Motherwort Leaves 100 g, 50 g, 25 g

Motherwort Leaves – 100 g ($14.99), 50 g ($9.99), 25 g ($6.99)

Benefits:
In folk medicine, motherwort is used for asthma, to balance hormones affecting the menstrual cycle in women, and for amenorrhea. Homeopathic remedies exist for heart complaints, flatulence, and hyperthyroidism. The German Commission E has approved it for irregular heartbeats in people with thyroid disorders.

Congestive heart failure and hyperthyroidism. The Latin name for motherwort, “lion heart,” belies its centuries of use as a remedy for a weak heart. Motherwort strengthens the heartbeat but does not increase pulse rate. Instead, it sedates and relaxes the coronary arteries, resulting in increased circulation to the heart. The Complete German Commission E Monographs prescribes motherwort for irregularities of the heart caused by adrenal overstimulation and overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). Alkaloids in the herb, such as lionurine and stachydrine, have been reported to lower blood pressure and depress the central nervous system in laboratory animals.

Premenstrual syndrome. Test-tube studies have shown that low concentrations of lionurine, a compound found in motherwort, induced uterine contractions, but that higher concentrations inhibited contractions. The opposing effects may explain how motherwort can induce both labor and menstruation, and relax the uterus after childbirth. However, it should not be used during pregnancy. It is mildly hypnotic and acts as a sedative, so it may relieve symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Recommended Use
Motherwort is available in fluid extracts and teas. You should use solid (capsule or tablet) forms of the herb with caution, if at all; a dose of 3,000 milligrams of solid extract per day, taken in capsule or tablet form, is likely to cause diarrhea, stomach irritation, or uterine bleeding. Because of the herb’s traditional use for uterine stimulation, motherwort should not be used by pregnant women. If you suffer from a heart disorder or take any medicine for a heart condition, consult with your health-care provider before taking this herb.

Botanical Name: Leonurus cardiaca
English: Lion’s ear, Lion’s tail, Throw wort, Common Motherwort
Also, known as: Agrimaume, agripalma, agripaume, agripoume cardiaque, äkta hjärtstilla, arslan kuyruğu, arslonkuiruk, baqlat el amhât, bonässla, bärenschweif, cardiaca, cardiaco, cardiaque, coda di leone, common motherwort, common mother-wort, dom-e-shir, echtes Herzgespann, farâsîyün el qalb, farasyun kalbi, five lobed bladderwort, herbe battudo, Herzgespann, hjärtstilla, kalomiro, leonuro, lääne-südamerohi, Löwenschwanz, melissa salvatica, motherwort, Mutterwurz, nukula, pust’rmik serdechn’i, qafi, roman motherwort, serdetshn’i, shavbalaha, sidrs matere, talpa gåştii, throw-wort, tsan-ts’ai, wolfstrapp, yabani pirasa, yi-mu-ts,ao, t’ui
Habitat: Native to Europe
Origin: Ukraine
Harvested: Wild
Parts Used: Aerial parts of the plant

General Information:
There are about ten Eurasian species of this plant, three of them having been introduced into North America from Europe. The genus is of the mint family. Motherwort is an exotic perennial plant found growing in pastures and fields, flowering, with pink or white flowers in dense auxiliary whorls, from May to September. The upper lip of the corolla is shaggy; the calyx has stiff teeth. The rigid stem grows up to 5 ft., bearing some resemblance to Horehound, but has much longer and darker leaves. The stem pieces are hairy, longitudinally striated, quadrangular, hollow, up to about 10 mm wide.
It is distinguished from all other British labiates by the leaves, which are deeply and palmately cut into five lobes, or three-pointed segments, and by the prickly calyx-teeth of its flowers. When not in flower, it resembles mugwort in habit.
The name of the genus, Leonurus, in Greek signifies a Lion’s tail, from some fancied resemblance in the plant.

How to use:
We make these suggestions to help you get the best benefit from the herbs that you’re choosing to improve your health. Also we make these ideas and recommendations so that consuming them easier and better fit into your lifestyle by adding them to the food that you already eat.
For the full health benefit, it is best to consume (or use the whole herb in poultices) the whole herb. All of the compounds in the herb act best together, as nature intends. Extracts draw out the most prominent beneficial compounds and may concentrate them. What is not extracted can be helpful in ways that we do not yet understand.

Cut Pieces or Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use cut pieces or powdered herb.
Food Preparation: You can add powdered or pieces of herb (if the pieces you buy are bigger than you like, a coffee or herb grinder will quickly reduce) to any yogurt, smoothie, apple or other sauces, spreads, salads or other foods more familiar to you that don’t use heat. Heat can be damaging to the beneficial compounds in the herb. Other options like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pasta sauce, soup, cookies and anything else that fits your lifestyle, but minimizing (by adding near the end of cooking) the heat is helpful.
Also, for children, you can mix powdered herb with honey or glycerin to make paste. The thicker the paste, the more potent and herbal in taste. The sweet taste of honey and glycerin will help medicine go down. The resulting liquid is called an electuary.
For seeds in general, but especially small seeds, it’s best to grind these to break the protective hulls a short time before consumption. This makes all the benefits available, rather than some remaining locked inside the hulls that are unbroken by insufficient chewing.
To make adding herbs even easier, you could add a week’s worth of your chosen herb(s) to an amount of, for example, yogurt that you would eat in a week. Mix thoroughly and eat this each day of the week. So you make once /week and just eat each other day.
Hot Infusion: The basic method for dried herbs and flower is, take 2-3 tablespoons of dried herb in a cup or teapot. Pour hot water over it and cover it with lid for 10-30 minutes. The heat from making tea can degrade some of the beneficial compounds in the herb. This method minimizes this effect. For the full health benefit, it is recommended to consume what is left over after making tea.
Decoctions: Decoctions are suitable for roots, barks, large seeds & berries, and other dense material. The simple way to make decoction is, in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of dried herbs to 1 cup of water, Bring the water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes with the pot covered. Squeeze out as much as liquid as possible. Best practice is to drink the liquid and also consume the solid material that remains. Herb pieces can also be used.
Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use powdered herb.
Capsules: HerbsCrafters makes capsules guaranteed to be filled with the pure herb with no filler or any other products. You can also use powdered herb to make your own capsules at home. These capsules are best taken with liquid to aid in digestion and absorption and to ensure it doesn’t stick in your throat.
Poultice: Poultice can be made with an herbal powder and liquid (mostly water) to form a paste which is then applied to the skin. This method is very helpful for skin conditions.
Herbal shot: Powdered herb can be mixed with water, fruit juice or other liquid to make herbal shot.

Tips:
You can sweeten your herbal decoctions with bit of honey, natural fruit juice, stevia leaves powder or licorice root powder.

Precautions:
You should consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using any herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
All information on this website is for educational purpose ONLY.
This information has not been evaluated by Health Canada.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

How Much To Use
It is common that 10g of a fresh herb = 1g when dehydrated.
Recommended daily amount: 1-3 tsp motherwort leaves (1.5-5 g)/use up to 3 times/day. This can be added to food or to make tea.