Vervain

Other Names : Blue Vervain, Common Verbena, Common Vervain, Eisenkraut, Enchanter's Plant, European Vervain, Herb of Grace, Herb of the Cross, Herba Verbenae, Holywort, Juno's Tears, Ma Bian Cao, Pigeon's Grass, Pigeonweed, Simpler's Joy, Turkey Grass, Verbenae Herba, Verbena officinalis, Vervain, Verveine, Yerba de Santa Ana.

Special Precautions of Vervain

• Verbena seems to be safe for most people when used in small amounts as part of a combination product containing gentian root, elderflower, sorrel, and cowslip flower (SinuComp, Sinupret). There isn't enough information to know if verbena is safe when used in medicinal amounts other than as part of the combination product. The combination product can cause digestive system upset and occasionally allergic skin rash.
• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of verbena during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

The benefits of Vervain are

• Vervain is thought to affect the parasympathetic nervous system and therefore serves a restorative and recuperative function. It is commonly used as a natural remedy for nervous tension, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, lethargy, and even depression.
• Vervain is often used as an herbal remedy for women’s health issues. This herb has been prescribed post-pregnancy to enhance lactation as well as to stimulate contraction of the uterus and it is often used during labour. The analgesic effects of vervain may counter headaches and abdominal pain associated with menstruation and as it is considered a natural anti-spasmodic, it is used to reduce menstrual cramping. Vervain has also been used as an abortifacient to restore menstruation cycles when there is an unwanted pregnancy.
• The tannins in this medicinal herb make it an astringent and therefore it could be used as a mouthwash for bleeding gums, halitosis, tonsillitis and mouth ulcers. One of its traditional uses includes chewing the vervain roots to strengthen teeth and gums.
• Used as a poultice or ointment, vervain may be used as a natural remedy for bruises, skin infections, insect bites, eczema, and other skin disorders. It has also been used to alleviate sprains.
• Vervain is considered a liver tonic, thought to stimulate appetite and aid digestion.
• Additionally it has been used to treat diarrhea.
• This medicinal herb has also been included in the love potions of many cultures, used in witchcraft and thought to be an aphrodisiac to stimulate sexual arousal.
• Other traditional uses of this medicinal herb include treatment of colds, fever, asthma, colic, jaundice, gout, gallstones and parasitic worms.
• Sinusitis : Taking verbena orally in combination with gentian root, elderflower, cowslip flower, and sorrel (SinuComp, Sinupret) seems to be effective for treating sudden or ongoing sinusitis.
• Sore throat.
• Whooping cough.
• Chest pain.
• Abscesses.
• Burns.
• Arthritis.
• Itching.