Herbal Health Information on Shingles

Three years ago just before we were about to walk 80 miles from Greenwich to Eastbourne along the Wealdway, our first ever long distance walk, I got shingles!

At first I thought I had several bites on my left side which were raised and very itchy. I then started to get pain in the area and stomach pain.

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox and the virus sits on the nerve ending, causing chicken pox like spots in the distribution area of the nerve. Typically this follows the line of a rib or can be down the leg or in the head.

It is very itchy and very painful.

I immediately started to take both Marigold and St. John’s Wort tinctures to get on top of the virus and made myself copious amounts of fresh lemon juice to increase my Vitamin C intake.

Fortunately I had made some St John’s Wort oil from flowers I had picked on the shingle beach (see the video).

St. John’s Wort oil, rubbed into the shingles, relieves the pain and attacks the virus externally.

Although the Shingles had not cleared up completely, I was able to do the walk which took us seven days, staying at bed and breakfasts along the way.

It is important to boost the immune system so that the body can defend itself and fight against the virus.

Shingles are said to be stress related and I was helping out at a care home at the time where one of the residents had shingles.

There is an article about boosting the immune system which you can find by clicking on health conditions but the guidelines are:-

Diet

Breakfast

You must eat it!

Porridge/ muesli/ any wholegrain cereal/ fruit/juice. Not all at once!

Lunch

Salads or baked potato or sandwich some fruit if you didn’t have any at breakfast

Dinner

Cooked meal with some protein foods such as meat eggs or fish /pulses beans for the vegetarians or just if you like them. Fresh veg although fresh frozen will do if you are busy. Some carbohydrate such as rice potato or pasta.

Always vary it though and make sure you do not eat too much of any one thing. For example don’t eat toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner. That’s three lots of wheat a day and the gut will not like digesting all that!

Loads of Vitamin C containing foods, which is all fruit and veg but especially citrus fruits and zinc containing foods which is oats, peas, pumpkin seeds, lentils and Oysters if you are feeling rich.

Zinc and Vitamin C help the body fight of viruses. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc and all fruits and veg contain

Vitamin C.

Drink water and not too much tea and coffee.

Stress

Have a look at the article on stress to learn more, but briefly, make relaxation and switching off time for yourself. Dance, sing, read, watch a film, join a meditation or yoga class, anything that helps you to relax.

Exercise I can almost hear you groaning but this is really not an option. It gets the body in good shape to be able to cope with external and internal changes.

Alcohol and cigarettes also affect the immune system, so if you can reduce, it will help.

Echinacea is the herb of choice to boost the immune system which it does by raising the white blood cell count and increases the body’s own powers of resistance. It also has the ability to stimulate Killer cells called Phagocytes, that chomp up any foreign material in the body especially bacteria.

About three weeks of taking Echinacea is enough time to boost the immune system and then let the body take over, but in a case of active shingles it is worth taking Echinacea while the shingles persist.

There are many over the counter preparations of Echinacea but make sure it is a good quality preparation with a licence, meaning it has been through a rigorous testing programme.

St John’s Wort and marigold have directly anti viral properties, St John’s Wort being specific for shingles. Both of these you should be able to buy in tincture or tablet form (follow dosage instructions)

Never forget Garlic. I know some people won’t touch it because of the smell but eat as much garlic as you can in your food. It is the most astounding food for all kinds of conditions in the body one of them being to boost the immune system as well as having antiviral properties. Garlic is excreted through the lungs and skin pores so sterilises everything on the way out.

You are also welcome to visit me in my clinic for help. The clinic details can be seen by clicking here or at the “clinic” tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist

Herbal Health Information on Rosacea (Acne Rosacea)

This is also known as Acne rosacea.

The books say it can be anywhere on the body which surprises me as I have only ever seen it on the face. It presents as chronic inflammation of the skin, typically in the area around the nose and on the cheeks, sometimes the forehead. It often looks very red and inflamed with tiny little spots, but does not have the pus filled spots or blackheads of ordinary acne.

I have always treated it as an inflammatory condition but have found through experience over the years that it also responds well to the metabolic herb, kelp added in to the mixture.

Basically it is an internal cleansing job, and dietary advice

As usual I’ll start with the dietary advice:-

No sugary foods

No fizzy drinks

Eat a balanced diet containing, meat, veg, some carbohydrates, and some fruit.

However there are fruits which are very acidic and need to be avoided and these are,

oranges, tomatoes, apples and plums. Yogurt 2-3 times a week is ok and cheese no more than twice a week is ok.

Drink at least two pints of water a day and keep tea and coffee intake to no more than three a day (of both not each).

Many people report that alcohol will set it off.

I think it would be interesting for you if I give you a typical tincture mix I would make up for a Rosacea sufferer and talk you through the whys and wherefores.

Herbal Medicine

Burdock: – liver and gall bladder cleansing and makes sure the digestive system is working efficiently and eliminating waste products. To add to this it also has lymphatic system cleansing properties, is antibacterial, and is an adaptogen and alterative. The last two properties mean it helps body tissue to adapt back to normal.

Echinacea: – this is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory as well as being an excellent lymphatic system cleanser. The lymphatic system removes all the waste from cells and ensures no bacteria are floating around.

Red clover:-traditionally red clover has always been used as a skin cleanser which it does via the lymphatic system. It is also an alterative which means it helps restore body tissue to normality.

Heartsease: – anti-inflammatory and again an alterative

Celery seed:-I know I use this one a lot but it is such a good urinary system cleanser that I put it into all mixes where general body cleansing is necessary.

Kelp: – high in iodine and minerals so improves thyroid and metabolic function.

That gives you an idea of the aim of an herbal mixture for Rosacea sufferers.

Rosacea can be quite stubborn to treat but I have had good results with herbal medicine and I would recommend you visit a qualified medical herbalist.

If you would like to visit me in my clinic please click here or on the “clinic”tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Herbal Health Information on Sore Throats

The heading should say recurrent sore throats as everyone gets a sore throat now and again, usually associated with a cold, but recurrent sore throats indicate that the immune system is not fighting off invading bacteria and viruses.

The Immune system is the body’s internal defence armoury, which protects us from the millions of germs out there. There are so many factors in modern day living which can affect our immune system, resulting in people picking up any virus going and suffering recurrent colds, coughs and sore throats.

Stress, poor diet, Insomnia and any long term illness can all prevent the proper functioning of the immune system.

We really must look after ourselves. Put a bit of time and effort into YOU and the payback will be a healthier, fitter, happier, more energetic life.

There is also a possibility that a recurrent sore throat is being caused by intolerance to a food substance. Dairy is the biggest culprit in aggravating throats but just keep an eye on your diet and make a note if any foods do irritate your throat. Strangely, melons give me a sore throat.

Diet

Breakfast

You must eat it!

Porridge/ muesli/ any wholegrain cereal/ fruit/juice. Not all at once!

Lunch

Salads or baked potato or sandwich some fruit if you didn’t have any at breakfast

Dinner

Cooked meal with some protein foods such as meat eggs or fish /pulses beans for the vegetarians or just if you like them.

Fresh veg although fresh frozen will do if you are busy.

Some carbohydrate such as rice potato or pasta.

Always vary it though and make sure you do not eat too much of any one thing.

Loads of Vitamin C containing foods, which is all fruit and veg but especially citrus fruits and zinc containing foods which is oats, peas, pumpkin seeds, lentils and Oysters if you are feeling rich.

Zinc and Vit C help the body fight of viruses.

Drink water and not too much tea and coffee

Herbal Medicine

Echinacea is the Media’s herb of choice to boost the immune system which it does by raising the white blood cell count and increases the body’s own powers of resistance. It also has the ability to stimulate Killer cells called Phagocytes, that chomp up any foreign material in the body especially bacteria.

Never forget Garlic. I know some people won’t touch it because of the smell but eat as much garlic as you can in your food. It is the most astounding food for all kinds of conditions in the body one of them being to boost the immune system as well as having antiviral properties. As it is breathed out through the lungs, the volatile oils sterilise everything on the way up so it is good for any condition of the respiratory tract.

Specifically for the throat I use the old fashioned Balm of gilead. This is the herb that gave all those old cough remedies that distinctive “this smells horrible but I know it will do me good” smell. It has anti bacterial and antiviral properties and sticks to everything on the way down.

As a gargle, Sage is wonderful. Put a teaspoon of dried sage in a teacup of boiling water. Leave this to stand for 5-10 minutes. Strain and cool. Use this as a gargle twice a day.

My grandmother used to make us gargle with salt water for sore throats YUK it used to make me gag as I would always swallow some salt water and then feel sick. I loved her loads though, despite making me gargle with salt water and have enemas. She didn’t go as far as the leeches which would have scarred me for life.

Please do come and see me in my clinic if you need more help. The clinic details can be seen here or if you click the “CLINIC” tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Herbal Health Information on Warts and Verrucas

I am going to talk about Warts in general not specific types.

These are caused by the Pappiloma virus. The raised nodules of skin produced by this virus infection are called warts everywhere on the body except on the feet where they are called verrucas, all the same thing though.

A healthy human has virus and bacteria fighting ingredients in the normal skin secretions giving us a certain amount of protection to external invading organisms.

However we now wash our skin secretions off constantly through showering and hand washing which makes our skin more vulnerable to these organisms.

I guess it is useless to say try to wash less, so instead my approach is to build up the immune system internally so that the other body defences can fight off the invaders.

High doses of Vitamin C and Echinacea do the trick internally.

It is one of very few times I would advocate taking a Vitamin C tablet (at least 500mg strength). I have known very stubborn Verrucas which were about to go under the knife fall out after a couple of weeks of taking high doses of Vitamin C.

Echinacea is the all rounder for stimulating the immune system, especially the phagocytic cells which chomp up invading organisms.

When we lived in Slough I had a plant called Greater Celandine growing in my garden. Greater celandine also grew wild all around Berkshire and I am sure it had seeded itself in the garden as it is not a common garden plant.

The juice from the freshly picked stem of the greater Celandine is placed directly on the wart and works very like the orthodox silver nitrate. It is almost a magic cure but sadly only available if the fresh plant is around.

However, Thuja also has anti wart properties as it stops the growth of any abnormal cells. Thuja tincture can be dropped directly on to the Warts or Verrucas twice a day until it has cleared up. You are going to say “how long ?” well it depends on how long they have been there and how deeply they have grown in to the skin, but as a guideline I would say try it for 3 weeks and carry on if you can see the Wart or Verruca is diminishing.

The core of fighting off Warts and Verrucas is the immune system so if you want to know more about that have a look at the article on the immune system in the health section.

To visit me in the Clinic, click here or on the “clinic” tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Herbal Health Information on Peptic/Duodenal Ulcers

I am writing about this as a special request from a friend.

However it is important that these are properly diagnosed. Don’t just assume you have ulcers because you have pain in your stomach!

Ulcers can develop in the stomach, where they are called Peptic ulcers or in the duodenum where they are called duodenal ulcers. Both are caused by erosion of the gut lining by stomach acid or by a bacteria called Helicobacter.

The doctor can do a simple breath test for Helicobacter which can be treated with antibiotics.

Erosion by stomach acid is more difficult but can be treated with herbal medicine.

Symptoms include gnawing pain around the stomach which is relieved by eating in the case of stomach ulcers or made worse half an hour after eating for duodenal ulcers. Nausea, vomiting and appetite loss may also be symptoms.

Stress plays a major part in the excess production of stomach acid so if you are suffering stress look at ways in which you can reduce this.

Look at what you can change in your lifestyle even it is something small such as join a Yoga class, take time out for yourself, walk away from a stressful situation and calm down before going back to face it, can you hand a job over to anyone else to do, get a cleaner for the housework, take a holiday. ANYTHING!

The lining of the gut is covered with a membrane which is normally intact and across which digested food gets transported into the blood stream to be used around the body.

There are many foods which can aggravate the gut lining causing inflammation and an area vulnerable to attack by stomach acid.

Diet unfortunately needs to be fairly bland if you have a stomach ulcer. Any high fibre food or spicy food may irritate the stomach. High protein foods such as eggs meat and fish will increase the secretion of acid in the stomach as acid is produced to initiate protein breakdown in the gut. So eat protein in moderation and never eat a meal late at night.

I remember my auntie having a Stomach Ulcer, years and years ago and being told to eat little and often up to six times a day. That is still good advice for a Stomach Ulcer today!

Alcohol will also aggravate the stomach lining and there are some orthodox medicines which can aggravate the stomach lining. The best and probably most widely used of these is Aspirin. If you are on orthodox medication that you think may be irritating your stomach then the doctor will advise you about changing or coming off it.

HERBAL MEDICINE

The approach is to:-

Protect the stomach lining

Reduce inflammation

Heal the damaged lining

Reduce stress if this is a factor

To protect the gut lining we use herbs high in mucilage such as Marshmallow, Slippery elm or Meadowsweet.

To reduce inflammation Meadowsweet or Echinacea

To heal a damaged lining there is nothing better than Marigold

If there is a suspicion of Helicobacter still being present then it is worth putting in an herb with anti bacterial properties, such as Myrrh.

Anti stress herbs are Chamomile, Passiflora, lime flowers and Skullcap.

Valerian, the classic anti stress herb is too strong for many people’s stomach and can cause stomach ache so I do not prescribe it for stomach ulcers.

So a typical herbal tincture for gut ulcers may be:-

Meadowsweet

Marshmallow

Marigold

Echinacea

Lime flowers

These are mixed together in equal amounts and 5mls of the resulting mixture taken in a little water three times a day BEFORE MEALS.

You may find an over the counter preparation for ulcers but do make sure it is a licensed product which has been tried and tested.

If you would like more help with your health then please visit me in the clinic.

The clinic information can be seen by clicking here or on the clinic tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Herbal Health Information on Athletes Foot

I consider athlete’s foot and Verrucas to be a sign that the immune system is not functioning at an optimum level. A lowered immune system always finds the least point of resistance in the body and something will give.

If your feet are in warm, sweaty shoes that do not allow the feet to breathe then the ever present fungal spores will take hold and grow on the skin of the feet causing itching, flaking of the skin and smelly feet! If the immune system is strong then it will fight the fungal spores and they will not be able to take hold.

Boosting the immune system is very important to help the body defend itself from invading organisms.

Nutritionally it is important to take in large amounts of Vitamin C and Zinc.

Vitamin C is in most fruit and veg, but I have found the best source to be Limes.

Take a fresh lime, cut it in half and squeeze the juice out of one half into a glass.

Fill the glass with cold water and drink it down. A glass a day first thing in the morning will boost your Vitamin C levels. Obviously don’t stop eating other fruit and veg during the day as this will maintain your normal vitamin and mineral intake.

Zinc is fairly low in foods due to modern farming methods and is difficult to absorb. It is therefore essential to have an intake of Zinc daily. It is present in high amounts in Pumpkin seeds, oats, peas and shell fish, but I advise the easiest way of getting Zinc, is to eat about a handful of pumpkin seeds or a bowl of porridge daily. You can buy Pumpkin seeds in any health food shop and large supermarkets. Of course the rest of your diet should be a sensible balanced diet to ensure a good intake of other vitamins and minerals which Vitamin C and Zinc Metabolism (usage) will be dependant on in the body. Drink at least two pints of water a day to help clear out toxins.

Buy shoes which allow your feet to breathe.

HERBAL MEDICINE is used both internally and as a foot lotion.

Internally the traditional immune system boosting herb is Echinacea which stimulates the white blood cells in the blood responsible for removing foreign bodies and also producing antibodies to fight infections.

As a lotion there are two herbs I commonly use in my clinic and these are:-Myrrh (yes the baby Jesus one), and Marigold.

Myrrh is antibacterial, antiviral, astringent (toning) and stimulates the white blood cells locally if used as a lotion. I always like to say that when the three kings gave Baby Jesus the gift of Myrrh, they were giving him the most precious gift of all and that was the gift of Health. I use it in tincture form, but it would have been given to Baby Jesus as beautiful amber coloured beads of Resin collected from sheep’s coats.

The sheep would rub themselves against the bark of the tree and the resin would stick to their wool. That’s just information for a bonus point should you ever get asked in a TV quiz!

Marigold is anti bacterial, antiviral, astringent and the best healer and strenghtener of damaged body tissue. Its Latin name is Calendula officinalis and the “officinalis” bit of the name means it was used by early apothecaries.

Marigold and Myrrh tincture can be used together in equal amounts as a lotion to dab onto the affected areas of the feet. Make sure the tinctures are 1:5 or you will burn your feet. Once you have mixed the two tinctures, dilute the mix down with cool boiled tap water half and half and then use that as a lotion. Make it up freshly every day and dab it on the affected areas three times a day.

If you need more advice about your health please visit me in my clinic

The clinic details can be found by clicking here or on the clinic tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Herbal Health Information on Urine Infections

A one off case of a urine infection is easily dealt with, with antibiotics and like any other acute infection such as earache that is the right course of action to take.

It is with the recurrent or chronic urine infections that the herbs can be of enormous help.

This condition can cause burning and stinging on passing urine, frequency of passing urine, a desperate urge to pass urine and is life affecting due to the need to be near a toilet all the time.

You may be surprised to know that urine is normally sterile and used in the past for sterilising wounds inflicted by war. In olden days surgeons used to get the men to wee directly on to the open wounds as it was probably the only sterile fluid around with which to wash the wound out! Bacteria can only enter the bladder from the skin externally via the urethra, which is the tube carrying urine from the bladder to the outside. So no matter how clean you think you are it is worth taking extra care with your personal hygiene if you suffer from urine infections. Unfortunately the vagina lies on top of the urethra and over enthusiastic sex can cause injury to the urethra in women, leaving it more prone to infection, so you may need to be a little careful.

As usual I am starting with dietary advice.

DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Tea and coffee aggravate the kidneys

Do not eat any oranges or tomatoes or drink their juices. These two fruits seem to be too acidic for the urinary system and will irritate the bladder lining.

Cranberry juice is good and stops bacteria sticking to the wall of the bladder.

As with the gut it is a good idea to coat and protect the bladder wall lining to prevent it being further irritated by bacteria. There is nothing better than Marshmallow to do this job.

We saw the Marshmallow growing profusely in the Cuckmere river video, when I explained to you about the mucilage content of the marshmallow. It is this that coats mucous membranes and for the bladder, it is the leaf of the marshmallow that is used.

St John’s wort is antibacterial and anti viral and can be toning for the bladder. Also seen in the Shingle Beach video.

The best urinary antiseptic is an herb called Buchu which I love to smell, as it smells of blackcurrants and is apparently the flavouring used in the old “Spangles” sweets.

The hairy bit that comes out of the top of a corn on the cob is called corn silk and is a diuretic, but also coats and protects the bladder due to its mucilage content.

An irritated bladder also needs relaxing as it goes into spasm causing a constant feeling of wanting to “go”.

We saw Crampbark in the West rise marsh video and I explained it was a muscle relaxant. Well the bladder wall is just a muscle and Crampbark works very well to relax it if it has gone into spasm. Pulsatilla works well as an anti spasmodic to prevent the bladder cramping up.

A typical mix of herbs in tincture form I would use in clinic for someone presenting with recurrent urine infections is:-

Marshmallow leaf

Buchu

Crampbark Pulsatilla

But it obviously depends on what the patient tells me and what the symptoms are.

It is also worth boosting the immune system generally to avoid bacteria taking hold in the bladder and for this there is the trusty Echinacea. You can get this in tincture form or as tablets. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

You will find over the counter remedies with some of the above herbs in them, but make sure they are licensed or visit a qualified Medical Herbalist.

My Clinic details can be seen by clicking here or on the “Clinic” tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Herbal Health Information on Thrush/Candida

The opportunistic organism, Candida albicans is responsible for causing either oral thrush, mostly in infants or vaginal thrush in adult females. This can be passed on to the sexual partner, but there is a lower incidence in adult males.

Candida albicans is a yeast organism, the spores of which are present on the skin most of the time.

Vaginal and oral health is dependant on keeping the mucous membranes intact and in good condition. If there are any pre-disposing factors such as Antibiotic use which kills the natural bacterial flora of the Vagina, or iron deficiency, or oral contraceptive use, then the yeast spores will take hold and grow in the vagina causing a white curd like discharge and extreme itching and discomfort.

Oral thrush in infants needs treatment from the doctor.

An isolated case of vaginal thrush is nothing to be concerned about, but recurrent thrush indicates there is something else going on which needs investigating.

  • Boosting the immune system generally is important so that the body can fight the invasion of the yeast spores. This means having a good intake of Vitamin C and Zinc in your diet or taking a supplement.
  • Eating live yogurt is a must if you have thrush and it is also worth using it as a cream in the vagina. Messy but it will help to restore the vagina’s natural bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus.
  • Avoid alcohol
  • Avoid sugary foods (yeasts thrive on high sugar levels)
  • Many sources say to avoid yeast containing foods such as bread, but I do not see the logic in this advice as yeast in bread has been cooked and is dead.
  • Avoid sex if you have thrush although this is usually painful due to the lining of the vagina being damaged

Herbal Medicine is best taken in tincture form and a suitable mixture of herbs would be:-

Echinacea, to boost the immune system.

Marigold for its anti fungal properties

Pau d’arco, which is a specific for vaginal thrush, having strongly anti fungal properties.

I cannot give you dosage guidelines as you will need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. But if you would like more help and advice please do visit me in my clinic.

To find out more about the clinic please click here or on the clinic tab at the top of the page.

If you do suffer from recurrent thrush then please see a doctor as there is usually an underlying cause which needs investigating.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Herbal Health Information on Acne

Since we moved to Eastbourne (most sunshine hours in the country but very windy) I have only treated one case of acne. But I used to love to help people with acne in my previous clinic in Slough as it responds so well to Herbal Medicine and is comparatively easy to treat.

To get proper treatment you are going to have to visit a Medical Herbalist because there are quite a few combinations of herbs that may be suitable for any one individual, but I will give you a general idea of what needs to be done for acne sufferers.

Basically it is an internal cleansing job, possibly some hormone balancing, and dietary advice

As usual I’ll start with the dietary advice:-

No sugary foods

No fizzy drinks

Eat a balanced diet containing, meat, veg, some carbohydrates, and some fruit.

However there are fruits which are very acidic and need to be avoided and these are,

oranges, tomatoes, apples and plums. Yogurt 2-3 times a week is ok and cheese no more than twice a week is ok.

Drink at least two pints of water a day and keep tea and coffee intake to no more than three a day (of both not each).

I think it would be most interesting for you if I give you a typical tincture mix I would make up for an Acne sufferer and talk you through the whys and wherefores.

Herbal Medicine

Burdock: – liver and gall bladder cleansing and makes sure the digestive system is working efficiently and eliminating waste products. To add to this it also has lymphatic system cleansing properties, is antibacterial, and is an adaptogen and alterative. The last two properties mean it helps body tissue to adapt back to normal.

Echinacea: – this is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory as well as being an excellent lymphatic system cleanser. The lymphatic system removes all the waste from cells and ensures no bacteria are floating around.

Red clover:-traditionally red clover has always been used as a skin cleanser which it does via the lymphatic system. It is also an alterative which means it helps restore body tissue to normality.

Heartsease: – anti-inflammatory and again an alterative

Celery seed:-I know I use this one a lot but it is such a good urinary system cleanser that I put it into all mixes where general body cleansing is necessary.

That gives you an idea of the aim of an herbal mixture for Acne sufferers. I have left out the hormonal bit as that depends on whether it is a male or female.

Acne is easily treated with herbal medicine and I would recommend you visit a qualified medical herbalist.

If you would like to visit me in my clinic please click here or on the “clinic” tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Herbal Health Information on Mouth Ulcers

Mouth ulcers may be just “mouth ulcers” or an indication of an underlying condition in the body. Never ignore them and think they will go away on their own.

Any viral infection or debility in the body will lead to a reduction of both vitamin C and zinc, resulting in a lowered immune system. A lowered immune system always finds the least point of resistance in the body and something will give.

If your mucous membranes (mouth/gut/bladder/lung linings) are your weak point then you may be prone to mouth ulcers.

Sometimes these are caused by a little spiral shaped bacteria called Vincent’s Angina and can be treated by antibiotics. But that may then cause a further reduction in the immune system and set up a cycle of infections with antibiotic treatment.

Boosting the immune system is very important to help the body defend itself from invading organisms.

Nutritionally it is important to take in large amounts of Vitamin C and Zinc.

Vitamin C is in most fruit and veg, but I have found the best source to be Limes.

Take a fresh lime, cut it in half and squeeze the juice out of one half into a glass.

Fill the glass with cold water and drink it down. A glass a day first thing in the morning will boost your Vitamin C levels. Obviously don’t stop eating other fruit and veg during the day as this will maintain your normal vitamin and mineral intake.

Zinc is fairly low in foods due to modern farming methods and is difficult to absorb. It is therefore essential to have an intake of Zinc daily. It is present in high amounts in Pumpkin seeds, oats, peas and shell fish, but I advise the easiest way of getting Zinc, is to eat about a handful of pumpkin seeds or a bowl of porridge daily. You can buy Pumpkin seeds in any health food shop and large supermarkets. Of course the rest of your diet should be a sensible balanced diet to ensure a good intake of other vitamins and minerals which Vitamin C and Zinc Metabolism (usage) will be dependant on in the body. Drink at least two pints of water a day to help clear out toxins.

Herbal medicine is used both internally and as a mouth wash for mouth ulcers.

Internally the traditional immune system boosting herb is Echinacea which stimulates the white blood cells in the blood which are responsible for removing foreign bodies and also producing antibodies to fight infections.

As a mouth wash there are three herbs I commonly use in my clinic and these are:-Myrrh (yes the baby Jesus one), Marigold and Sage.

Myrrh is antibacterial, antiviral, astringent (toning) and stimulates the white blood cells locally if used as a mouthwash. I always like to say that when the three kings gave Baby Jesus the gift of Myrrh, they were giving him the most precious gift of all and that was the gift of Health. I use it in tincture form, but also do keep the myrrh resin which can be chewed like chewing gum in small amounts.

Marigold and sage can be used together in equal amounts as a tincture to make a mouth wash.

Measure 2.5 mls *of a normal strength tincture of each into a glass, add about two fingers depth of cold water and use this as a mouth wash to gargle two to three times a day. Don’t spit it out, but swallow it so that it will continue to work internally.

Marigold is anti bacterial, antiviral, astringent and the best healer and strenghtener of damaged body tissue. Its Latin name is Calendula officinalis and the “officinalis” bit of the name means it was used by early apothecaries.

Sage is strongly antiseptic and also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Please do come and see me in my clinic if you need more help. The clinic details can be seen if you click here or on the “CLINIC” tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

*FOOTNOTE:-

If you are buying a tincture over the counter or from the internet it is essential you understand the different strengths of tincture being sold.

They vary from very strong, called 1:1 which are prepared with one part of herb to one part of an alcohol and water mixture to 1:20 which is one part of herb to 20 parts of an alcohol and water mixture. A normal strength tincture is usually 1:5.