Where Do I Find Information About Using Medicinal Herbs?

The Web offers a lot of information about the use of medicinal herbs and supplements, but sometimes the information conflicts and it can be hard to determine what is accurate and what is marketing. If you are thinking about incorporating herbs into your daily diet, you may want to spend some time researching.*

Herbs are attributed with many health promoting properties. How you use herbs may depend on the health benefit you are seeking: Is it general wellness or something more specific? Like pharmaceutical drugs, herbs can have several actions in the body, as well as potential contraindications, so if you plan to combine herbs--or to combine herbs with pharmaceutical medications--you will want to research the specific properties of the medicinal herbs you are interested in.*

Here are some research-based resources you can start canvassing. Remember to bring any questions you have to your primary care physician and you may even want to bring copies of your research!

> The ACHS Wellness Guide includes more than 120 pages of health and wellness tips.

> "Herbal and natural health tips for women experiencing menopause" on the ACHS website includes natural health and herbal tips and recipes for easing the menopause transition and improving overall health.

> MedlinePlus is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine from the National Institutes of Health and posts new and developing studies daily.

> The American Botanical Council regularly posts new HerbClips on their website. HerbClips are summaries and critical research reviews of articles about the research, regulation, marketing, and responsible use of medicinal plants.

> The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) offers an A-Z Index of Health Topics, including profiles of specific medicinal herbs, supplements, and CAM modalities.

> The Apothecary Shoppe College Store carries a large selection of organic, sustainably wildcrafted herbs. Most herbs include a description of their traditional uses, medicinal uses, active constituents, and many have recipes too!

Foraging for wild, medicinal plants and herbs

Foraging for wild food is not a "I just happened to see it" activity anymore. More and more websites are sprouting up with tips about what and how to forage native plants in your local neighborhood. So, what does "forage" mean? Generally, to forage for wild food is to search for and identify natural food sources safe for eating.

Whether in the country or an urban setting, wild foraging is a good way to incorporate local foods, including medicinal plants and herbs, into your everyday diet. For example, dandelion is a common weed found in many backyards. Medicinally, dandelion has a long history of use as a diuretic, tonic, and aperient. The tops can be eaten fresh in salads and the root, when dried, makes an excellent coffee substitute. (Before eating from the wild, make sure you have correctly identified the plant. For this, you may want to go foraging with a local expert or reference a reputable guidebook. Also, avoid plants that may have absorbed harmful toxins, such as plants growing by the roadside.)

In Portland, Oregon, where ACHS is based, some of the most commonly foraged foods include, pears, berries, walnuts, lavender, mint, and rosemary. (The ACHS Botanical Teaching Garden, for example, invites locals to cut fresh herbs. such as rosemary and chives, for personal use, and will host a U-Pick Lavender event in July.)

For information about wild foraging in Portland, check out the Urban Edibles website, and for foraging wild and edible plants in your area, check out foraging.com.

Click here for more information about upcoming ACHS community classes and to download free information about growing, harvesting, and using medicinal plants to support your health.