| 189 | 190 | 191 | 192 | 193 |
| 1 | 79 | 159 | 238 | 317 |
|
body systems
181
withnervoustension,sleeplessness,seizures,epilepsy,drugwithdrawal,and
muchmore.Agoodfoodnervenutritive,similartonervetonics,wouldbe
oats, which nourish, balance, and stabilize.
Nerverelaxantsareherbsthatquicklycalmthepersontoastateinwhich
thebodyandmindbecomerelaxed.Chamomileflowersareafamiliarherb
for this purpose, ideal for babies, children, adults, and the elderly
alike. Lime tree (Tilia) flowers are taken on an everyday basis in
France for headaches or migraine, or simply to soothe away a fraught
day. In the United States, California poppy flowers are used in a
similar way. Other herbs include hop strobilus (a very British option),
black cohosh root, vervain leaf, wood betony leaf, cramp bark, laven-
der leaf and flower, passionflower, St. John’s wort flower, and skullcap
leaf. Wild yam root is a digestive nervine, relaxing muscle fibers,
soothing the nerves, and providing pain relief for the bowel, stomach,
gallbladder,anduterus.Valerianrootisaverystrongherbalrelaxantandis
usefulifallelsehasfailed.Butpleasenotethatitshouldbeusedonlyfora
fewweeks,duringtheinitialcrisis,otherwiseitcanbecomeoverlysedative.
Other food nerve relaxants include nonactive yeast flakes and spirulina.
Nervesedativesarethestrongestformofnerverelaxantsandareillegalin
Britain,thoughusedlegallybyherbalistsinsomecountries.Theyareopium
poppy and marijuana. Opium is very strong, as it contains codeine and
morphine.Botharetraditionallyusedinthetreatmentofmultiplesclerosis
(although,withthisdisease,nervesedativescansometimesbereplacedby
nervestimulants),cancer,andAIDS.Marijuanahasrecentlygainedpopular-
ityforitsmedicinalbenefitsasapainreducer;butaswithanyherb,correct
dosage is important. In the case of this herb, excesses can cause paranoia,
hyperventilation,andpanicattacks.Painreliefherbslikecorydalistuberand
poppy leaf or resin can be tried, along with willow bark or cramp bark.
Nervestimulantsaretraditionallytheleast-usednervinesandareprobably
underusedindiseasesinwhichthereareneurologicalbreakdowns,likemul-
tiplesclerosis,musculardystrophy,andmyastheniagravis.Theyareanabso-
lutelyinvaluablecategoryofnervineherbs,astheydirectlystimulatener-
voustissue.Afamousoneiskolanut.Commondailynervestimulantslike
teaandcoffeeare,ofcourse,completelyoverusedandthereforelosetheir
potential as effective herbs for the above diseases. Guarana is a popular
nervestimulant;itcontainsthreetimestheamountofcaffeineascoffee,and
was used to keep jungle hunters alert in South America. A herb for more
daily usage that is ideal in times of great stress, especially around exam
times,isrosemary,whichwakensthebrainandalsoactsasanerverelaxant
andcalmer.Pricklyashberryreallymovesthebloodandhasanalmostin-
stantly recognizable effect on a fuddled brain. Kava and coca leaves are
Page
Quick Jump
|