Krista's Herbarium

If we can agree that a cucumber is moist and cooling while a chili pepper is hot and drying then we can see that we each have a unique combination of Hot, Dry, Cold and Damp, plants and humans alike.

Imagine a sponge. When dry, it is stiff and not easily bent. Passively, as it takes in water, it becomes pliable, resilient, able to be coerced into a different position. It can withstand a good, solid wringing because it has the support of the moisture within it, strengthening its fibers.

One cannot make a sand castle from mere sand. Moisture is required to hold its form, to keep it in place. Herbal remedies with a moistening quality help to increase flexibility and mobility of the body. They are often used when there is stiffness, tension, tightness or constriction due to a lack of fluids thus allowing there to be pliancy.

Again, my 5th and 6th graders were learning last term about solutions. In order to make a solution, you need a solute (some solid substance) and a solvent (some liquid) in which to dissolve the solute. These combine to make a solution. Water (or another solvents) is required to dissolve and assimilate the solvent. Applying this to our bodies, if we start out in a dehydrated or dry tissue state, our tissues do not have the moisture required to absorb nutrients. This dehydration of the tissues also stymies the natural flow of toxins out of the body as well. Dry tissues leads to stagnation. This stagnation can be a result of a lack of water or oils.  Oils are of particular importance for the endocrine system as many of our hormones are soluble in fat or oils and thus, require them for transportation through the body.

To quote Matthew Wood again:

“[Damp in the first degree] causes substances to move through internal passages. Second degree moistens and lubricates surfaces. Third degree reduces hardness. Fourth degree nourishes the flesh.”

According to Materia Medica Monthly:

“We can see here that agents which are moistening help to lubricate and moisten the passageways of the body so nutrients and toxins can be moved through more effectively. We also see that from an excess of dryness there can be a hardening of the tissues which is softened by a moist remedy (this is the true definition of an emollient remedy- softening hardness). When dryness gets to a critical state, tissues can become malnourished and atrophic, thus they can help to directly nourish the flesh and rebuild a weakened and deficient tissue, organ or system. Moistening remedies are contraindicated anytime there are signs of dampness accumulated within the system. This could be nausea, edema, swellings, damp cough, damp/lax urinary tract infections, or other general damp signs like a swollen damp coated tongue.“

Most plants with moistening qualities are demulcents, an action which moistens dryness. Other herbs with a moistening quality move fluid through tissues and out, thus moistening tissues as they expel fluid from the body. Not all moistening herbs are slimy, but most have a recognisable sweetness or meatiness and often are oily.

Partial list of herbs with moistening qualities and their primary organ affinities:

Herb                                                                                       Primary Organ System
Aloe (Aloe vera)                                                                          digestive
American Ginseng (Panax quinqefolius)                              systemic
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous)                             respiratory
Burdock (Arctium lappa)                                                         lymphatics, skin (oils)
Chickweed (Stellaria media)                                                   systemic
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.)                                             digestive
Cleavers (Gallium aparine)                                                     urinary tract
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)                                           mucosal membranes
Dragonroot (Smilacina racemosa)                                         joints
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)                            digestive
Goji berries (Lycium barbarum)                                            systemic
Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus)                                                respiratory
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)                                                  respiratory
Marshmallow (Althea officinalis)                                           mucosal membranes
Milky Oats seed (Avena sativa)                                               nerves
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)                                                 respiratory, joints
Plantain (Plantago major)                                                        mucosal membranes
Pleurisy root (Asclepias tuberosa)                                          respiratory, joints
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)                                             respiratory, lymphatics
Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus)                                          mucosal membranes, systemic
Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra)                                                    mucosal membranes
Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum spp.)                                       joints
Sweet Cicely (Osmorrhiza occidentalis)                               respiratory

When to use Moistening Herbs:

1. Joint pain; stiffness

2. Tension, stress

3. Muscle pain

4. Gastrointestinal disorders; constipation

5. Mental illness, anxiety, depression

6. Dry skin, hair

7. Lethargy; tiredness; lack of motivation

8. Anemia

Of course, your natural energetic state as well as your acute energetic state should be taken into consideration when choosing herbs of a moistening nature. Adding damp to a person exhibiting accumulated dampness would exacerbate the problem.

During cold and flu season, your respiratory tissue state will help you to identify the right herb to use as a remedy.

If we can agree that a cucumber is moist and cooling while a chili pepper is hot and drying then we can see that we each have a unique combination of Hot, Dry, Cold and Damp, plants and humans alike.

Remember back to primary school and learning about molecules and the states of matter? We learnt that with heat comes energy and invigorated molecules separating from each other. The addition of cold rendered molecules in stasis, effectively changing a liquid into a solid.

Cold brings slowness, closure, a withdrawing and coming to a stop. Imagine a hot summer day, the insects flying around, sweaty people fanning themselves, the noise of children playing and laughing and the sound of airplanes coming from a clear blue sky. Contrast that with a deep dark winter’s day; not a soul to be seen; the snow-covered world insulated from sound; closed up houses, seemingly in permanent stasis; peace and tranquility.

When we are cold, we hold ourselves more tightly, we wrap ourselves up, we cuddle in close to a loved one. We wear socks. We curl up on the couch. When molecules are contained and submitted to cold, that is exactly what they do; they couple more tightly together and become less active.

Herbs that are cold in nature are used to decrease excessive activity in our tissues, to slow down degenerative processes in our body, thicken up fluids in the body, close up pores and slow down bodily processes, in general.

To quote Matthew Wood again on the 4 degrees of cold:

“[Cold in the first degree] lessens
heat from exposure to the sun. Salad greens are considered cold in the first degree. Second degree thickens fluids and reduces internal heat. Third degree restrains the outward flow of fluids and matters. Fourth degree prevents “vapors” from rising upwards. Vapors are analogous to “rebellious qi” in traditional Chinese medicine. They are energy that is rising upward against the flow of nature. They include excessive coughing, vomiting, and menstrual cramps. Dizziness, fainting, swooning, hysteria, and PMS can be caused by vapors. Agents cold in the fourth degree stupefy the senses to ease violent pain and reduce mania, nervousness, restlessness, and insomnia.”

Plants that are cold in the 4th degree depress and shut down systems in a dramatic, maybe life-threatening way. I am imagining Opium.

Whereas a heating remedy can be thought of as a stimulant, a cooling remedy is a depressant. Taken to remedy heat or over-stimulation: often marked by redness, inflammation, tenderness or pain, cooling herbs serve to depress or suppress functionality in one or more vital systems of the body.

Plants that are cooling are marked by distinct tastes and sensations. Cooling bitters are easy to identify as they are taken to reduce gastrointestinal heat, cause a cooling sensation throughout the body (often accompanied by a shiver) and cause bowel elimination.

Partial list of herbs with cooling qualities:

Blue Flag (Iris versicolor)
Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Cleavers (Galium aparine)
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)
Gentian (Gentiana lutea)
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)
Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Red Raspberry (Rubus ideaeus)
Red Root (Ceanothus americanus)
Rose (Rosa spp.)
Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)
Wild Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa)
Willow (Salix alba)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Hops (Humulus lupulus)

When to use Cooling Herbs:

1. Digestive issues; heartburn; IBS

2. Fevers/infection

3. High blood pressure

4. Inflammation/pain

5. Mood swings/anxiety

6. Urinary dysfunction/infection

7. Stressful situations

Of course, your natural energetic state as well as your acute energetic state should be taken into consideration when choosing herbs of a cooling nature. Adding cold to an chilled person would exacerbate the problem.

During cold and flu season, your respiratory tissue state will help you to identify the right herb to use as a remedy.