{"id":5827,"date":"2015-05-06T09:30:54","date_gmt":"2015-05-06T13:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/68.183.58.104\/learn\/?p=5827"},"modified":"2021-06-30T15:53:36","modified_gmt":"2021-06-30T19:53:36","slug":"herbal-actions-az-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/herbal-actions-az-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Herbal Actions A-Z: Part II"},"content":{"rendered":"

A couple days ago we shared the first in our series on herbal actions<\/a>. Read on for part 2 of our explanation of what herbs can do in the human body.<\/h3>\n

10. Demulcent<\/h1>\n

Demulcents<\/strong> have a soothing action on tissue<\/a>, particularly mucous membranes. They help to coat inflamed tissue with mucilage (thick plant matter) to soothe it. This can be very helpful for sore throats<\/em> and irritated stomachs<\/em>. Examples of demulcent<\/strong> herbs include marshmallow<\/a> (the plant, not the s’mores ingredient), slippery elm<\/a>, licorice<\/a>, and corn silk. Slippery elm is considered an at-risk plant<\/a>, so use it sparingly, if at all.<\/p>\n

11. Diuretic <\/h1>\n

Diuretics<\/strong> increase the production of urine. Dandelion root<\/a> is a fantastic, widely available, cheap diuretic<\/strong>. Just be sure you are getting dandelion<\/span> that has been organically cultivated or wild harvested from an area that has not been treated with chemicals. Cleavers<\/a>, uva-ursi<\/a>, green tea<\/a>, and juniper<\/a> are other natural diuretics<\/em>.<\/p>\n

12. Emmenagogue<\/h1>\n

Emmenagogue<\/strong> means regulating menstrual function<\/a>. Some emmenagogues<\/strong> include motherwort<\/a>, dong quai<\/a> (angelica), sage<\/a>, parsley, and rosemary.<\/p>\n

13. Expectorant<\/h1>\n

Expectorants<\/strong> help to create more productive coughs<\/a>, getting excess mucous out of the lungs during an immune imbalance or seasonal congestion. Some work by thinning mucous<\/em> so it is easier to cough up. Mullein<\/a>, elecampane<\/a>, lobelia<\/a>, Iceland moss, and thyme<\/a> are all herbal expectorants<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

14. Hepatic<\/h1>\n

Hepatic<\/strong> is a general term meaning “of or related to the liver.” They can tone, strengthen, and improve liver function, sometimes by increasing bile production. Dandelion root<\/a>, milk thistle<\/a>, and artichoke<\/a> are all hepatic herbs<\/strong> that improve liver function<\/span>.<\/p>\n

15. Hypnotic<\/h1>\n

Hypnotic<\/strong> herbs are also sometimes called “soporific<\/strong>,” but don’t be confused, they mean the same thing. Hynotic herbs<\/strong> help induce sleep, and can be very helpful in the treatment of insomnia<\/em>. They can work on the nervous system, as muscle relaxants, or through other means<\/a>. Valerian<\/a>, passionflower, hops<\/a>, and California poppy are all hypnotic herbs<\/span>.<\/p>\n

16. Hypotensive<\/h1>\n

Hypotensive<\/strong> herbs lower blood pressure. Hypertensive<\/strong> herbs, which raise blood pressure, exist too, but Americans more commonly look to lower their blood pressure. Some hypotensive herbs<\/em><\/span> include<\/a> hibiscus<\/a>, hawthorn<\/a>, and linden<\/a> blossom. Interestingly, stevia<\/a>, a natural sweetener, also has some hypotensive effects; this can make it a great remedy for someone who has hypertension, high blood sugar, and a sweet tooth. It is far sweeter than sugar, so it can be used sparingly. The dried leaves make a nice addition to an herbal tea blend.<\/p>\n

Look out for our 3rd and last post in the series on herbal actions!<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A couple days ago we shared the first in our series on herbal actions. Read on for part 2 of our explanation of what herbs can do in the human body. 10. Demulcent Demulcents have a soothing action on tissue, particularly mucous membranes. They help to coat inflamed tissue with mucilage (thick plant matter) to … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1274],"tags":[363,364,365,366,367,368,351,362,11,375,374,373,372,369,371,361,370],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5827"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5827\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peachvitamins.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}