Abundant Living
September 1999

Classification of Herbs

The most important part of herbology is the combining of herbs to make effective remedies, yet it is the least understood. Part of the reason for this lack is the understanding the the lack of an effective classification system for herb use. Many systems have been tried, some classifying by plant part or by humoral theories or by botanical family or by color and morphology.

Regardless of the particular system used, however, it is apparent that herbs fall generally into five major categories based on their active constituents. These are: Aromatic (volatile oils), Astringents (tannins), Bitter (phenolic compounds, saponins, and alkaloids), Mucilagnious (polysacharides), and Nutritive (food stuffs).

Understanding this classification system simplifies the analysis of herbal combinations and allows the herbalist to readily propose useful new ones, and it becomes easy to substitute one herb for another. Additionally, the categories are easy to identify using the senses of smell, taste, and touch.

Aromatic Herbs

Aromatic Herbs owe their properties mainly to volatile oils, and the name is a reflection of the pleasant odor that many of these herbs have. Most have a fragrant, spicy taste and stimulate the gastro-intestinal mucous membrane. They are used extensively both therapeutically and as flavorings and perfumes. Aromatic herbs are divided into two subcategories: stimulants and nervines.

Stimulant Herbs increase energy and activities of the body, or its parts or organs, and most often effect the respiratory, digestive, and circulatory systems.

Properties of Stimulant herbs include analgesic, antipyretic, antiasthmatic, antibiotic, antiseptic, carminative, diaphoretic, expectorant, galactogogue, parasiticide, rubefacient, stimulant, and stomachic.

Some examples of Stimulant herbs include capsicum, damiana, fennel, garlic, ginger, peppermint, sage, thyme, catnip, feverfew, lemon grass, penny royal, and damiana.

Nervine Herbs are often used to heal and soothe the nervous system, and often affect the respiratory, digestive, and circulatory systems as well. They are often used in teas or in encapsulated form.

Properties of Nervine herbs include analgesic, antipyretic, antiasthmatic, antibiotic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, sedative, and stomachic.

Some examples of Nervines include chamomile, crampbark, dong quai, ginger, hops, lobelie, scullcap, valerian, catnip, lady's slipper, and sarsaparilla.

Astringent Herbs

Astringent Herbs owe their properties mainly to their tannins, which have the ability to precipitate proteins, and this "tightens," contracts, or tones living tissue, and helps to halt discharges. They effect the digestive, urinary, and circulatory systems, and large doses are toxic to the liver.

Properties of Astringent herbs include analgesic, antiseptic, antiabortive, astringent, emmenagogue, homostatic, and styptic.

Examples of Astringents include bayberry, comfrey, eyebright, golden seal, pau d'arco, peppermint, red raspberry, slippery elm, white oak, white willow, black walnut, crampbark, mullein, and penny royal.

Bitter Herbs

Bitter Herbs owe their properties to the presence of phenols and phenolic glycosides, alkaloids, or saponins, and are divided into four subcategories: laxative herbs, diuretic herbs, saponin-containing herbs, and aloaloid-containing herbs.

There are three basic types of Laxative Herbs: bulk laxatives (see mucilaginous herbs), lubricant laxatives (such as mineral oil), and stimulant laxatives (the antraquinone type). The laxative herbs of the Bitter Herb type mildly stimulate contraction of the intestinal system and stimulate bile secretions rather than acting as irritants to the bowel. Purging the digestive tract of toxins is one of the oldest and most common forms of self-medication.

Properties of Laxative Bitter herbs include alterative, anticatarrhal, antipyretic, cholagogue, purgative, hepatonic, sialagogue, vermifuge, and blood purifier.

Examples of Laxative herbs include aloe, cascara, licorice, pumpkin, senna, yellow dock, yucca, barberry, gentian, safflowers, and golden seal.

Diuretic Herbs induce loss of fluid from the body through the urinary system. The fluids released help cleanse the vascular system, kidneys, and liver.

Properties of Diuretic herbs include alterative, antibiotic, anticatarrhal, antipyretic, antiseptic, lithotriptic, and blood purifier.

Examples include asparagus, blessed thistle, burdock, butcher's broom, buchu, chaparral, chickweed, cornsilk, dandelion, dog grass, grapevine, hawthorn, horsetail, ho shou wu, hydrangea, juniper berries, milk thistle, nettle, parsley, peach bark, and uva ursi.

Saponin-containing Herbs are known for their ability to produce frothing or foaming in solution with water. The name "saponin" comes from the Latin word for soap. They emulsify fat soluble molecules in the digestive tract, and their most important property is to enhance the body's ability to absorb other active compounds.

Saponins have the ability to effectively dissolve the cell membranes of red blood cells and disrupt them. However, when taken internally they are comparatively harmless or not absorbed at all. Saponin-rich herbs like yucca and sarsaparilla give root beer its foamy properties.

Their properties include alterative, anticatarrhal, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, emmenagogue, cardiac stimulant, and increased longivity. Aome are also diuretic and antispasmodic.

Some examples of saponin-containing herbs are wild yam root, schizandra, black cohosh, blue cohosh, devil's claw, licorice, alfalfa, yucca, ginseng, and gotu kola.

An aloakoid means any organic compound that contains nitrogen and has physiologic activity. Since each group of alkaloids has very different physiological effects, Alkaloid-containing herbs are difficult to classify. Thus many alkaloid-containing herbs, such as valerian and capsicum, are also found under additional classifications.

Properties of Alkaloid-containing herbs include emetic, astringent, expectorant, antiseptic, respiratory tonic, stimulant, and nervine. Examples include ephedra, golden seal, lobelia, pau d'arco, valerian, and capsicum.

Mucilaginous Herbs

Mucilaginous herbs derive their properties from the polysaccharides they contain, which give these herbs a slippery, mild taste that is sweet in water. All plants product mucilage in some form to store water and hydrates as a food reserve. Since most mucilages are not broken down by the human digestive system, but absorb toxins from the bowel and give bulk to the stool, these herbs are most effective topically as poultices and knitting agents, and are also used topically in the digestive tract. When used as lozenges or extracts, they have a demulcent action on the throat.

Mucilaginous herbs produce four major effects. They:

• reduce bowel transit time
• absorb and eliminate toxins from the intestinal system
• help regulate intestinal flora
• produce a demulcent/vulnerary action

Properties of Mucilaginous herbs include antibiotic, antacid, demulcent, emollient, culinary, and detoxifier. Herbs in this classification include althea, aloe, burdock, comfrey, dandelion, echinacea, fenugreek, kelp, psylium, slippery elm, dulse, glucomannan from Konjak root, Irish moss, and mullein.

Nutritive Herbs

These herbs derive both their name and their classification from the nutritive value they provide to the diet. They are true foods and provide some medicinal effects as fiber, mucilage, and diuretic action. But most importantly they provide the nutrition of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, plus the vitamins and minerals that are necessary for adequate nutrition.

Examples of Nutritive herbs are rosehips, acerola, apple, asparagus, banana, barley grass, bee pollen, bilberry, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, grapefruit, hibiscus, lemon, oatstraw, oniono, orange, papaya, pineapple, red clover, spirulina, stevia, and wheat germ.

Herbal Properties

Alterative: Herbs used to change existing nutritive and excretory processes to regulate body functions.

Analgesic: Herbs that relieve pain when taken orally.

Anodyne: Herbs that relieve pain when applied externally.

Antiabortive: Herbs that are used to help avoid miscarriages.

Antiasthmatic: Herbs that relax the bronchials and aid free breathing.

Antibiotic: Herbs used to kill or stop growth of harmful micro-organisms.

Anticatarrhal: Herbs which reduce inflammation of the mucous membranes.

Antihyropic: Herbs used to remove excess body fluid.

Anti-inflammatory: Herbs used to relieve inflammation.

Antipyretic: Herbs used to reduce fevers.

Antiseptic: Herbs used to prevent, combat, and neutralize toxic bacteria.

Antispasmodic: Herbs used to calm spasms, cramps, or coughing.

Antisyphilic: Herbs used to allay venereal diseases.

Aphrodisiac: Herbs used to correct problems of impotency and to strengthen sexual function.

Blood Purifier: Herbs that cleanse and purify the blood.

Calmative: herbs used to calm the nervous system.

Cardiac: Herbs used to strengthen the heart.

Carminative: Herbs used to expel gas from the digestive system.

Cathartic: Herbs used to stimulate purging from the bowel.

Cell Proliferant: Herbs used to promote rapid new cell growth and healing.

Cholagogue: Herbs used to increase flow of bile into the duodenum.

Demulcent: Herbs that are soothing and provide coating to irritated or inflamed internal areas.

Depurant: Blood purifiers that stimulate eliminative processes.

Diaphoretic: Herbs used to promote perspiration.

Digestant: Herbs that contain enzymes, amino acids, etc. to aid digestion of food.

Emmenagogue: Herbs used to encourage suppressed menstrual flow.

Emetic: Herbs used to induce vomiting.

Emolient: Herbs used to soften and protect external surfaces.

Expectorant: Herbs used to expel toxic mucous from the respiratory system.

Febrifuge: Herbs used in reducing fevers.

Galactogogue: Herbs that stimulate lactation (milk production).

Homostatic: Herbs used to stop bleeding.

Hepatic or Hepatonic: Herbs used to strengthen and tone the liver and increase the flow of bile.

Hormonal: Herbs containing hormonal properties.

Lithotriptic: Herbs that help dissolve and eliminate kidney stones.

Mucilaginous: Herbs that have an adhesive, coating, expansive property and contain soothing qualities for healing.

Nutrative: herbs that promote growth and nourishment.

Parasiticide: Herbs that kill parasites.

Purgative: Herbs used to cause purging from the bowels. Usually used in combination with other herbs to control their action.

Relaxant or Sedative: Herbs that soothe or quite and and have the property of lessening excitement, irritation, or pain.

Rubefacient: Herbs that redden the skin.

Sialagogue: Herbs that stimulate the production of saliva to aid digestion.

Stomachic: Herbs used to strengthen and tone the stomach and increase the appetite.

Styptic: Herbs that have an astringent effect which helps control bleeding.

Sudorific: Herbs that stimulate or increase perspiration.

Tonic: Herbs that invigorate and stimulate tone and energy of the body.

Vermicide: Herbs used to destroy parasites or worms.

Vermifuge: Herbs used to expel worms.

Vulnerary: Herbs that promote the healing of wounds.

 

Sources

Keith, Velma J. and Monteen Gordon. The How to Herb Book. Pleasant Grove, UT: Mayfield Publications, 1984. Pedersen, Mark. Nutritional Herbology. Bountiful, UT: Pedersen Publishing, 1987.

Ordering Tips from NSP

To reduce the amount of time you spend waiting on hold to place your order with NSP's Home Office, Nedra Christensen, NSP Call Management System Administrator, offers the following suggestions.

• Call at lunchtime or in the afternoon. The shortest average hold time is between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) Tuesday through Friday. Avoid calling in the morning, which is the busiest time of the day.
• Call later in the week. Hold times are greatest on Monday and Tuesday. By Saturday hold time is down substantially.
• Order early in the month. The Order Sales Department becomes increasingly busier toward the end of the month, especially the last couple of days.

And to speed up the ordering process:

• Have your NSP account number ready.
• If you are ordering a drop shipment, have the address ready, including the ZIP code.
• Know the stock numbers and quantities of the products you're ordering.
• Be prepared to give your credit card number and expiration date.
• Be ready to write down your order number and PV, QV, and cost totals.

The Order Sales Department is open Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Mountain time) at 800-453-1422. You may also use the convenient 24-hour automated line at 800-892-6451.

Better yet, you can eliminate your hold time altogether by placing your order online at www.naturessunshine.com 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Get Your Own FREE Internet Web Site from Abundant Life

Build your NSP business and increase your profit margin! We would like to provide you with free online advertising for your Nature's Sunshine business on your own web site — at absolutely no cost to you.

Many of you became NSP Distributors or Members because you saw our web site and contacted us for more information. We sincerely appreciate each and every one of you, and would like to help you give others the opportunity to join your distributor organization.

All you need to do is let us know what you would like for us to post on your website. From a simple listing of your name, address, and phone number to your very own multiple-page web site with an link to the new online shopping cart service (there is a moderate charge for the shopping cart service), just sketch out what you would like for it to look like and send it to us. Or call us to discuss your preference.

Within the next month, we will be posting the name, address, and phone number of all our "affiliates" who are registered with NSP as Distributors to help your potential customers and new distributors find you more easily. If you are registered as a Distributor and for some reason do not want your NSP business listed on our distributor web site, be sure to notify us before September 30.

For those of you who registered as Members, we assume that you joined NSP to purchase products for personal use only, and do not want to sell NSP products. You may upgrade your status to Distributor at any time by purchasing the $20 Distributor Opportunity Kit from NSP and notifying us of the change in your status.

Be sure to visit our new affiliates? web site at www.theherbdoc.net.

Keep in touch with other members of our Distributor family and discuss business and natural health ideas online at our new Members' and Distributors' website: www.theherbdoc.org. The password is ********.

Did You Know?

Calves cannot live on pasteurized milk? In a university study one group of newborn calves was fed regular milk from their mothers, and a second group was fed pasteurized milk. Every single calf in the second group died of starvation. Milk … does it really do a body that much good? That's udderly ridiculous!

Pain is our body's warning signal that something is wrong and needs our immediate attention, like that annoying red light on our car's dashboard that tells us that we are out of oil. Did you ever stop and think that taking a pain reliever is very much like putting a piece of duct tape over the oil warning light in your car?

NSP Now Provides Direct Deposit of Bonus Checks

Now there's no more waiting for the mail, or wondering if your bonus check will arrive on time, or making special trips to the bank just to deposit your bonus check.

Now NSP will deposit your bonus check directly into your bank account for a processing fee of only $1 each month, which will be deducted from the total amount of that check. Deposits are made on the 13th of each month. when the 13th falls on a weekend or bank holiday, your check will be deposited the next business day.

Call 800-223-8225 for more information or to obtain an application for direct deposit.

Changes to the Instant Application Process

Paper copies of the Member/Distributor Application are no longer required when an Instant Application is made. In addition:

• You can now put one or two individuals? names on an Instant Application; however, corporations or business names will still only be accepted by fax or mail.
• If you wish to change or delete a name on your account at any time in the future, the change must be requested in writing, and the request must include the signatures of all those persons who are currently listed on the account.
• All sponsor changes must be made according to the Policies & Procedures Manual.

Barbara's Book of the Month

Prescription for Dietary Wellness: The Wellness Book of the 90's by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC and James F. Balch, MD, FACS is packed with quick reference charts that combine nutritional healing and dietary wellness for speed healing. Content includes:

• Latest scientific research identifying the Magnificent 12 Foods
• Scientific discoveries that the phytonutrients found on our foods are actually more important than the vitamins and minerals they contain
• How to combine live juices, vitamins, and herbs to achieve speed healing and for the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and many of the new viruses and ills of the end of this century

Dr. Balch practices genito-urinary surgery in Greenfield, Indiana. He graduated from Indiana University Medical School with honors and spent four years in surgical residency at the Indiana University Medical Center. He began his private practice in urology in 1966. Through radio and TV appearances and his newspaper column, Exploring Life, he has educated the public about the basics of maintaining good health as a triune being ? body, soul, and spirit.

Phyllis Balch is a certified nutritional consultant. She received her certification from the American Association of Nutritional Consultants, has consulted clients for over a decade, served as nutritional consultant in her husband's practice, and also contributes to his health column. Her interest in natural foods led to the establishment of her nutritional center, and a natural foods restaurant that flourished for over a decade.

Dr. Balch tells us, "As a physician and surgeon, I am involved with sick people every day. A significant percentage of these people have preventable disorders. Many of these disorders are caused by routine violations of good health and nutritional habits."

The Balchs clam that six out of ten deaths in our country are directly related to diet. Prescription for Dietary Wellness is designed to lead you, precept-by-precept, to a power-filled healthy state by helping you to better understand what nutritional resources to provide your "Healing Power Within." Discover power foods for longevity, energy, the immune system, healing specific disorders, and brain food. Prescription for Dietary Wellness will assist you to lead a more healthful life.

Retail $16.95 ? Your Cost $13.56 ? You Save $3.39 (20%)

For the convenience of our new Members and Distributors who did not receive tbem, previous issues of our newsletter will be posted on the Members-Only website.

We will try to begin posting them by the middle of next month, and should have them all posted within a month or so.