How do herbs work ? Part 2
Posted: Tuesday, July 29, 2008
by discover
Have you ever wondered what are the different kinds of herbs and what they actually do ?
Listed below are ten types of herbs and their actions; a general overview of what they do to promote healing.
Continuation from part 1
Demulcents
Demulcents soothe, coat and soften mucus membranes. They can also be applied to the skin. Apart from alleviating symptoms, they reduce inflammation and irritation and provide a protective coating, allowing tissues to heal. Licorice and Slippery Elm are examples.
A crucial aspect to healing is the clearing of accumulated debris from organs, tissues and cells. These types of herbs are also known as blood purifiers. These herbs act by various means, but the sum effect is deep tissue cleansing. This can alleviate underlying causes of both acute and chronic diseases ranging from infections to cancer. Example red clover.
Immune Stimulants
A large number of herbs have the ability to affect the immune system. With its far reaching effects on every possible illness, immune stimulation is useful in a wide range of way infections and illnesses. Example astragalus.
Stimulants
Stimulants increase activity of the body's systems and overall nervous excitation. They act directly through the nervous system or increase circulation, hormonal function or excretion of toxins. They are ideal for sluggish functions, but as activators they can also be overused and abused. Example coffee.
Tonics
Tonics are among the most important categories of herbs. They may be specific to the heart, nerves or liver. While other herbs cause a specific action in one direction either stimulating or sedating, tonics work in both ways, they help balance the organism and act as nurturing restoratives and strengthening factors. Oats is a typical tonic, as well as ginkgo.
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