From plant to use
Dried and ground as a spice in food and drink.
Many herbs on this site are first and foremost food and spice: ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic and thyme. In that form they have been used daily for centuries, usually in small amounts and together with fat, pepper or other spices. Ground herbs also go into honey or into drinks such as golden milk.
Registry
Herbs on this site whose description mentions this preparation. That does not mean every herb is safe to prepare yourself: read the safety information for each one.
CautionAsia · Food · № 801
Ficus carica
Traditionally attributed effects: dried figs make Chinese soups naturally sweet, such as the watercress and spare-rib soup and the eight-treasure soup; they are regarded as moistening for lung and bowel.
CautionEurope · Herb · № 179
Digitalis purpurea
Contains cardiac glycosides that slow the heart rate and strengthen its contractions. They gave rise to the drugs digoxin and digitoxin, still prescribed for certain heart rhythm disorders and heart failure. The margin between an effective and a toxic amount is very small.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 446
Butea monosperma
Traditionally attributed effects: leaves astringent, diuretic, tonic, aphrodisiac; seeds expel worms and laxative; flowers tonic; for diarrhoea, heartburn, diabetes (lowers blood sugar), flatulence, haemorrhoids, worms, leucorrhoea, inflamed throat.
CautionEurope · Food · № 83
Linum usitatissimum
Ground flaxseed acts as a gentle bulk-forming fibre for constipation. NCCIH reports it may lower cholesterol slightly; evidence for other claims is unclear.
CautionEurope · Food · № 21
Sambucus nigra
Berries have a folk-use history for cold and flu symptoms; clinical evidence remains preliminary.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 466
Clitoria ternatea
Traditionally attributed effects: root mildly laxative, diuretic, expels worms; seeds strongly laxative; for ascites, enlarged abdominal organs, migraine (flower juice), gonorrhoea, bladder irritation, ulcers, swollen joints.
CautionEurope · Herb · № 94
Stellaria media
Traditionally used externally as a cooling ointment or compress for itching, eczema and minor skin irritation. There is hardly any clinical research.
CautionAsia · Food · № 646
Euryale ferox
Traditionally attributed effects: a tonic for long life that according to tradition counters ageing and gives strength.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 479
Cuscuta reflexa
Traditionally attributed effects: carminative, expels worms, cleansing, antispasmodic; for stomach ache, constipation, flatulence, liver complaints, bile complaints; externally for itching and skin diseases.
CautionAsia · Food · № 803
Eleocharis dulcis
Traditionally attributed effects: peeled water chestnuts go with carrot and Chinese dates into a sweetish pork soup that by tradition strengthens lungs and spleen, dissolves phlegm and soothes cough.
CautionEurope · Food · № 654
Nasturtium officinale
Traditionally attributed effects: rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene and vitamin E; used to support detoxification, cool body heat and support the lungs.
CautionOceania · Food · № 173
Acacia spp. (o.a. A. holosericea, A. decurrens)
Roasted wattleseed is a protein- and fibre-rich bushfood. The bark of some species is rich in tannins and was used for wounds and diarrhoea. There is little clinical research.
CautionEurope · Herb · № 86
Plantago major
The leaf is traditionally bruised and applied to insect bites, small wounds and grazes, and taken as tea for coughs. Clinical evidence is limited.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 640
Polygonatum odoratum
Traditionally attributed effects: nourishes the stomach and promotes the production of body fluids; for fatigue, poor appetite, weak digestion and exhaustion.
CautionNorth America · Herb · № 587
Larix occidentalis
Traditionally attributed effects: stimulating, prebiotic; improves digestion and gut flora, strengthens the immune system, studied in tumours, helps with middle ear infections in children.
CautionAfrica · Herb · № 373
Boswellia sacra
The resin is mainly used as incense and fragrance. Extracts of related Boswellia species have been studied for osteoarthritis, with modest and variable results.
CautionNorth America · Herb · № 977
Lomatium californicum (syn. Leptotaenia californica)
An umbellifer with large, blue-green, celery-like leaves and a strongly scented root. Related to oshá; little studied.
CautionEurope · Herb · № 242
Ruta graveolens
Traditionally attributed effects: antiseptic, stimulating, promotes menstruation, expectorant, antispasmodic, expels worms (children); strengthens capillaries (rutin); for hysteria, flatulence and colic, incipient paralysis, indigestion; oil diuretic and skin-irritant.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 767
Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa
Traditionally attributed effects: nourishes heart yin and calms the mind in insomnia and restlessness; curbs night sweats.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 459
Centratherum anthelminticum
Traditionally attributed effects: expels worms (threadworms), tonic, stomachic, diuretic; for skin diseases and scorpion stings.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 651
Atractylodes macrocephala
Traditionally attributed effects: strengthens the spleen and regulates the stomach; for diarrhoea and fluid retention, and traditionally to help prevent miscarriage.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 539
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.
CautionAsia · Mushroom · № 652
Tremella fuciformis
Traditionally attributed effects: a tonic for the yin energy and the lungs; supports breathing, energy and a balanced blood pressure.
CautionAfrica · Herb · № 429
Balanites aegyptiaca
Traditionally attributed effects: laxative, expels worms; seeds for cough and colic, oil on burns and freckles, seed extract lowers blood pressure.
CautionSouth America · Food · № 15
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.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 907
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.
CautionNorth America · Herb · № 35
Serenoa repens
Promoted for urinary symptoms of an enlarged prostate, but NCCIH concludes it probably does not help for this.
CautionNorth America · Herb · № 973
Rubus spectabilis
A bramble with pink flowers and yellow-orange to red berries. Leaves and bark contain tannins and are astringent.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 478
Curcuma zedoaria
Traditionally attributed effects: stimulating, carminative, expectorant, soothing, diuretic, skin-irritant, purifies the blood.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 424
Artemisia maritima
Traditionally attributed effects: antipyretic, mildly laxative, stomachic, tonic, expels worms, stimulates the heart; against worms, compress for inflammation, tumours and foul ulcers.
CautionSouth America · Herb · № 324
Quillaja saponaria
Traditionally attributed effects: expectorant, cleansing, anti-inflammatory.
CautionNorth America · Herb · № 150
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.
CautionNorth America · Mineral · № 365
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.
CautionAsia · Herb · № 18
Glycyrrhiza glabra
A root with long use in several traditions; high-quality evidence does not support most health claims.
CautionNorth America · Herb · № 209
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.
CautionEurope · Herb · № 108
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.