Recent scientific research include: A combination herbal drop (Lamigex) containing clove (Syzygium armoaticum), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and herb robert (Geranium robertianum) essential oils, was found to be as effective as ciprofloxacin 0.3% drops in the treatment of acute external otitis, in a randomised controlled trial of seventy patients (see abstract). One hundred and twenty women, 18-44 years old, diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis were randomly assigned to receive garlic tablet (Garsin) or oral metronidazole for seven days. Therapeutic effects were similar for both garlic...


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Recent scientific research include: In a placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of 72 patients with subclinical/recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI), a standardized Cranberry extract (Vaccinium microcarpum) containing Proanthocyanidin-A was shown to reduce the occurrence of UTIs and associated symptoms and signs (see meeting abstract). Dill (Anethum graveolens) was reported to be as effective as mefenamic acid at decreasing pain severity in women with moderate to severe primary dysmenorrhea in a placebo controlled randomised controlled trial involving 75 female students (see full...


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Recent scientific research include: LaseaⓇ, Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) oil capsules, reduced some anxiety related symptoms, sleep disturbance and psychomotor agitation in a small retrospective case series of eight psychiatric patients with major depressive disorder and symptoms of anxiety, insomnia and psychomotor agitations found. In combination with anti-depressants there was an overall improvement in depression (see abstract). A placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of 96 women with primary dysmenorrhea reports a significant reduction in symptoms with Lavender (sesame...


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Recent scientific research reports: Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)(100mg) given 1 hour before dental surgery to remove wisdom teeth, under local anaesthetic, reduced anxiety with patients being calmer and more relaxed during the procedure compared to placebo (see full text). A small clinical study found that relatively non-anxious volunteers given American skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)(350mg, 3 times a day) for two weeks showed a marked improvement in mood, without affecting cognition or energy levels (see abstract). Hericium, hedgehog mushroom, was shown to be effective...


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Today much of the media (newspapers, radio and TV) have reported on the painful condition gout, after the publication in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases of a population-based study reporting a significant increase in both prevalence and incidence of gout in the UK1 (for full paper click here). This study also highlighted the suboptimal management of this condition in primary care. As part of my final year's study to become a medical herbalist I conducted a research project examining the role of Western herbal medicine in the treatment of gout: which was subsequently published2. I took three...


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Brookfield Herbal is currently waiting to hear if it will be granted an alcohol licence. This will allow me to produce my own home-grown and wild-crafted tinctures for use in the clinic. Meanwhile, I have been using vodka to make small test batches of nettle, raspberry and elderflower tinctures. Today I thought I'd experiment and make some fresh parsley (Petroselinum crispum) seed tincture: it doesn't appear that parsley seeds are commonly used in contemporary herbal medicine, although they are reported to be stimulating, drying, antiseptic, antispasmodic with particular actions on urinary...


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After more than a week of wet weather, today I was able to harvest cowslips from Brookfield Herbal's garden. Cowslips (Primula veris) have a very subtle relaxing perfume, and are known for their sedative and anti-spasmodic quality. Mrs Grieve in her herbal refers to cowslips as "....strengthening the nerves and the brain, and relieving restlessness and insomnia. The Cowslip was held good 'to ease paines in the head and is accounted next with Betony, the best for that purpose.'" Fresh or dried flowers - just the yellow corolla plucked out of the surrounding green calyx (see photo below) - can be used...


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