What is a materia medica?
A materia medica is a guide to the medicinal/healing properties of herbs. Think of these as a resume for each herb. The format usually looks something like this:
Common Name
Latin Name
Description (taste, smell, appearance)
Tendencies (energetics - warming, cooling, toning, drying, ect)
Actions (the system on which the plant acts on specific receptors and how the body reacts as a result of the stimulation)
A materia medica is a guide to the medicinal/healing properties of herbs. Think of these as a resume for each herb. The format usually looks something like this:
Common Name
Latin Name
Description (taste, smell, appearance)
Tendencies (energetics - warming, cooling, toning, drying, ect)
Actions (the system on which the plant acts on specific receptors and how the body reacts as a result of the stimulation)
Angelica
Angelica archangelica, Apiaceae
Taste/smell: Bitter, sweet, aromatic
Tendencies: Warming, stimulating, grounding
Actions: A rare warming bitter (most are cooling), carminative, stomachic, antimicrobial, antispasmodic. Traditionally used for colic with gas and eructations (burps); stimulates gastric and pancreatic secretions; used as an expectorant, emmenagogue, and diuretic (in digestive liquors Benedictine and Chartreuse)
Artichoke Leaf
Cynara scolymus, Asteraceae
Taste/smell: Very bitter, sharp
Tendencies: Cooling, drying
Actions: Antioxidant, cholagogue (helps bile flow; we need bile to digest fat), diuretic, hepatoprotective, lipid-lowering; specific for upper digestive statis; indicated for difficulty digesting fat, bloating, flatulence, constipation, bile insufficiency, IBS, and hyperlipidemia (high blood lipid levels), bad breath
Betony
Stachys officinalis, Lamiaceae
Taste/smell: Slightly bitter, slightly sweet, aromatic
Tendencies: Warming, drying, astringent, relaxing
Actions: Specific for GERD, digestive bitter, toning (tonic) to digestive system, strengthening to the Solar Plexus (where our gut instincts and intuitive faculties reside), headache remedy (particularly from tension, over-thinking, stress), expectorant, styptic, nervine
Burdock
Arctium lappa, Asteraceae
Taste/smell: sweet, bitter, mucilaginous
Tendencies: cooling, distributes moisture (although ultimately drying)
Actions: digestion: bitter stimulant, antibacterial, antifungal, mild laxative; cleansing organs: alterative, blood and lymph circulating, liver tonic, choleretic; general: anti-inflammatory antimutagenic, antioxidant, anti-tumor
Angelica archangelica, Apiaceae
Taste/smell: Bitter, sweet, aromatic
Tendencies: Warming, stimulating, grounding
Actions: A rare warming bitter (most are cooling), carminative, stomachic, antimicrobial, antispasmodic. Traditionally used for colic with gas and eructations (burps); stimulates gastric and pancreatic secretions; used as an expectorant, emmenagogue, and diuretic (in digestive liquors Benedictine and Chartreuse)
Artichoke Leaf
Cynara scolymus, Asteraceae
Taste/smell: Very bitter, sharp
Tendencies: Cooling, drying
Actions: Antioxidant, cholagogue (helps bile flow; we need bile to digest fat), diuretic, hepatoprotective, lipid-lowering; specific for upper digestive statis; indicated for difficulty digesting fat, bloating, flatulence, constipation, bile insufficiency, IBS, and hyperlipidemia (high blood lipid levels), bad breath
Betony
Stachys officinalis, Lamiaceae
Taste/smell: Slightly bitter, slightly sweet, aromatic
Tendencies: Warming, drying, astringent, relaxing
Actions: Specific for GERD, digestive bitter, toning (tonic) to digestive system, strengthening to the Solar Plexus (where our gut instincts and intuitive faculties reside), headache remedy (particularly from tension, over-thinking, stress), expectorant, styptic, nervine
Burdock
Arctium lappa, Asteraceae
Taste/smell: sweet, bitter, mucilaginous
Tendencies: cooling, distributes moisture (although ultimately drying)
Actions: digestion: bitter stimulant, antibacterial, antifungal, mild laxative; cleansing organs: alterative, blood and lymph circulating, liver tonic, choleretic; general: anti-inflammatory antimutagenic, antioxidant, anti-tumor
"When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is right, medicine is of no need" Ayurvedic Proverb
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