All herbs

Europe · Herb · № 330

White bryony

Bryonia alba

Traditionally attributed effects: antirheumatic, laxative.

Asia · Herb · № 539

White leadwort

Plumbago zeylanica

Traditionally attributed effects: cleansing, stimulates the stomach, stimulates appetite; externally skin-irritant for rheumatism, paralysis, enlarged glands, leucoderma and skin diseases; tincture antipyretic.

Asia · Herb · № 128

White mulberry

Morus alba en M. nigra

The leaf (sang ye) is being studied for post-meal blood sugar and is used in Chinese medicine for coughs and fevers; bark, twigs and berries each have their own use too. Evidence is preliminary.

Europe · Herb · № 301

Horse chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum

Traditionally attributed effects: anti-inflammatory, astringent.

North America · Herb · № 823

White sage

Salvia apiana

An aromatic sage burned in ceremonies by Indigenous peoples of California.

Asia · Mushroom · № 652

Snow fungus (bai mu er)

Tremella fuciformis

Traditionally attributed effects: a tonic for the yin energy and the lungs; supports breathing, energy and a balanced blood pressure.

Africa · Herb · № 429

Desert date

Balanites aegyptiaca

Traditionally attributed effects: laxative, expels worms; seeds for cough and colic, oil on burns and freckles, seed extract lowers blood pressure.

Europe · Herb · № 837

Deadly nightshade (belladonna)

Atropa belladonna

A deadly poisonous plant. Its compound atropine is used in controlled form in modern medicine.

Africa · Herb · № 547

Castor oil plant

Ricinus communis

Traditionally attributed effects: oil mildly laxative; leaf juice emetic in poisoning, leaf decoction laxative, promotes milk and menstruation; compress on boils and swellings, for flatulence in children; root decoction for lumbago, rheumatism and sciatica.

South America · Herb · № 878

Yacón

Smallanthus sonchifolius

A plant of the daisy family with sweet, crunchy tubers full of inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides, which the body barely absorbs. The leaf has been studied for diabetes; evidence in humans is lacking.

Asia · Herb · № 712

Hypoglauca yam (bei xie)

Dioscorea hypoglauca (syn. D. collettii)

Traditionally attributed effects: clears cloudy urine and expels wind and dampness in rheumatism and skin complaints.

South America · Herb · № 893

Yareta

Azorella compacta (en verwante soorten)

An evergreen cushion plant that grows over the ground like a green boulder. It grows about one and a half centimetres a year; some plants are estimated to be over 3,000 years old. The plant contains a sticky resin.

North America · Herb · № 986

Yellowroot

Xanthorhiza simplicissima

A low shrub of the buttercup family, one of the few woody species in that family. Root and stem are bright yellow from berberine, a bitter substance also found in goldenseal and barberry that inhibits bacteria and fungi.

Central America and the Caribbean · Herb · № 632

Yerba mansa

Anemopsis californica

Traditionally attributed effects: expels wind and dampness in joint pain that worsens in cold, wet weather, opens blocked sinuses and dries dampness in slow-healing wounds and swellings.

South America · Food · № 15

Yerba mate

Ilex paraguariensis

The leaves contain caffeine, theobromine and polyphenols; the drink is stimulating and dispels tiredness, like coffee or tea. It is a beverage and social drink, not a medicine.

South America · Herb · № 980

Yoco

Paullinia yoco

A woody liana of the soapberry family, related to guarana. The bark contains caffeine and theobromine; 0.1 to 3.6 percent caffeine has been measured, most in the inner bark of the stem. It is one of the few plants whose bark, rather than its seed or leaf, gives a caffeine drink.

South America · Herb · № 907

Yopo

Anadenanthera peregrina

A tree of the pea family with flat pods. The seeds contain a lot of bufotenine and also DMT and 5-MeO-DMT. As snuff they cause almost immediate muscle twitching, nausea and short visions in which things often seem very large.

North America · Herb · № 35

Saw palmetto

Serenoa repens

Promoted for urinary symptoms of an enlarged prostate, but NCCIH concludes it probably does not help for this.

Central America and the Caribbean · Herb · № 922

Zacatechichi

Calea ternifolia (syn. Calea zacatechichi)

A shrub of the daisy family with very bitter leaves. Contains caleicine and other sesquiterpene lactones, among others. Said to make sleep light and dreams clear and vivid; in a small study an extract caused a slight change of perception, drowsiness and a short sleep with vivid dreams.

North America · Herb · № 973

Salmonberry

Rubus spectabilis

A bramble with pink flowers and yellow-orange to red berries. Leaves and bark contain tannins and are astringent.

Asia · Herb · № 478

Zedoary

Curcuma zedoaria

Traditionally attributed effects: stimulating, carminative, expectorant, soothing, diuretic, skin-irritant, purifies the blood.

Asia · Herb · № 424

Wormseed

Artemisia maritima

Traditionally attributed effects: antipyretic, mildly laxative, stomachic, tonic, expels worms, stimulates the heart; against worms, compress for inflammation, tumours and foul ulcers.

South America · Herb · № 324

Soap bark

Quillaja saponaria

Traditionally attributed effects: expectorant, cleansing, anti-inflammatory.

Asia · Herb · № 648

Celosia seed (qing xiang zi)

Celosia argentea

Traditionally attributed effects: cools the liver, reduces liver inflammation and helps with high blood pressure and the eye complaints related to it.

North America · Herb · № 150

Black cohosh

Actaea racemosa

Mainly sold for menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes. NCCIH reports that study results are mixed and there is not enough evidence that it helps.

North America · Mineral · № 365

Zinc

An essential mineral. Zinc lozenges may make a cold slightly shorter if taken at the very first symptoms; for herpes, ADHD or other conditions the evidence is weak or absent.

Asia · Herb · № 18

Licorice root

Glycyrrhiza glabra

A root with long use in several traditions; high-quality evidence does not support most health claims.

Asia · Herb · № 121

Sweet wormwood (qing hao)

Artemisia annua

Source of artemisinin, the basis of today's standard malaria treatment. Teas or herbal preparations, however, are not a reliable malaria treatment; the WHO advises against them.

Asia · Herb · № 706

Kochia fruit (di fu zi)

Bassia scoparia (syn. Kochia scoparia)

Traditionally attributed effects: drains damp heat in cystitis and itchy, weeping skin.

Europe · Herb · № 187

English oak

Quercus robur

The bark contains a lot of tannins and is astringent. It is used as a decoction for diarrhoea, as a mouthwash for inflamed gums and as a sitz bath for haemorrhoids.

North America · Herb · № 209

Sunflower

Helianthus annuus

Sunflower seeds and oil are rich in vitamin E and linoleic acid. The oil is used for dry skin; claims about scars or skin ageing have not been shown.

Europe · Herb · № 108

Barberry

Berberis vulgaris

Bark and root contain berberine, which is being studied for blood sugar and cholesterol. The berries are rich in vitamin C. Evidence for barberry itself is limited.

Central America and the Caribbean · Herb · № 850

Soursop

Annona muricata

A tree with a large, sweet-sour fruit. The leaf is drunk as a calming tea. Claims that soursop cures cancer are unproven.

Asia · Herb · № 728

Black atractylodes (cang zhu)

Atractylodes lancea

Traditionally attributed effects: dries dampness and strengthens the spleen; expels wind, cold and dampness.

North America · Herb · № 933

Black ash

Fraxinus nigra

An ash of wet ground. The wood has hardly any fibre between the growth rings, so after pounding it splits into thin strips. Medicinal effects have not been studied.

Asia · Herb · № 411

Black cardamom

Amomum subulatum

Traditionally attributed effects: stomachic, carminative, stimulates the heart, expectorant; for digestive complaints, liver congestion, tooth and gum complaints, kidney stones (with melon seed), inflamed eyelids; flavouring.