Immune System Gold in the Ozark Hills

 by Sasha Daucus

You can help your immune system with herbs in three basic ways: you can tonify (or build its strength) with herbs like astragalus; you can stimulate it to work harder and faster, with herbs like echinacea or boneset ; or you can actively inhibit or prevent the growth of bacteria with herbs that are sometimes described as ‘antibiotic’ herbs. In the last article, I discussed two immune system stimulants, and a tonic. So this time, lets look at the most well known ‘antibiotic herb’, goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis). Goldenseal is a popular herb and it deserves its good reputation. It is versatile and easy to use. It is particularly active on the mucus membranes, so anytime you have an infection of the nose, throat, or the vagina, think of goldenseal. It can be added to nasal washes (a few drops diluted in water); to gargles, or to douches. Traditionally, the root of goldenseal is the part used. Recently, herbalists have experimented with using the leaf and stem of goldenseal and have found them to be active too. I have very little experience with using parts other then the root. I suspect that they are not as strong, but experiment for yourself. At the very least, it’s nice to know that if you harvest goldenseal, you don’t need to throw away the upper portions of the plant. Dry them for a tea, or make a special tincture of them to test how they work. Goldenseal is used in tea, tincture or powder form. Because the taste is very bitter, most people prefer to use powder or tincture, rather then tea. However, the bitter taste is part of goldenseal’s potency. You also taste its bitterness in tincture form. I keep the powder around specifically to sprinkle it on wounds that my cats or dogs may come home with. This helps to keep the wound free of infection, and the animal gets a dose of the herb when they lick the wound. Goldenseal had a reputation among the early American herbalists as a digestive tonic. That seems surprising to us, because we know that pharmaceutical antibiotics disturb the digestion, killing off our internal flora. This does not seem to be the case with goldenseal. While I have read warnings that goldenseal can do this, and proceeded with much caution in my early years of using it. Since then, I have discovered that it never seems to harm the internal flora, and does indeed seem to act as a digestive stimulant, due to its bitter properties. Goldenseal grows well in the Ozarks, but has been greatly over harvested. In some places, you can still see large lush patches of it growing wild in the woods. This was the natural state of the Ozarks before over harvesting , and it can be the natural state of a shady area in your yard. A friend of mine has turned a dry shady where area behind his tool shed into a paradise of goldenseal. It took a year or two to establish, and now he has all the goldenseal he needs and trades the roots for other herbal tinctures. The seeds of goldenseal do not store well and should be planted bright red and fresh, immediately after they mature on the plant. Get them from a friend who has plants or if you already are growing goldenseal, plant then right next to the patch you have.

Sasha Daucus is an herbalist, spiritual healer, and teacher working in the Ozarks since 1983. She works at Golden Light Center, a holistic health care clinic, in Doniphan, Missouri. She is a certified Master Herbalist and Reiki teacher.