Meadowsweet
My meadowsweet is blooming and its honey-like smell is lovely! The bees love it so I allow them the first taste but then I harvest its beautiful and delicate flowers for teas and tincture. Mrs. Grieve states in Volume 2 of A Modern Herbal that meadowsweet, along with vervain and water mint, is considered sacred by Druids (p 524). Filipendula ulmaria‘s aerial parts are the portion used and the flowers and leaves are gathered between June and August. I love the flower’s delicate nature and it kills me to pour grain alcohol over the fresh flower, but I do it just the same to obtain the best extraction possible.
David Hoffmann reports in Holistic Herbal (Loc. 6648) that constituents range from salicylic acid to tannins making meadowsweet a useful anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic herb. Meadowsweet’s bitter taste also acts as an antacid to calm digestive complaints such as excess acid and heartburn.
Hoffmann also indicates in his book, Medical Herbalism, that meadowsweet “protects and soothes the mucous membranes of the digestive tract” and remarks that it’s safe to use for diarrhea in children. Matthew Wood, in Volume 1 of The Earthwise Herbal, agrees with Captain Frank Roberts that “Meadowsweet is a true normalizer of a badly functioning stomach.” (p 255)
Like aspirin, meadowsweet also treats fever and may be used in tea for such. Let 1-2 teaspoons of dried meadowsweet infuse in a cup of boiling water for fifteen minutes for a wonderful healing tea.
Meadowsweet’s anti-acidic and astringent properties remove uric acid from the joints, calming inflammation and pain associated with gout and other rheumatic conditions. (Wood) It can be infused as tea or tinctured and may also be used as a compress on swollen and inflamed joints for arthritis or neuralgia.
Overuse of aspirin can cause all sorts of stomach or intestinal difficulties whereas meadowsweet doesn’t seem to do that so it offers a more gentle option to treat stomach issues, fever, and rheumatic inflammation and pain. Plus, meadowsweet is reportedly safe for children.
The advantage herbal remedies have over allopathic options, at least in my opinion, is the blending of the lifeforce of the plant and the individual seeking healing. And the last word of that sentence may hold the real value of herbal remedies: true healing. Herbs gently restore stasis and health, harmonizing mind, body, and Spirit, as well as keeping everything flowing well.
Herbs may not always take the place of allopathic remedies, but their medicinal actions and properties are oftentimes as strong as anything prescribed and instead of experiencing side effects requiring even more drugs, herbs, when properly administered, can provide a gentle form of healing that avoids such uncomfortable reactions.
Next time, I’ll take a look at some demulcent herbs I like to use including marshmallow, milky oats and oatstraw, and comfrey
Until then…
Herbal Blessings!
References:
- Grieve, Maud. A Modern Herbal. Vol. 2.
- Hoffmann, David. Holistic Herbal.
- Hoffmann, David. Medical Herbalism.
- Wood, Matthew. The Earthwise Herbal. Vol. 1.
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Thank you... Jan Erickson
