Day 96: Keep your Heart Healthy - and your Skin!

Hawthorn is a great herb to protect the heart and Calendula is great for the skin. As heart problems and skin problems are so common, perhaps this can help us all stay healthy.

Hawthorn – Crataegus oxyacantha
Family: Rosaceae
Parts used: Ripe berry and young (white or pink) blossom.
Actions and medical uses: Cardiovascular tonic, vasodilator, diuretic, astringent, hypotensive sedative.
Systems affected: Cardiovascular, digestive.
Specific indications: The best tonic for the heart and circulatory system. Hawthorn nourishes the heart, assisting it to return to normal activity by either gently stimulating or depressing its activity as needed. Can be used for palpitations of the heart. Used over a period of time, it treats cardiac weakness and/or failure, hypertension, arteriosclerosis and insomnia. Improves digestion.
Combinations: combines well with Yarrow, Lavender and Motherwort for treating high blood pressure; with Motherwort to specifically treat tachycardia (unduly rapid or arrhythmic heartbeat). Combines well with Ginkgo and Horsechestnut as a vascular tonic.
Preparations: Infusion*: 1 cup 3 times a day. Tincture*: 20 to 50 drops 3 times a day. Combined with other appropriate herbs useful as a syrup for treating sore throat.
Other uses: Makes excellent jams and syrups. Ornamental tree.

Calendula (Marigold) – Calendula officinalis
Family: Compositae
Parts used: Whole flower.
Actions and medical uses: Anti-inflammatory, astringent, vulnerary, sytptic, antiseptic, anti-fungal, cholagogue, emmenagogue.
Systems affected: Skin, digestive, reproductive.
Specific indications: An excellent first-aid remedy. Used safely and effectively for all skin inflammations, be they due to injury or infection. Unlike Arnica, Calendula can be put directly onto an open wound. It is recommended to use this soothing flower on burns, external bleeding, bruises, slow healing wounds or skin ulcers. These same actions of Calendula are equally safe and effective for use on the internal skins of the digestive system. Use it for indigestion, digestive inflammation and peptic or duodenal ulcers, where it gives soothing anti-inflammatory action along with healing vulnerary and astringent actions. As a chologogue, it gives relief in gall-bladder problems, aiding digestion. Calendula is reputed to be a normalizer of the female menstrual process. It helps balance the energy of male organs as well.
Combinations: Excellent anti-inflammatory and vulnerary combined with Arnica and St. Johnswort as a compound oil infusion or compound tincture, or with Garlic oil and Mullein flower oil for use as an ear oil. Combines well with Chamomile and Marshmallow for nervous stomach and digestive problems. Combines well with Witch Hazel as a lotion for hemorrhoids and varicose veins, also with Goldenseal and Myrrh as an antiseptic application.
Preparations: Infusion: 1 cup 3 times a day. Tincture: 25-50 drops 3 times a day. Prepare as an oil infusion, lotion or tincture for skin conditions.
Other uses: A gorgeous uplifting yellow-orange dried flower for visual aesthetics in a potpourri.

*How to Prepare
Infusions (tea)
Put one heaping teaspoonful (a teabagful) of cut, powdered or crushed herb leaves and/or flowers (the tender more delicate plant parts) into a preheated cup, pan or teapot (approximately two teaspoonsful if using a fresh undried herb); add boiling water, stir, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes; strain and drink. You have made a natural medicine called an herbal infusion, or call it herb tea. You need to use this infusion within 24 hours. It deteriorates rapidly. Standard dosage is 1 cupful 2 to 3 times a day.

Some mucilaginous herbs such as Marshmallow and Slippery Elm are best prepared as cold infusions. This process extracts the most mucilage from these herbs, and these constituents don’t coagulate in the cold water solvent (menstruum). To make a cold infusion, simply place the cut or powdered herb into a container of cold, distilled water, stir it well, let it steep 5 to 12 hours until the water is slimy, and strain. Adding a little maple syrup gives flavor.

*Tincture
Perhaps it’s easier to buy a ready-made tincture than prepare one. Let me know if you want the instructions to make it, however. NB: If you ever wish to eliminate most of the alcohol from each dose of a tincture, drop the dose to be taken into ¼ to ½ cup of boiling water and simmer 2 minutes, cool and drink. This will not impair the quality of the tincture.

The above is adapted from The Male Herbal by James Green, Herbalist.