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How Does This Ayurvedic Herb Supplement Improve Wellness?
CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) is a perennial herb native to Europe and Asia that has been naturalized in many other parts of the world. It is a tall, hairy plant with small, pink or purple flowers and large, hairy leaves.
As the botanical name Leo-norus suggests, it restores the heart to that of a lion. Motherwort was given to "restore the spirit" in someone debilited due to exhaustion, work, and stress. It is believed to work by increasing the availability of a chemical called GABA in the brain, which helps to calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety.
Motherwort for the Heart
Motherwort is often used to support heart health, as it is believed to have a number of cardiovascular benefits, including reducing anxiety and stress, lowering blood pressure, and regulating heart rate. It is a calming heart tonic and beta blocker for cases where palpitations and arrhythmias are due to nerves and hormones, rather than heart disease.
Its mild sedative effect can help to slow down the heart rate, and is sometimes used to treat menstrual cramps and other menstrual disorders.
In addition, it is thought to have a mild blood-thinning effect, which may help to prevent blood clots and improve blood flow to the heart. It's anti-inflammatory effects are also beneficial in cardioavascular health.
Effect on the liver
Some studies have found that compounds in motherwort may help to reduce inflammation in the liver and may have antioxidant effects, which could help to protect the liver from damage caused by free radicals. Additionally, motherwort has been shown to have a mild diuretic effect, which can help to increase urine production and flush toxins out of the body.
Effect on hormones
As with many mint family herbs, Motherwort may help to reduce levels of the hormone prolactin in the body. As prolactin stimulates production of breast milk and suppresses the menstrual cycle, the reduction of prolactin can improve fertility in PCOS clients with elevated prolactin / testosterone. Additionally, motherwort is thought to have a mild estrogen-like effect.
Summary
As an anti-inflammatory and sedative, motherwort reduces Vata and Pitta doshas. However, its bitter, drying effect can also reduce Kapha. Thus, motherwort is a tri-doshic herb. It is important to note that more research is needed to fully understand the effects of motherwort.
SUGGESTED USE
1 dropper full 2x/day or as directed by your practitioner.
Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics
(gunas).
Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance.
By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick.
Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold).
You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic.
Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food.
Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body.
Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food.
Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods.
Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion.
Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste.
One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes.
The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent.
Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?
According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine,
people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person.
Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness.
Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency.
Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses.
The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history.
The 3 functional body types
(doshas),
are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).
Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry.
Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed.
Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded.
Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Motherwort
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary.
The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.
Encourages feelings of stability and heaviness. Makes you feel settled, mentally relaxed. Mildly sedates the nervous system to ease stress. Can bring a spacey or anxious person back to earth. Reduces agitation, irritation, stress and racing thoughts.
Fibrosis of an organ is often a progressive leading to organ failure (i.e lungs, liver, kidney). While vulneraries usually help restore collagen, antifibrotic herbs often clear collagen. Aka fibrinolytic.
An herb that literally calms the heart. These herbs are helpful in the treatment of anxiety, sadness, depression, or other emotional imbalances in the heart. Related to the Chinese Herbal Category 'calms spirit.'
STRONG ANTIPLATELET
An herb that inhibits clotting, dissolves clots, thins the blood, or destroys platelets, therefore reducing the tendency of blood to form clots. They are useful in cardiovascular disease, clots, and stroke. Aka anticoagulant.
Restores the proper function of the body by cleansing the blood and balancing blood chemistry. In Ayurveda terms, they pacify Pitta in rakta. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter.
Strengthens and tones the heart (heart-tonic). Cardiac tonics are used to treat a wide range of heart issues from arrhythmia, to cardiac insufficiency.
Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure.
Motherwort may be beneficial for these symptoms. The suitability of any herb supplement for a condition is highly dependent on the individual.
Please see your doctor before using this herb supplement to treat a medical condition.
Motherwort may be harmful or contraindicated for these symptoms.
Please see your doctor before using this herb supplement to treat a medical condition.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.