MAY 27, 2025 HARVESTING HERBS

Most medicinal herbs should never be wild harvested. Most need a very specific habitat and won’t transplant well. It is also illegal to take plants from state or national parks or forests without a permit. But some medicinal herbs are commercially grown and can be added to residential gardens. Herbs can be purchased at some garden centers or ordered from specialized seed catalogs. The United Plant Savers also holds Plant Give-Away events for members. This is why you need to be a member of United Plant Savers http://www.unitedplantsavers.org

To grow goldenseal, it helps to own a patch of Ohio woodlands with a rich, moist, loamy soil, as well as good water drainage and about 60 to 70 percent shade. I doubt any of us in New York City own a piece of land in Ohio, but you never know who you will meet If you are lucky, it is also sometimes possible to tuck a few plants into a backyard native wildflower garden.

Do you know anything about the plant Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)? It is known as one of the oldest American Indian medicinal plants. I relate to Goldenseal. Unfortunately, by 1910 Goldenseal was the most common item in the American herbal medicine chest and was being picked to extinction. Its most active ingredient is Berberine. There are several plants/herbs that have berberine. Goldenseal is still the most popular herbal among consumers. It is rare in the Midwestern United States according to Matthew Wood's book The Book of Herbal Wisdom. There are many conditions for which goldenseal is used. Some of them include gastrointestinal ukcers, mouth ulcers, sore throat, bladder infections, pruritis, boils, eczema and many other skin disorders. Since the herb is considered endangered I try to utilize it very little in clinical practice. The delivery of goldenseal is varied as dried root, tincture, powdered, capsules, and fluid extract.

To grow goldenseal:

Step 1 — Site Preparation: Begin with a humus-rich soil under natural shade or a man-made canopy. The general soil preparation is the use of lime to create a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.0.

Step 2 — Propagation: Goldenseal can be best started from rhizome pieces planted in the fall. Plant two to three inches deep. Be patient. It can take three to five years to grow harvestable roots from rhizomes, longer with other propagation methods.

Step 3 — Mulch: Keep the area around goldenseal weed-free and use hardwood bark chips or leaf humus. Rake back the mulch to one to two inches before the plants emerge in spring.

Step 4 — Harvest: Divide the plants or harvest the roots in fall when fully mature.

Until tomorrow...

MAY 22, 2025 WILD COMPHREY

Wild Comfrey (Cynoglossum virginianum)

Wild comfrey was restricted in the U.S. and banned in some countries because of overblown concerns about internal use despite centuries of safe, external healing .I have used comphrey without any problems. I remember one patient, Otto telling him he instilled comphrey into his urinary catheter to stop bleeding from his prostate cancer. It was very effective

What you’re not being told is that, when you use it topically, it’s one of the most powerful natural remedies available. It helps you manage wounds faster, reduce swelling, and relieve joint, muscle, or back pain.

If you don’t want to go out of your way and try to harvest it, there’s a LEGAL option that’s already available for you that’s personally prepared by one of America’s most trusted herbalists. One of its key ingredients is cayenne pepper, which works by triggering a natural process called substance P depletion, which reduces the brain’s pain signals in the area you apply it. That means less inflammation, less stiffness, and fast relief where you need it most.

Until tomorrow

MAY 21, 2025 GOOSEBERRY

Gooseberry (Ribes spp.)

I have a Gooseberry bush in my front yard I wait every year to pick and eat gooseberries. I find them delicious

Gooseberries make delicious jam, tarts, and pies, but gooseberry Champagne and gooseberry wine date back more than 100 years ago.

This was once federally banned in 1911 due to its role in spreading white pine blister rust, but the ban was lifted in 1966. However, some states, like Maine, still enforce restrictions or require permits for cultivation.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and vital to your nervous system, immune system, and skin. Vitamin B5 is necessary for creating fatty acids, while vitamin B6, which many enzymes and cells in your body need to function, helps convert food into energy

Copper is important for your heart, blood vessels, immune system, and brain. Meanwhile, manganese supports metabolism, bone formation, reproduction, and immune response, whereas potassium is essential for normal cell function

Gooseberry can sharpen your memory, clear brain fog, and all that gunk out of your lungs. It can also help fight fungus, parasites, and harmful bacteria. It’s even good for digestion, and it even strengthens hair roots to reduce hair loss.

Because it’s packed with antioxidants, gooseberry may also protect your body from cellular damage and even reduce the Big C risk. However, if you want a more powerful alternative that’s already been approved for treatment in other countries

Eat Gooseberries

Until tomorrow…

MAY 20, 2025 KNOTWEED

A plant that is used for Lyme Disease with success is Fallopia japonica. it has another name Polygonum cuspidatum. This is native to Asia, Japan, China and Korea. This plant is commonly known as the Japanese Knotweed. Other names for this plant are monkeyweed, elephant ears, and even donkey rhubarb.

Many of us take a form of Japanese Knotweed and do not even know it. It is plant which has a large concentrated of resveratrol. The main use of Japanese knotweed in Lyme is for the CNS effects. This plant can cross the blood brain barrier. For those who have Lyme cerebritis or any neurological manifestation of Lyme it is a great herb.

It is also good the the cardiac manifestations of Lyme Disease (chest pain, palpitations and arrhythmias). As a cardiologist, I see many patients with bradycardia ( slow heart rate) and heart blocks related to Lyme Disease. This herb is thus used for the 3rd stage of Lyme. It is unique that it stops the inflammatory pathways. For those with ocular (eye) manifestations of Lyme it stimulates blood flow to the eye. In Healing Lyme by Buhner this herb is used with another herb, Stephania. Knotweed contains more reveratrol than any other plant.

The spreading of the plant has curiously followed the same path of the spread of Lyme across the Northeast. Is this a coincidence? Or is the plant trying to tell us something about its use?

Much of this research can be found in Buhner's Healing Lyme, Dr. Joseph Burrascano's book, Diagnostic Hints and Treatment Guidelines of Lyme and other Ticks and Wolfe's Healing Lyme Disease Naturally-Most conventional doctors dealing with Lyme do not know about these herbs. I feel our attack on this epidemic could be better served if all healers (conventional and integrative) started to embark on a collaborative treatment.

I must mention the honeybees. The Japanese knotweed is valued by beekeepers as it is an important source of nectar. The plant flowers when no other plants are flowering so it is important to the bees and the beekeeper. The flower yields a Monofloral honey called Bamboo Honey.

I have never tasted bamboo honey. I have asked some beekeepers about its taste. One friend said it taste like a milder version of Buckwheat honey. I smiled and said thank you. This doesn't help me because as a new beekeeper I have NOT even tasted buckwheat honey. I have had the pleasure of tasting dark cacao honey and even spearmint honey, but no buckwheat or bamboo yet.

Until tomorrow…

MAY 19, 2025 COPD

What is COPD?  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common lung diseases. It makes it difficult to breathe. There are two main forms of COPD: One is chronic bronchitis, which involves a long-term cough with mucus and the other is emphysema, which involves destruction of the lungs over time. Most people with COPD have a combination of both conditions. The leading cause of  COPD is smoking . A person who smokes two packs per day is more likely to develop COPD than someone who smokes one pack per day.
Other risk factors for COPD are exposure to second hand smoke, air pollution and certain gases/fumes in the workplace.
One of the first symptoms is a cough with or without mucous, fatigue, dyspnea (shortness of breath) and many bouts of respiratory infections. Some other symptoms might be wheezing, and trying to catch one's breath.
The most useful test is for the doctor to listen to the lungs with a stethoscope. I do not think that many doctors have time to listen to their patients’ lungs. In the last years I am getting more involved in the physical diagnosis aspect of my patients’ health. I used to sit behind a desk (which I still do) but now I have an examination table in my office to better assess my patient’s health.

The best test for COPD is a lung function test called spirometry. This involves blowing out as hard as possible into a small machine that tests lung capacity. The results can be checked right away, and the test does not involve exercising, drawing blood, or exposure to radiation.

Many Americans die from emphysema from years of smoking. If not emphysema, then lung cancer. One of those individuals was William Griffith Wilson, also known as Bill W. I recommend the biopic film, Bill W. BILL W. is the inspirational story of Bill W, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Young Bill was a hard worker and a quick learner. But there were always reasons to drink, and Bill became an alcoholic at a time when there was no support. Working with Dr. Bob Smith to organize an alcoholics’ support group in Akron, Ohio in 1935, Bill then expanded his ideas into the first 12-step recovery program. An engaging public speaker, his idea was to turn alcoholics’ interests toward others, so they wouldn’t be overwhelmed by their own difficulties. It was a truly inspirational story to watch. I teared up at many situations on the screen especially the real footage of Bill W. I am in awe of this truly gifted special man. He is one of the most engaging men of the 20th century and should never be forgotten. Next month I celebrate 31 years of sobriety

A study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine involving COPD patients and the supplementation of Vitamin D. The supplementation was 100,000 units every 4 weeks which was equivalent to about 3,600 IU/day. The data concluded that high dose Vitamin D DID NOT decrease the incidence of exacerbations in patients with COPD. Vitamin D supplementation did decrease the exacerbation in patients with severe Vitamin D deficiency. The definition for severe was less than 10. There was a suggestion that high dose Vitamin D may exacerbate COPD in those without a severe deficiency (less than 10)

My conclusion is that the estimated daily dose is not enough. I do not consider 3,600 IU/day to be a high dose. Most of my patients take an average dose of 5,000 or greater

Until tomorrow…

MAY 14, 2025 YOUR HAIR

We all care about our hair? Most opf us get concerned when we start to lose hair. For me, I decided with an excellent shaped scalp I decided to shave my head. It is still a lot of work but I love it

There are many remedies to support hair growth if you do not want to use a conventional medication like propecia or minoxidil There are herbs , supplements and essential oils. The herb I utilize the most is Horsetail which contains a lot of silica which grows hair. There are 4 essential oils that promote hair growth,

TRhe first essential oil is Lavender Essential Oil: This calming oil can soothe an irritated scalp and reduce stress. Studies show that those who apply lavender essential oil to the scalp have deeper hair follicles, a thicker dermal layer, and more hair follicles

The second is Peppermint Essential Oil: This invigorating essential oil stimulates blood flow to the scalp, encouraging hair to grow faster. Studies show peppermint essential oil worked better than the top-recommended toxic hair growth medication. The menthol in peppermint also gives your scalp a cooling sensation, making it feel clean and refreshed

The third is Tea Tree Essential Oil: Tea tree essential oil is antifungal and can help combat dandruff. If you’re looking for a natural remedy that will help you get to the root of the problem, this is it. You can add a few drops to your favorite all-natural shampoo for your healthiest hair yet.

The fourth is Rosemary Essential Oil: Rosemary essential oil stimulates the hair follicles and scalp, helping to kick hair growth into gear. A study in 2022 proved that rosemary oil can boost hair growth just as effectively as prescription medication! You can use rosemary essential oil or steep fresh rosemary leaves in hot water (like a tea) to create a hair rinse.

There are many herb recipe books as well as essential oil book that have formulas or recipes to use

Try these oils today

Until tomorrow…

MAY 13, 2025 CASTOR OIL

Have you ever tried using Castor Oil ?

Castor oil is a legendary healing oil used for centuries in various cultures worldwide. Ancient Egyptians used it to preserve skin, hair, and nails. People in Greece and China have long been aware of the healing properties of castor oil when used in poultices and compresses.

Castor oil, in itself, is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal. Its active component, ricinoleic acid, has a molecular weight of 298 daltons. In dermatological medicine, a substance with a molecular weight of over 500 daltons can only penetrate the top layer of skin, the epidermis. But, since ricinoleic acid has a lower unique weight, it can penetrate through the epidermis into the next layer of skin. Edgar Cayce had talked about castor oil packs for years in his practice

It ios great for proper elimination Proper elimination of waste from the body is essential so that toxins don’t recirculate in our systems. Many people receive laxative or stool softener prescriptions to get things moving if they have constipation. Castor oil has been used for centuries as an oral laxative

I use gluthathione a lot in my practice. Glutathione is a potent detoxifying molecule naturally present in the body. Its main job is to remove toxic substances, such as heavy metals and free radicals. The body usually recycles glutathione. But when the toxic load becomes too great, we lose this ability, so getting as much glutathione as possible is essential.

Castor oil can indirectly support glutathione levels and liver detoxification, which is closely tied to glutathione activity.

There are so many uses for castor oil. It is an old remedy. My grandmother believed in castor oil for many different ailments

Until tomorrow…

MAY 12, 2025 OLIVE OIL

Did you have your olive oil today? I was probably bathed in olive oil as a child. The vegetable oils that predominantly monounsatured lead to a less cardiovascular risk than polyunsaturated. It was long ago that physicians did recommend those polyunsaturated oils to protect your heart. But as it turns out- That was WRONG. Margarine took the place of butter at that time. That was a big mistake. From research we know better today.


The following oils do not pose a threat to the cardiovascular system
1. OLIVE
2. CANOLA
3. PEANUT
4. AVOCADO
There are differences in all four, and the one I prefer and highly recommend above all is OLIVE OIL. Due to the generosity of many patients I get virgin olive oil from Italy and Greece

By replacing saturated fat in the diet with olive oil will reduce your LDL ( bad cholesterol). Who can argue with an oil that has been around for thousands of years. Our Italian olive oil from our tree is Extra-virgin.
This is extracted with gentle pressure rather than with heat or solvents.

No matter what you decide , Olive Oil has the best correlation with health. The populations that use olive oil solely and mainly as their cooking fat oil have lower reductions in degenerative disease, cancer and cardiovascular disease. You can have one teaspoon to one tablespoon every day in your diet

If you replace butter ( and for those unfortunate that still use margarine) with olive oil you are making the first step to a healthier lifestyle.

So imagine this: combine olive oil in your diet daily with omega 3 fatty acids from good quality fish--and you will have longevity

Until tomorrow...