- Hawthorn
Since the ancient times, Hawthorn has been used by the Greeks as a medicine. Herbalists used extracts from Hawthorn leaves for the treatment of heart problems such as angina, arrhythmia, and high blood pressure.
- Horehound
Horehound, or sometimes Black Horehound, emits a disagreeable odor that certainly makes it distinguishable from all other plants. The horehound bears the scientific name of Marrabium vulgare (sometimes Ballota nigra) and belongs to the Labiatae order.
- Horse Chestnut
Medical research made on the horse chestnut led to the discovery of the substance aescin present in this herb. Aescin is described as a group of chemically related substances called “escin.”
- Horsetail
Horsetail is best known for its wound-healing properties. Decades before the first Western man came to settle in American, the natives were using horsetail as a poultice to treat open wounds and speed up the healing process.
- Household Herbal Highs
Household Herbal Highs: Marijuana
Marijuana or Cannabis is a genus of hardy, dioecious herbs that grow annually. It is commonly known as hemp and has been used by humans throughout history for its fiber.
- Huperzine A
Huperzine A is actually an alkaloid found in the Chinese herb Huperzia serrata. Huperzine A specifically targets molecules that destroy the memory-enhancing neurotransmitter, acetylcholine.
- Insoluble Fiber
There are two classes of dietary fibers. These are soluble and insoluble fibers. Like its soluble cousin, insoluble fiber is different from starch.
- Iodine
You are probably familiar with iodine from the periodic table and chemistry class. Iodine is a chemical element bearing the symbol “I” and the atomic number 53.
- Ipriflavone
Ipriflavone, or 7-isopropoxyisoflavone, is synthetically derived from the naturally occurring isoflavone. Isoflavones are flavonoid compounds found in soybeans (called daidzein) and other plants. Ipriflavones have the same effects as estrogen, the female hormone in the body.
- Iron
Iron is critical to sharp mental function. Even the slightest deficiency in iron can shorten attention span and make concentration difficult.
- Ivy Leaf
Several decades ago, scientists discovered high concentrations of substances in ivy leaf that make it’s a potential decongestant for colds. These substances are called glycosidic saponins.
- Kava
Believed to originate from Melanesia, Kava is an age-old herbal drink favored by royal families of the South Pacific. Where the plant is abundant in the sun-drenched islands of Polynesia, natives drank kava for hundreds of years.
- Kudzu
The huge root of the kudzu climbing plant can grow up to the size of a human. It has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine where it is known as ge-gen.
- Lavender
For most of us, we know lavender as a scent used in perfumes, a kind of purple dye, a pretty spring flower. But did you know that this sweet-smelling vine that blooms in the spring can also be beneficial for your health?
- Lecithin and Choline
The term “lecithin” has been used by medical researchers extensively, yet for us, regular individuals, we barely know what it means. For starters, lecithin is a type of substance that has been purified....
- Licorice
The licorice plant has a long history in herbal medicine and folk healing. The record of its uses is long and varied....
- Lipotropic Combination
Lipotropic combination is a nutritional supplement used mainly for liver function enhancement.
- Lycopene
Lycopene is a carotenoid, a substance commonly found in tomato products. It is responsible for giving the red color to tomato products. Lycopene in plants is similar to any other carotenoids.
- Lysine
Lysine is an essential amino acid that is the basic building block of all proteins. Out of all nine “essential” amino acids known today, lysine is the least abundant. This nutrient was first isolated in 1889 from casein.
- Maca
Lepidium peruvianum, the scientific name of the maca plant, belongs to the Brassicaceae family of the genus, Lepidium. It is a hardy perennial plant that is chiefly cultivated high in the mountains of the Andes.
- Magnesium
As one of the essential trace minerals, magnesium is needed by every cell of the body. Most of this mineral’s stores in the body are found inside cells of body tissues and organs.
- Marshmallow
The marshmallow plant is so named because of its habit of growing in swampy, moist areas, known as marshes. The marshmallow belongs to the genus Hibiscus....
- Melatonin
Nicknamed the “Dracula of hormones”, melatonin is only produced at night. Melatonin is a bodily hormone secreted by the pineal gland which is normally active at nighttime.
- Melissa
- Methionine
Methionine is a neutral genetically-coded amino acid that is essentially in human nutrition. With the possible exception of cysteine, another essential amino acid, methionine is the only amino acid that contains sulfur and is coded for by DNA.
- Milk Thistle
Milk thistle, or Silybum marianum, is described as an annual, winter annual, and biennial herb that belongs to the Asteraceae family. The main stem of the milk thistle is stout and ridged.
- Mistletoe
Mistletoe is a fine example of something that allows folklore and medicine to go hand-in-hand. The myths surrounding the plant were only surpassed by the many health claims folk healers attribute to the mistletoe.
- Motherwort Herbal
- MSM
MSM stands for Methyl Sulfonyl Methane, a naturally occurring compound of sulfur found in our bodies. MSM can also be found in many common beverages and foods, including milk, coffee, tea, and green vegetables. Because of this, MSM is sometimes called “organic sulfur.”
- Muira Puama
Popularly known as “potency wood”, muira puama is a small tree that commonly grows along the banks of Brazil’s Amazon River although some may be found in other parts of the Amazonian rainforest.
- Mullein Flower
There are actually three major species of plants that share the common name of mullein. These are the great mullein or Verbascum thapsus, the orange mullein or Verbascum pholomoides, and Verbascum densiflorum or large-flowered mullein.
- Mushrooms
Mushrooms have a long history that is intricately connected with herbal folklore and culinary arts. In Asia, species of mushrooms, such as Shiitake, Reishi, Maitake, Zhu Ling, and Mu-er, are powerful herbs that fight disease, cancer, infections, and other illnesses. What’s more, they are able to do this while containing the virus and destroying them with their anti-viral compounds.
- Myrtle
Myrtle is the common name for a family of shrubs and trees collectively referred to as Myrtaceae. They almost entirely found in tropical regions, especially in America and Australia. Myrtle can also be found in the Mediterranean, North Africa, and Iran.
