Solomon Seal 100 g, 50 g, 25 g

Solomon Seal – 100 g ($18.99), 50 g ($11.99), 25 g ($7.99)

Benefits:
Joint Health  Moisture is critical to overall health, especially joints and their buffering membranes (synovial and bursae) that need flexibility and constant fluid regeneration. As we age, we need a lot more water to help keep our skeletal system healthy, flush out toxins and cellular debris, and to ingest needed oxygen for cellular regeneration.

Solomon’s Seal is well known in TCM as a demulcent having mucilaginous qualities that soothe, cool and moisten. The polysaccharides in this herb are very nourishing to joints. If you are very active, or are dealing with joint issues, you may expect to experience more flexibility and range of motion with little or no bothersome clicking or stiffness. Similarly, synovial and bursa buffering membranes between joints are also nourished and replenished. This is helpful for bursitis.

A limited number of studies in rodents suggest that P. sibiricum polysaccharides promote osteoblast formation and block osteoclastogenesis, resulting in increased bone mineral density. Effects are suggested to be mediated through increased nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin.

It helps to adapt internally to bones, connective tissues, joints etc by boosting up the immune system. It also directly “feeds” the irritated joints and cleanses by reducing inflammation.

Connective Tissue Health (Ligaments, Tendons)  Solomon’s Seal works on sprains and strains, inflamed tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints. Most muscular-skeletal issues have to do with tendons and ligaments — the belts and pulleys between bones and muscles that affect posture and gait. First, all connective tissues need moisture, and for good reason as noted above. Second, our tendons and ligaments are in constant need of tension regulation so that they are not too tight or loose, both of which cause injury.

Solomon’s Seal appears to work very well with moisture to create an ongoing “assessment” of tendon and ligament tensions. For example, it may cue the body to loosen stiffness of tissue tensions in joints (customers especially report support for hands, shoulder, knees, ankles) or even tighten if necessary. When teamed with the herb, Horsetail, the benefits seem more substantial. Solomon Seal eases pain, infection in the joints, inflammation.  On connective tissues it works on stiffness, injury, overuse, underuse and lack of nourishment and detox to the connective tissue.

Inflammation & Pain  Solomon’s Seal contains a natural anti-inflammatory nutrient called Allantoin. Allantoin is a chemical compound naturally produced by many organisms, including animals, plants, and bacteria. It is a frequent ingredient in lotions, skin creams, dermatological medications, oral hygiene products, cosmetics, and other toiletries. It is effective at very low concentrations, usually from 0.1% to 2%).

The known qualities of Allantoin in Solomon’s Seal suggests, as people have reported, that it eases pain, calms nerves, reduces inflammation, and may provide better sleep as a consequence. This makes it useful for recent injuries, sprains, bruises, bursa health, nervousness, irritation, and women’s reproductive health.

One of the constituents in Solomon’s Seal is allantoin and may counteract the inflammatory response for injuries related to the muscular-skeletal systems.

Heart Health  Solomon’s Seal is known to have a mild regulating effect on the heart muscle because it contains small, safe amounts of the substance convallarin, a cardio glycoside. Although this is a potent chemical constituent, it seems to be in insufficient quantity to be of concern or use. The National Institutes of Health is currently researching Solomon’s Seal’s effectiveness as a heart tonic and blood pressure regulator.

If you are pregnant, have low blood pressure, or are on heart medication, it is not recommended that you use Solomon’s Seal without consulting your doctor.

Women’s Health  One of the most historically cited uses of Solomon’s Seal is for women’s health. Its mucilaginous qualities are excellent for reproductive health and supports menstruation. Its vulnerary features make it calming for PMS and during menopause. It may also regulate bleeding, as women report. Taking it as a tincture or tonic is excellent for these conditions.

Skin health is another often reported benefit of using Solomon’s Seal, especially in a lotion or salve. Women worldwide have used it for blemishes, bruises, and overall skin health. Its use as a tonic is not only beneficial for the skin, but also helps soothe the GI tract.

Immune  Immune system health is at the heart of wellness today. It is both a personal and environmental concern for overall health. An herbal adaptogenic, like Solomon’s Seal, appears to help the body adapt to internal issues (injuries to bones, connective tissues, joints, etc.) and environmental stresses by helping to strengthen the immune system. When teamed up with complementary herbs like Agrimony or Vervain or Horsetail, the benefits accrue.

The nourishing qualities of Solomon’s Seal appear benign yet stimulating to the immune system, and in turn throughout the body. Putting tincture drops into a quart bottle of water to sip throughout the day is an excellent mild tonic to support the immune system.

In vitro studies and studies conducted on senescent mice report reversal of declines of thymus and spleen weights and enhanced numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells by P. sibiricum polysaccharides. Modifying effects on various immune markers have also been reported in vitro and in rodents.

Tonic, Diuretic, And Expectorant  During healing, it is important to create a strategy around removing toxins and cellular waste from the body. Besides good daily exercise, we have to find other ways to bring in the two critical healing components: oxygen and water.

Solomon’s Seal, like many herbs, makes an excellent mild tonic. It increases the secretion, flow, and expulsion of urine (but not so much at a time!). It promotes the formation of urine by the kidney and may aid in flushing the body of toxins and excess water and breaking down fat.

Historically, Solomon’s Seal is also known as an expectorant. It promotes the discharge of mucus and phlegm from the lungs and throat by means of spitting or coughing. It also reduces irritation in such organs because of its mucilaginous qualities. In TCM, when used as a traditional yin tonic for the body’s mucous membranes, Solomon’s Seal moistens and provides energy (chi or qi) to the lungs, improving breathing and oxygenation to the blood. Better lung function leads to more abundant metabolic energy.

Toning the kidneys, heart and reproductive organs and is soothing on the digestive system, can be beneficial to the skin.

Respiratory  For coughs, it acts as an expectorant and anti-tussive that clears the passage of airways to the lungs by preventing the excessive secretion of mucus. It prevents from other symptoms like pain and congestion of chest and provides relief.

In asthma, it has an inflammatory property that prevents the patient from asthma attacks and decreases the secretion of mucus in the airways. It acts as a bronchodilator that dilates the bronchioles and provides relief to the patient. Demulcent (mucilaginous herb meaning it’s slimy and coating): it is cooling, soothing and moistening for throat, lungs and skin. Indications specific for dry coughs.

Botanical Name: Polygonatum odoratum
English: Drop Berry, Seal wort, Seal Root, Angelica flat,, polygonatum
Also, known as: True Solomon’s seal, Lady’s seal, Scean de Solomon, Weusswurz, Et, Yu Zhu, Scented Solomon’s seal, Jade bamboo
Habitat: Asia
Origin: China
Harvested: Cultivated
Parts Used: The root dug in autumn and dried

General Information:
Solomon’s seal consists of about thirty species of usually hardy perennial herbs of the Liliaceae family. Native to moist, shady woods in the north temperate zone. They grow in colonies, each simple in some species branched arching stem 12-18 in., arising in the spring from a thick, fleshy, many-jointed white rhizome, on which, when the stem dies away in the winter, a round scar is left, the “seal” though this name may derive from the pattern on across-section of the stem. The leaves are simple, linear to ovate, sometimes in whorls but mostly alternate, opposite and in two closes ranks. The small white or greenish bell-shaped three partite flowers are seen in May and June; later the globular bluish-black berries. Taste is mucilaginous, sweet, then acrid.
The flowers are in little drooping clusters of from two to seven, springing from the axils of the leaves, but hanging in an opposite direction to the foliage. They are tubular in shape, of a creamy or waxy white, topped with a yellowish green, and sweet-scented. Solomon’s Seal is a very hardy plant. It prefers a light soil and a shady situation, being a native of woods. If in a suitable soil and situation and not crowded by shrubs, it will thrive and multiply very rapidly by the creeping rootstocks. It will be better for occasional liberal dressings of leaf-mold, or an annual top dressing of decayed manure in March.

 

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 of solomon’s seal (2-6 g)/use, up to 3 times/day. This can be added to food or drink.