- John Hance, Herbalist
Tease me with teas
I'm always coming up with a new herbal concoction to try out on myself. This combination, or that...just to see how things taste together. This morning, I did that with American Ginseng and Saw Palmetto, along with Nettles and Hyssop.
American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) has a longstanding use as an overall tonic. The Cherokee used it for headaches, vertigo, and nervous conditions. My needs are for the tonic properties it has, and it's strongly adaptogenic, which means that it makes other medicines work better. Saw Palmetto has been used to treat migraines, cough and cold, asthma and bronchitis, and a list of other things, but what I'm using it for is it's male tonic properties. It supports the prostate and has an action on the kidneys. The Nettles and Hyssop I threw in for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and as a blood purifier.
I took my kettle, filled it with about 6 oz. of good spring water,