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More Helpful Healing Herbs: Sarsaparilla to Yarrow - Page 3

© Kathern Welsh

UVA URSI: (For bladder and kidney stones.) The active component of Uva Ursi, called arbutin, is found in the leaves of this herb, and is eventually converted to hydroquinone. This constituent not only disinfects the urinary tract, but acts as a small "chemical hammer" of sorts to pound or break up hard stones, so that they can be easily eliminated from the body. Four capsules daily between meals or 1 ½ cups of tea, or 10 drops under the tongue twice daily is the recommended dosage. . VALERIAN: (Stress relief.) Now found all across the northern United States and Canada, Valerian has been the herbalists' stock-in-trade for hundreds of years in Europe. The dried, powdered rootstock contains its marvelous properties. Its most active components are valepotriates. These are like "magic fingers" that chemically massage our tight nerves just enough so that we don't totally "lose it". People all over the world swear by its wonderful calming effects. One drawback is its smell. It's like an old pair of shoes! A daily dose as part of a regular health regimen is used by many. For really bad stress, one to five capsules or 1 ¼ cups of warm tea or 20 drops under the tongue is recommended.

YARROW: (For pain and inflammation.) Yarrow has been used for centuries for its pain relieving qualities. In the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, in August, 1969, scientists who had conducted tests on white mice with laboratory-induced arthritis reported that treatment with extracts of yarrow blossoms resulted in the disappearance of arthritis symptoms, selling and inflammation within a matter of hours. This remarkable result was attributed to the "protein-carbohydrate complex" within the flowers themselves.

For relief of pain and inflammation, a dose of three capsules each of yarrow and peppermint every four to five hours in recommended. You may also use one cup of yarrow/peppermint tea every four hours, or 10 drops each of yarrow and peppermint under the tongue every three hours or so.

Why use the peppermint with the yarrow? One reason is for improved taste and another is the unexplained fact that yarrow always works better with peppermint than without it.

Much of the information for this series of articles was obtained from the informative and helpful book, The Power of Healing Herbs by Dr. John Heinerman.

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