Elderberry

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated September 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Elderberry clusters I harvested while living in Sofia, Bulgaria

Name:	Elderberry, Linnaean - Sambucus nigra
Color:	Green to purple leaves, white, yellow, and pink flowers, black berries
Constituents:	Glucosides (anthocyanins), terpenes, alkaloids, tannins
Effect:	Potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, improves digestion, improves nutrient partitioning
Preparation:	All parts of the elder contain poisonous cyanogenic glycosides which require heat treatment to become of use. Dried berries can be brewed into a tea, or the berries can be prepared into a syrup or jam. Can be powdered as well.
Dosing:	1-5 grams brewed into a tea. 500 mg of powder for general health purposes, 1+ grams for help with an infection, and 3 grams spread out (1 gram morning, afternoon, night) for nutrient partitioning benefits.
General Notes:	It's the anthocyanins that are responsible for most of the health benefits from elderberry. Anthocyanins are phytopigments also found in other berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries) and other foods like the skin of black beans. Anthocyanins are really potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatories which elderberry an excellent digestive aid and supportive of arterial health and the circulatory system in general. Some promising evidence exists that anthocyanins help partition nutrients towards muscles instead of body fat. Elderberry is most often used to aid in the treatment of infections (cold, flu, etc).

What is Elderberry?

Elderberry is a genus of flowering plants known as Sambucus consisting of many different species and subspecies. Elderberry plants can be found as small shrubs and bushes and if they continue to grow they can become quite large trees. Elderberry plants have a “corky” type of bark that is mottled tan to brown in color, their leaves grow in a pinnate arrangement in clusters of 5-9 leaflets, and at the end of their branches are where you’ll first observe elderflowers and then once ripened, elderberries (1). For this article, when the words “elderberry” or “elderberries” is used, I’m referring to the actual berries, and if I’m referring to the plant I’ll refer to it by it’s genus Sambucus.

Elderberries contain a wealth of unique plant phytochemicals which have various beneficial biologic interactions within the human digestive system and body (2). Elderberries contain many different polyphenols like flavonoids, as well as unique plant pigments known as anthocyanins. In particular, the predominant anthocyanin found in elderberries is cyanidin 3-glucoside, which gives elderberries their dark purple color. Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory plant phytochemicals which are good for health and wellness because of their beneficial interactions throughout the body.

All parts of the Sambucus plant do contain cyanogenic glycosides which produce poisonous hydrogen cyanide when hydrolyzed enzymatically, but if elderberry is prepared properly then cyanide toxicity is not a concern, more on that in the Safety and Toxicity and How to Make Elderberry Juice sections below.

Types of Elderberry

There are many different species of Sambucus as the genus of plants grows worldwide, the most common are listed below:

• Sambucus nigra - The most common species of elderberry found in Europe and North America. Grows mature dark purple fruits

  • Sambucus cerulea, a subspecies of S. nigra found in western North America

  • Sambucus canadensis, a subspecies of S. nigra found in eastern North America

• Sambucus australis - Found in South America. Grows large dark purple fruits

• Sambucus peruviana - Found in Central and South America. Grows dark purple/black fruits

• Sambucus javanica - Found in subtropical and tropical Asia. Grows dark red fruits.

• Sambucus sieboldiana - Found in Japan and Korea. Grows mature red fruits

Is Elderberry Antiviral?

Before going into the general health and wellness benefits of elderberry and its chemical constituents that are responsible for its beneficial effects, we’ll discuss the antiviral capabilities of elderberry because this is what most people have heard elderberry is good for and want to learn more about.

Viruses are incredibly tiny “semi-life forms” that replicate themselves (and by extension, their DNA), by infecting cells or microorganisms like bacteria. Once a virus can attach to the cell-membrane, it inserts its genetic instructions into the cell, where the cell then begins producing more copies of this code as well as the viral proteins that house it. If the virus’s plan works, then after some time the cell is chock full of new viruses and it explodes, releasing the new viruses throughout the body to repeat the replication process. Two things happen during this viral replication process.

First, infected cells use a bunch of valuable resources like amino acids to create the viruses, which eventually when the infection comes under control by the immune system (hopefully), are then processed as waste by the body. This creates a resource drain on the body commiserate to the degree of infection.

Second, infected cells eventually breakdown and trigger inflammatory pathways in the process. The release of cytokines effectively sends a signal far and wide that there is a “spill in aisle 6” that requires cleanup. The diseased or dead cell is then processed by the immune system, all of this causing a stress to the body. Now multiple this by millions and millions of cells during a viral infection and you can quickly see why viral infections have the potential of causing a huge amount of stress and fatigue to the body.

Elderberry has been shown to help with viral infections in a multitude of ways.

Anti-Influenza Activity of Elderberry

Using elderberry lessens the severity and duration of flu symptoms in several strains of influenza viruses (3). The compounds found in elderberry like anthocyanins and quercetin interfere with viral host cell receptor recognition and receptor binding, effectively suppressing viral entry and viral transmission from cell to cell. Elderberry does this by blocking the functioning of the glycoprotein spikes viruses use to connect to cells.

It’s been observed that using elderberry for its antiviral effects is effective at the onset and throughout the flu. Viral inhibition by elderberry is stronger against the late stage of the influenza cycle than it is at the early stage, so if you get the flu begin using elderberry syrup or elderberry extract as soon as possible and keep using it until the flu passes. Other elderberry products exist too that can be used, go to the end of the article to see all the natural elderberry treatment options at your disposal.

Elderberry Improves Natural Immunity

The innate immune response is the first line of defense against viruses and critically important for overcoming any type of infection. Elderberry also shows antiviral activity by activating the healthy immune system (4). The polyphenols that elderberry contains like quercetin and anthocyanins beneficially modulate the release of cytokines and their receptors. These polyphenols are also strong antioxidants, so they neutralize any inflammatory free-radicals produced during the infection, reducing the cumulative stress the body experiences during the infection. Elderberry also activates macrophages, the white blood cells that engulf and “eat” pathogens and viruses.

The anthocyanins found in high concentrations in elderberries are taken up by endothelial cells (cells that form a barrier between vessels and tissues), protecting them against oxidative stress. Many diseases are characterized by oxidative stress, and this means that in addition to the usefulness of taking elderberry for a cold or using elderberry for a flu, elderberry has the potential to help with many other health conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Elderberry and Covid

What about using elderberry for SARS-CoV-2, otherwise known as covid? Very little if any research has been done specifically examining the effect elderberry can have for a covid infection, but it’s safe to say that elderberry would be useful because of how to bolsters the natural immune system and through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Elderberry may have a direct neutralizing effect on covid viruses and their spike proteins, like has been demonstrated for flu viruses, but at this point the specific interactions elderberry has with SARS-CoV-2 are unknown.

Benefits of Elderberry

The health benefits any food or herb provide come down to its unique blend of constituents, these being the macronutrient ratios (fat, carb, protein), micronutrients like vitamins and minerals, and in the case of plants, the plant phytochemicals it contains like polyphenols, polysaccharides, terpenes, etc. The environment and how its grown influences the final chemical composition, and everything taken together naturally as it was grown provides the greatest holistic health effect. I mention this because it’s common to point out specific compounds, like quercetin, and attribute all the health benefits of a food to that one flavonoid, but it’s the synergy between many hundreds of chemicals together which cause the overall health effects of a food.

The many beneficial health effects of elderberry cannot be solely attributed to flavonoids or anthocyanins, but to all of its beneficial constituents working together. For this reason the less processed the elderberry product the better, and it’s why I prefer elderberry juice over extract powders or pills. The next section does go more into the specific chemicals found in elderberry, but first we’ll cover the general health and wellness benefits and other uses for elderberry beyond its antiviral uses.

Health Benefits of Elderberry

As with many different herbs, elderberry contains many different antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, and with excess inflammation being a main contributing factor to the development and progression of nearly one hundred chronic diseases, elderberry can help treat those conditions (5, 6). Elderberry in particular is very effective at neutralizing reactive nitrogen species, a type of free radical. We’ll start with elderberries impact on gut health because that’s where it’ll first beneficially interact with the body.

Elderberry is good for gut health because its beneficial phytochemicals like anthocyanins are taken up by epithelial tissues protecting them from oxidative stress. The digestive system is under constant stress (unless fasting) due to the rigors of digestion, and if diet quality is poor then this stress increases further. Conditions like leaky gut are characterized by reduced intestinal mucosa and degraded epithelial cells, and elderberry is very useful for all types of gut health problems. The digestive system is also the part of the body that has the most immune system activity because its the job of the barriers of the digestive to keep pathogens from entering the body, and by improving gut health elderberry improves immunity.

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Elderberry helps the cardiovascular system in a few different ways. As touched on earlier, the anthocyanins found in elderberry are rapidly taken up by endothelial tissues of the arteries, blood vessels, and capillaries, and this helps to reduce inflammation throughout the body. Cardiovascular disease is characterized by inflammation that is no longer localized at the digestive system’s gut-blood barrier but is now more widespread throughout the body. This inflammation can be caused by a variety of factors, often many at once, such as pathogenic bacteria or too-large food particles freely circulating through in the bloodstream. The presence of these immune-stimulating factors chronically creates a stressful environment for the healthy functioning of cells, and if left unaddressed everything goes downhill.

An important component of healing from chronic inflammation, in addition to the critical component of treating the root cause of the inflammation, is to consume foods that naturally bring the bodies inflammation and autophagy systems into balance. Elderberry is one of these superfoods because it targets all three aspects that are required to really make a difference: by improving gut health, by boosting the immune system, and by making the tissues of the cardiovascular system more resilient.

Elderberry is good for treating obesity and diabetes because its anthocyanin content improves lipid metabolism, blood glucose parameters, and nutrient partitioning. These beneficial metabolic effects are also part of the reason elderberry is cardioprotective. In particular there is a lot of research that has been done using cyanidin 3-glucoside with mice and rats, showing it reduces the severity of obesity and diabetic conditions that form from eating poor quality diets when supplemented (7). The improved metabolic and nutrient partitioning properties of elderberry thanks to its anthocyanins and flavonoids are not only useful for those who are overweight, obese, pre-diabetic, and diabetic, but also for athletes and anyone who regularly exercises, as it’ll help shuttle more nutrients towards functional lean body mass and away from body fat storage.

Elderberry benefits the brain because many of its beneficial compounds are able to cross the blood-brain barrier (8). In the brain anthocyanins exert their antioxidant effects the same as they do anywhere else in the body, and unfortunately beyond that little is known of the specific ways anthocyanins interact with brain tissue. Like with any food/herbs that contain flavonoids, the flavonoids elderberry contains that make their way to the large intestine interact with the microbiome there, being synthesized by symbiotic bacteria into secondary metabolites that the body absorbs which also cross the blood-brain barrier. In this way flavonoids improve the functioning of the gut-brain axis, improving cognition and energy metabolism in the brain. The brain uses 20% of the bodies daily resting energy, and the more efficient and adaptable your metabolic systems, the more stable energy levels will be in the brain, meaning you’ll be snappier and more focused, free of brain fog.

What Can Elderberry be Used For?

These health benefits of elderberry are wonderful, but not everyone has some sort of chronic disease or health problem, some health issues are more mundane. As it translates to the day-to-day, elderberry can be used to:

• Improves daily energy levels, reduces sudden sugar crashes, and lessens brain fog/fatigue

• Reduce skin inflammation like rashes, autoimmune skin disorders, and clears acne

• Helps ameliorate adrenal fatigue

• Reduces the chance of getting sick and reduces the severity and duration of the illness

• Improves meal digestion and nutrient absorption

Elderberry Micronutrients

Elderberry contains a variety of micronutrients, the most exciting from a health perspective being its flavonoids and anthocyanins. Both have been mentioned quite a bit up to this point, and now we’ll dig into the science behind these unique phytochemicals more.

Elderberry Vitamins

Vitamins present in elderberry are B vitamins, A vitamins, vitamin E (tocopherols), and vitamin C. The content of vitamin C in fresh elderberry fruits is 6–35 mg/100 g, whereas a lemon contains about 50 mg/100g of fresh juice.

Elderberry Minerals

Elderberry contains the following minerals: Potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, chromium, nickel, and cadmium.

Elderberry Polyphenols

The most important polyphenols in elderberry fruit are generally thought to be the flavonoids and anthocyanins.

Elderberry Flavonoids

The predominant flavonoids found in elderberry are quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin. Elderberry also contains flavonoids called catechins, which are most well-known for occurring in green tea such as green tea catechin EGCG.

Quercetin-type flavonoids are widely distributed in plants and are generally regarding as being some of the most biologically useful. Quercetin is a long lasting anti-inflammatory substance that effects many different cell types throughout the body. Quercetin stabilizes the functions of mast cells (immune cells that release histamine) and has gastrointestinal cytoprotective activity. Quercetin modulates inflammation and immunity, a powerful combination for many who are over-inflamed with overactive immune systems (9).

Elderberry Anthocyanins

The two main anthocyanins elderberry contains are cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-sambubioside. Four metabolites from these two also exist, the metabolites being peonidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-sambubioside, peonidin monoglucuronide, and cyanidin-3-glucoside monoglucuronide. Elderberry contains a lot of anthocyanins, reaching levels between 600-1250 mg per 100 g.

Anthocyanins have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-stimulating, antimicrobial, antiallergic, and antiviral properties. These beneficial properties make anthocyanins promising therapeutic options to help in the treatment of many different chronic degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Because anthocyanins are such potent antioxidants and free radical scavengers, they are also being investigated as chemoprotective agents.

The mechanisms underlying the absorption of anthocyanins is not well known, but the absorption and bioavailability of anthocyanins depends on the type and sub-form. With a large enough dose, such as 720 mg, anthocyanins levels can remain highly elevated in the blood for 4-6 hours, and levels will reach baseline by 24 hours (10).

Elderberry Safety and Toxicity

Is Elderberry Poisonous?

There are safety concerns that you should be aware of with elderberry. Elderberry is an amazing plant with many health and medicinal uses, but only if prepared properly, as elderberry contains plant molecules known as cyanogenic glycosides. When cyanogenic glycosides undergo enzymatic hydrolysis, poisonous hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is released. There are very few reported cases of elderberry consumption causing illness, though there was one incident in 1983 where a group of people at a religious center in California made a raw elderberry juice using the berries, leaves, and stems, and allowed the mixture to soak overnight before consumption. Eleven people got sick and one person who drank five cups of the mixture had to be hospitalized. No one died, and later analysis of their blood showed no elevations in serum cyanide levels (11).

CC4.0 | DOI - 10.3390/molecules26051384

Researchers who examined the American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) for cyanogenic potential found that stems and green berries from the plant had much more cyanogenic potential that other parts of the plant (12). Hydrogen cyanide also boils off slightly above room temperature, so any hydrogen cyanide that is present or forms during the preparation process will off gas during the boiling process, just make sure to keep your workspace well-ventilated. When preparing elderberry for use only ripe berries are to be used, never leaves or stems from the plant, and after the mashed berries are boiled for 15+ minutes, the pulp is strained and the seeds and skins are removed. More of making elderberry juice in the next section.

To answer the question of “is elderberry poisonous?”, if you prepare elderberry properly, or buy a commercial product, the total cyanogenic potential is extremely low and poses no threat to your health.

Elderberry Allergy

Avoid consuming elderberry if you have a known allergy or hypersensitivity to elder or from plants in the Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle) family.

How to Make Elderberry Juice

There are many ways to prepare elderberry, from making elderberry juice to elderberry syrup or elderberry extract, and I encourage you to experiment with whatever different preparation methods you desire. Elderberry syrup and extract are good to make because they last for a long time, whereas elderberry juice is best consumed within 1-2 weeks of preparation.

Thus far I have made a lot of elderberry juice, as it was the easiest option available to me as I traveled around Europe for 6+ months. It’s a straightforward process as you can tell with the photo gallery below.

Elderberry Juice Recipe

1. Once your elderberries are plucked from the shrub/tree, destem the berries by running your fingers through the berry clusters gently. Discard the stems once completed.

2. With your elderberries now in the container you’ll boil them in, pluck out any stem bits that made it into the pile, as well as any bright red and green berries.

3. Mash and crush the elderberries into a pulp using either a masher or your good ol’ hands.. Elderberry juice rinses off easily and is only lightly staining, and using your hands makes it easy to feel the berries that are still intact and then crush them. This process will release quite a bit of juice but not enough to comfortably boil the berries.

4. Add water to the elderberry pulp and juice, increasing the total volume of the pots contents by 2-3x. For the volume of elderberries I processed in the images above I used 2 liters of mineral water.

5. Bring the elderberry mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to a low rolling boil for 15 minutes. During this time it’s good to stir the mixture occasionally, and foam from the top can be skimmed off at the beginning if desired (eventually it’ll boil off).

6. Once the boiling is complete separate the juice from the pump with a fine mesh strainer. Press on the pulp with a fork to release more juice, and once the berry pulp is relatively dry it can either be boiled again with the addition of more water or discarded/composed after the first use. All the seeds will be in the pulp, and you can spread the mixture around outside in the hopes of germinating a new elderberry plant (unlikely after the boiling, but hey worth a shot).

7. Elderberry juice has a very mild taste, it’s not sweet at all in my opinion, and you can sweeten the juice lightly with some honey, a tablespoon or two is all that’s needed. Lemon juice also makes a good addition to elderberry juice and helps it stay fresh longer due to the extra acidity and vitamin C.

8. Once the juice has cooled, store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks, though it’ll probably be gone in just a couple days ;)

Other Elderberry Products

When fresh harvestable elderberries aren’t an option, then it’s a good idea to keep some elderberry flu medicine around the house primarily for viral prevention and treatment. Elderberry and zinc lozenges are a good combination medicine for this, as the zinc and elderberry combo coating the back of the throat helps prevent viral replication for an upper respiratory infection. Elderberry syrup is another good option for this, as is elderberry tincture, both products being sold by Mountain Rose Herbs.

Another option I like for cold prevention is elderberry tea. Elderberries can be harvested and dried oneself, or dried elderberries can be purchased from a reputable vendor like Mountain Rose Herbs. Take a spoonful of dried elderberries and steep them with boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Other herbs can be added to elderberry tea like chamomile, echinacea (another good antiviral), dandelion root, or medicinal mushrooms, play herbalist and see what you like!

Elderberry Herbalism

There are hundreds and hundreds of herbs that exist, all containing different chemical constituents and having different health effects. Some of these herbs are well studied, others less so. Elderberry is an excellent herb for a beginning herbalism to experiment with because it is easy to identify after a little study, has potent health and wellness benefits, is one of nature’s best antivirals, and is relatively common worldwide.

Please share your experiences using elderberry or ask any questions you have in the comments below!

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References:

1. Malcom Stuart, et al. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Crescent Books, New York.

2. Ulbricht C, Basch E, Cheung L, et al. An evidence-based systematic review of elderberry and elderflower (sambucus nigra) by the natural standard research collaboration. Journal of Dietary Supplements. 2014;11(1):80-120.

3. Torabian G, Valtchev P, Adil Q, Dehghani F. Anti-influenza activity of elderberry (Sambucus nigra). Journal of Functional Foods. 2019;54:353-360.

4. Schön C, Mödinger Y, Krüger F, Doebis C, Pischel I, Bonnländer B. A new high-quality elderberry plant extract exerts antiviral and immunomodulatory effects in vitro and ex vivo. Food and Agricultural Immunology. 2021;32(1):650-662.

5. Schmitzer V, Veberic R, Stampar F. European elderberry (Sambucus Nigra L.) and American Elderberry (Sambucus Canadensis L.): Botanical, chemical and health properties of flowers, berries and their products. Berries: Properties, Consumption and Nutrition. 2012:127-148.

6. Sidor A, Gramza-Michałowska A. Advanced research on the antioxidant and health benefit of elderberry (Sambucus nigra) in food – a review. Journal of Functional Foods. 2015;18:941-958.

7. Tsuda T, Horio F, Uchida K, Aoki H, Osawa T. Dietary cyanidin 3-o-β-d-glucoside-rich purple corn color prevents obesity and ameliorates hyperglycemia in mice. The Journal of Nutrition. 2003;133(7):2125-2130.

8. Hribar U, Ulrih NP. The metabolism of anthocyanins. Curr Drug Metab. 2014;15(1):3-13.

9. Li Y, Yao J, Han C, et al. Quercetin, inflammation and immunity. Nutrients. 2016;8(3):167.

10. Milbury PE, Cao G, Prior RL, Blumberg J. Bioavailablility of elderberry anthocyanins. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development. 2002;123(8):997-1006.

11. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Poisoning from elderberry juice--California. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1984;33(13):173-174.

12. Appenteng MK, Krueger R, Johnson MC, et al. Cyanogenic glycoside analysis in american elderberry. Molecules. 2021;26(5):1384.

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More Immune Boosting Herbs

Cannabis

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Cannabis Quick Fact Sheet

Name:	Cannabis, hemp, marajuana, weed, dope, grass, Linnaean - Cannabis sativa, C. indica
Color:	Green to purple leaves and flowers (bud)
Constituents:	Cannabinoids (CBD, THC, CBC, CBG, CBN, THC-V), terepenes, resins, saccharides (mono, di, poly), alkaloids, phenols
Effect:	Psychedelic, narcotic, anti-inflammatory, reduces blood pressure & raises heart rate, increase appetite (the cannabinoid THC-V does the opposite), nervous system adaptogen (stimulant or relaxant)
Preparation:	Female cannabis flowers produce sticky cannabinoids (CBD, THC, etc) and the dried & cured bud can be smoked or dry-vaporized. Cannabinoids can also be extracted via cooking in oil or by modern chemical extraction methods.
Dosing:	Smoking: 0.2 - 1+ grams ground bud. Vaporization: 0.05 to 0.5 grams ground bud. Edibles: 0.5-20+ mg CBD/THC. Used at a 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC is best.
General Notes:	As a mild psychadelic cannabis can alter the sense of time and reality, which can make it useful as a creativity enhancer. Smoking cannabis is best avoided due to the creation of carcinogens, instead being dry-vaporized or consumed via an edible. Great care should be taken with dosing edibles as the cannabinoids take a long time to enter into the bloodstream, so only small doses should be consumed, and with at least an hour in-between dosings. It's blood pressure reducing effect can be useful if BP is high but it can raise heart rate quite signifigantly (+10-20 bpm) which can cause cardiac strain. Can be useful for headaches, migraines, general pain, and as a digestive aid because of it's anti-inflammatory effects. Should not be abused in use or consumed by anyone under the age of 25 years. Can be psychologically addictive.

What is Cannabis?

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that contains three species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. Cannabis is a nutritionally rich plant, and is known to contain more than 500 compounds, among them at least 113 cannabinoids, though most of the cannabinoids are minor and only produced in trace amounts.

There is a lot of information regarding cannabis, and this article will cover the characteristics of the plant as well as the most important uses it has in herbal practices. There are 3 different species of cannabis each with their own shape, size, cannabinoid ratios, and growing characteristics. Cannabis has many health benefits, especially bioelectrical and cognitive health benefits, but there are a few safety cautions regarding cannabis that are good to know before use. The reason cannabis can simultaneously have health benefits and also known adverse effects is because cannabis has a narrow therapeutic range. Too low a dose and nothing significant will occur, whereas if too much cannabis is used them bodily systems can be tipped out of balance and cause undesirable health effects. Cannabis is a very complex herb that much is still not known about and cannabis should only be used with great care and respect in an herbal practice.

Different Names for Cannabis

Cannabis is the Linnaean genus name for the plant, but cannabis is also known as weed, marijuana, ganja, grass, pot, bud, herb, Mary Jane, dope, green, and many more.

Cannabis in Herbalism

Cannabis has been a prized herb in herbal practices around the world for many thousands of years. In ancient China cannabis was mixed with wine to create a pre-surgery anesthetic, while Neolithic Europeans and the Celts made a pain-killing hashish with cannabis. Arab physicians from the 8 to 18th centuries used cannabis to treat fevers, digestive issues, pain and inflammation, and for seizures, while ancient Egyptians used hemp-based supositories as a way to treat pain from hemorrhoids. Ancient African’s also used cannabis to treat hemorrhoids, as well as a way to increase appetite, and around the world cannabis seeds were eaten raw to dispel parasites and worms from the digestive track.

Scythians of the Middle East were known to burn cannabis incense in their steam baths in order to enter into otherworldly states of mind, and other cultures the world over have incorporated cannabis into their religious and spiritual ceremonies and practices. It is said that long term cannabis use weakens the separation between the material and spiritual realms, and shamans, magicians, and mystics used cannabis as a way to access unseen dimensions and commune with spirits. Cannabis was used as an aphrodisiac to aid in pleasure rituals and orgies, and cannabis has had its historical narcotic uses throughout the centuries.

Historical Uses of Hemp

Hemp are specific subtypes of Cannabis sativa that have been cultivated to be low in cannabinoids but high in fiber, making it good for textiles. Hemp cultivation can be traced as far back as 8000 BC, and evidence of hemp being used to make rope goes back 25,000+ years. Hemp has a long history of being used in a multitude of ways, from a food source to the creation of strong textiles.

Hemp seeds are nutritionally dense and were eaten around the world. Hemp seed oil has various applications and was used to create ceramics, for lighting, and for religious purposes. Mountain Rose Herbs sells organic hulled hemp seeds which are a wonderful addition to any diet. Hemp pulp was used to make paper, and it was also used to create clothes and strong cordage. The natural sticky oils of help combined with its natural fibers make it a superior material for textiles.

All of the historical applications for hemp still exist today and are increasingly being pursued again as governments around the world loosen the restrictions on the cultivation and manufacturing of hemp products.

Types of Cannabis

There are three different weed strains that exist, C. sativa, C. indica, and C. ruderalis, though some botanists think the differences between them aren’t significant enough for them to be considered separate species. These three types of cannabis are quite different in their shape, size, growing, reproduction, and cannabinoid profiles though, and most agree with the classification of three distinct species within the Cannabis genus.

Cannabis sativa

Cannabis sativa is native to eastern Asia but is now found nearly worldwide due to its long history of cultivation. Cannabis sativa can grow to 3-6 meters in height depending on the strain and if grown in ideal warm outdoor conditions. Cannabis sativa grows tall with narrow leaflets and is loosely branched, with male plants typically taller than female plants but less full. It’s color is typically a lighter shade of green and its buds are long and thin. Has a grassy citrusy scent.

The psychoactive effect from Cannabis sativa cultivars tends to be cognitive and cerebral in nature. Cannabis sativa produces an energizing high and the presence of abundant citrus terpenes like limonene add to that effect.

Cannabis indica

Cannabis indica is native to India, and it is a short, conical, and dense plant, growing to heights of about 2 meters under ideal conditions. Grows well in cooler climates. Cannabis indica has broad leaflets and its color is typically a dark shade of green, with its buds being very dense. Has an earthy skunky scent.

Cannabis indica produces more of a relaxed and sedative body high. Cannabis indica possesses terpenes like myrcene and caryophyllene.

Cannabis ruderalis

Cannabis ruderalis is native to central Europe, eastern Europe, and Russia. It is characterized by a more sparse weedy growth and has survivalist traits such as disease and pest resistance, the ability to grow in disturbed soil conditions, and can survive on little water. Cannabis ruderalis grows to a height of up to 1 meter and grows well in any climate. It has smaller leaves and buds than sativa or indica varietals and typically has a light green color. Has a sweet earthy smell.

Cannabis ruderalis is more of a wild or feral cannabis than sativa or indica and typically has lower concentrations of cannabinoids than cultivated varietals. It produces more CBD than THC and is often bred with cannabis sativa to create high CBD hybrids.

Cannabis Growing Conditions and Characteristics

Each species of cannabis has different growing characteristics, and by breeding different strains of cannabis together it’s possible to create hybrids that combine the qualities of some or all of the three cannabis species.

Cannabis sativa has a 6-8 month grow time and will stay in a vegetative growth state indefinitely as long as it receives 16-18 hours of light a day. If grown outdoors under the natural influence of the sun, once light begins decreasing after the summer solstice Cannabis sativa will begin to switch from a vegetative growth state to a flowering growth state afterwhich the sex of the plant can then be determined. This switch from vegetative to flowering can also be triggered if growing under artificial conditions by switching the light schedule from 16/8 to 12/12 (on/off). Flowering time for sativa varietals is 10-12 weeks.

Cannabis indica has a 6-8 month grow time and like Cannabis sativa will stay in a vegetative growth state as long as it receives 16-18 hours of light every day. Being a smaller plant than sativa, indica typically has a slightly shorter flowering time, with its range being 6-12 weeks.

Cannabis ruderalis has a 3-4 month grow time and unlike sativa or indica it has an auto-flowering characteristic, meaning it will begin to flower after it reaches a certain level of maturity irrespective of its light conditions. Cannabis ruderalis autoflowering typically occurs after 10 weeks. Flowering time for ruderalis is 3-6 weeks.

Different Types of Cannabinoids

Cannabinoids like any other chemical bind to cellular receptors which give them different effects throughout the body. In order to understand the differences between the main cannabinoids listed below a quick primer on receptor science is needed.

Receptor: A protein within or on the surface of a cell that can take on an inactive an active shape. An agonist binding to a receptor causes it to shift from an inactive to active shape, functioning as an “on-switch” that begins a specific event or series of events within the cell, changing its biology.

Receptor Agonist: Binds to a receptor and activates it. A agonist can bind to and activate a receptor to its full extent, whereas a partial agonist can only partially active a receptor.

Receptor Antagonist: Binds to a receptor but does not activate it. Often receptor antagonists have greater binding efficiencies than receptor agonists, so if a receptor agonist and antagonist are both present the antagonist will displace the agonist or prevent it from binding to the receptor in the first place, terminating or preventing any agonist-induced biologic effect.

Most cannabinoids exist in cannabis plant matter as an acid precursor, for example cannabidiol (CBD) exists in a plant as cannabidiolic acid (CBDa). The acidic forms of cannabinoids are much less biologically active than their decarboxylated brethren. If cannabinoid acids are heated to a specific temperature (250-285 F, 120-140 C) they lose their carboxylic acid, a process known as decarboxylation.

Most if not all cannabinoids possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, so keep that in mind for the cannabinoid highlights below.

• CBG

  Name: Cannabigerol

  Vaporization Temperature: 126 F, 52 C

  Receptor Binding: CBG has binding affinity for CB1 and CB2 receptors. CBG antagonizes CB1 receptors.

  General: Cannabigerolic acid (CBGa) is the parent molecule from which other cannabinoids are synthesized. During plant growth most CBGa is converted to other cannabinoids, and CBG is made more elusive still by its incredibly low vaporization temperature. CBG is non-psychoactive.

• CBD

  Name: Cannabidiol

  Vaporization Temperature: 329 F, 165 C

  Receptor Binding: CBD has low binding affinity for CB1 and CB2 receptors but it can still act as an antagonist for these receptors. Indirectly antagonizes the actions of other cannabinoids like THC through mechanisms not yet fully understood.

  General: CBD is best known for its anti-inflammatory and neurologic effects. Has anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic, and anti-spasmodic properties. CBD is non-psychoactive.

• THC

  Name: Tetrahydrocannabinol

  Vaporization Temperature: 347 F, 175 C

  Receptor Binding: THC is a partial agonist of CB1 receptors and overall has a relatively low cannabinoid receptor affinity.

  General: THC has three main forms, delta-8-THC, delta-9-THC, and delta-10-THC. All three are psychoactive, with Delta-9-THC having the strongest psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties. THC is known for its pain relieving, neurocognitive enhancing, and appetite stimulant properties.

• THC-V

  Name: Tetrahydrocannabivarin

  Vaporization Temperature: 428 F, 220 C

  Receptor Binding: THC-V binds to CB1 as an antagonistic blocker, and THC-V also binds and activates CB2 as a partial agonist. Lessens the psychoactive effects of THC as a result of its CB1 antagonism.

  General: THC-V is only slightly different chemically than THC, but has different biologic effects. THC-V is a high energy cannabinoid that is a powerful focus stimulant. THC-V is an appetite suppressant unlike THC, and THC-V can be found naturally in higher concentrations in certain cannabis strains like Durban Poison. THC-V is psychoactive.

• CBC

  Name: Cannabichromene

  Vaporization Temperature: 428 F, 220 C

  Receptor Binding: Binds poorly to CB1 receptors, but it does bind to TRPV1 and TRPA1 receptors which causes an increased release in the bodies natural endocannabinoids like anandamide.

  General: CBC is the third most common cannabinoid after THC and CBD. CBC is non-psychoactive and does not affect the activity of THC. TRPV1 and TRPA1 receptors are linked to the perception of pain, and CBC’s activity on these receptors reduces feelings of pain throughout the body.

• CBN

  Name: Cannabinol

  Vaporization Temperature: 365 F, 185 C

  Receptor Binding: Binds to both CB1 and CB2 receptors agonistically. Compared to THC CBN has a 2x lower affinity for CB1 receptors and a 3x greater affinity for CB2 receptors. Only a partial agonist of CB1.

  General: As cannabis dries and ages THC is slowly converted into CBN via oxidative processes. CBN is non-psychoactive, but when paired with THC can increase its euphoric effects.

Cannabis Health Benefits

The many health benefits of cannabis can be traced back to the individual biologic properties of the various phytochemicals that exist in cannabis, from cannabinoids to terpenes to phenols. Individually these phytochemicals have health benefits, and they also work together synergistically to provide greater health benefits throughout the human body. There is likely more we don’t about cannabis than we do at this point as it is such a chemically-rich plant. We’ll examine the specific health benefits of cannabinoids, terpenes, and phenols and then summarize the total benefits cannabis can have on human health.

Cannabinoid Health Benefits

Cannabinoids exert most of their biologic effects through their interactions with the endocannabinoid system, which consists primarily of CB1 and CB2 receptors as well as endogenous cannabinoid ligands anandamide and 2-arachidonylglycerol. CB1 receptors are present throughout the central nervous system and are densely packed in the brain. CB1 receptors are also observed in immune cells and in the tissues of the gut, reproductive organs, adrenal glands, heart, lungs, and bladder. Whereas it is notable how densely concentrated CB1 receptors are in the brain, CB2 receptors are more evenly distributed throughout the body. Produced naturally by the body, the endocannabinoids of anandamide and 2-arachidonylglycerol play a regulatory role in appetite, pain-sensation, inflammation, memory, mood, insulin sensitivity, and energy metabolism.

Each cannabinoid seems to have slightly different health effects based on their varying chemical structure and differing interactions with the endocannabinoid system, but there is also a very large overlap in their health effects. All of the cannabinoids appear to be strong antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and antimicrobials.

THC has anti-cancer, muscle-relaxing, pain relieving, antispasmodic, and neuroprotective effects. CBD has anti-anxiety, anti-nausea, anti-arthritic, and immunomodulatory properties. CBD also has anti-psychotic effects and reduces the negative side effects of THC. When used together THC and CBD have a strong therapeutic effects on diseases of the central nervous system such as epilepsy, neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and schizophrenia. The combined health benefits of THC and CBD also make it useful in the treatment of cancer, stimulating appetite while also assisting the bodies natural cancer-fighting process of autophagy.

CBN is interesting because of its high affinity for CB2 receptors, and CBN therefore exerts its health benefits more broadly throughout the body and on the cells of the immune system. Beta-carophyllene is another compound found in cannabis, specifically it makes up 12-35% of cannabis essential oil, and it has a binding affinity to CB2 receptors, making it non-psychoactive but able to still exert anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body.

Terpene Health Benefits

Terpenes are key pharmacological agents of many medicinal herbs, and cannabis is no exception. Terpenes are fat-soluble compounds that easily cross cellular membranes, in particular the blood-brain barrier. Cannabis depending on the strain contains many different terpenes in various ratios, and below are the health effects of the most common terpenes found in cannabis.

The terpene β-myrcene is a potent anti-inflammatory with pain-reliving and anti-anxiety properties.

D-limonene exhibits potent anti-cancer properties and stimulates the immune system.

Linalool has anticonvulsant, pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and anti-anxiety properties.

The terpene α-Pinene may improve memory as an acetylcholinesteral inhibitor.

The terpene β-caryophyllene (also notably found in black pepper) possesses anti-inflammatory and gastric cytoprotector activities. Has the ability to bind to CB2 receptors.

Pentacyclic triterpenes such as β-amyrin and cycloartenol have anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antifungal, and cancer fighting properties

Phenols Health Benefits

Phenolic compounds are a large class of secondary metabolites like apigenin that plants produce for various biologic functions. It has been shown with humans that a correlation exists between dietary phenolic intake and a reduced rate of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases.

The phenols found in cannabis overlap with terpenes and cannabinoids in their biological effects, also being anti-inflammatory, anticancer and neuroprotective.

General Cannabis Health Benefits

With the individual health benefits of cannabinoids, terpenes, and phenols illuminated its easy to see why cannabis is such a powerful healing herb. Cannabis can be used to reduce pain and inflammation in the body, calm and stabilize an overactive nervous system, reduce blood pressure, and improve digestion. Cannabis use has been linked to improvements in glaucoma (high interocular pressure which causes optic nerve damage), and in men may find the reduction in prolactin levels from cannabis use helpful for the treatment of reproductive issues like erectile dysfunction.

Because all the health benefits of cannabis are derived from the combination and synergism of its hundreds of different phytochemicals, the best way to use cannabis medicinally is to use the whole plant and alter it as little as possible before use. Cannabis bud can be dry vaporized which very efficiently extracts cannabinoids, terpenes, and some phenolics without combusting the plant material which creates 100+ carcinogenic compounds. Cannabis can also be cooked with oils like butter or coconut oil, which efficiently extracts cannabinoids and terpenes. More on how to use cannabis below, but first specific benefits cannabis has on the brain.

Cannabis Brain Benefits

Cannabis is a powerful nootropic and cognitive aid if used at the right doses. It’s a fine balance when it comes to cannabis usage, if cannabinoid concentrations are too low little effect should be expected, whereas if cannabis strains containing abundant THC are used in excess it causes neurocognitive problems. For example if cannabis is used early in life when the brain is still developing (<25 years old) cognitive developmental issues can result. Cannabis used too frequently causes memory issues and shrinks gray matter in the brain. Using cannabis with imbalanced cannabinoid ratios, such as too much THC and little to no CBD, can cause issues like anxiety and paranoia to occur. There is a more comprehensive section on the health and safety concerns of cannabis below, but I wanted to mention briefly this potential of cannabis to not be good for the brain in order to make it very clear that care and proper dosing must be taken in order to enjoy the beneficial effects of cannabis and mitigate the chance of any negative effects from occurring.

When using cannabis, especially high-THC cannabis, the general rule of thumb is to dose just a little until a beneficial effect is felt, and then the dose can be increased from there responsibly depending on the level of medication desired. So with that laid out let’s jump into the brain benefits of cannabis!

Cannabis is an anti-inflammatory and possess mild antioxidant activity which has been found to be able to protect neurons against oxidative stress. In areas that experience damage after an injury cannabis activates autophagy (cellular cleanup) and improves the mitochondrial efficiency of brain cells in general. Cannabis increases connectivity within the brain, specifically between the left and right hemispheres, which increases creativity and can help with ADHD.

Cannabis Brain Cell Regeneration

When present in the body before a traumatic brain injury, THC has a neuroprotective effect, providing impairment protection to the brain. Regular cannabis users show decreased cell mortality in the brain. Cannabinoid receptors when stimulated cause neuron progenitor cells to grow and divide, after which they migrate to different parts of the brain in a process called differentiation, changing into the type of brain cell needed at that time and location.

Cannabis and BDNF

Cannabis has the potential to prevent the negative health response from a stressful event. Stress-induced alterations that cannabis can prevent are anxiety, fear retrieval, alterations to locomotion, changes to social recognition memory, and decreases in BDNF levels in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) is a protein that helps maintain the process of neurogenesis, and it is necessary for normal neural development. Cannabis prevents the depressive and PTSD-like symptoms that follow the alterations in BDNF levels in the brain after a severe stressor occurs.

Cannabis Health and Safety Concerns

When cannabis is used too early in life and/or in chronic excess use it can cause health problems that are entirely avoidable. Cannabis has strong interactions with the nervous system, hormone system, brain, and heart, so care must be taken in using cannabis.

Too much high-THC cannabis used in a single setting can cause hallucinations, paranoia, anxiety, disorientation, and an increase in pain sensitivity. Impaired motor coordination, memory issues, and psychosis are also possible.

Chronic overuse of cannabis can be immunosuppressive, cause cholinergic defects, alters the hormone system causing dopamine deregulation, increases brain inflammation, and causes cognitive impairments in short and long term memory in addition to decreases in motivation and impairing decision making.

Cannabis used early in adolescence alters brain development and increases the risk of chronic psychosis disorders like schizophrenia.

Cannabis lowers blood pressure and increases heart rate, so cannabis should not be used if blood pressure levels are already low and if it will be too stressful on the heart to be elevated in heart rate for extended periods of time. Cannabis can increase heart rate by 5-20 beats per minute.

Cannabis Addiction

Cannabis isn’t addictive in the same way a chemical like nicotine is, but as a mild narcotic cannabis addiction can occur depending on an individual’s environment, lifestyle, personality traits, and brain development. With cannabinoids acting on so many different systems of the body, downregulation of various receptors, hormones, and neurotransmitters can occur which can be difficult to overcome, causing withdrawal symptoms that will need to be overcome if cannabis use is stopped cold turkey.

Cannabis Induced Psychosis

High doses of cannabis, specifically high doses of cannabis used across a long term, can induce psychosis, which is typically defined as some loss of contact with reality. People with psychosis have trouble determining what is real and what isn’t, and often hallucinate and/or are privy to strange delusions.

If you’re experiencing any of these effects from cannabis you should stop use immediately and seek the help of a medical professional.

How to Use Cannabis

There are so many ways cannabis can be used, and each method has its own particular strengths and weaknesses. Combining multiple methods together, say vaporizing cannabis while also taking a cannabis edible and applying a cannabis cream to parts of the body, is a powerful way to experience the full-body systemic effects of cannabis.

Cannabis Vaporization

Cannabinoids and terpenes reach their boiling point and vaporize into gases below the temperature of combustion of plant matter which is about 455 F (235 C). With a device that can very accurately heat up to specific sub-combustion temperatures, cannabinoids and terpenes can be efficiently vaporized out of dried cannabis flower along with some water vapor and absorbed quickly by the body upon inhalation.

By avoiding combustion and the 100+ carcinogens produced during combustion, dry vaporization of cannabis flower is a much healthier way to use cannabis and also more efficient, as the high temperatures of combustion destroy a high percentage of cannabinoids that are vaporized by the high temperatures. Dry vaporization of cannabis is my preferred way to use cannabis as it can be dosed very precisely, it’s easy on the lungs, and the effects are felt rapidly.

Healthy Rips sells a few different high-quality electronic vaporizer models that utilize heat convection and conduction to thoroughly extract all the cannabinoids and terpenes from cannabis flower, I recommend their Fury Edge vaporizer to anyone interested in incorperating cannabis into their herbal practice, or simply for those who wish to have a better high, save money, and avoid the health complications from the inhalation of smoke.

Cannabis Tea

Brewing a cannabis tea simply involves taking dried cannabis flower and steeping it in boiling water for 5-15 minutes. Since the water temperature won’t be hot enough to extract THC and other cannabinoids efficiently, cannabis tea is most often brewed with cheaper CBD-dominant hemp flower.

Cannabis tea has a sweet earthy and grassy taste, it’s a pleasant drink especially when mixed with a sweetener like honey and drinking cannabis tea promotes a general sense of ease and calm. Combine with other herbs as desired!

Cannabis Oil

Being fat-soluble lipids, cannabinoids and terpenes can be extracted quite easily from cannabis and turned into a condensed oil. Depending on the level of extraction, this can be a full-spectrum cannabis oil extract, or certain cannabinoids can be selected for, creating a CBD oil or a THC oil for example.

It is possible to extract cannabis oils oneself, but typically this is done in a laboratory setting and the cannabis oils are sold commercially. High-quality cannabis oils are CO2 extracted and are very highly concentrated, whereas low-quality cannabis oils use additives like propylene glycol and/or vitamin E acetate. If using cannabis oil for vaporization, only the highest quality extracts should be used in order to best avoid lung health problems, though I believe dry vaporization of cannabis flower is best and superior in effect due to the entourage effect.

Mountain Rose Herbs sells an organic hemp seed oil as well as an organic hemp essential oil, neither of which contain traceable quantities of THC or CBD but contain all the other health-promoting phytochemicals cannabis has to offer.

Cannabis Edibles

Homemade weed edibles are infamous for their varying strength and for their ability to blast an unsuspecting consumer off into another dimension. Following a strict scientific protocol when making a cannabis edible is the best way to ensure accurate milligram dosing of cannabinoids per serving and to avoid regrettable situations from happening in the first place.

Commercially available cannabis edibles often take the form of little cookies, brownies, or fruit gummies, with each unit clearly listing the amount of cannabinoids per serving. These edibles are made with extract cannabis oil, whereas a homemade cannabis edibles can be made using the whole bud, cannabis butter, or cannabis coconut oil.

Absorption of cannabinoids by the digestive track stands at about 6% and takes a much greater duration of time than if cannabis is smoked or vaporized. Great care should always be taken with cannabis edibles because it can take at least an hour before any effect is felt, and typically the full effect is felt by the two hour mark. Start with a low dose and only after 60-90 minutes should the dose be increased again slightly if desired.

Cannabis Combustion

The smoking of cannabis herb is the age old method of consuming the plant recreationally, medicinally, and spiritually.

One thing that a lot of people don’t realize when smoking cannabis rolled up into a joint or blunt is that the high-temperature smoke that is being generated from the end of the roll when drawn on passes through all the as-of-yet unburnt herb, vaporizing the cannabinoids and terpenes present there before final inhalation into the lungs. So even those who are combusting are actually vaporizing too, and it’s the vaporized cannabinoids that provide the greatest effect because they remain undamaged from the heat of combustion unlike the unfortunate cannabinoids present where the burning is occurring. This process also explains why the final few puffs of a joint is always so harsh, because most of the cannabinoids from the remaining herb have already been extracted and what’s left is mostly singed plant matter that easily burns but doesn’t have much more in the way of terpenes or cannabinoids to give.

If consuming cannabis via combustion it’s best to always use a filter and I also recommend having a throat soothing beverage handy like a herbal tea.

Cannabis Creams and Lotions

Cannabinoids are efficiently absorbed through the skin, and this makes cannabis-containing creams and lotions an excellent way to use cannabis for localized inflammation and pain-relief, for a generalized relaxing effect, for headaches, to sooth the gut, muscle aches and generalized fatigue, and so much more.

Cannabis creams and lotions are typically made with cannabis oil extracts and like edibles it takes longer to feel the effects of a cannabis lotion than it does when cannabis is smoked or vaporized, so when using apply a small responsible amount and wait 20-30 minutes before applying more for a stronger effect if desired.

Cannabinoid receptors are located in the sex organs, and high-THC cannabis creams applied to those areas are one way to stimulate arousal and increase pleasure during sexual activities.

References:

1. Malcom Stuart, et al. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Crescent Books, New York.

2. Andre CM, Hausman JF, Guerriero G. Cannabis sativa: the plant of the thousand and one molecules. Front Plant Sci. 2016;7.

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More Information on Cannabis

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Other Cognitive Enhancing Herbs

Chamomile

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated April 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Chamomile Quick Fact Sheet

Name:	Chamomile, Roman Chamomile, Linnaean - Chamaemelum nobile
Color:	Yellow-white flowers
Constituents:	Sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, coumarins, and polyacetylenes
Effect:	Relaxant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, improves digestion, stimulates appetite, promotes 8-12 Hz alpha brainwaves, relieves painful menstration
Preparation:	Dried flower heads can be brewed as a tea, essential oil can be used for aromatherapy, can be crushed into a poultice
Dosing:	0-5 grams for tea, 0-10 drops for aromatherapy
General Notes:	Chamomile influences the autonomic nervous system to promote parasympathetic (rest and digest) activity. Used in aromatherapy or ingested chamomile promotes endogenous 8-12 Hz brainwaves, which can be mildly stimulating or calming depending on current state of physiological arousal. Alpha brainwaves are calming in general. Overall a mild sedative with anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing effects.

What is Chamomile Flower?

Chamomile is one of the most ancient and well-known medicinal herbs known to mankind. The two most common varieties of chamomile are Chamomilla recutita (German Camomile, Hungarian Chamomile) and Chamaemelum nobile (Roman Chamomile), with a third lesser-used variety of chamomile being Cladanthus mixtus (Moroccan Chamomile). Chamomile is identified by its small white flower petals that surround its yellow center, and it’s the chamomile flower that’s used in herbal practices. Chamomile flowers contain a wide range of biologically active chemicals such as terpenes and flavonoids that have been shown to be health promotive.

Chamomile has many health uses, and the three main ways chamomile is prepared for medicinal use is it is steeped into a tea, its essential oils are extracted, or it is powdered and mixed into a poultice. Infusions and essential oils from fresh or dried flower heads have aromatic, flavoring, and coloring properties, and not all uses of chamomile are purely health-based. Chamomile tea is a natural hair lightening agent that also has the added benefit of moisturizing the scalp.

Chamomile Flower Benefits

While some herbs contain specific compounds that have very precise health effects, other herbs like chamomile, green tea, and dandelion have strong health benefits because they are packed with a variety of health-promoting phytochemicals like terpenes and flavonoids. As such chamomile has been shown to have a wide-range of health benefits which overlap, for example healing digestive issues may resolve ongoing skin inflammation. The following is a short list of chamomile’s many benefits which will then be elaborated on in greater detail in the Chamomile Health Benefits section of this article:

Chamomile is a herb with strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. These qualities are partly responsible for chamomile’s anti-cancer effects and its ability to induce apoptosis (cell death) in tumor cells while not affecting healthy cells. These antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects of chamomile also act beneficially on the blood by normalizing platelet clumping, lowering cholesterol (a consequence of lower circulatory system inflammation), promoting the growth of new blood vessels, and normalizing blood sugar levels. These effects make chamomile a very useful herb for people who have cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes which are leading causes of death worldwide.

Chamomile is also effective at reducing muscle spasms, calming anxieties, and reducing depression. Chamomile is a wonderful digestive aid, possessing antidiarrheal abilities by helping to normalize digestive motility while also helping regenerate gastrointestinal mucous linings which aids in nutrient absorption and reduces the ability for pathogenic organisms to enter into the bloodstream. Chamomile has also been shown to be liver protective and reduce the inflammation caused from alcohol consumption.

Chemical Constituents of Chamomile

Like most herbs, the deeper scientist’s delve into the chemistry of a common plant like chamomile the more unique compounds they find. In addition to the normal fatty acids, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that chamomile contains, approximately 120 secondary metabolites have been identified which include about 30 different terpenes and 35+ flavonoids. Among the flavonoids, apigenin and quercetin come in the greatest concentrations, and apigenin and quercetin are also the compounds with the most promising heath benefits. Flavonoids and phenolics are soluble in hot water and frequent consumption of chamomile tea effectively results in biologically relevant supplementation of these compounds.

In addition to its flavonoids chamomile is well known for its volatile oils, with steam distillation of chamomile flowers resulting in a 0.5-2% essential oil yield which is a combination of a variety of separate oils. The main constituents of chamomile essential oil include the terpenoids α-bisabolol and its oxides (≤78%), and the dark blue azulenes like chamazulene (1–15%). Chamomile oils range in color from a deep vibrant blue to dark green which after some time can turn into a dark yellow. It’s really quite spectacular seeing the blue color of chamomile essential oil.

Teas brewed from chamomile will extract about 10–15% of the essential oil available in the flower. Oil content of chamomile hasn’t been shown to differ greatly depending on how it’s grown (cultivated or wild), but wild growing chamomile has a wider variety of mineral elements while cultivated types have higher ratios of K/Na and Ca/Mg. Brewing chamomile tea will extract about 10-30% of the minerals present, with potassium, calcium, and magnesium being extracted the most.

Types of Chamomile Flower

Chamomile is not a single species of herb but instead the term given to a collection of very similar herbs that most notably include Roman Chamomile, German Chamomile, and Moroccan Chamomile. The applications of these different types of chamomile doesn’t differ much, but their historical uses differ because of how the different cultures that harvested them used them.

Chamaemelum nobile Uses (Roman Chamomile)

Roman chamomile is found widely throughout Europe as well as in North and South America. Some herbalist consider Roman chamomile to be the most effective type of chamomile, hence sometimes its higher price markup, but since the chemical constituents of the many chamomiles are different, it’s more likely that Roman chamomile isn’t necessarily better just more well known in how it can be used in herbal practices.

Roman chamomile has been used for thousands of years as a digestive aid, painkiller, and as a light sedative. Now Roman chamomile is a popular ingredient in skin and cosmetics products alongside its traditional herbal uses.

Matricaria recutita Benefits (German Chamomile)

German chamomile is as its name suggest found in throughout Germany as well as most of Europe. German chamomile contains more of the azulenes than Roman chamomile, and that’s why Matricaria recutita essential oil has a deep shade of blue. German chamomile is the most used type of chamomile now due to its widespread cultivation and lower cost.

German chamomile when used medicinally is most often brewed into a tea which can be used to treat gastrointestinal problems, reduce cramps from the menstrual cycle, reduce pain and inflammation, and in general calm down the nervous system.

Cladanthus mixtus Benefits (Moroccan Chamomile)

Moroccan chamomile is mostly found in the North African counties of Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia, growing only sparingly in parts of the Mediterranean. Moroccan chamomile is a distinctly different type of chamomile, some herbalists consider it to be a false chamomile (though its flowers are remarkably the same as the other chamomiles), and state that it should not be used as a substitute for Roman or German chamomile because its chemical composition is different.

That said like the other chamomiles Moroccan chamomile is used for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects, as a digestive aid, for its ability to calm and soothe the central nervous system, and to help with skin issues.

Chamomile Health Benefits

Chamomile has a wide variety of health benefits, a common attribute of herbs that have been used extensively & safely for thousands of years. Through it’s calming effects, chamomile increases parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system activity, which helps with nervous system issues such as anxiety and insomnia while also helping soothe digestive processes. The natural anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial powers of chamomile further help to ensure good digestion, and with good digestion comes a lessening of systemic inflammation of the body, thereby reducing skin issues as well as cardiovascular and cancer health concerns. The actions of chamomile in one way highlight the interconnectedness of the body and how one system out-of-balance like the nervous system places stress on other bodily systems (digestion, circulatory, etc). Below are the specific health benefits of chamomile:

Chamomile Improves Digestion

• Chamomile increases parasympathetic activity which normalizes the flow of digestion (motility)

• Chamomile increases gastrointestinal mucous production which improves the digestion of food while also reducing pathogenic attack vectors

• Chamomile reduces gas, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, and constipation through its improvements to gut motility

• Chamomile can be used to treat motion sickness, nausea, and vomiting

• As an anti-inflammatory chamomile can be used to help heal the epithelial tight junctions of the gut (increased mucous production helps with this too)

Chamomile for Treatment of Skin Conditions

• As an strong anti-inflammatory chamomile can be applied directly as a poultice to inflammation-based skin issues such as rashes, acne, chicken pox, psoriasis, and eczema

• Chamomile tea can be used to sooth and moisturize dried skin anywhere on the body as well as a flakey scalp

• Chamomile essential oil is a useful spot treatment for conditions such as acne because of its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.

Chamomile Calms the Nervous System

• Chamomile tea is calming and helps shift the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic (fight or flight) to parasympathetic nervous system activity (rest and digest)

• Chamomile reduces depression, anxiety, hysteria, and insomnia

• Chamomile tea improves sleep quality and can reduce instances of nightmares

• Chamomile reduces muscles spasms

Chamomile Fights Cancer

• Chamomile inhibits the growth of many different cancer tumors while not affecting the growth of healthy cells

• Similarly chamomile increases apoptosis (programmed cell death) for cancer cells while not affecting healthy cells

• As a general anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial chamomile can help restore to balance the normal functions of the body, which makes cancer less likely to occur in the first place.

Chamomile for Cardiovascular Health

• Chamomile reduces undesirable platelet clumping in a manner similar to grounding, which improves blood flow and oxygen transport.

• Chamomile lowers LDL cholesterol because it reduces overall inflammation throughout the body

• Chamomile improves blood glucose levels, especially for diabetics

• Chamomile can spur the creation of new blood vessels

Chamomile Healing Properties

For an acute digestive or skin flare-up chamomile can be used right away to help with the problem. For chronic digestive and/or skin issues chamomile should be used consistently for best effect. Chamomile is a general health booster and good to use/have every now and then for preventative health reasons. For sleep, depression, and anxiety issues chamomile should be used daily, as it should also be used if part of a cancer-fighting effort.

Chamomile Homeopathy

Homeopathy is an alternative medical practice that operates off two main principles: that health problems are best treated with herbs/drugs that also trigger the same dysfunctional pathways highlighted by the problem (like cures like), and that medicines are most effective when used at a “minimum effective dose”

Herbs are a popular component of homeopathic care because they tend to work slowly and with minimal side effects. For homeopathy chamomile is extracted and then diluted to a very low concentration. The enduring popularity of homeopathy for hundreds of years gives us a clue that something about it works, but the exact reasons why haven’t been conclusively identified.

One theory is that herbs which undergo extraction produce nanometer structures which remain intake even after high dilution, and these nanostructures interact with electromagnetic fields like the Schumann resonances to influence beneficial changes at the DNA and cellular level, causing positive health effects. This is by no means conclusively proven but I mention it here as a launching point for further research for the curious (see reference 5).

Chamomile Extract

This extract is made in small batches from fresh organic German chamomile flowers. The extract has a mild flavor and a floral, fruity taste. It can be taken directly or added to any drink.

Having a chamomile extract is an easy way to enjoy the full-body benefits of chamomile while on the go without the added steps required of brewing tea.

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Chamomile Essential Oil

Chamomile essential oil is a very useful way to keep chamomile on hand and ready at a moments notice. Chamomile essential oil is wonderful when used for aromatherapy, either to help calm down and relax, or with a diffuser just because it smells nice. Chamomile essential oil can also be applied directly to parts of the body to lessen inflammation, as an antimicrobial, or for localized calming and pain reducing effects.

My personal favorite way of using chamomile essential oil is to apply it to my forehead, temples, and to the back of my neck before I go to sleep. By doing this I get the aroma-therapeutic effect of chamomile but also it directly targets parts of the brain (frontal lobe, hippocampus, cerebellum) that are partly responsible for thinking and autonomic nervous system activity, helping me to calm down and fall asleep nearly instantly.

I also use chamomile essential oil to moisture the ends of my hair when things get a bit dried out. Unlike other essential oils which I feel are too greasy, chamomile essential oil is quite “soft” and absorbs nicely into the hair. More on how chamomile can used for hair later.

Chamomile Lotion

Many commercial lotions now contain a small amount of chamomile, but some with many undesirable compounds. For best effect chamomile lotion can be made at home by mixing chamomile essential oil with a carrier oil, butter, or lotion. As part of a lotion, chamomile will amplify the moisturizing properties by reducing any inflammation that may be present, soothing the skin in the process.

The chamomile lotion I’ve made is very simple, I mix a few drops of chamomile essential oil with a tsp of chia seed oil and apply where needed. Chia seed oil is highly nourishing and has a lot of omega-3 fatty acids which are useful for the skin. You can also add other essential oils such as lavender to a carrier oil alongside chamomile essential oil to create a moisturizing, relaxing, pain-soothing blend.

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Mountain Rose Herbs Chamomile Essential Oils

Mountain Rose Herbs is my go-to supplier of essential oils, and they carry all three types of chamomile essential oil (Roman, German, Moroccan). Try all three to discover their subtle differences, or choose which one resonates with you the most.

Blue Chamomile Essential Oil

This organic blue chamomile essential oil is steam distilled from Matricaria recutita flowers. It has a deep blue hue from the high concentrations of azulene released during distillation.

This is my personal go-to chamomile essential oil because of it’s high quality, fair price point, and high concentrations of azulene.

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Roman Chamomile Essential Oil

This organic Roman chamomile essential oil is steam distilled from the flowers of Anthemis nobilis. It has a light, bright scent with notes of honey and apple.

With less color it is better used in perfumes than the blue chamomile essential oil.

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Moroccan Chamomile Essential Oil

This organic Moroccan chamomile essential oil is steam distilled from the flowers of Omenis mixta.

Moroccan chamomile is considered by some not to be a “true” chamomile, but it hails from the same family and even though its chemical composition is notably different it has very similar health effects as both Roman and German chamomile.

What is Chamomile Tea Good For?

The most popular way to use chamomile is to brew it into a tea, and chamomile tea has a wide variety of uses. Chamomile tea is the best way to utilize chamomile for improving digestion, and chamomile tea has a more full-body effect in calming the nervous system down than chamomile essential oil does (unless applied very liberally).

I drink chamomile tea often as an all-in-one health solution, and often as part of a tea blend. A cup or two of chamomile tea after dinner will improve the digestion of the meal, get the body and mind into a more relaxed state, and with regular consumption will help with any ongoing skin issues like acne that may be present. Chamomile tea is also nice in the morning, though I prefer green tea then, and mixing green tea and chamomile is interesting because it really puts you into a flow state because the combination will strongly activate 8-12 Hz alpha brainwaves.

Brewing chamomile tea is easy, simply steep chamomile flowers with 70-100 C water for 5-15 minutes. Chamomile is a very sweet herb and doesn’t easily steep bitter, so I recommend steeping it for longer and with a higher temperature water in order to extract more of the beneficial active constituents present. If it does taste slightly bitter afterwards simply add some honey. If you want to stop some of the extracted essential oils from vaporizing away during the steeping process then cover the container with a lid.

Chamomile Hair Lightening

Chamomile tea also makes for a nice natural hair lightener. Bring a large container of water to a boil and add a lot of chamomile flowers or chamomile tea bags and let steep for 30-60 minutes. Remove the flowers or tea bags and once the water is cool either rinse your hair with the strong chamomile tea or better yet let your hair soak in the container for 30-60 minutes. Adding some honey to the tea enhances the lightening and moisturizing process.

You can rinse your hair afterwards with water or simply let your hair air dry which allows the active constituents of the chamomile to further nourish your hair and scalp.

Mountain Rose Herbs Chamomile Flowers

Grown in Croatia these organic Matricaria recutita flowers are harvested at the peak of freshness. Steeping chamomile flowers into tea is very simple, it just requires a tea infuser or a tea spoon.

Brewing whole organic chamomile flowers like these is much more cost-effective than buying chamomile tea-bags at the store, the flowers will be much less oxidized because they won’t have been chopped up, and therefore more of the beneficial active ingredients will be extracted out.

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Chamomile Tea Side Effects

Chamomile tea has a long history of safe usage and is extremely safe. One thing to be aware of with chamomile is that it may trigger an allergic reaction for an existing ragweed allergy

Additionally since chamomile does reduce platelet clumping, care should be taken with chamomile if already using a blood thinner.

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References:

1. Malcom Stuart, et al. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Crescent Books, New York.

2. McKay DL, Blumberg JB. A Review of the bioactivity and potential health benefits of chamomile tea (Matricaria recutita L.). Phytother Res. 2006;20(7):519-530.

3. Miraj S, Alesaeidi S. A systematic review study of therapeutic effects of Matricaria recuitta chamomile (Chamomile). Electron physician. 2016;8(9):3024-3031.

4. Gupta. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with a bright future (Review). Mol Med Rep. 2010;3(6).

5. Montagnier L, Aissa J, Giudice ED, Lavallee C, Tedeschi A, Vitiello G. DNA waves and water. J Phys: Conf Ser. 2011;306:012007.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Other Anti-Inflammatory Herbs

Dandelion

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated April 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Dandelion Quick Fact Sheet

Name:	Dandelion, Linnaean - Taraxacum officinale
Color:	Yellow flowers, green leaves, whiteish-tan to brown roots
Constituents:	Taraxacin, taraxerin, taraxerol, taraxasterol, polyphenols, carotenoids, xanthophylls, flavoxanthin, inulin, sterols, terpenes
Effect:	Blood purifier, improves digestion (diuretic in high doses), anti-inflammatory,
Preparation:	Flowers and leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. The roots can be shredded or powdered for use in tea or for supplementation.
Dosing:	1-3 grams of root for tea, 1-10 grams of root powder for supplementation purposes
General Notes:	Dandelion flowers and leaves contain abundant levels of calcium. Dandelion root can be used as a coffee substitute. All parts of the plant are safe to use in large amounts.

What is Dandelion?

With flowers like honey, leaves like lettuce, and roots like coffee it’s no wonder that dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) are immensely popular despite being considered only as a weed by many uneducated. Dandelion is an entirely edible wildflower whose roots, leaves, and flowers have been used as different food and herbal products, and medicinally in herbalism practices for thousands of years. Its long history as a folk remedy is now supported by modern scientific research that has taken place looking into the unique phytochemistry and health benefits of dandelion.

Dandelion in Ayurveda

In Ayurveda it is said that food is medicine, and the humble dandelion is an excellent example of this truth, being both a common food around the world while also being a premiere detoxifing herbal medicine.

In Ayurveda dandelions are recommended for reducing kapha in the body when transitioning from the winter to spring season, and the appearance of blooming dandelions during that early spring period aligns with this advice. In Ayurveda kapha is one of the three functional energies of nature, made of primarily earth and water elements. The nature of kapha energy is slow, heavy, smooth, oily, and stable. Kapha-rich foods provide warmth, stability, and comfort during cold winter months but kapha brings with it a certain dullness. Dandelion is used in Ayurveda at the beginning of spring to reduce excess kapha energy accumulated during the winter months and to promote the higher frequency vitality that is of benefit during winter and spring.

Dandelion Identification

Dandelion is widely distributed in the warmer temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere and are found on all the continents except Antarctica. Dandelions were first brought to North America on the 1620 Mayflower voyage from Britain to Massachusetts.

The oblong 3-10” (7.5-25 cm) long leaves of a mature dandelion plant grow in a basal rosette. The leaves have a few hairs and have widely-spaced teeth that point towards the base of the plant. Dandelions have a thick fleshy taproot that is easily broken. All parts of the plant exude a milky sap when cut. A yellow dandelion flower is not a single flower but instead a composite flower head composed of many very small florets.

Dandelion Cultivation

Dandelions are easily cultivated and require very little attention once established. To grow dandelions grow in your area then harvest some dandelion seedheads and blow the seeds (and make a wish!) out over where you want the dandelions to start growing. Alternatively instead of finding dandelion seedheads to harvest you can purchase dandelion seeds from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Taraxacum officinale in the garden is highly beneficial because their deep tap roots draw water and nutrients up from soil layers inaccessible to many other plants. If harvesting from a plant pull no more than half of its leaves and/or flowers, or if digging dandelions up by the root then harvest no more than 50% of all the dandelions in an area in order to maintain a healthy stable population. If the taproot is broken during harvesting and a segment remains stuck in the ground leave it and consider it a good thing because a dandelion can regrow easily from its broken roots.

The longer a dandelion is left to grow without harvesting the bigger and more dominant it’ll become. In my garden I have a few especially large dandelions that I never harvest from so they may always function for the benefit of the garden, soil microbiome, and for continuously dandelion seeding. Dandelions are a vital source of nectar for pollinators throughout the year but especially during early spring time.

Harvesting Dandelion

Dandelion is a hardy and very adaptable wildflower than can grow in a wide variety of environments, and for this reason it’s important to be careful in sourcing dandelion from reputable sources. Dandelions can grow, even thrive, in areas contaminated with waste, and their efficient and deep taproots can draw toxins out of the soil and into their roots. Care should be taken to only wild harvest dandelions from uncontaminated areas. For example, dandelions growing along the side of a road where pollution levels are higher, or dandelions growing in a field sprayed with pesticides, should not be consumed.

The phytochemical composition of dandelion depends on the season in which it is gathered and the time of day it is harvested. Inulin content in dandelion roots is determined by the degree of conversion of inulin to laevulose and other sugars, which is ~2% during spring to ~40% in fall. Sesquiterpene is one compound that imparts a bitter taste to dandelion leaves and roots, and it’s present at greater concentrations when dandelion is harvested in the spring. Concentrations of methyl sterols are highest during the winter months, whereas sitosterol and cycloartenol esters levels are greatest during periods of sunshine of which there is more of during the summer months. The science of when to harvest dandelion to boost what health effect is still being discovered, so if using dandelion yourself as part of an herbal practice I recommend harvesting dandelions at different parts of the year, labeling the conditions under which they were harvested, and making your own observations as to the differences.

Dandelion Health Benefits

Raw dandelion greens contain high amounts of vitamins A, C, and K, contain abundant potassium, and are moderate sources of calcium, iron, and manganese. Dandelion is also one of the richest green-vegetable sources of beta-carotene (which is converted to vitamin A by the body). Dandelions also contain a variety of phytochemicals such as lactones, terpenoids, polysaccharides, phenylpropanoids, phenolic compounds, and inulin.

Modern scientific research as it is known to do is splitting apart and examining the biochemical effects of the many phytochemicals that dandelion has, which is useful to understand very precisely what phytochemical has what effect. This approach has its limits though, and with new compounds being discovered continuously it is more practical to understand the health benefits of dandelion from a holistic “whole-herb” viewpoint.

Taraxacum officinale benefits

Of all of dandelions many health effects what’s best established is that consuming dandelion has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body. It’s dandelion’s anti-inflammatory properties that are chiefly responsible for its many cardiovascular, metabolic, immunity, digestive, anti-cancer, and liver protective health benefits.

Dandelion Health Uses

Dandelion’s health benefits provide it many health uses, and the way some of it’s health benefits overlap in effects allow dandelion to be useful for common health conditions which exist downstream of the beneficial changes dandelion causes in the body, for example with skin issues. When discussing the health uses of dandelion, in general it is dandelion root that is most commonly given herbally.

Dandelion for Pain

Possessing many strong antioxidant compounds and overall being a strong anti-inflammatory, the entire dandelion plant is useful for reducing pain throughout the body, and may even work to heal the root issues causing the pain. Acute pain may require a large dosage whereas chronic pain might be eased with a lower daily dose of dandelion in the form of tea or root powder.

Dandelion is a Cardiovascular and Metabolism Aid

Dandelion improves blood cholesterol values, adapts fat metabolism towards optimal, improves blood glucose parameters, inhibits excessive platelet aggregation and reduces risk from thrombosis and other blood coagulation disorders. In general dandelion is considered a blood purifier, and by detoxifying and improving blood parameters it improves the efficiency of the heart which reduces risk from cardiovascular disease.

Dandelion has Anti-Cancer Properties

Dandelion inhibits the growth of cancer cells through anti-tumor actions, is cytotoxic to mature cancer cells and induces them to undergo apoptosis (cellular death), is immunostimulatory, and does all this while displaying no toxicity to healthy cells. Dandelion might not cure cancer on its own, but taken alongside traditional cancer treatment will improves chances of successful elimination of cancer without causing any new side effects (and more likely ameliorating to a degree the side effects of common cancer drugs and therapies).

Dandelion is a Digestive Aid and Diuretic

Dandelion reduces constipation, diarrhea, and intestinal cramping, increases thickness of the mucosal lining of the digestion system, heals gastric ulcers, increases bile production (an aid to fat utilization), stimulates healthy appetite, and possesses antimicrobial properties.

One of the root causes of many digestive ailments is the lack of mucous production sufficient to coat and protect the epithelial linings of the gastrointestinal system. Mucous is the first line of defense against the trillions and trillions of microorganisms that live in the gut, and if mucosal linings are thin then microorganisms can colonize directly on the outer digestive cellular surface, creating an inflammatory burden and stressing the capabilities of the immune system. These biofilms as they are known are difficult to dissolve/dislodge, and biofilms are one reason why many digestive issues flair back up after seeming to go away after a gut healing protocol like a 48 hour fast. By stimulating mucous production while also possessing antibacterial and immune-boosting properties, dandelion packs a one two three punch against biofilms which are a main contributor to many digestive issues. Dandelion tea taken 1-2x time a day is best for healing the digestive system.

Dandelion for Kidney Issues

Dandelion may prevent and help with the treatment of kidney stones at moderate to high dosages. Kidney stones are typically made of a mineral known as calcium oxalate. Direct supplementation of calcium can cause an slight increased chance of kidney stones, but a much bigger risk factor in developing kidney stones is a diet low in calcium. When calcium levels are low, oxalate circulates in the bloodstream at greater concentrations, and much of this oxalate eventually will wind up in urine where it is 15x more likely to precipitate calcium oxalate crystals as compared to calcium concentrations in urine.

Dandelions reduce the risk of kidney stones not only because of the effect some of its phytochemicals have on the renal system, but also because dandelion is a rich source of calcium which if consumed regularly will reduce the chance of experiencing low calcium levels.

Dandelion for Liver Issues

Dandelion modulates liver enzymes, protects against alcoholic liver damage, and is an anti-fibrotic agent for hepatic disorders like liver fibrosis. When dandelion is a regular part of the diet, supplemented directly with, or consumed often as a tea, it has a general protective effect on the liver.

The liver is the bodies master detoxifier next to the kidneys, and supporting the liver in these efforts can prevent to buildup of cellular stress and waste products which can lead to health problems from minor to serious. Being mindful of liver health is a necessary requirement for good health and longevity.

Dandelion Uses for Skin

Dandelion’s antimicrobial, cholesterol improving, blood glucose optimizing, coagulation reducing, immune boosting, and general anti-inflammatory effects demonstrate that dandelion is a first class “blood purifier”. The skin is the largest organ and since it covers so much surface area and is exposed to the outside environment, the skin is a tidy detoxification pathway. Skin inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis and eczema, or more common skin issues like acne are caused by autoimmune and immune reactions to microorganisms respectively.

As a blood purifier dandelion will reduce the use of the skin detoxification pathway because the issue (autoimmunity, excess bacteria) will be reduced in the body and better controlled, thereby not requiring skin detoxification to occur in the first place. For dandelion to work best for skin conditions, it should be eaten or supplemented with daily, and for serious skin issues a dandelion poultice from any part of the plant can be made and applied directly to the area of concern.

Other Dandelion Root Benefits

Some other benefits of dandelion root is that it is an adaptogen for the endocrine system, especially for female hormone disorders as it increases estrogen receptor expression, progesterone receptor expression, and follicle stimulating hormone receptor expression in adipose tissue and reproductive organs.

Through its blood purifying actions and the large surface area of blood vessels in the lungs, dandelion has proven useful in treating inflammatory lung conditions.

Note: Much of the research into dandelion showing these benefits has been done using animal models and therefore hasn’t been directly confirmed for humans.

Dandelion Food Products

Being a ubiquitous and plentiful herb in parts of the world (especially Europe where few dangerous pesticides are used to eliminate them), and being completely edible has led to the creation of many different dandelion foods, some being just raw parts of the plant while others are derivatives.

*Dandelion root and leaf products for purchase are listed at the end of this article.

Dandelion Flowers

Dandelion flowers can be eaten raw and are quite nice enjoyed this way. They have quite a sweet flavor but if left in the palate that sweetness will eventually turn bitter. Eat dandelion flowers by themselves as an occasional treat or add them as a salad topper for flavor and color.

I like eating dandelion flowers raw because they are high in calcium and therefore are good for the teeth. Since dandelions grow fairly ubiquitously, if a patch of happy dandelions is found growing in a good spot, picking a few and leaving a majority makes for a healthy enamel-building snack while out and about.

Dandelion Leaves

Like the flowers dandelion leaves can be eaten raw, though it’s also common to eat them steamed or sautéed. Dandelion greens are nutty and earthy in flavor but can be quite bitter. Dandelion leaves can be made less bitter through blanching, first boiling them in salty water for 1-2 minutes and then immersing them in ice water for 30 seconds.

Dandelion leaves make a great addition to a leafy green salad when added in a minimal amount so their bitterness isn’t overwhelming and the natural earthiness instead comes out. Smaller younger dandelion leaves are less bitter than larger more mature leaves.

Dandelion Tea

Dandelion tea is one of the primary ways to enjoy the heath and herbal benefits of dandelion. Dandelion tea can be made from all three parts of the plant, though it’s typically the root that is steeped. For a full extract dandelion tea steep dried dandelion root, dried dandelion leaves, and fresh dandelion blossoms all together.

The strength of a dandelion tea is determined by the water temperature used and the length of time it is steeped for. A light dandelion tea can be made by steeping dandelion root for 5-8 minutes with 170 F (75 C) water. A more potent dandelion tea more specifically used for health and herbal reasons can be made by steeping dandelion flowers, dried leaves, and dried root for 15 minutes using boiling water.

A water-based dandelion extract can be made by simmering dried dandelion root for 30-90 minutes. Though dandelion is non-toxic, this extract will be quite bitter and is best used for specific health and wellness endeavors (for example as a strong blood purifying agent)

Dandelion Jelly

One unique way to enjoy dandelions is to make a jelly from dandelion flower blossoms. Pick a 4 cups worth of dandelion flowers and remove all stems and green parts from the flower heads. Bring 4 cups of spring water to a boil and pour over the flowers, steeping them until the water is room temperature.

Once cool strain and press the mixture to extract as much rich dandelion tea as possible. In a pot bring the dandelion tea, 2 tbsp of lemon juice, and half a packet of pectin (1/4 cup & 1.5 tsp) to a boil. Stir in 4 cups of sugar and boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before pouring the jelly mixture into airtight canning jars. Let the jelly rest in the refrigerator until set, about 4 hours.

Dandelion Coffee

Roasted and ground dandelion root can be used as a caffeine-free coffee alternative because it has a similar appearance and taste to coffee. For those looking to perform a caffeine tolerance reset, or for those traveling through the bush like hunters who want an easy to identify and produce early morning drink, dandelion coffee is a good alternative to coffee to enjoy. Dandelion coffee has the benefit of being high in many vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals and is a detoxifier as well as a diuretic.

Dandelion Wine

Dandelion wine is made dandelion flower blossoms like dandelion jelly except the strong dandelion tea that is made is fermented instead of jellied. Dandelion wine has a moderate alcohol content and has been produced mostly non-commercially as a “cheap man’s wine” in Europe and North America. The general rule of thumb is one gallon of dandelion flowers will produce one gallon of dandelion wine.

Dandelion wine has many of the health benefits that other dandelion preparations have, specifically it’s a useful digestive aid that can be used to restore normal digestive function which also cleanses the microbiome (due to the alcohol content) of pathogenic microorganisms.

Is Dandelion Safe?

Dandelion is one of the safest herbs known to man. The entire plant is non-toxic and it has a long history of use in large doses.

The biggest concern with the safety of dandelion is not the plant itself but whether the plant has absorbed contamination like heavy metals from waste areas. Since dandelions can grow in conditions many other plants can’t tolerate, they can be growing in environments where they’re best left undisturbed and unharvested. Dandelions growing in waste areas detoxify and remediate the soil and are best left to that noble task.

Dandelion Dosing

Dandelion is entirely non-toxic and is useful and well-tolerated in large doses. Dandelion flowers and leaves can be consumed in large amounts similar to typical servings for leafy greens like spinach and kale, whereas dandelion root powder is often supplemented with in the 1-10 gram range.

To brew a typical cup of dandelion tea steep 1-3 grams of dandelion root in boiling water for 5-8 minutes. Serve with honey to cut the bitterness.

Brew dandelion coffee the same as you would with regular coffee. Roasted dandelion root can be combined with chaga mushroom (another coffee substitute) to create a dandelion chaga coffee substitute, which has even more beneficial health effects. Or combine coffee, roasted dandelion root, and chaga together!

Where to Buy Dandelion?

Dandelion products are available from many different suppliers, and the supplier I trust and keep returning too is Mountain Rose Herbs. Mountain Rose Herbs offers a wide range of organic herbs, spices, essential oils, and so much more. All of their dandelion products are USDA organic certified.

Dandelion Root

This dandelion root is harvested in autumn when its inulin content is highest. Dandelion root finely chopped in this way is great for steeping into a tea, I recommend buying double what you think you need because in my experience I end up using dandelion root much faster than expected.

Roasted Dandelion Root is a good caffeine-free coffee alternative.

Dandelion Root Extract absorbs quickly and powerfully into the bloodstream when taken sublingually.

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Dandelion Root Powder

Powdered dandelion root is useful for taking as a raw full-spectrum supplement.

Roasted Dandelion Root Powder has a stronger earthy flavor than the unroasted powder, try both to see which you prefer!

Dandelion Root Capsules make supplementing with dandelion root easy and convenient, either at home or on the go.

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Dandelion Leaf

These dandelion leaves are collected before flowering occurs. Dandelion leaves have different phytochemical ratios than dandelion root. Steep dandelion leaf and root together for a tea which holistically contains the benefits of the full plant.

References:

1. Malcom Stuart, et al. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Crescent Books, New York.

2. González-Castejón M, Visioli F, Rodriguez-Casado A. Diverse biological activities of dandelion. Nutrition Reviews. 2012;70(9):534-547.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Other Herbs for Digestion

Ashwagandha

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated April 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Ashwagandha roots - CC4.0 Piyush Kothari

Ashwagandha Quick Fact Sheet

Name:	Ashwagandha, Indian Ginseng, Linnaean - Withania somnifera
Color:	Green leaves, red berries, tan rhizomes and roots
Constituents:	steroidal lactones (withanolides, withaferins), saponins, alkaloids
Effect:	Endocrine adaptogen, stress adaptogen, reduces anxiety, anti-inflammatory, performance booster, aphrodisiac, anti-parasitic, enhances vitality, neuroprotective
Preparation:	The root is the part most commonly used, followed by the leaves. Both can be ground into a powder for use or extracted into a tincture
Dosing:	300–600 mg of a root extract taken with meals. Doses in the 2-5 gram range of raw root powder daily may raise testosterone levels and increase male fertility.
General Notes:	Ashwagandha is one of the best known herbal adaptogens because it works on so many different levels, from reducing stress and anxiety to balancing hormone levels to optimal function. Has anti-inflammatory effects which make it useful for digestive, immune, and cognitive optimization. Ashwagandha is a very revered herb in the Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine

What is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a small evergreen shrub that produces berries and is therefore sometimes known as “Indian Winter Berry”. The roots, leaves, flowers, and seeds all have medicinal uses, though it’s the roots that are most commonly used in herbal medicine practices. The word ashwagandha means “odor of a horse” and this name was given to Withania Somnifera because the roots have a smell similar to that of a sweaty horse, and it’s also believed that consuming ashwagandha gives one the power of a horse. The name is well deserved because Ashwagandha is a powerful tonic, aphrodisiac, thermogenic, and stimulant in addition to having pain-relieving, digestive healing, and anti-parasitic properties. Ashwagandha also has powerful neurologic benefits and is increasingly being used in the treatment of various brain disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease or lesser ailments like depression and anxiety. Because of its wide range of uses, ashwagandha is well known as an adaptogen which can be used medicinally to treat acute or chronic health problems, and it can also be used preventatively or simply to boost health and function beyond normal.

Cultivation of Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is cultivated in north-western and central parts of India and it is also found in Nepal, China, and Yemen. Ashwagandha is most commonly found growing in semi-tropical regions 1500 meters above sea level which receive 50-80 cm of annual rainfall. It grows best in sandy loam or light red soil, in partial shade, and in a 20 to 38 C temperature range.

Ashwagandha in Ayurveda

In the ancient Ayurvedic system of medicine, ashwagandha is classified first as a “rasayana” which means tonic, and is further classified as a medhyarasayana, medhya referring to the mind and intellect. Ashwagandha has the most prestige among the different rasayanas in Ayurveda because of its many effective medicinal uses. As a tonic ashwagandha is given to guard and defend against disease, to slow the aging process and rejuvenate the body, and to improve intellect and memory capabilities. Ashwagandha is most effective as a medhyarasayana following head injuries, in old age, or for children with cognitive disorders.

Ashwagandha is most commonly available as a finely milled and sieved “churna” powder produced from the roots which can be mixed with water, ghee, or honey. Often prescribed for Vata imbalances. Ashwagandha is one of the most important herbs in Ayurveda, broadly known to promote a youthful state of physical and mental health expanding overall happiness.

Ashwagandha in Other Herbal Medicinal Systems

Ashwagandha also holds a place of importance in other ancient systems of medicine in the Asian and African regions. In Traditional Chinese Medicine ashwagandha is used to balance “Qi” life force energy and is categorized as a Qi tonic. In the Tibetan System of Medicine ashwagandha is used in the treatment of respiratory disorders, to aid the functions of the liver, to strengthen the body, and to maintain heboglobin levels. In parts of Africa the leaves of Withania somnifera are used as a dressing for infections and inflammations. Finely powdered ashwagandha root is mixed with animal fat and applied as an ointment for sores and abscesses. In the Zulu culture ashwagandha is used to protect people from sorcery.

Ashwagandha Health Benefits

Ashwagandha is a powerful adaptogen that has many beneficial health effects thanks to its many (35+) unique chemical constituents. The most active of these components are:

1. Alkaloids | Functions: Improves energy metabolism and cell to cell signaling, neuroprotective, boosts immunity

2. Lactones (withanolides, withaferins) | Functions: Suppresses oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory, inhibits lipid peroxidation, neuroregenerative. Steroidal lactones are an important component of cell membranes and of steroid signaling molecules

3. Saponins | Functions: Anti-tumor & anti-cancer, radiation protection, boosts immunity

Together these phytonutrients broadly influence the function of the cognitive, immune, metabolic, digestive, and reproductive systems providing the following benefits:

Cognitive Benefits of Ashwagandha

• Ashwagandha leaf and root extracts reduce symptoms of anxiety, comparable to pharmaceutical drugs

• Ashwagandha inhibits nerve cells from over firing

• Slows, stops, and even reverses neural decay by promoting the growth of new neurons and by creating new synaptic connections

• Comparable to pharmaceutical drugs in reducing symptoms of depression, stabilizes mood

• Normalizes dopamine levels to normal, increasing dopamine levels in those suffering from Parkinson’s disease

• Intensifies acetylcholine, glutathione, and secretase enzyme activity

• Inhibits the production of amyloid beta plaques in those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease

• Helps to reverse addiction through its balancing actions on neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin

Digestive Benefits of Ashwagandha

• Has a strong effect in preventing and healing stress-induced gastric ulcers

• Helps reduce flatulence and stimulates digestive action

• Has anti-parasitic properties and can clear worms from the digestive system, especially true for ashwagandha seeds

Immune System Benefits of Ashwagandha

• Modulates white blood cell counts back to normal ranges if overly elevated or suppressed

• Has a powerful anti-cancer effect, synergizing well with chemotherapy and radiation therapies while also reducing their side effects.

• Inhibits and reduces the growth of tumors

• Possesses antibacterial properties
  

Metabolic and Endurance Benefits of Ashwagandha

• Improves stamina quite notably and reduces the stress experienced from endurance events when taken beforehand

• Improves mitochondrial function through modulation of various cellular pathways

• Improves metabolism and is mildly anabolic, increasing body weight (likely by increasing lean body mass)
  

Hormonal Benefits of Ashwagandha

• Has evidence of boosting male testosterone levels by around 15% if levels are suboptimal

• Has an aphrodisiac effect for some men and women

• Reduces cortisol and Vitamin C depletion in the adrenal glands after endurance events, preventing adrenal fatigue

• Many of the cognitive benefits of ashwagandha come from its stabilizing effects on the brain’s endocrine glands

Anti-Inflammatory Benefits of Ashwagandha

• Helpful for fever and painful swellings

• Applied topically ashwagandha is useful for skin inflammatory conditions such as pimples, boils, sores, etc

• Has anti-arthritic effects and reduces joint pain

• Ashwagandha contains many powerful antioxidants which neutralize destructive free radicals

Note: Much of the research into ashwagandha showing these benefits has been done using animal models and therefore hasn’t been directly confirmed for humans.

What is Ashwagandha Good For?

As an adaptogen ashwagandha has many uses, and in the different ancient systems of medicine such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine the list of its uses is nearly endless. Classifying ashwagandha as a tonic is probably the best summarization of its many health benefits as a result. In general ashwagandha is good for increasing vitality and energy while promoting balance to many of the bodies different systems (immune, digestive, metabolic, neurologic, etc).

While not new to other cultures outside India and China, ashwagandha is increasingly being discovered by people around the world who are seeking natural treatment options for mental health conditions, by men who want to boost their testosterone levels, or by women who want a natural and safe aphrodisiac. Ashwagandha is a good “introduction” to the practice of herbalism because as an adaptogen the positive health changes it brings about are likely to be felt in some way.

Ashwagandha for Anxiety and Depression

Supplementing with ashwagandha is a good treatment option for anxiety and depression because its effects are noticeably felt while being gentle on the body. Ashwagandha can reduce hyperactivity, circular overthinking, and emotional instability through its modulation of various neurologic pathways. Ashwagandha also reduces stress accumulation which is a large causal factor in mental health concerns like anxiety and depression. If experiencing anxiety, depression, or an overload of stress then supplementing with ashwagandha daily may prove highly beneficial.

Ashwagandha for Testosterone

Male hormonal health has been on a decades long downward trend, with testosterone levels and sperm count declining precipitously since the creation of plastics and pesticides. Ashwagandha is a safe an effective adaptogen for men and it has been observed to raise testosterone levels in men by ~15%. Ashwagandha also increases sperm count and in general promotes youth and vitality. If experiencing symptoms of low testosterone like fatigue, a lack of confidence, depression, low levels of lean body mass, and emotional instability then ashwagandha is a good herbal supplement to take for its endocrine balancing effects. If after supplementing with ashwagandha for some time a stronger testosterone booster is desired then the herb cistanche is a good candidate.

Ashwagandha Benefits for Women

The female menstrual cycle causes key hormones estrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle stimulating hormone to rise and fall in various ways across a 28 day cycle. Sex drive is linked to the rise and fall of these hormones, specifically estrogen and progesterone, and for women who experience low sex drive either from their ups and downs of their natural menstrual cycle or because they are using birth control hormone replacement therapies which lower hormone levels, ashwagandha can serve as a useful aphrodisiac which stimulates sex drive.

The more pronounced variations in female hormone systems also influences immunity, causing it to rise and lower with the changes in secretion of various hormones like progesterone. Ashwagandha can act as an immunity buffer for women that fills in the natural dips of immune system function that may occur for pre and post-menopausal women. Through its effects on the endocrine system and adrenal glands ashwagandha has been shown to be useful in reducing symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, excessive sweating, sleep problems, and more.

How Long does it take for Ashwagandha to Work?

The benefits received from Ashwagandha depend on the length of time supplemented for. A single dose of ashwagandha before an endurance event is sufficient to greatly improve stamina and correspondingly reduce the following stress response. With sufficient dosages stimulant and aphrodisiac effects can be felt quite quickly though these benefits may take a week or more of daily supplementation to materialize. The neurological effects of Ashwagandha build over time, with the growth of new neurons and synaptic connections starting to be observed after one week of daily supplementation. Ashwagandha for parasite removal will take 2-3 weeks of daily supplementation to be effective. It takes 2-3 months of ashwagandha supplementation to observe favorable increases in body-weight and testosterone levels.

Is Ashwagandha Safe?

Ashwagandha has a strong safety profile backed by scientific research and thousands of years of usage medicinally in Ayurveda. There is no known toxicity concerns with ashwagandha if taken within recommended dosage ranges. That said, ashwagandha is a hardy plant able to grow wild in areas contaminated with waste, so care must be taken in purchasing ashwagandha either from a cultivated reputable source, or if purchasing wild-harvested ashwagandha ask the supplier where harvesting occurs.

There is some scientific contradiction to the acute toxicity of ashwagandha extract for rats. One study observed acute toxicity at 1260 mg/kg of ashwagandha extract and set the 50% death rate (LD50) at 1260 mg/kg for rats. Another study did a single acute dosing of ashwagandha extract at 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg which showed no toxicity, and then followed that with daily supplementation of the same extract amounts for 28 days and still observed no toxicity.

Considering the variability, it’s safer to go with the 1260 mg/kg LD50 rate for rats, and when converted to a human equivalent dose, the calculated ashwagandha extract human LD50 is 200 mg/kg of body-weight. For a 50, 75, and 100 kg individual the ashwagandha extract LD50 dosages are 10, 15, and 20 grams (a ridiculous amount). Ashwagandha is most commonly supplemented in the 250 to 600 mg range, so there is little to worry of when supplementing ashwagandha responsibly.

Ashwagandha Side Effects

The side effects that may occur when supplementing with ashwagandha are rare and more a result of other physiological changes that ashwagandha triggers. For example an increase in circulating testosterone for men may cause an increase in acne if other factors are out of balance. The minor diuretic effect of ashwagandha will be amplified when dosing beyond recommended ranges. If taking ashwagandha for or as part of a parasite cleanse then it behooves one to be aware of the side effects that may be experienced during that type of health protocol. Ashwagandha can be sedative for some individuals, and though very rare, because it affects the functions of various neurotransmitters in the brain it may cause irritability or an unstable mood depending on the unique physiological state of an individual.

Ashwagandha Dosing

The amount of ashwagandha to supplement with is dependent upon the level of extraction and the part of the plant used. Ashwagandha roots are the most common way to supplement with ashwagandha, so the dosages here are for the roots, though dosing with the leaves is of a similar amount. As a topically applied poultice ashwagandha is mixed with a carrier (water, fat, or honey) and applied at an amount sufficient to cover the desired area.

Raw ashwagandha root is most commonly dosed at 300 to 600 mg daily. To keep blood concentrations of ashwagandha’s active constituents high, split the daily dosage in two and take half in the morning and half at night. When first supplementing with ashwagandha use the lower end of the dosing range for a few days to screen for undesirable effects and then increase the dosage from there if desired.

5 grams of raw ashwagandha root powder taking daily was found effective at boosting testosterone levels for men at varying degrees of infertility, and while the results of that study show that taking 5 grams of raw ashwagandha powder daily for a few months presented no health complications, a lower dose is likely suitable for men looking to boost their testosterone levels and/or semen counts who aren’t infertile. For testosterone boosting and for athletes looking to boost their energy output and endurance, 1 gram of ashwagandha root powder taken daily split into 500 mg morning and night doses is suitable to start with.

Ashwagandha Tea

A common way of using ashwagandha is by brewing it into a tea. Premade ashwagandha tea bags typically contain 1-2 grams of the powdered root. Steep with 170 F (75 C) water for 5-8 minutes, or if desiring a more potent tea (and you don’t mind possible bitterness) steep with boiling water for 5-15 minutes.

On its own Ashwagandha tea is a great choice to keep in the tea cabinet for the many uses and health benefits discussed throughout this article. Ashwagandha can also be added to other herbs to create a synergistic tea blend for specific purposes. For example a cognitive-enhancing herbal tea could consist of equal parts ashwagandha, chaga mushroom, and gingko leaf, 1-2 cups enjoyed daily.

Where to Buy Ashwagandha Supplements?

My favorites suppliers of ashwagandha are Mountain Rose Herbs and Nootropics Depot. There are many other high-quality suppliers of ashwagandha out there, but for the level of quality and price Mountain Rose herbs and Nootropics Depot are the best, and the differences between their ashwagandha products provides different usage options.

Mountain Rose Herbs Organic Ashwagandha

Mountain Rose Herbs sells ashwagandha as chopped root, root powder, root powder capsules, root extract, and even ashwagandha seeds. They also have ashwagandha as an ingredient in different herbal extracts like their immune herbal extract and adapt care herbal extract.

Ashwagandha Root

Raw chopped ashwagandha root is ideal for steeping into a tea or for creating your own herbal extracts. Besides planting ashwagandha seeds and harvesting the roots yourself, purchasing the raw chopped root is the lowest cost option available, though the finely milled ashwagandha root powder is only slightly more expensive. Dried ashwagandha root like this oxidizes very slowly and will keep for a long time.

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Ashwagandha Root Powder

If desiring to supplement with a raw ashwagandha root powder then the offering from Mountain Rose Herbs is of great quality, organic, and very economical. Great for putting into capsules or for mixing with other herbal powders for custom herbal supplement powders or capsules.

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Ashwagandha Root Powder Capsules

If convenience is the ultimate goal then capsules are the best way to supplement with ashwagandha. Pills are dosed accurately and can be taken anywhere easily without need for scooping or steeping. Ashwagandha supplement pills are ideal for those who travel often, and ashwagandha is a useful travel/stress supplement to begin with.

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Ashwagandha Root Extract

Taken sublingually (under the tongue) herbal extracts are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and bypass some of the digestive processes. For those seeking the fastest effect from ashwagandha (athletes, lovers), an extract is the way to go. The extraction process condenses the active constituents and therefore taking an extract is one way of more powerfully supplementing with an herb.

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Ashwagandha Seeds

Plant and cultivate ashwagandha from seed if your climatic conditions are appropriate (see Cultivation of Ashwagandha above). Alternatively, ashwagandha seeds are potent at killing parasites, simply mix some seeds with honey, chew them, and then swallow the resultant mixture (it may be quite bitter). This is also commonly done with papaya seeds for parasite removal.

Nootropics Depot Ashwagandha Supplements

Nootropics Depot carries a few different ashwagandha supplements which suit nearly every preference one may have. I encourage you to browse their full catalogue of ashwagandha products, I’m more of a traditionalist so the two variations I present here are the well-known to be effective basics.

Ashwagandha Powder (standardized 12% withanolides)

Nootropics Depot sources their ashwagandha directly from India in order to ensure a more consistent product. They also do a complete chemical analysis of every batch they receive to ensure their ashwagandha powder is balanced between the different withanolide compounds, each of which has slightly varying effects. By ensuring the withanolide ratios are close to even and then ensuring the powder contains a minimum of 12% withanolides, the ashwagandha powder sold by nootropics depot is more potent in effect than most other raw ashwagandha root powders.

Also available as capsules.

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Shoden Ashwagandha Powder (standardized 35% withanolides)

The Shoden Ashwagandha powder sold by Nootropics Depot is a full spectrum extract created from the leaves and roots of the plant. The powder is tested to ensure it’s a minimum of 35% withanolides, making it even more potent that the 12% or greater withanolide standardized offering above.

For those looking for the strongest withanolides-based ashwagandha supplement look no further.

Also available as capsules.

References:

1. Singh N, Bhalla M, De Jager P, Gilca M. An overview on ashwagandha: a rasayana (Rejuvenator) of ayurveda. Afr J Trad Compl Alt Med. 2011;8(5S).

2. Zahiruddin S, Basist P, Parveen A, et al. Ashwagandha in brain disorders: A review of recent developments. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2020;257:112876.

3. Modi M, Donga S, Dei L. Clinical evaluation of ashokarishta, ashwagandha churna and praval pishti in the management of menopausal syndrome. Ayu. 2012;33(4):511.

4. Nair A, Jacob S. A simple practice guide for dose conversion between animals and human. J Basic Clin Pharma. 2016;7(2):27.

5. Ahmad MK, Mahdi AA, Shukla KK, et al. Withania somnifera improves semen quality by regulating reproductive hormone levels and oxidative stress in seminal plasma of infertile males. Fertility and Sterility. 2010;94(3):989-996.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Other Herbs for Hormonal Health

Chaga Mushroom

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated April 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Piece of chaga mushroom. CC4.0 Christine Young

Chaga Quick Fact Sheet

Name:	Chaga Mushroom, Linnaean - Inonotus obliquus
Color:	The mycellium mass which is harvested is black on the outside, yellowish orange to brown on the inside
Constituents:	Polysaccharides, glycoproteins, ergosterols, triterpenoids, mycoflavonoids, melanin, oxalate, other myconutrients
Effect:	Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, improves autonomic nervous system function, improves digestion, endocrine adaptogen, exhibits DNA protection properties
Preparation:	The chaga mass is ground into a powder. Often extracted and standardized to increase beta-glucan content by weight
Dosing:	250-1000mg extracted powder, 1-3g raw powder
General Notes:	Chaga is harvested off birth and some other trees. What is harvested is not the fruiting body but instead a mass of sterile mycelium. Can be used as a coffee substitute, thicker cut whole powder works well mixed into coffee grounds before coffee extraction. Often used daily as a general longevity and immune booster with beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. Its high concentration of melanin make it a potent antioxidant. Has a special place of honor in traditional Chinese medicine.

What is Chaga Mushroom?

Chaga is a type of mushroom which grows mainly on birch and much less frequently alder, witchen, and bird cherry. In the process of colonizing a tree, it forms a sterile mostly black mass made of mycelium on the outside of the tree which resembles charcoal because it contains a large amount of melanin. This mass is known as a sclerotium. The harvested sclerotium is the chaga mushroom that is used medicinally and supplemented with. Chaga mushroom contains high levels of beta-glucans and triterpenoids which have powerful health effects. In Eastern Europe medicinal preparations have been made using chaga mushroom for thousands of years. Hunters in those regions would often brew a strong tea from ground chaga which helped them sustain high energy output while traversing the wilderness. The chemical composition of chaga differs significantly from other polypore mushrooms such as reishi mushroom which makes it unique. Chaga is nontoxic, well tolerated, and has virtually no counterindications for medicinal usage.

Chaga Mushroom Identification

Chaga mushroom identification is not always easy, there are various tree rots, growths, and diseases that can look like chaga mushroom. Identification for chaga starts by positively identifying the tree species a potential conk is growing on, and then by examining the conk for chaga-specific identifying characteristics. Some tree burls can look like a chaga conk in shape and size, but aren’t blacked like chaga is, or if they aren’t they don’t possess the rich interior amber, orange, and brown colors. Chaga that is harvestable doesn’t provide a spore print because it is mycelium and not the fruiting body of chaga fungus. Chaga mushroom has no gills and is best harvested in the late summer, fall, and early winter.

Chaga from dead or fallen trees is known as “dead chaga” and will appear black inside and outside and should never be harvested as will likely contain mycotoxins. Chaga collected in ecologically unsafe areas polluted from human activity are unsafe for consumption and can contain significant levels of heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and strontium.

Chaga Mushroom Benefits

Chaga mushroom has a wide range of positive health effects because of its unique combination of micronutrients, minerals, and myconutrients. Chaga mushroom contains high concentrations of potassium (9-10%), magnesium (0.65%), calcium (0.4%), and phosphorus (0.25%), with more minor minerals being iron, copper, zinc, and chromium. Fifteen amino acids have been identified in chaga mushroom, with glycine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acids making up about 40% of total amino acids. Chaga contains flavonoids (notably anthocyanins and quercetin), triterpenes, beta-glucans, and a high amount of antioxidant melanin pigments which protect against carcinogenic and mutagenic factors as they are involved in DNA repair and cell metabolism.

Together these chemical constituents and many others broadly influence the function of digestive, immune, cardiovascular, metabolic, and regenerative systems providing the following benefits:

Chaga Mushroom Improves Digestion

• Chaga is helpful in treating gastric disorders such as stomach ulcers and intestinal pain

• Chaga possesses strong antimicrobial activity and is useful in improving the microbiome

Chaga Mushroom Improves the Immune System

• Increases T-Helper lymphocyte concentrations

• Normalizes cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells

• Blocks the receptors of tumor cells suppressing their migration

Chaga Mushroom Optimizes the Cardiac, Nervous, and Metabolic Systems

• Chaga calms erratic heart rhythm variability while increasing contractile power of the heart

• Modulates cell metabolism at the central and peripheral nervous system level

• Increases the excitable properties of cell membranes

Chaga Mushroom helps with Healing and Repair

• Many chaga constituents especially melanin are powerful antioxidants which possess anti-inflammatory and radioprotective effects.

• Chaga is helpful for skin conditions such as periodontitis, eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis

• Chaga lowers risk of cancer

• Chaga has a pain-relieving action

• Improves wound healing and DNA repair

Note: Much of the research into chaga showing these benefits has been done using animal models and therefore hasn’t been confirmed for humans.

Chaga Mushroom Side Effects

As stated earlier, chaga is nontoxic, well tolerated, and has virtually no counterindications for medicinal usage. With that said it has been shown that the effects of chaga are dose-dependent, with small doses often being most effective while larger doses may lead to an opposite action. This U-shape relationship for chaga is most commonly observed for the functions of the cardiac and nervous systems.

Though chaga has been shown to be helpful in improving the function of the heart, sympathetic, and parasympathetic nervous systems, if these systems are dysfunctional then chaga supplementation should be done carefully with only very small dosages to start off in order to determine medicinal usage is positive or negative or negative in effect. It is highly unlikely for the usage of chaga to be deleterious but it is best to proceed with the supplementation of any new herbal with an abundance of caution and start on the low end of the recommended dosing range.

Chaga Mushroom Dosing

Chaga mushroom is dosed differently based on the intended purpose and the degree or refinement. A preventative health dosing regime of chaga mushroom will be less than the recommended dosage for someone fighting cancer who wants to improve their chances of entering into remission.

Raw chaga that hasn’t been made more potent through extraction processes can be dosed in the 0.5-3 gram range. The higher end of that range is best served when extracting chaga myconutrients using water such as when brewing chaga into a tea or with coffee.

Chaga that has been extracted and standardized is more potent and therefore is dosed lower accordingly. It is not possible for provide a dosing range for extracted chaga supplements because it depends on the level of extraction, but for example if it’s a 4:1 extraction (4x more potent), then dose the 4:1 extract at 1/4th the recommended raw dosage.

Making Chaga Tea or Chaga Coffee

Up to 40% of chaga mushroom by dry-weight are water-extractable substances which makes it a good medicinal mushroom for brewing into tea or into coffee.

To brew a chaga tea steep 2-3 grams of ground chaga mushroom in 170 F (75 C) hot water for 8-15 minutes. Best down with a removable tea ball or some other steeping implement.

To brew a chaga infused coffee, mix 2-3 grams of chaga powder into the coffee grounds and brew as normal, whether this is done via drip, French press, or other.

Where to Buy Chaga Mushroom Supplements?

My favorites suppliers of chaga medicinal mushroom are Mountain Rose Herbs and Nootropics Depot. There are many other high-quality suppliers of chaga mushroom out there, but for the level of quality and price Mountain Rose herbs and Nootropics Depot are the best, and the differences between their chaga products provides different options for use.

Mountain Rose Herbs Organic Chaga

Mountain Rose Herbs is a supplier of organic herbs, spices, oils, and other health care products. Mountain Rose Herbs is organic and sourced from hardwood forest in the northern hemisphere. They sell chaga mushroom in course and fine powders as well as in an extract.

Chaga Mushroom Powder

The Mountain Rose Herbs chaga powder is milled from the entire sclerotia. As a whole milled powder it contains the full spectrum of beneficial health compounds found in chaga such as beta-glucans and triterpenes.

Compared to the Nootropics Depot chaga it’s quite a bit more coarse and it floats, so adding it directly to a drink makes for a chunky experience which may or may not bother you. It’s coarse nature makes it great for directly brewing into a drink akin to coffee, or for mixing into coffee grounds to make a chaga coffee. Chaga is an ingredient in my “best nootropic coffee”.

Standard dose is 0.5 - 3 grams once daily.

Chaga Mushroom Extract

Mountain Rose Herb’s chaga mushroom extract is dual water and alcohol extracted and the final product has an alcohol percentage of 20-30%. It comes in 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 oz sizes.

Chaga tincture is great for direct supplementation under the tongue or with a dropper full into a favorite drink like juice, coffee, smoothie, or something stiffer.

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Nootropics Depot Chaga Supplements

Nootropics Depot is a supplier of common and uncommon herbal supplements and other compounds like nootropics. They have a high standard of quality that they adhere to and maintain very transparent business practices which many supplement companies fail to do (or choose not to).

Chaga 1:1 Mushroom Extract Powder

The chaga mushroom powder sold by Nootropics Depot is very finely milled which makes it excellent for stirring directly into a drink like coffee without creating any unpleasant clumps or graininess.

Standard dose is 500 mg once daily.

Beta-Glugan (β-Glucan) minimum content: 8%

Contains Triterpenoids

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References:

1. Shashkina MYa, Shashkin PN, Sergeev AV. Chemical and medicobiological properties of chaga (Review). Pharm Chem J. 2006;40(10):560-568.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

More Medicinal Mushrooms

Black Pepper

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated April 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Pepper Quick Fact Sheet

Name:	Black Pepper, Linnaean - Piper nigrum
Color:	Peppercorns are green when unripe and red when ripe on the vine. Dried peppercorns turn a dark brown/black, and if the dark outside skin is removed the peppercorns are white
Constituents:	Piperine, terpenes, resins, starches, hydrocyanic acid
Effect:	Powerful digestive aid, stimulates appetite, anti-microbial, increases gastric secretions and stimulate mucous membrane, boosts metabolism, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cognitive aid
Preparation:	Peppercorns are left out to dry in the sun until black. White peppercorns which have the outside skin removed have higher levels of piperine (about double). Ground into a powder for use as a spice. Piperine extracts used as a bioavailibility enhancer for other supplements, as a digestive aid, and as a cognitive aid
Dosing:	1+ grams black pepper powder as a spice. 5-25 mg of 95% standardized piperine.
General Notes:	Pepper is one of the most popular spices used worldwide, has a pungency to it that increases appetite and readies the gastrointestinal system for digestion. Piperine is a potent bioavailibility enhancer for other compounds like anti-inflammatory curcuminoids (from turmeric) or psychadelic psilocybin (from magic mushrooms). Piperine is a promising natural supplement to aid in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Has been used for thousands of years.

What is Black Pepper?

Black pepper is a spice derived from the fruits of Piper nigrum, a perennial climbing shrub with white flowers. After flowering it produces small fruits ~6 mm in diameter which transition from green to yellow to red as they ripen.

The pepper plant is native to the coastal regions of southern India and is now cultivated worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions, requiring shade and high humidity.

Black pepper, the “king of spices”, is produced by drying green unripened peppercorns in the sun. Heat from the sun accelerates natural enzymatic reactions which turn the peppercorns black. Black pepper is used as a spice for flavoring food and as a food preservative.

Is Black Pepper Good for You?

Black pepper is used copiously around the world, being a near ubiquitous food seasoning, and it’s clear that black pepper isn’t harmful when used in reasonable amounts, and it’d be difficult to consume enough pepper to be problematic due to its pungency. Black pepper’s pungent nature is thanks to its main active compound, piperine, and its primarily piperine that gives black pepper its many wonderful health effects.

Piperine regulates gastrointestinal functionality, mediates inflammation, is neuroprotective, and even increases the bioavailability of other nutrients by enhancing their absorption.

Black pepper is an important health food that combines the benefits of being a strong antioxidant with antimicrobial properties. Through its free-radical scavenging ability black pepper is useful against cancer and controls the progression of tumor growth.

Black pepper isn’t just good for you, it’s really good for you, and it’s pepper’s long history of use for health and wellness in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine that built the foundation of the worldwide pepper trade from antiquity to today.

Black Pepper Nutrition Facts

It’s first made clear that peppercorns are a health promoting herb by it’s attractive micronutrient profile. Pepper isn’t consumed in large enough amounts for its contribution of micronutrients in the diet to be especially notable for any single meal, but it is rich in a variety of micronutrients on a per gram basis, and when used as a seasoning over time, it’s micronutrient contributions to the diet do add up.

Vitamins (in 1 tbsp, 6 grams)

• Vitamin K - 13% DV - 10 mcg

• Vitamin A (as beta carotene) - 21 mcg

• Vitamin C - 2% DV - 1.3 mg

Minerals (in 1 tbsp, 6 grams)

• Potassium - 2% DV - 78.7 mg

• Calcium - 3% DV - 27.3 mg

• Magnesium 3% DV - 12 mg

• Phosphorus - 1% DV - 10.8 mg

• Iron - 10% DV - 1.8 mg

• Manganese - 18% DV - 0.4 mg

• Copper - 4% DV - 0.1 mg

Peppercorns also contain a lot of fiber being 20-45% starch by weight. Flavoring a dish with 1 or more teaspoons of black pepper overtime will help add vitamin K, manganese, iron, and piperine into the body.

As touched upon earlier, black pepper has numerous health benefits, and now we’ll learn more about the health

Black Pepper Health Benefits

Black pepper has a long list of health benefits due to its unique phytochemistry which is made up of a combination of volatile oils, oleoresins, and alkaloids. The main active ingredient in black pepper is piperine.

Black pepper essential oil contributes towards its aroma, and oleoresin contributes towards its taste. Black pepper stimulates appetite, increases the secretion of saliva, and stimulates the release of digestive enzymes. Black pepper enhances HCL production in the stomach and stimulates histamine H2 receptors. In effect even just the aroma of black pepper can stimulate digestive preparedness and thoroughness.

In addition to this black pepper is a diaphoretic and diuretic, capable of stimulating seating and urination. Black pepper and it’s main active ingredient piperine causes a flush of digestive fluids, which is another detoxification pathway. This combined effect is partly responsible for black pepper’s broader anti-inflammatory and anti-growth effect. As an antimicrobial, black pepper and piperine are able to gently balance the digestive system of malfunction, upset, or limited nutrient absorption. Piperine dramatically increases bioavailability for many nutrients, and increasing black pepper intake is one way to easily restore optimal digestive health.

Piperine is responsible for the pungency of black pepper, making up 3-10% of peppercorns by weight. It’s is an alkaloid that is sensitive to light, insoluble in water and acts as a weak base. Piperine is responsible for the main health benefits of black pepper, and when black pepper is consumed whole it has a broader health boosting effect but can’t be as powerfully isolated in effect as 25, 50, or 100 mg of piperine can be.

Piperine Benefits

1. Increases bio-absorption of vitamins and trace elements

2. Decreased fat accumulation

3. Improves digestion

4. Antimicrobial

5. Effective against acute inflammation

6. Piperine ameliorates chronic mild stress

7. Stimulates anti-cancer pathways

8. Reduces the extent of toxicity for certain chemicals

Uses for Black Pepper

The properties of black pepper make it useful for ailments of the digestive system. Black pepper tones the muscles of the stomach and stimulates the mucous membranes. Black pepper can be used in constipation and diarrhea.

Black pepper speeds up the metabolic procedures that generate heat in the human body, raising body temperature and burning bodyfat.

As an antimicrobial and anti-parasitic, black pepper can be used to steer the microbiome towards better symbiosis and reduce detrimental vagus nerve inputs. Black pepper can be used for altering neurotransmitter production in the gut. Black pepper and its active ingredients can be supportive in treating disorders of the nervous system which include depression, Alzheimer's, epilepsy, and others.

Black pepper can also simulate the diaphragm (who hasn’t sneezed from black pepper before).

In high doses can be used as a abortifacient and use should be avoided around pregnancy.

Supplementing with Piperine

At higher doses of 25+ mg, piperine exerts its influence on the body strongly. Piperine is an inhibitor of MAO activity, which is a potential treatment path for depression and Parkinson’s disease. Piperine also has the possibility of increasing serotonin and dopamine levels under conditions of stress.

To supplement with piperine use 0.5-1 mg/kg of bodyweight. A good starting dose is 25 mg and increasing from there.

Nootropics Depot Piperine

A standalone piperine supplement allows for piperine to be supplemented alongside other herbs in other to boost their bioavailability. This is useful for a bunch of herbs, namely turmeric, green tea, and medicinal mushrooms.

Nootropics Depot conveniently sells piperine extract in 10mg capsules. Piperine is highly sensitive and will degrade quickly when exposed to light, so supplementing with piperine in capsule form instead of with a powder is not only easier in dosing but also lowers the amount of degradation that will occur due to light exposure.

Black Pepper Ayurveda

In the Ayurveda system of medicine black pepper is an energetically heating spice used to support digestion and assists the flow of qi energy downwards.

Black Pepper vs White Pepper

White pepper differs in its harvest from black pepper. Instead of picking unripe green berries and letting them dry in the sun, as is done with black pepper, the berries are allowed to ripen on the vine and then soaked to remove the skin. Machinery can also be used to remove the outer layer.

Having ripened on the vine and having it’s outer skin removed, white pepper is distinct from black pepper in its aroma and taste. There are differences between black pepper and white pepper as it relates to piperine content. Piperine yield from black pepper was 2.5% - 3.0% and from white pepper 4.0% - 4.5%. The purity of the piperine was found to be up to 98.5% for black pepper and 98.2% for white pepper. White pepper provides about 50% more piperine per weight than black pepper.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

References:

1. Malcom Stuart, et al. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Crescent Books, New York.

2. Butt MS, Pasha I, Sultan MT, Randhawa MA, Saeed F, Ahmed W. Black pepper and health claims: a comprehensive treatise. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2013;53(9):875-886. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2011.571799

3. Rahman Khan Z, Moni F, Sharmin S, et al. Isolation of bulk amount of piperine as active pharmaceutical ingredient (Api) from black pepper and white pepper(&lt;i&gt;piper nigrum&lt;/i&gt; l.). PP. 2017;08(07):253-262. https://doi.org/10.4236/pp.2017.87018

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

More Digestion Improving Herbs

Green Tea

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated April 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Green Tea Quick Fact Sheet

Name:	Green Tea, Linnaean - Camellia sinensis
Color:	Green leaves, white flowers
Constituents:	Chlorophyll, caffeine, L-theanine, catechins (EGCG), flavanols, other phytochemicals
Effect:	Cognitive aid, boosts metabolism and fat oxidation, increases 8-12 Hz alpha brainwaves, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, heals tissues of the digestive system
Preparation:	Tea leaves can be prepared in many ways, left dried green or oxidized to create black tea which has a higher caffeine content. Green tea can be powdered for use in supplements and is often extracted to increase the concentration of EGCG, a potent antioxidant
Dosing:	1-5 grams steeped for tea, 250-1000mg EGCG
General Notes:	The combination of caffeine, amino acid L-theanine, and green tea catechins make green tea a cognitive aid that increases focus. A few cups a day will increase the bodies metabolic rate. Purported longevity enhancer. Green tea can help heal the lining of the digestive system, but in large quantities or if the tea is brewed incorrectly can cause digestive nausea. One cup of green tea contains about 30mg caffeine, about 1/3 that of a cup of coffee. Green tea has been used for thousands of years throughout Asia and now worldwide.

What is Green Tea?

Green tea is an ancient beverage that has been brewed for thousands of years. Empires have been created and collapsed around the trade of tea, and for good reason. The leaves of the tea tree when steeped in hot water release an incredible combination of chemicals and nutrients. Specifically green tea contains caffeine, L-theanine, polyphenol catechins like EGCG, among 200 other bioactive compounds. After a cup or two, the entourage effect of all of this are happy taste buds, improved cognitive performance, increased fat oxidation, and rejuvenative effects felt across the body.

A cup of green tea in the morning helps normalize the circadian rhythm, cultivating a productive state of high energy. The unique synergy of caffeine and L-theanine, both found naturally in green tea, is powerful and further supported by the presence of green tea polyphenols known as catechins.

Moc Chau Tea Hills

Is Green Tea Caffeinated?

The leaves of the green tea plant naturally contain caffeine. On a per gram basis green tea leaves contain more caffeine than coffee beans, but the amount of leaves and the way green tea is steeped means a cup of green tea contains less caffeine than an equivalent cup of coffee.

• A typical cup of steeped green tea contains 35 mg of caffeine and ~20mg L-theanine.

• A cup of match green tea (which is made from powdered green tea leaves) contains ~65 mg of caffeine and ~35 mg L-theanine.

Green Tea vs Black Tea

Green tea is produced from mature green tea leaves which are typically withered, steamed, and then dried for usage. Black tea differs from green tea in how it is produced. Black tea is made from mature green tea leaves that are typically withered, rolled, fermented, fired, and then dried. This process oxidizes the tea leaves turning them a dark brown to black which increases the caffeine content while reducing the L-theanine concentration to near zero.

• A typical cup of black tea contains ~60 mg of caffeine and 0-5 mg of L-theanine.

Green Tea Health Benefits

Green tea is a beverage that’s been enjoyed for over 5000 years and possibly longer. Its use is first recorded in ancient China but quickly spread across Asia and later around the world. Green tea leaves are a powerful herbal that have many beneficial health effects on the body due to their unique chemical constituents. The most active of these components are:

• Caffeine | Functions: Increases focus, reduces fatigue, improves mental performance, improves fat oxidation and power output

• L-theanine (amino acid) | Functions: Activates parasympathetic activity, stabilizes heart rhythms, increases 8-12 Hz alpha brain wave activity, reduces anxiety, reduces stress

• Polyphenols (green tea catechins such as EGCG) | Functions: Powerful antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, improves cardiac health, anti-microbial

Together these chemical constituents and others broadly influence the function of the digestive, immune, cardiovascular, metabolic, and cognitive systems providing the following benefits:

Green Tea has Cancer Fighting Properties

• Prevents the growth of tumors

• Decreases oxidative DNA damage

• Reduces the size of cancer already formed.

Green Tea Improves Cardiovascular Health and Increases Metabolism

• Reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure

• Improves cholesterol levels by lowering LDL cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol

• Non-obese people who drink 1-2 cups of green tea everyday lower the risk of developing diabetes by >80%

• Equalizes blood glucose levels and increases fat oxidation

Green Tea Improves Gut Health

• Green tea polyphenols are anti-microbial and shift the microbiome towards increased symbiotic function

• Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties help reduce gut inflammation and aid in gut tissue repair

• The increasing fat oxidation and reduction in appetite from green tea makes fasting easier

• Polyphenols repair gastrointestinal tight-junctions

Green Tea Improves Skin Health

• By improving gut health green tea improves skin health

• Topical extracts demonstrate rejuvenating anti-aging effects

• Reduces inflammation of skin where green tea extracts like EGCG are applied topically

Note: Green tea has quite a few human studies, observational or otherwise, but much of the research has been done using animal models or with cell cultures. Not all of the health benefits have been directly confirmed for humans.

Green Tea Increases Alpha Brainwaves

What makes green tea so excellent as a natural stimulant is its unique blend of caffeine and L-theanine. L-theanine is an amino acid found mainly in tea leaves, and it has a special ability to increase alpha 8-12 Hz waves in the brain. If you are calm and relaxed, or especially if in a strong flow state, then you are generating alpha waves. You’ll be very productive and clear of mind when synchronous alpha brainwave activity is happening across the brain. A cup of green tea in the morning can increase brainwave power in the 8-12 Hz alpha band, decreasing sleepiness and drowsiness which are common attributes of slower 0-4 Hz delta and 4-8 Hz theta brainwaves. Alpha rhythms promote alert parasympathetic activity throughout the body, and can also normalize non-synchronous higher frequency 12-30 Hz beta brainwave activity to lower frequency but higher total power synchronous rhythms in the alpha band. Alpha brainwaves during the day improve cognitive performance and set the stage for a more restful sleep at night.

Green Tea for Burning Fat

The blend of caffeine, L-theanine, and polyphenols has been shown to increase fat oxidation while reducing appetite, but the effect is minimal in comparison to other factors that influence fat metabolism. That said, in adjunct with a healthy diet and adequate exercise, green tea will will help the weight loss process, especially when consumed consistently over time.

The best way to use green tea for burning fat is as a fasting aid. By not eating for a specified period of time during a fast, the body is eventually forced to burn bodyfat in order to keep normal metabolic processes going. A 16 hour intermittent fast increases fat metabolism noticeably, especially if done for many weeks or months, whereas a 24-48 hour or long fast will dramatically increase fat metabolism. Because green tea reduces appetite, slightly boosts fat metabolism, and increases focus, drinking green tea during a fast makes it noticeably easier to accomplish successfully, and in this way green tea can be a powerful fat burning aid.

Green tea can helps shift the gears towards greater fat oxidation and away from sugar dependent metabolism, for overweight and healthy individuals alike. With body fat oxidation increased, appetite is decreased as the body is coursing with available energy and therefore satiated. Without other lifestyle changes green tea won’t cause anyone to lose significant amounts of weight, but as part of a larger holistic wellness strategy that optimizes diet, exercise, and sleep, green tea can be useful and has a place.

Green Tea Heals the Digestive System

If suffering from serious gut health conditions such as leaky gut, IBS, IBD, celiac, Crohn’s disease, food allergies and intolerances, and other gastrointestinal afflictions, regular green tea consumption can provide symptom relief while also assisting the natural healing process that is working in the background. Poor gut health is closely linked with mental health such as depression or anxiety and it’s not surprising that in addition to its beneficial effects on the gut that consumption of green tea can reduce anxiety and stress.

As partially discussed earlier, the gut healing potential is best amplified during a fast. To best assist the natural gut healing process using green tea, practice 16 hour intermittent or 24 hour one-meal-a-day fasting and during the period of fasting drink 1-3 cups of green tea. Here more cups are better, though timing is also important. Green tea will be most potent when consumed by itself and fairly distanced from other meals. For this reason a cup in the morning works well as the body has been without food for 8+ hours since dinner was eaten. Drink green tea throughout the day around meals can also reduce the inflammatory burden on the gut from each meal.

Green Tea Diversifies the Microbiome

One of the biggest drivers of gut health is how diverse the microbiome is. Food choices, macronutrient ratios, and how food is prepared can all change the microorganism ratios of the microbiome, as well as increase or reduce total diversity (# of species). Green tea as an anti-microbial balances the microbiome and reduces the burden of microbial overgrowth, allowing other beneficial microbes better access to resources and therefore green tea has a microbiome diversifying effect.

Green Tea is a Potent Anti-Inflammatory

When the digestive system and microbiome are in a state of inflammation, the stress placed on the many systems of the body make it possible for many diseases and health conditions to arise, some of which overtime prove deadly. Through its actions in improving the microbiome and also in healing the tight-junctions of the gut, green tea reduces inflammation in the gut and therefore helps reduce chronic inflammation throughout the body.

Just as green tea heals the gut, it can also help improve skin conditions, as skin problems are typically a secondary factor downstream from gut problems. Green tea antioxidants like EGCG are powerful in their anti-inflammatory effect and can even be topically applied for effective treatment of skin conditions such as acne or the aging of skin. Less is known on how green tea can improve other skin issues such as psoriasis or eczema, so careful self experimentation with green tea topicals may prove useful.

Green tea polyphenols that make it past the digestive system enter into the bloodstream where they have an opportunity to exert an effect on the tissues of the cardiovascular system. polyphenols like EGCG are a vasodilator, aiding their circulation and uptake throughout the body, reducing inflammation systemically.

Green tea polyphenols that further make it past the blood-brain barrier will exert their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the brain. Additionally green tea strengthens 8-12 Hz alpha brain wave activity which can perk you up or calm you down depending on your current state on consciousness. Stable brain waves reduce the chance of experiencing mental health problems and in a feedback loop erratic or depressed behavior can lead to poor health decisions like a bad diet which can impact the inflammatory state of the body. The alpha brain wave flow state that a cup or two of green cultivates lasts for several hours.

Green Tea Dosing

Green tea has quite a wide dosing range, from infrequent usage to one cup a day to 5+ cups a day all being fine and safe. When drinking green tea the biggest thing to be aware of is how much caffeine is being consumed in total. Exceeding 300 mg of caffeine a day is not recommended, you can learn more by reading my caffeine usage and tolerance reset guide.

Tea is a very popular beverage, and most tea is grown the same way much of the world’s food supply is, with mass amounts of chemical pesticides. While green tea polyphenols help heal the gut and diversify the microbiome, pesticides like glyphosate do the opposite, degrading the gut barriers and indiscriminately kill the microbiome. It is important for this reason to buy very high-quality tea grown without pesticides, and the more tea that is consumed the more important tea quality becomes.

• Drink 1-2 cups of green tea as a cognitive aid, to boost focus, and increase productivity

• Drink 1-3 cups of green tea spaced out to help heal the tissues of the gut either during a fast or in-between meals

• Drink 5+ cups of green tea daily for the most powerful preventative and longevity enhancing health benefits.

Matcha green tea is about 2x more powerful than regular green tea, so if drinking matcha reduce the amounts above in half.

If taking a green tea extract power or pill like those sold by Nootropics Depot, the recommended dose is 500 - 1000 mg which can be increased if desired after some time has passed to ensure no negatives are experienced. The most likely negative side effect to be encountered when supplementing with a green tea extract, or simply when drinking green tea in general, is digestive discomfort. Green tea polyphenols are great for the digestive system but they are quite astringent and can sometimes cause a minor stomach ache.

Where to Buy Green Tea

There are thousands of sources of green tea and green tea extracts available to purchase and in my search for reputable green tea products I landed on the three following suppliers: Mountain Rose Herbs, Pique Tea, and Nootropics Depot. The green tea products from each supplier have their advantages and which to choose depends on what you want.

Mountain Rose Herbs Tea Products

Rolled Green Tea Pearls

If brewing a cup of green tea in the traditional way (steep for 5-8 minutes with 170F water), then rolled-up pearl tea is typically of the highest quality next to matcha. Mountain Rose Herbs sells

Matcha Green Tea Powder

Mountain Rose Herbs sells a ceremonial grade matcha green tea made from young shade-grown tea leaves from the Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.

Match green tea has the highest caffeine, L-theanine, and polyphenol levels and is one of the strongest ways of consuming green tea.

Green Tea Extract

Mountain Rose Herb’s organic green tea extract is made from sencha green tea which undergoes a dual water and alcohol based extraction process. This dual method of extraction pulls as many beneficial compounds out of the green tea leaves as possible and condenses them into a tincture. Green tea tincture can be taken directly under the tongue or added to a liquid like water or juice.

Other Green and Black Tea Products

Mountain Rose Herbs also sells many of varieties of organic green tea and black tea at different price points, I recommend you check out their full catalogue.

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Pique Tea Crystals

If you’re not in a position to brew tea leaves by steeping due to a lack of materials or time, then cold-brew extracted green tea crystals sold by Pique Tea are a good way to have your green tea and drink it too! Pique Tea is a regenerative organic tea manufacturer who triple-screens their product for heavy metals, pesticides, and mold before cold-brew extracting the main components of green tea leaves into what they call tea crystals. Served in individual packets, Pique Tea crystals are easy to dose and prepare, at home or on the go. Best served with water boiled to 170 F (75 C).

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Nootropics Depot Green Tea Extract Products

Nootropics Depot sells a few products derived from green tea, but their main green tea products are their green tea extract powder and their green tea extract + piperine tablets.

Green Tea Extract Powder

The Nootropics Depot green tea extract powder contains a minimum 45% EGCG content. Contains trace amounts of caffeine.

If looking to supplement primarily with green tea catechins like EGCG for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects this product is a good choice.

Green Tea + Piperine Tablets

Piperine is a bioavailability enhancer derived from black pepper that when paired with extracted green tea polyphenols aids in their absorption and increase their effect throughout the body.

The tablets are enteric coated so they may pass through the stomach protected to be more effectively absorbed by the intestines.

Each tablet contains 500 mg of green tea extract with a minimum 45% EGCG content alongside 6 mg of piperine.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

References:

1. Jankun J, Selman SH, Swiercz R, Skrzypczak-Jankun E. Why drinking green tea could prevent cancer. Nature. 1997;387(6633):561-561.

2. Wolfram S. Effects of green tea and egcg on cardiovascular and metabolic health. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2007;26(4):373S-388S.

3. Hara, Y. Influence of tea catechins on the digestive tract. J. Cell. Biochem. 1997, 67: 52-58.

4. Katiyar S, Elmets C. Green tea polyphenolic antioxidants and skin photoprotection (Review). Int J Oncol. Published online June 1, 2001.

5. Cooper R. Green tea and theanine: health benefits. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 2012;63(sup1):90-97.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

More Cognitive Enhancing Herbs