I paid a couple of bills, bought food and bought a couple more books that I hope will fill in some blanks of what's in my library.  I have 3 more books coming. One of which is about the healing properties of food. I'm hoping it may contribute to the book writing but we'll see.  That one is out of print but I listened to an interview with the author from 2007 which is how I heard about it.  I put the kids in their Halloween costumes to go shopping because I don't know if we'll go trick or treating tonight.  There is still so much to do and I worry about those deadlines. Love and Light!

On to the Discussion!

"Select one of the traditional medicinal systems, you do not have to limit yourself to the one covered in this course, and discuss use of the plants within this system. Note what makes it unique, different from other medicinal systems."
 
One interesting thing that came up last semester (my herbs teacher practices traditional Chinese medicine) is the Chinese do hot and cold, etc for therapies.  Some herbs are listed as hot, come cold. I forget all the categories we discussed.  I need to buy a book on it to fully understand it. I have a book called Planetary Herbology and as I was flipping through for this and the assignment, I saw the chapter on heat-clearing herbs which made me think of this.  I confess I’m not as familiar with this book as I am with others.  Flipping through, I can say I’ve never heard of most of these herbs.

            To start, in Chinese medicine, fevers are not all treated the same. Some fevers are “surface fevers”.  These would have chill and aches accompanying them.  This form of fever is treated with diaphoretics to induce sweating. A fever with no chills is considered an “internal fever” which is the result of a pathogen. This is treated with antibiotics and cooling herbs (Tierra, 1988, p. 179).

            Since the assignment for this module is the exact same thing, I don’t know how detailed I should get here in the discussion.  I think I will end this with: in Chinese medicine there are f natures, 5 flavors, 4 directions and the organs and meridians affected. These 4 things decide which herb is used to treat the ailment.
 
References
Tierra, M. (1988). Planetary Herbology: An Integration of Western Herbs into the Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic Systems. Twin Lakes, WI: Lotus Press.p. 32,

Have a Great Day!

The children are eating and I'm less itchy.  I would call this a good start to the day!  Though my son broke the bow off my glasses before I woke up this morning...  I could use an "oculus repairo" spell right now.  Anyone know Hermione Granger?  On the list to get done today is wash my son's diapers and work on my book entry.  I got a few studies added yesterday and was in the middle of reading when my children informed me they wanted me to quit with school for the day.  The going is slow, lots of reading to be done to digest the studies to see if I even want to add them in.   The day has started so late because we slept in this morning. I'm going to leave this here and get some work done!  Love and Light!

On to the discussion!

"Oxygen is necessary for life, but at the same time, it is a toxic substance and a source of damaging free radicals. Discuss how life balances the beneficial and damaging effects of this element and suggest how physical exercises, diet, and herbal supplements can increase or attenuate oxidative stress."
 
It’s amazing how oxygen, an unstable element, is so vital to life yet it can also damage it. Without oxygen, we die. In fact, all life will die. Exercise makes us take more in though I contend not all exercise is equal. I don’t remember the source, but after watching the Dr. Ekberg video below, him talking about high intensity aerobic exercise being too stressful, I remembered one of my text books said the harder the aerobic exercise, the more time you need to rest after.  It makes sense because, like Dr. Ekberg said, exercise is stress and the more oxygen you take in, the more oxidative stress your body is under. It isn’t that somehow oxygen became toxic to humans but that highly reactive ions are produced by oxygen (Hoffman, 2003, p. 165).  In my mind, imagine our cells “rusting”. That is oxidation. “Rust” can be cleaned up, even prevented if you take proper care of your cells. There are a lot of herbs that help alleviate the stress our air puts on our body. They can be added to our diet or taken as a supplement.  In Hoffman (2003), on page 165, he only lists 3 herbs: alfalfa, horse chestnut and witchhazel.  I know this list is much longer so I guess when I update my herbarium entries, I’ll update my list.  Since I post these on my website, I have that cited below as well.  I know my blog will call out other herbs as well.  Tomatoes are, perhaps, one of the best known antioxidant foods. In Natures Prescriptions (2008), they state avocados are also a great source, arguably better than tomatoes. They also call out grape juice and green tea. In fact, green tea is listed as such a strong antioxidant that it stops the formation of cancer cells and shrinks cancer tumors (p. 260). 
 
I haven’t looked into the synergy question yet but the antioxidants and cancer question is obvious. Not ALL cancers are precipitated by antioxidants. That’s like saying all cancers have the same cause.  There are many causes for cancer and those causes vary based on the location of that cancer.
 
Ekberg, S. (2019). 6 Ultimate BENEFITS OF EXERCISE For Diabetes, Insulin, Weight Loss, Your Brain & More Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irq_-gvLw4Y
Hoffman, David. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press. p. 165.
(2008). Nature's Prescriptions: Foods, Vitamins, and Supplements that Prevent Disease. FC&A Medical Publishing. P. 8, 24, 35, 41, 119, 135, 146, 238, 256, 259-60, 319, 330, 331

Have a Great Day!

The rash is healing!  There is still some swelling but it's going down.  Th spreading seems to have slowed DRASTICALLY which makes me happy.  Breakfast is cooking which is making the kids happy.  Of course, it can't cook fast enough but they are quite pleased to know the process has started. Only 2 more days and I can upgrade this site and people will be able to join without asking me!  I have turned in all things that are due this week so today and tomorrow I can work on my book and paper. There is so much work to be done.  I wanted my rosemary entry to be done by the end of the month so I could focus on my paper but that is NOT going to happen.  I did adjust the format a little so I have more room to put studies and pictures in.  I still need to put in my own experience as well in the sections that need it. I'm also going to add my lab back in.  I think sharing my experience is important. Love and Light!

On to the discussion!

"Chemical analysis is necessary for the process of standardization. Some herbalists embrace standardization, while others think it interferes with the natural and holistic balance of constituents in an herb. What is your understanding of the term, and how do you think standardization should be used? Can you think of benefits and drawbacks?"
Wildcrafting Tips

"It is common for herbalists to collect wild plants and use them for teas, tinctures, and other preparations. Unfortunately, there is always a possibility that plants that you collect are contaminated with heavy toxic metals or contain pesticide residues. What can we do ensure the safety of the herbal products we prepare without sending samples of collected herbs for expensive analysis?  Do you have any wildcrafting tips? Please, as a discussion breaker, share your thoughts on this topic."

Both of these topics have been discussed in classes I have taken in the past.  I do not currently wild craft.  One of those reasons is mentioned in the prompt.  We have no way of knowing the soil quality.  I’m also afraid of misidentifying an herb with a look-alike. We had an exercise in botany where we examined the differences between 2 look alikes.  That was a real eye opener!  Tips we got were to only take what you need or 10% whichever is less so you don’t over harvest the area.  I also got a loupe so I could look at the plants through magnification to ensure it IS the plant I’m looking for.  I prefer purchasing my herbs through a reputable source or growing it myself.  This is why I want to write a series of books where it combines Herbal herbariums and botanical herbariums. I want to include cultivation information in there as well.  We all buy this vast amount of books to put all the pieces together. There is no one set of books that covers it all. 
 
To me, standardization is like standing on the edge of a knife.  For an herb to be effective, it must be grown in the right conditions with minimal contaminants. In our polluted world, this is becoming more and more difficult. Science and labs have made it easier to identify the strength of constituents in each batch of plants but that makes the medicine even more expensive in a world where pennies are pinched. I think a line can be walked here but not always easily.  We need the synergy of the plants, not just a bit of the plant so extraction in a lab is not always best. 

I think the best example I can think of for walking this line is making tinctures.  There is the folk method and there is the w/v method. The folk method is less precise.  When I read Whisper’s book on the w/v method, I jumped on it because it was a way to get more precise results without altering the plant sample, it’s just making sure you use the exact same amount each time you make a tincture.

There will always be the question of what amount of constituent in is each batch of plants, there is no way around that.  Even if you grow the plant in pristine conditions, unless it’s a sterile environment, some change will always happen.  An example I can think of this is in a greenhouse where a bug flies in while the door is open or failing to clean the filters on the vents and the havoc that can wreak, or not having filters at all and allowing all manner of wildlife to enter.

The lesson really hits this on the head right there in the first paragraph where it states “At its best, standardization assures a high-quality herbal product of reliable composition; at its worst, it narrowly focuses on increasing levels of single ‘marker compounds’ at the expense of a natural balance or broad spectrum of constituents”. I don’t think I can say it better than that in my ramblings… 

I’ve been trying to comb through my books, trying to find words that sum up my feelings on this topic.  I think this is the best quote that helps me express this “we do not intend to decry either pharmaceutical or manufactured herbal products, for clearly both have their place and many people want them (Bruton-Seal and Seal, 2009, p. ix).” Essentially, there are times when the synergy of the plant is needed for the best effect. There are times when just the constituent is sufficient, example: capsaicin, and there are times when neither works and you need something from big pharma.  There is no single answer to the standardization question which means it will probably never be fully realized.
 
References
Bruton-Seal, J. and Seal, M. (2009). Backyard Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies. Skyhorse Publishing.
Class Lesson. Retrieved from https://achs.instructure.com/courses/1673/pages/standardization?module_item_id=194066
Wisper, T. (2014). Making Tinctures: Beyond the folk method. Thyme Whisper Herb Shop, Inc.

Have a Great Day!

My face is not as swollen today and the coconut oil seems to be helping with the itching so I think things will be better soon.  I get paid in 3 days and need more fruit so I'm hoping the swelling is down at least when I go to the store.  I'd like to have full visibility back!  I think it spread like this because of the scratching. I was also using lotion to moisturize instead of coconut oil.  The rash weeped pretty badly when I used the lotion which I think it what contributed to the spread. I don't notice any weeping now but I'm also trying to keep it covered in the oil.  That is harder to do on my hands.  I only have 2 assignments left to do this week and I'd like to get those knocked out today. We shall see.  I have a LOT to do and the kids have been keeping me busy.  It's bad enough my son has figured out how to get on the counter by climbing up the stove but he likes to try to figure out how to work the stove...  while sitting on it...  My daughter avoided the stove because it was "hot".  Foreshadowing for things to come I guess!  They have eaten leftovers from yesterday's breakfast.  I can make them some fresh of the same thing tomorrow or come up with something different.  We shall see.  Love and Light!

On tho the discussion on pH!

"Bryan A. Hanson briefly discusses the importance of pH in extracting alkaloids from plant material. Can you find examples of any traditional processes (food preservation, cooking, dyeing, medicinal or recreational botanicals, etc.) which employ pH as an agent for the separation of alkaloids from plant material? What about Coffee or Maté?"
 
The video that is under the coffee section is the same tea video as under the tea section, just so you know.
Most alkaloids are insoluble in water according to Hoffman (2003, p. 120). The lesson taught that the more basic the alkaloid, the more it would dissolve in the more acidic fluids. This makes sense because water has a pH of 7. something.  I think 4 or 5.  This would be why we use alcohol or vinegar for tinctures and some form of vinegar or wine for dressing for our salads.  We use acidic lemon in food preservation for basic vegetables. In fact, if the food is acidic, it doesn’t need to go in the food processor, a bath canner is fine and no lemon juice is required. If the food is not acidic, it needs the lemon and the food processor. Yes, I have used both. I know coffee is water-soluble (obviously) and is also acidic so the alkaline in the plant itself must be very basic to dissolve so well.
 
Hoffman, David. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.

Have a Great Day!

It took me forever to get the kids to sleep last night.  I have realized though they are not finishing their meals, they are not getting enough to eat.  They just don't want to eat what I gave them.  This morning I decided to make bacon.  Yes, I ate some violating my diet. The person who can resist such tastiness is held in high regard by me!  My son didn't want to eat it but seemed to like it so I decided to fry the hashbrowns in the bacon grease and put the bacon in country gravy, all served over toast.  They are eating quietly.  I guess I did a good thing!  My eye is more swollen this morning. I know this has to run its course but last night I was literally begging it to stop.  It feels like it's going into my neck next. I understand to rid my body of all the toxic things that have been put in it over the decades, it's needed but that doesn't take away the itching, the heat, the dryness or the pain when the kids touch a dry spot. Trying to stay positive despite everything. Love and Light!

On to the discussion!

"Plants are a well-known source of psychoactive amines. L-theanine (from Tea), ethylamine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, 5-HTP, histidine, histamine, cathinone (from Khat), ephedrine (from Ephedra), pseudoephedrine, mescaline (from Peyote), muscarine (from Amanita muscaria), phenylethylamine and anandamides (in Chocolate), psilocybin (from ‘Magic Mushrooms’), tryptamine, tyramine immediately come to mind. Research and share information on the properties of psychoactive amines, their use in herbal medicine. Try to explain why these substances have psychoactive properties."

I thought this prompt was going to be hard and my stress level went through the roof when I read this.  Turns out, the answer was in Ganora all along. This is one of our supplemental books. I forget what I paid but if you don’t have it, get it!  😊
The short answer of what makes them psychoactive, according to Ganora (2009, p. 102), is they all “share the aromatic ring (phenyl) with 2 carbon side chain (ethyl) having an amino group (amine) on the end)”.

What I find interesting, in the first paragraph (of 2) where Ganora talks about these constituents, the first one she brings up is 2-phenylethylamine or phenethylamine or PEA.  I’ll use PEA.  It’s easier! This is found in chocolate (cocao beans).  She says it mimics amphetamines and may be a neurotransmitter/neuromodulator. It releases dopamine! While chocolate is not herbal medicine, though dark chocolate does have health benefits, this was mentioned in the prompt and Ganora uses this as a jumping off point for some of the other constituents.  This listing of these constituents though, is mainly the source so she can get to what they have in common structurally. 

Tyramine is similar to PEA but has a hydroxyl group across the ring from the ethyl group. It can be found in Cystisus scoparius which is scotch broom as well as soy and some cheeses. This specific constituent acts as a sympathomimetic with indirect adrenergic properties. This CANNOT be taken with MAOs. It can cause increased vasoconstriction, heart rate, and systolic blood pressure.  It may also trigger migraines (Ganora, 2009, p. 102-3). My issue here is she doesn’t discuss the function of these in herbal medicine.  I don’t know how many were are supposed to break out for medicinal use but I found a study on tyramine and bees.  The forager bees have a higher level. When the nursing bees were given this, they started acting more like the forager bees (Scheiner et al. 2017).  Essentially, this constituent affect learning behavior as well as social tasks.

References
Ganora, L. (2009). Herbal Constituents: Foundations of Phytochemistry. Louisville, Colorado: Herbalchem Press. p. 101-2.
Scheiner, R., Rein, T., Sovik, R., Entler, B. V., Barron, A. B., and Thamm, M. (2017). Learning, gustatory responsiveness and tyramine differences across nurse and forager honeybees. Journal of Experimental Biology, 220, 1443-1450 doi:10.1242/jeb.152496

Have  Great Day!

My eye is more swollen today.  Yay. But the stuff I made is helping relieve the itching and dryness.  I even put some on in the night. I just hope it's done spreading.  I watched an interesting video yesterday and discovered eating garlic and onions every day is NOT good for you as we have been lead to believe. Easy change to make.  These are medicinal and should only be taken as such. 

I got my grade back from health and wellness on my interview.  I got docked points again for the kids.  Yeah....  Being a mom is a bad thing I guess.  At one point my daughter fell and wanted mommy as all kids do and she was crying so my sister couldn't hear so I passed her off to hubby since he was still home.  I guess it doesn't matter if it's video or just audio, I'm going to get docked for it.  It's funny how the easiest class I have, I have the lowest grade in.  These practicals are 35% of the grade. I just hope I do well on the final because I won't pass if I don't. I did forget to mention the form that was supposed to be discussed in the video so I do deserve to get docked for that (which was 5 points of the grade). I can't wait to be done with school. 

The capstone instructor got back with me.  Apparently they can't post the rubric of the literature review where it's supposed to be because the course only allows one rubric to be posted for each assignment so they are trying to figure out what to do. It's hard to get started on something when you don't know what the requirements are.  That doesn't mean I haven't done that of course... Love and Light!

On to the discussion!

"Skilled traditional herbalists have been practicing their art for thousands of years without knowledge of phytochemistry or herbal constituents. Why is phytochemical information necessary or relevant to the contemporary practice of herbal medicine?"

I don’t have much time to experiment with cooking but my daughter did request bananas and then discovered she doesn’t like them (I already knew it but wanted to give her another shot if she was willing).  My son, on the other hand was happy about the request and has been devouring them. There is very little he won’t eat! For the ethnobotanists question, I think botany and anthropology are needed and probably should be a combination of the 2 degrees rather than just the base classes.

The phytochemical data is why I chose this degree over a certificate or associates or bachelors.  I looked over the programs and they looked like just enough information to help but also to get into trouble. I think understanding the phytochemical data is vital to ensure (to the best ability possible) to avoid those pesky counterindications. People sometimes forget to tell you they are on a specific medication but I feel with this added information and knowledge of their conditions, it can be discerned and there is a better chance of providing the proper advice the first time. I don’t know if that makes sense? The more tools you have in your toolbox, the better your chances to fixing a problem the first time.  You don’t want to have to “run to the store” in the middle of a “job”! 

In a different but related vane, today when people have been raised to think herbal medicine “doesn’t work”, being able to bring out those studies showing “this” constituent when coupled with the rest of the plant is more effective than the constituent by itself. Since Big Harma likes to use just the constituent, that speaks volumes and people understand the road to health.

Have a Great Day!

This is what happens when you have a lot on your mind...   I realized as I was putting diapers in the washer that this rash started on my finger BEFORE I switched to the raw diet which means it's not the cilantro that caused this.  It also clears up why I'm so swollen today when I last had cilantro 36 hours ago or so.  This means I continue to be exposed to something that is causing it.  I've decided to take off my Mystech bracelet to see if that it the cause.  It also makes me wonder if I began detoxing a bit prior to making the full switch and there is something in me that is needing to be flushed out that will eventually go away.  The stuff I'm putting on right now for contact dermatitis is helping with the dryness.  I'm also drinking a lot more today which is not a bad thing since not drinking enough has been a problem for decades.  I'm going to try to share pictures below since sharing them to the side like I did last time was terrible!  The lighting in here is crap so I apologize up front. This is after I put the oil on to treat the rash.  I will figure this out!

My face is swollen...  It turns out the rash I'm experiencing is truly contact dermatitis.  I had ruled it out because I hadn't touched anything meaning "contact" but my husband helped me narrow this down.  Though I have used cilantro for years in cooked salsa, I'm using it fresh in my dressing and quite a bit of it.  I'm allergic.  Who knew!  I've now changed the way I'm treating this. Of all the things I'm eating, this is the only one that could be the cause.  This does make me quite sad. Cilantro helps the body with detoxing which is why I wanted to use it. My concern now is am I allergic to the herbs I'm using to treat it?  I started treating it yesterday and my face is far worse today.  I made a topical cream this morning and it stung when I put it on but I'll use it today to see what happens. Glad I don't have any where to go today! 

I didn't get to what I wanted done yesterday so that's the agenda for today.  Once I get my assignments done, I can then focus on the herbariums so I can be ready to return to herbs once I'm done with the discussion posts.  I'm waiting to hear back from my capstone teacher on the rubric for the literature review.  I'm beginning to think doing a project for this class was a mistake because there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered and this stuff is due in 2 months.  I'm tempted to change my project to this site and just post my entry on the commercial side but we'll see what happens when she finally answers me. Love and Light!

On to the discussion!

"Functional groups and the etymology of herbal constituents: finding the hidden meaning in names.
The names of many phytochemicals contain hints about their organic structures. Can you find examples of names ending with –ol, –al, ­–one, –phenyl, –ane, –ene, –yne, and other word forms that we have discussed in this module? For example, menthol is an alcohol ending in –ol. What do these names tell us about the molecules?"
 
 
Finding names is the easy part because I have a list of constituents on my web site. Thanks to this lesson, I now understand them a bit more.  It was more extensive but my daughter deleted my entire site over the break and I didn’t have it backed up so I just have a partial list of what was there before and will reconstitute it as I learn this semester. -one is a common ending for molecules that are ketones. One I have listed on my blog is thujone. It is present in wormwood and can be toxic. Ketones are the precursors to compounds that can become fatty acids. They can be reduced to alcohols and forming ethers is common according to Heinrich et al. (2018, p. 66). Thujone is also in white cedar oil, tansy oil, sage, and rosemary according to Hoffman, 2003, p. 530.

The amine or amino group often ends in -ine. I have a few words with that ending in my constituent list. 2 related words are harmaline and harmine. The class lesson says this group can be quite polar. I thought it odd that alkaloids (these are both indole alkaloids) are listed in this group instead of the alkane group so I did a quick google search and a whole bunch of quizlet pages came up indicating they are. These 2 are on my list because they are in passionflower. They are in many more but in all the structures depicted here, to include harman, you can see the polarity where the molecules are being pushed down (Hoffman, 2004, p. 128) and these all seem to suppress something, generally with the nervous system so it’s like that polarity is pushing down the issues they are treating.

Chemistry was my bane in high school but I understand how critical it is in this field so I will try very hard to learn as much as I can here!
 
References
Heinrich, M., Barnes, J., Garcia, J. M. P., Gibbons, S., and Williamson, E. M. (2018). Fundamentals of Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy. Elsevier.
Hoffman, David. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.


Have a Great Day!

I got up before the kids this morning. My rash is spreading and burning and itching and is quite dry.  It's driving me nuts. My daughter also took a late nap yesterday and didn't go to bed until 1am.  I have their breakfast cooking already and they just got up so by the time they want breakfast, it will be ready.  I had to go back and review the lecture for my capstone class because I got caught up in life and forgot.  I realized there is no rubric for the literature review, just the project and presentation so I'm asking clarification.  I added more images to my book entry yesterday and it's sitting at 20 pages right now.  I posted a draft of the outline for the LR to my discussion post.  We shall see how that turns out.  Today I will do the essay for Health and Wellness and the quiz to get those done. I'll finish that outline once I get feedback.  She's probably going to tell me I'm writing the wrong stuff.  I may get with the department head again and show him what I have going on and see what he says.  If I have time once these are done, I have on e more picture I need to take of rosemary to depict how big the leaves are.  I have a few fields left to fill in then I will concentrate on the research portion where I will start talking about all the studies I downloaded on how the plant can be used. Love and Light!

On to the discussion.

Choosing an herb and topic this module is proving difficult.  I am getting this done way in advance because I want to focus on papers and finals.  Other than my paper for this class, this and the test are all I have left due here to I’m busting them out today!  I have decided to do Oregon grape because other than the fact it grows everywhere in Oregon, I don’t remember much about it even though our teacher discussed harvesting this herb last semester…  I think I’ll do the life cycle and start by copy-pasting some of there required information from the herbarium entry I have going for this herb (I have an entry started for ever herb in my lab kit since they will all get one at some point anyway).

Common Name: Oregon Grape

Latin Name: Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt.
 
Indications: Chronic/scaly skin conditions – psoriasis, eczema – cleanses the liver and gallbladder which eliminates the toxins that cause the skin condition.  Also helps with nausea and vomiting. Chronic constipation Ellingwood says: pimples, roughness, eczema capitis, eczema genitalis, pruritis, scaly eczema, psoriasis, chronic dermatosis, glandular indurations, ulcerations and syphilis (Hoffman, 2003, p. 564). Petersen (2018) adds it stimulates the appetite (p. 185).

Safety/Counterindications: No side effects or interactions noted (Hoffman, 2003, p. 564). Petersen (2018) adds berberine may cause kernicterus – do not use while pregnant/breastfeeding. The extract cream may cause itching, burning, skin irritation, and allergic reactions. May inhibit metabolization of drugs. Use with caution with drugs for seizure, hypertension, blood clotting, and blood sugar. Canada require bilingual labeling on this herb to warn against use during pregnancy (p. 186).

Reviewing the data in the Safety paragraph above, seizures are most common in the elderly and children so caution is advised there. With it being recommended for skin conditions normal in children, it’s obviously okay for use externally in children, again, using caution looking for those potential side effects listed in the safety section. The elderly are more prone to using prescriptions so, again, they are at risk of their medications not working if using this herb.

Chevallier (2016) further states the above data. The history if this herb includes detoxifying and tonifying the body. He provides scientific data showing it is effective at treating psoriasis and reiterates not to use it during pregnancy.

Interestingly and totally irrelevant to this topic, this herb is used to make green dye and Griffin provides the recipe.  I thought that was very interesting so I decided to share. You never know what you’ll find in these books!

Mills and Bone support the use in children.  The only age restriction they state is with newborns and pregnant women.  Again, I’d caution with the elderly as well since they tend to be on a lot of medications.
 
References
Chevallier, A. (2016). Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: 550 Herbs and Remedies for common Ailments. New York, NY:  DK, a Division of Penguin Random House, LLC. p. 177.
Peterson, D. (2018). Herb 504: Advanced Herbal Materica Medica III. American College of Healthcare Sciences. P. 182-186.
Griffin, J. (1997). Mother Nature’s Herbal: A Complete Guide for Experiencing the Beauty, Knowledge, & Synergy of Everything that Grows. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications. P. 8, 47.
Hoffman, David. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press. p. 564
Mills, S. & Bone, K. (2010).  The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety. Elsevier Limited. P. 55, 520

Have a Great Day!

I have diapers in the drier, last night's dishes done and am getting ready to get breakfast cooked.  I didn't get much sleep last night.  It wasn't the kids this time. One of my cats kept getting sick and I kept cleaning it up.  I finally figured out which one it was but I have nothing in the house to help him to after breakfast, we'll head to the store.  I also need to get enough food to get me to pay day next week.  I ended up interviewing my sister for that assignment and I downloaded over 200 research articles on rosemary yesterday.  LOTS of good information out there on what she does and that's just searching for the name of the plant, not the constituents.  Today will be more work on my rosemary entry.  So much to be done!  Love and Light!

On to cinnamon!

"Compare and contrast the use of one of the herbs in the module over the life cycle (such as pregnancy, infants, children, men and women, and the elderly.) Give indications and contraindications for use. Explain the dosing for each group."
 
This was a tough choice between spearmint and cinnamon.  I kinda shot myself in the foot because I already turned in my herbarium and posted it to my web site so I can’t use blessed thistle for my lab next week.  I have decided to use cinnamon for this assignment and for the lab. Spearmint is just not as “cool” as peppermint even though they are both growing outside right now. I did flesh out the herbarium entries for both herbs, though (just need a lab and organoleptics and research). 

I chose option 4 though it will not be a LONG post because it can’t be used at a young age or while pregnant. To clarify this statement, if it’s in apple pie, it’s safe but therapeutic use would not be. I would not use this in old age either as they are more likely to have liver problems or be using acetaminophen on a chronic basis (Brinkler, 2000, p. 211).

I expected Clark to tell me an age as well as Worwood but they have failed me. Clark just said to research it…  Based on what I see in Worwood, I’d estimate a child can have the oil around 5 as long as it’s properly diluted. The herb can be used a bit earlier, again with the dosage properly reduced for age and not to exceed 6 weeks at ANY age. The adult dosages are:

(Petersen, 2018, p. 164)
Tea: .5-1 gram bark to 150 ml water, steep 5-10 minutes. 3/day
Liquid Extract: 1:1 70% .1-1ml 3/day
Topical: No dose recommended
Dried herb: 2-4g
Oil: .05-.2 grams

Brinkler (2000, p. 211) Toxic element: Cinnamaldehyde (volatile aldehyde); tannin.
Therapeutic: powder: 1g, Tincture: <4ml, oil: .1ml.
Toxic: Oil: .5ml/kg or greater, internally
Lethal: Oil 2.8-3.4mg/kg orally in animals.
 
References
Brinkler, F. (2000). The Toxicology of Botanical Medicines, 3rd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications. P. 211.
Clark, D. (2011). Herbal Healing for Children: A Parent's Guide to Treatments for Common Childhood Illnesses. Healthy Living Publications.
Peterson, D. (2018). Herb 504: Advanced Herbal Materica Medica III. American College of Healthcare Sciences. P. 162-167.
Worwood, V. A. (2016). The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy. Novato, California. New World Library.

Have a Great Day!