Top 10 Herbs for Your Body & Mind
January 23, 2023
Herbs have been used for thousands of years for both culinary and medicinal use. In recent months the popularity of herbs and herbal supplements has skyrocketed as more and more people look for honest brand reviews and seek a natural approach to staying healthy.
In This Healthy Insight:
- Our Top 10 Herbs for Body & Mind
- What Do These Herbs Do?
- Botanic Choice List Of Herbs
Our Top 10 Herbs for Body & Mind
- Echinacea
- Elderberry
- Turmeric
- Cranberry
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Cannabidiol (CBD)
- Aloe Vera
- Red Yeast Rice
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Scroll to the bottom for our full list of herbs & resources!
For more information on the building blocks of our formulas, you might like these:
Here’s some extra relevant herb content if you wanted to dig in for something a little more specific. If you have a problem, we probably have an herb for it:
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- Best Herbs for Natural Hair Growth
- Top 5 Herbs for Immune Support
- Top 10 Herbs and Vitamins to Start the New Year off Right!
- Top 10 Best Natural Herbs for Weight Loss
What Do These Herbs Do?
Echinacea
The Echinacea is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family and native to North America. Echinacea, also known as coneflower, has either pink or purple petals with a spiky cone on top. There are nine recognized types of Echinacea herbs, three of them used in herbal remedies: E. angustifolia, E. pallida, and E. purpurea. These three are common ingredients in homeopathic cold remedies. You can find Echinacea herbs fresh, dried, in capsules, tablets or blended into herbal supplements with other immune-supporting herbs.
What does Echinacea Do?
- Supports your body’s natural defenses
- The world’s favorite immune-supporting herb
Elderberry
Elderberry is a tasty, dark purple berry comes from the European elder tree (also known as the Common elderberry), a large, multi-stemmed round shrub. Elder trees form colonies and are best suited in moist or wet environments. In early summer, fragrant white flowers appear, followed by clusters of purple fruit in late summer. Elderberries have been used in traditional herbal medicine and for making wine or flavoring food. Elderberry’s botanical name is Sambucus nigra. The Elderberry herb is prized for its naturally occurring antioxidants and vitamins.
What does Elderberry Do?
- Supports immune system function
- Fosters healthy sinuses and respiratory system
- Works to ease stress to promote overall health
Turmeric
A plant native to South India and from the same family as ginger, Turmeric has been used as a spice, a dye, and an herbal remedy. It’s commonly found in both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. In recent years the Turmeric herb has become extremely popular for general wellness and joint comfort.
What does Turmeric Do?
- Supports joint comfort for smoother movement
- Eases stiffness
- Delivers powerful antioxidants to fight free radicals
Cranberry
Long before it was considered by herbalists, cranberries were eaten for their delicious tangy flavor. The cranberry bush is a perennial shrub found in swampy regions throughout the northern hemisphere. It grows to a height of seven feet. It is said the Pilgrims dined on cranberry dishes at their Thanksgiving celebration, but the tradition of cranberry actually started after the Civil War. A member of the Eraceae family along with azalea, blueberry and uva-ursi, cranberry’s botanical name is Vaccinium macrocarpon.
What does Cranberry Do?
Ginger
Native to China, Japan and India, Ginger is now grown in other warm climates including South America and the Middle East. The Ginger plant has leafy stems and yellowish flowers. The actual ginger spice comes from its root which has been used as an herbal remedy and culinary ingredient for centuries. Ginger has a zippy, spicy flavor, often consumed after eating to soothe digestion.
What does Ginger Do?
- Relieves occasional stomach upset
- Works to neutralize acids and toxins in the stomach
- Traditional after-dinner favorite for digestion
Garlic
Garlic (allium sativum) is one of the world’s best and oldest herbs for cooking and traditional medicinal use. A close relative of the onion, shallot and leek, Garlic is native to Asia but now grows worldwide.
Garlic was used by ancient civilizations for health and wellness and was recorded in Indian, Roman, Greek and Chinese medical texts. It was even found buried in pyramids and temples. Although these civilizations did not come into contact with one another, their use of Garlic is amazingly similar. Even as recent as WWI and WWII, Garlic was regularly used on the battlefield for wounds.
Garlic also has a spiritual and folklore reputation. Most of us are familiar with the tradition of wearing Garlic to ward off vampires, but Garlic hung from window or rubbed on chimneys served the same purpose. In Hinduism, Garlic was believed to warm the body, while Buddhist tradition cautions that Garlic’s stimulating potential may actually be detrimental to quiet meditation.
What does Garlic Do?
- Works to maintain normal cholesterol levels already in the normal range
- Provides antioxidant cellular support
- Supports healthy immune function
- Offers superior heart support
Cannabidiol (CBD)
CBD is one component of hundreds derived from the hemp plant, a cousin of the marijuana plant. Unlike its more famous counterpart, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD does not cause a “high.” Its history reaches back to about 700 BC in Central Asia where it is believed to have been used medicinally and for ceremonies and rituals. Today you see it in oils, gummies, skincare, nasal sprays, herbal supplements and more.
What does CBD Do?
CBD works to “correct” imbalances and can positively impact:
Aloe Vera
Originating in Africa, the Aloe Vera plant has long been recognized for its ability to calm and soothe. A member of the lily family, Aloe Vera thrives in dry parts of the world where there’s limited rainfall. It stores what little moisture it receives in the form of gel.
It has been used for thousands of years as ancient cultures around the world discovered its many therapeutic qualities. Drawings of it have been found in ancient Egyptian temples dating to 3000 BC. Alexander the Great started a war for it and Arab traders traveled throughout Asia, spreading the word about it.
Over the years Aloe Vera’s been used as a beauty treatment, wound healer and even as an incense for the dead. While aloe continues to be used in skin and beauty treatments, in recent years, it’s become enormously popular for digestive health.
Aloe Vera is chock full of healthy, naturally occurring nutrients. In fact, scientists have discovered over 150 nutritional constituents! While there’s no single “hero” ingredient, it appears the power of Aloe Vera lies in its unique combination of nutrients that work in harmony and complement one another.
Here’s a breakdown of the nutrients found in Aloe Vera:
- Vitamins. Aloe Vera supplies naturally occurring amounts of Vitamin A, B, C, D, and E.
- Minerals. Minerals and trace elements are needed only in small quantities, but yet they are essential for proper functioning of various metabolic processes. Aloe Vera offers numerous minerals including: calcium, copper, magnesium, potassium and chromium.
- Enzymes. Enzymes are crucial for digestion as they turn food into usable energy. Some of the main enzymes found in Aloe Vera include bradykinase to support a healthy immune function, lipase to help digest fats, and amylase to help break down sugars and starches.
- Amino acids. Amino acids form the building blocks of protein and affect our brain. There are 22 total amino acids our bodies require. The good news is that 20 of them are found in the gel of the Aloe Vera plant. Some of the more well-known include leucine, lysine, tryptophan, threonin and isoleucine.
- Sugars. Not all sugar is bad for you. The skin of the Aloe Vera plant contains mono and polysaccharides, long chain sugars involved in maintaining a strong immune system. Some of the polysaccharides even adhere to the intestinal lining where they form a protective layer inhibiting the absorption of unwanted elements into your system.
- Saponins. Saponins are the filmy, soapy substance found in the gel. It is the saponin content that ancients treasured for cleansing.
What does Aloe Vera Do?
- Promotes healthy skin when used topically
- Supports digestive health and gently cleanses when ingested
- Helps sustain healthy immune function
- Offers a daily infusion of key nutrients
Red Yeast Rice
For over 20 centuries Red Yeast Rice has been used in China as part of their daily health program. In addition to starch, Red Yeast Rice also contains naturally occurring fiber, protein and fatty acids.
What does Red Yeast Rice Do?
- Supports a healthy lifestyle
- Traditional cholesterol and heart supporter
Apple Cider Vinegar
For over 5,000 years, Apple Cider Vinegar has been used by natural health practitioners the world over. It’s been found on ancient Egyptian urns, and there’s record of how Julius Caesar’s Roman army used Apple Cider Vinegar to stay healthy. On the other side of the globe, for centuries Japanese Samurai warriors drank it for strength and power.
In the United States, Apple Cider Vinegar became extremely popular in the 1950s coinciding with the alternative health boom. Since then its use in liquid and then capsule and tablet form has become widespread.
What does Apple Cider Vinegar Do?
- Dieter’s traditional favorite
- Time-honored classic nutrient
- Delivers naturally occurring trace minerals and enzymes
Herbs and herbal supplements may be a smart choice for those seeking natural health solutions. Always speak with your doctor before altering your health routine to learn what herbs are right for you. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary.
