolacca). I used this formula on myself a few years ago, when I had a strep throat infection and, check it out, I’m still alive. Despite not taking antibiotics, I survived with a little help from the plant kingdom. (Antibiotics, of course, have their place, but it should not be ignored that sole reliance on antibiotics has led to the evolution of supergerms that resist treatment. On the other hand, the appropriate use of herbs causes no such thing, in part because much of their effectiveness comes from strengthening the body’s natural ability to fend off infection.)

If you suffer from gingivitis, an effective mouthwash can be made by mixing a dropperful of myrrh tincture to a bit of water. For best results, swallow the myrrh after rinsing.

Frankincense

Frankincense is a resin derived from the Boswellia genus of plants. Boswellia is a traditional Ayurvedic remedy and in recent years has been the subject of clinical research. Boswellia has emerged as one of the most popular anti-inflammatory herbs and has made its way into many natural health products. Boswellia can be used to relieve pain in a similar way as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen. For those of you who regularly take NSAIDs to ease pain, be warned they have one great drawback: they erode the lining of the stomach and intestines. This can lead to bleeding and also to increased autoimmunity. Boswellia does not have this side effect so it may be preferable for those suffering from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, there is evidence that Boswellia will actually heal stomach ulcers as well as ulcerative colitis. The anti-inflammatory aspect of Boswellia also makes it useful in asthma, acting more or less like a natural version of Singulair.