Herbs for a gum infection

Once again, I'm dealing with a gum infection. It hurts all the time and it leaves a funny taste in my mouth. Usually I just use Echinacea but this time I'm using a combination of Echinacea and Licorice. I'm drinking a cup of Echinacea tea (recipe found here) every 8 hours. And yesterday I made some Licorice Lozenges (recipe found here) to place directly on the sore.

For some pain relief, I tried something I've never done before. I took a little crushed dried licorice root and added just enough water to cover it. I boiled it and when the water was almost gone, I added a little more. I did this for about 30 minutes, adding water 6 or 7 times. When the juice turned thick and dark brown, I strained out the licorice pieces. Then I soaked one end of a cu-tip and applied it directly to the sore. The relief was immediate and intense. I was even able to eat without wincing. This is definitely a recipe I'm going to try again in the future.

Licorice Root: Healer or Harmer?

Licorice Root is a very powerful herb. It's ability to heal illness has been well documented in almost 200 clinical trials. Although it's commonly used to treat everyday ailments, licorice root has also been found to help major illnesses like cancer and HIV. Most studies show that it heals better than the pharmaceutical drugs because in most cases, it only affects what it's treating. For example: Chemotherapy kills everything in it's path. But the polyphenols in licorice root have the ability to kill cancer cells without having any negative affect on the bodies healthy cells.

But power isn't always a good thing. Licorice root has just as much ability to harm as it does to heal. Glycyrrhizin is the active compound responsible for a lot of the healing abilities in licorice root. But ingesting too much of it can cause major health problems ranging from fatigue to death. Here are almost 200 documented cases of death and other adverse affects of licorice root.

Because glycyrrhizin is the only compound in licorice root that causes these side effects, doctors figured out how to remove it. DGL, short for deglycyrrhizinated licorice, can be used without fear of causing additional health problems. But it won't treat as many ailments as whole licorice root. For instance, DGL is almost useless in treating hepatitis, herpes, arthritis, fibromylagia and asthma because they all require the anti-inflammatory properties from the glycyrrihizin. In those cases, ingesting less than 500 mg of glycyrrihizin a day lessens the chance of unwanted side effects.

In conclusion, as long as you're careful about the amount and type you use, licorice root will be a powerful and effective healer.

Chamomile: A healing herb

As a healing herb, chamomile is invaluable. I drink chamomile tea every night to help me sleep and, in the past, I've used chamomile oil as an antiseptic to prevent infection on a burn. Those are just two things on a very long list of health benefits of chamomile.

Since the time of ancient Egyptions, chamomile has been a very effective treatment for many ailments. Right now chamomile is listed as a treatment for over 100 different health conditions. Of course very few studies have been done on chamomile, so the only proof we have to rely on is the fact that it's been used for thousands of years.

Recent studies have shown that chamomile could be useful in preventing and treating cancer. One study showed that women who increased their intake of the flavones and flavonols found in chamomile could lower their risk of getting breast cancer. Another study showed that chamomile extracts slowed the growth of cancer cells and promoted cancer cell death while leaving healthy cells untouched. The same study showed that our body's natural digestive process converts the active ingredient in chamomile into a powerful cancer fighter.

Chamomile can also help with normal everyday health conditions like acne, dandruff, menstrual cramps and headaches. It's safe to use at home and has very few side effects. The only precaution I've heard of is not to use it if you're pregnant or nursing.

If you would like to learn more about the many uses of chamomile, please read Natural Remedies using Chamomile. It explains the difference between chamomile German and chamomile Roman and details what each is used for. Plus there are some great herbal recipes!

Healing with Herbs and Oils

I've always been fascinated with the healing powers of herbs and oils. As a child, I would eat dandelions leaves because I just knew they couldn't be all bad (I was right!). As a teenager, I would take long walks in the woods and just stare at all the different plants, wondering which plant could heal which ailment. But it wasn't until I became an adult that I indulged my curiosity. I'll never forget what happened the first time I used essential oils to heal.

It was May of 2004. I was outside playing with my son when I heard my step-daughter scream. Upon running into the house, the first thing I saw was a big red mark on her face. A closer examination revealed it to be a pretty nasty carpet burn (that's it's very own story!). I'd never seen a carpet burn like this one so I took her to her doctor. But the doctor wouldn't even give her a salve or anything! That's when I decided to take matters into my own hands. We went home and I immediately started pouring over all my herb and oil books.
Eventually I decided to use Lavender and Chamomile German. I chose Lavender because of it's ability to promote healing and prevent scars. I chose Chamomile German because of it's antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. I added 5 drops of each to a pint of warm water and used a cotton ball to apply it to her face. We did this 3-4 times a day and three weeks later, she was all healed! I was amazed because she didn't even have the faintest trace of that horrible rug burn left on her face.

So, then I was hooked! Ever since then, I've used essential oils and herbs whenever I could. As with any amateur, I've had my share of successes and failures (but I've learned from them all). I'm going to use this blog to track my herbal journey. Care to join me?