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This is my third post in the series about Herbal Antibiotics. I have decided to cover 15 antibiotic herbs in several posts. As mentioned in the first post, herbs are more complex than antibiotics and the bacteria has a harder to time to develop resistance to  herbs. In the second post I list the 15 top antibiotic herbs based on the book, Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner. Today I will focus on the herbs Acacia, aloe, and cryptolepsis.

According to Stephen Harrod Buhner:

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Acacia (Acacia spp.)
Acacia is part of the Mimosaceae family. All the parts of the plant can be used  and they can be picked at various times of the year. The pods can be gathered when they are green, the flowers when in bloom, and the roots can be chopped into small pieces before drying. The gum can be collected by cutting a line into the lower part of the bark.

Some of Acacia's therapeutic actions are:
Antimalarial, astringent, antibacterial, antimicrobial, anticatarrhal, anthelmintic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and sedative.

Acacia is active against:
Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, malaria, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Buhner says Acacias are useful for excessive mucus, diarrhea, catarrh, hemorrhage, gum infections, dysentery and gastrointestinal ulceration. There are different species of Acacia and some species are used for parasitic infestation in some parts of the world.  Acacia is not used as much in the United States, but is widely used for its medicinal properties in other parts of the world. Acacia can found in the south and as far north as Kansas and all the way between California and Florida.

Acacia can be used as powder, tea, or wash. Pods, stems, and and leaves should be used powdered. Buhner recommends 3-12 cups a day for malaria, diarrhea, and dysentery. The leaves and flowers should be used as tea for gastrointestinal tract inflammation. The roots should be used to make mucilaginous tea that is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Tea of stems, pods, and leaves can be used to wash wounds according to Buhner.

Mesquite (Prosopis julifera) is a suitable alternative to Acacia if you can't find it. It may be used identically.

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Aloe ( Aloe vera and other species)
Aloe is part of the Liliaceae family. It is usually the fresh juice that is used but sometimes the dried plant is used internally. The fresh plant leaves can be used anytime. The leaves are cut open and the juice is applied to burns and wounds. 

Some of Aloe's therapeutic actions are:
External use: Antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, wound healing, anti-ulcer, and inflammatory.
Internal use: Purgative, and it also stimulates smooth muscle contractions.

Aloe is active against:
Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Herpes simpex 1 and 2.

Buhner says that Aloe and honey can be applied externally to speed wound healing to prevent infection. Burn victims are extremely prone to Staphyloccus aureus infections. Since Aloe is a liquid it will keep the tissue moist and restore lost body fluid. It will also soothe the damaged tissues.

Slice open the leave of the fresh plant and apply liberally to a burn or wound. Aloe stimulates smooth muscle contraction when taken internally.

Honey can be used as an alternative to Aloe. Echinacea or St.John are less desirable choices to be used for wound healing.

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Cryptolepsis (Cryptolepsis sanguinolenta)
Cryptolepsis is part of the Asclepiadaceae family. The roots are used and they can be harvested anytime of the year. Cryptolepsis is a shrub found in several parts of Africa.


Some of Cryptolepsis' therapeutic actions are:
Antiparasitic, antimalarial, antibacterial, and antifungal.

Cryptolepsisis active against:
Staphylococcus aureus, malaria, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Candida Albicans, Camphylobacter, both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

According to Buhner, Cryptolepsis has been used for centuries by African healers in treatments of fevers, bloody diarrhea, and malaria. Human clinical trials have shown that Cryptolepsis to be potent for malaria. 


Cryptolepsis can be used as powder, capsules, tincture, or tea. Crushed powder can be used externally for fungal or bacterial infections.

For malaria, Buhner recommends to use Artemisia annua or A. absinthium, Brucea javanita, Uvaria spp., or the bark of Cinchona spp as alternatives to Cryptolepsis.


The book, Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner gives you detail information about each herb on how to prepare them, what parts to use, and how much of each herbs to use for various ailments.

Stay tuned! I will cover the next three herbs on the list  in more  detail next time. You'll find out how  to use them and for what conditions they are traditionally used for.


Source: Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner.

This post is linked to:
Sunday School
Fat Tuesday 
Healthy 2Day Wednesday 
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways 
Wildcrafting Wednesday 
Simple Lives Thursday

This is my second post in the series about Herbal Antibiotics. I will cover the top 15 antibiotic herbs over several posts. You may be familiar with several of the them already. As mentioned in the previous post, herbs are more complex than antibiotics and the bacteria has a harder to time to develop resistance to  herbs.

The book Herbal Antibiotics, by Stephen Harrod Buhner shares a lot of good information about antibiotic resistance and how we can use natural alternatives to treat drug resistant bacteria. Each herb has a detailed description on history, usage and dosage and what they are mostly used for.

Buhner put together a list of 15 herbs that he considers the most powerful based on his research, but there are many other herbs that could have been mentioned too. Let me know if you miss an herb from the list.

The Top 15 Antibiotic Herbs are:

Acacia
Aloe
Cryptolepsis
Echinacea
Eucalyptus
Garlic
Ginger
Golden Seal
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Honey
Juniper
Licorice
Sage
Usnea
Wormwood


Golden seal and echinacea are both listed on the above list and it is important to know that they are the most over used herbs in the world today.  I will discuss them and their therapeutic uses,  unfortunately they are often used for conditions that they will not help. This has lead to echinacea in the wild is endangered. It is not easy to grow Echinacea angustifolia even though a couple of farms do, unfortunately it is not enough to meet the demand. Buhner's experience is that  angustifolia root is the only herb to use for abnormal pap smear. Echinacea purpurea blossoms can be used for all other conditions where echinacea is indicated. Fortunately, Echinacea purpurea blossoms naturally renew themselves each year.

Golden seal is very expensive and when possible, use alternatives instead since it is so overused. If you need to use it, make sure you use organically grown roots and don't pick from the wild. The only time to pick from the wild is if you are a caretaker of a large population and know for sure that you can harvest golden seal without endangering the wild population.


There's no need to worry if you always grab for echinacea and golden seal when you're sick, I will share some alternatives to use instead. Stay tuned! I will cover the first three herbs on the list  more in detail next time. You'll find out how  to use them and for what conditions they are traditionally used for.


Source: Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner.


This post is linked to:
Fat Tuesday, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways ,Healthy 2day Wednesday ,Wildcrafting Wednesday ,Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back Friday
Sunday School
Monday Mania

I chop garlic and mix it with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, add a couple of spoons of Dijon mustard and shake it all up. I use this as a marinade for meat, salad dressing, and for my cole slaw.

When I first became interesting in natural healing I used echinacea when I became ill. I guess in a way it is a main stream herb, and everyone knows that it is the herb to use when sick. I used to purchase Dr. Vogel's Echinaforce when I lived in Europe. I still use echinacea, but I have since then discovered many other herbs to use as well. 


I found this echinacea spray mist recipe in a book I received as a gift a few years ago. According to the authors, this recipe 'provides therapeutic relief from sore throat and upper respiratory distress". The book, American Indian Healing Arts by E. Barrie Kavasch and Karen Baarr, is very fascinating and I found many interesting facts about how herbs were used before modern medicine. For example, echinacea has a long history of healing use among many tribes. Plains Indians ate the whole plant, especially the roots, as a vegetable. The Sioux chewed the roots to treat sore throats, toothache, and stomach problems. They also made the roots into poultices for snake bites and other infections. The Comanche also chewed the roots to treat toothache and sore throats. The dried herbal parts were also burned and inhaled the smoky essence to relieve depression, head aches, and to treat congestion and respiratory disorders.


Why not share the gift of healing this holiday season? A bottle of Echinacea Prairie Spray Mist and/or the tincture make great gifts. Use nice bottles and add it to a gift basket.


Echinacea Prairie Spray Mist
1 teaspoon echinacea root tincture
1 teaspoon raw honey
2 ounces mineral or spring water
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well to mix. Spray in mouth or throat. Keep refrigerated.


Echinacea Root Tincture
7 1/2 ounces dried or 11 ounces fresh finely chopped echinacea roots.
1 quart of vodka with 35-40 % alcohol content
Combine ingredients in a large, sterile jar and cover. Shake vigorously for 1-2 minutes. Store in a dark, cool place for two weeks. Shake the mixture daily. 
Pour mixture through a fine cheesecloth, or a filter, squeezing all the liquid from the roots. Discard the roots and pour the fresh tincture into dark glass bottles. Label and date the bottles.
 For a more gentle but still immune stimulant tincture, use the same amount of the above ground herbal parts of the echinacea, including the flowers.


To use the tincture:
Take 1/2 teaspoon in water or hot tea, one to three times a day as needed. Don't take it daily for more than seven days. 
Add the tincture to the Spray mist above.




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