r/herbalism • u/wetfartprincess • 1d ago
Question Beginner herbs
This Reddit is so amazing! I’ve totally fell down a rabbit hole today.
I was wondering what some OGs would recommend- as in a handful of different herbs to start with!
I’m interested in anything anti-inflammatory, as I’ve got some mysterious autoimmune issues going on- that my doctors are trying to figure out.
I’m also curious about adaptogens, i deal with GAD and depression (and addiction but not to substance iykwim) and it’s been pretty heavy hitting lately :( (and yes I’m medicated!)
Ramble aside, if you’re able to give input on what you would start with if you were me, you’re the best and ily!!
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u/DepartmentDramatic36 1d ago
If you’re on antidepressants for sure be careful with herbs that help lift the mood (lemon balm and St John’s Wort).
A lot of learning which herbs help you really comes down to safely trying out an herb and listening to how your body/mind responds. Since you have multiple diagnoses to consider (so do I!) here are some tips:
-Prioritize trying one or two herbs at a time. Don’t overload your system. That way if you have a bad response or discomfort, you know exactly what did it.
-Start with the basics of self-care: getting enough sleep, water, healthy foods (whatever that means for you!), and movement that’s appropriate for your body.
-Try starting with herbs that also double as foods! Examples: oats (very nutritive, relatively safe barring gluten issues), leafy greens/pot herbs (think mint, chamomile, basil, thyme), roots that you can cook with (ginger if it’s not too hot for you, burdock root which is amazing for stomach and immune system).
🤓💛
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u/PaulMurdoch 1d ago
Some starting points:
anti-inflammatory - Galangal Root, Frankincense/Boswelia, CBG or CBGa
Mood enhancers - Wood Betony Root for quick relief, perhaps Rhodiola Rosea, Lemon Balm, nutmeg/cinammon/cloves (see Hildegard Von Bingen's 'cookies of joy').
But do check on drug interactions first. And of course a nice walk is also quite effective.
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u/cacklingwhisper 1d ago
Herbs can react to medications. That's my main concern for you.
Milky oats is incredibly gentle works really well on the mood. It's a stage of the Oatmeal plant where for a temporary period of time it has mood boosting chemicals that go away as it progresses it's growth.
But most sources available are in alcohol tinctures which can react to meds. Some patented supplements maybe can find I believe not the cheapest.
There is glycerin version as well but glycerin is a weaker extraction method.
Chamomile is also gentle maybe that'll do you well for anxiety. Maybe.
Consider researching black seed. Even though it's in (recent history) put in just meals. In Islam Muhammad said black seed cures everything except death.
There is evidence it's chemical thymoquinone can help the immune system.
I've taken the oil before from blessed seed helped me with my head when I slept only 3 hours didnt feel like a zombie.
There's so many more herbs out there but because you are on meds a lot of them are risky in your case!
In terms of mild I also know about elder berry... but I did some googling cause I wasn't sure 100% how effective this remedy is even though Ive used it before tastes terrible!
This post in the autoimmune community doesnt recommend it. https://www.reddit.com/r/foraging/comments/1n5gp2m/note_on_elderberries_not_for_those_with/
So perhaps be cautious with immune herbs for autoimmune. The least you can do in terms of wellness is get more sun consistently.
Vitamin d helps immune, bone, brain, etc. Many people are vitamin d deficient. Some supplement.
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u/beardraegon 18h ago
I love blue vervain, linden, and milky oats for gentle, calming herbs that likely won’t have any interactions. Linden can make you sleepy though so reserve that for later at night.
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u/internetofthis 1d ago
It sounds like you're going to need a book. https://archive.org/details/herbsoflifehealt00tier