The Green Herbalist Clinic

04/08/2025

Beyond Immunity: Echinacea’s ability to Calm from the Inside Out
Echinacea, the radiant coneflower native to North America, has long stood as a botanical sentinel of health. Among its species, Echinacea purpurea—with its bold purple petals—and Echinacea angustifolia, the slender, drought-hardy cousin, have both earned a place in traditional medicine as trusted immune allies.

But this plant may whisper to more than just our defences.

Modern research has begun to uncover Echinacea’s subtler gifts—especially in the realm of anxiety. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, E. angustifolia root extract (80 mg daily) was shown to significantly reduce anxiety scores within just seven days. Even after stopping the treatment, the calming effects endured. Notably, no side effects were reported—except in the placebo group.

While more research is needed to confirm whether E. purpurea shares this gift, these findings invite us to see Echinacea in a new light—not just as a warrior for the immune system, but as a gentle companion for the mind.

Modern research has begun to uncover Echinacea’s subtler gifts, especially in the realm of anxiety. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, E. angustifolia root extract (80 mg daily) was shown to significantly reduce anxiety scores within just seven days. Even after stopping the treatment, the calming effects endured. Notably, no side effects were reported—except in the placebo group.

Based on the article by Ann Walker PhD FCPP MNIMH RNutr,

https://www.thegreenherbalistclinic.com/book-an-appointment/

01/08/2025

Valerian – The Deep Root of Calm
Beneath the earth, in the cool quiet where roots weave through darkness, Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) gathers its strength. From this hidden place comes one of nature’s most potent remedies for anxiety, a plant whose power lies not in brightness or bloom, but in the deep, grounding pull it offers to the nervous system.

For centuries, Valerian has been the herb of rest and release—trusted by herbalists to calm trembling nerves, settle restless thoughts, and coax sleep from the shadows. Its earthy scent may be bold, but its action is tender: softening the racing heartbeat, loosening clenched muscles, and stilling the noise of inner tension.

Valerian doesn’t force silence—it invites surrender. Enhancing the action of GABA, the brain’s natural calming messenger, helps quiet the storm without stealing the clarity. When anxiety tightens its grip, Valerian reaches inward like a strong hand in the dark, guiding the body back toward balance and the mind back toward stillness.

This is not the calm of absence, but of presence—of finally returning to your body, your breath, your centre.

Valerian is not just a herb.
It is a deep exhale, a pause between thoughts, a return to the quiet pulse of peace beneath it all.

Valerian doesn’t force silence—it invites surrender. By enhancing the action of GABA, the brain’s natural calming messenger, it helps quiet the storm without stealing the clarity. When anxiety tightens its grip, Valerian reaches inward like a strong hand in the dark, guiding the body back toward balance and the mind back toward stillness.

https://www.thegreenherbalistclinic.com/book-an-appointment/

Valerian doesn’t force silence—it invites surrender. Enhancing the action of GABA, the brain’s natural calming messenger, it helps quiet the storm without stealing the clarity. When anxiety tightens its grip, Valerian reaches inward like a strong hand in the dark, guiding the body back toward balance and the mind back toward stillness.

31/07/2025

Another excellent piece of Information from Kerry Bone

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom Disease, is a condition associated with abnormal sensations in the legs that mainly impacts sleep. It is estimated that 5% of the general population and as many as 10% of those over the age of 65 have this disorder. One school of thought is that an impairment of venous and microvascular blood flow contributes to the problem, suggesting a role for herbs that can improve this pathophysiology, such as pine bark and grape seed extracts. In a recent clinical trial, 21 people took a proprietary French maritime pine bark standardised extract (PB) at 150 mg/day and 24 received standard management (SM) for 4 weeks.

There was a statistically non-significant improvement in the SM group. In contrast, improvement with PB supplementation was significant (p < 0.05) for all assessed parameters and had important clinical relevance, since 19 out of 21 people in the PB group reported a clear benefit from supplementation. The veno-arteriolar response was improved with PB, indicating a better axon-axon reflex response and a lower level of subclinical neural alteration. The need for pain management was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) with supplementation after 4 weeks, as only 4/21 PB subjects versus 16/24 in the SM-only group had to use analgesics. Minimal oedema, measured with the oedema tester, was significantly decreased by PB.

In terms of the characteristic symptoms of RLS, improvements in the PB group (compared to SM) included:

• 33 percent decrease in crawling (versus 3 percent decrease in control group)
• 30 percent decrease in creeping (vs. 7 percent decrease in control group)
• 41 percent decrease in pulling (vs. 7 percent decrease in control group)
• 63 percent decrease in throbbing (vs. 6 percent decrease in control group)
• 72 percent decrease in aching (vs. 3 percent decrease in control group)
• 48 percent decrease in itching (vs. 10 percent decrease in control group)
• 52 percent decrease in electric shocks (vs. 17 percent decrease in control group)
• 61 percent decrease in sleep problems (vs. 16 percent decrease in control group)
For more information see https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35815767/

31/07/2025

Passionflower – The Vine That Unwinds the Mind (anxiety)

Passiflora incarnata, with its wild, otherworldly blooms, is nature’s answer to the tangled thoughts of an anxious mind. Twisting and curling like the very patterns of worry it so gently soothes, Passionflower is a vine that doesn’t just grow—it calms, cradles, and quiets.

Once revered by Indigenous peoples of the Americas and later adopted into European herbal traditions, Passionflower has long been used to still the nervous system and ease the restless heart. Its very structure—tendrils spiralling, petals radiating—mirrors the chaotic whorls of anxiety, yet reminds us that there is order, rhythm, and grace even in the wildest inner landscapes.

Clinically, Passiflora incarnata acts as a nervine and anxiolytic, enhancing the effects of GABA, the brain’s natural calming messenger. It softens the edge of overthinking, eases muscular tension, and invites sleep without sedation. It is the herb you reach for when your mind won't stop spinning, your breath catches high in your chest, or the quiet hours become your loudest.

In a world that never seems to pause, Passionflower whispers the opposite:

Slow down. Let go. Unwind.

It doesn’t dull or suppress, but gently restores inner stillness, reminding us that peace is not the absence of thought, but the return to balance within it.

https://www.thegreenherbalistclinic.com/book-an-appointment/

30/07/2025

Thyme and Licorice Syrup is a time-honoured herbal remedy, especially cherished for easing coughs, sore throats, and respiratory congestion.

30/07/2025

Chamomile – the golden whisper of calm.
With its delicate white petals and sunlit heart, Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) has long been nature’s invitation to exhale. Across time and cultures, this daisy-like bloom has offered comfort to the restless mind and tender body — a herbal lullaby for the weary soul.

Once sacred to the Egyptians and favoured by the Greeks and Romans, Chamomile is more than just a soothing tea — it’s a gentle but profound healer. Beneath its soft exterior lies a plant rich in nervine power, known to quiet the mind, ease digestive unrest, and invite sleep to come more easily. By enhancing GABA activity, it coaxes the nervous system into balance, while its subtle sedative and anti-inflammatory actions offer peace to both gut and spirit.

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), also known as German Chamomile, has long been revered as one of nature’s gentlest yet most effective remedies for calming the nervous system. Native to Europe and Western Asia, this dainty, daisy-like flower has been woven through the fabric of traditional medicine for centuries. From the ancient Egyptians—who linked it to the sun god Ra and prized it for its healing virtues—to the Greeks and Romans, who turned to it for its soothing properties, Chamomile has been a trusted botanical ally across millennia.

What makes Chamomile so powerful is not its strength, but its subtlety. Modern science has confirmed what herbalists have known for generations: Chamomile exerts a calming influence on the body by reducing anxiety and promoting restful states. Alongside this, it carries gentle muscle-relaxing, anti-inflammatory, and mildly sedative actions, making it a versatile remedy not only for anxiety but also for digestive discomfort, nervous tension, and sleep disturbances.

https://www.thegreenherbalistclinic.com/book-an-appointment/

Initial core information by Ann Walker PhD FCPP MNIMH RNutr, Herbal Practitioner and Nutritionist

Over the past 15 years, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have taken a closer look at Chamomile’s potential in the treatment of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). In their landmark 2009 double-blind clinical trial, 57 individuals with mild to moderate GAD were given either a daily dose of Chamomile extract or a placebo over eight weeks. The results were striking: those in the Chamomile group experienced a significantly greater anxiety reduction, as measured by the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), than those taking a placebo, offering strong clinical support for Chamomile’s reputation as a natural anxiolytic.

But the story doesn’t end there. Follow-up studies by the same team found that Chamomile also conferred meaningful antidepressant effects, particularly in individuals experiencing both anxiety and low mood. These improvements were not only psychological—they were also physiological. Participants showed normalised cortisol levels, suggesting that Chamomile helps regulate the body’s stress response at a systemic level.

This growing body of evidence paints a picture of Chamomile as more than a folk remedy. It is a time-honoured, science-backed botanical with a profound ability to calm both body and mind. In a world that often feels too fast and too loud, Chamomile offers a soft-spoken, deeply restorative answer—a gentle hand resting on the shoulder of stress.

29/07/2025

Lavender speaks gently to your anxiety.
Its scent calms the breath, its blossoms ease the mind.
Rooted in centuries of tradition and now backed by science, Lavender offers a quiet, natural path to emotional balance.

Lavender Tea Relieves Anxiety
By Ann Walker PhD FCPP MNIMH RNutr

For centuries, Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) has been revered for its calming qualities, earning a firm place in traditional medicine across cultures. Native to the Mediterranean, this fragrant herb was used by ancient Egyptians in cosmetics and embalming rituals, while the Romans famously infused their baths with its soothing aroma. Historically, Lavender has been a trusted remedy for nervous tension and sleeplessness, long before science caught up.

Today, modern research confirms what herbalists have long observed: Lavender helps relieve anxiety. Numerous studies suggest that Lavender essential oil interacts with neurotransmitter systems in the brain, offering gentle, non-sedating relief. As interest in natural approaches to mental wellbeing grows, Lavender continues to attract scientific attention and widespread use.

Over the past decade, most clinical research on Lavender has come from a German team, supported by the Dr. Willmar Schwabe company, focusing on encapsulated essential oil. These studies consistently show significant anti-anxiety effects in adults. However, while the essential oil contains key active compounds, it does not reflect the full spectrum of Lavender’s healing potential.

Lavender flowers are rich in water-soluble phytochemicals—compounds not present in the oil. This makes a recent clinical trial using Lavender tea particularly compelling. In this single-blind study, 60 elderly participants drank an infusion made from 4 grams of dried Lavender flowers daily for two weeks. Compared to a control group, those consuming the tea showed a significant anxiety reduction, based on the Spielberger Anxiety Inventory, and a notable decrease in depressive symptoms, as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory.

This trial reminds us that even the simplest traditional preparations—like a daily cup of herbal tea—can offer meaningful therapeutic benefits. For those seeking gentle, plant-based support for emotional wellbeing, Lavender tea may be a beautiful place to begin.
https://www.thegreenherbalistclinic.com/book-an-appointment/

29/07/2025

Anxiety — the restless whisper of the mind.
It stirs when the world feels too loud, too fast, too uncertain.
It’s a signal, a call for care, for calm, for grounding.
Herbs can offer their quiet strength, steadying the nerves, easing the breath to find stillness again.
https://www.thegreenherbalistclinic.com/book-an-appointment/

Herbal Medicine in Berkshire is suitable for people of any age, including children. Each patient is treated as an individual – a Medical Herbalist recognises that no two patients are the same, thus tailoring the treatment specifically for individual use.

28/07/2025

Feeling anxious? Ginkgo might help.
Best known for boosting memory, Ginkgo biloba is now gaining attention for its calming effects. New research suggests that the leaves of this ancient tree may do more than support brain health—they could also ease anxiety. Curious how?
https://www.thegreenherbalistclinic.com/book-an-appointment/

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), often called a "living fossil," is one of the oldest surviving tree species, dating back over 200 million years. Native to China, where it has been cultivated for centuries, Ginkgo is widely planted as an ornamental tree in urban areas around the world due to its resilience t

27/07/2025

As research catches up with tradition, it's time to rethink the risks of Ginkgo biloba—especially where caution once ruled without strong evidence.
https://www.thegreenherbalistclinic.com/book-an-appointment/

The beauty of our building evidence base of research into herbal medicine is that we can now review our traditional and theoretical concerns about safety and interactions against strong data.

Herbalists have long considered the administration of Ginkgo biloba alongside antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs to be a contraindication due to a high risk of potentiation and interaction. However, we only have scant information from case reports and controlled trials to suggest safety concerns in coadministration.

In my research, I concluded that prescription of Ginkgo biloba alongside antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications requires care and supervision but it is not necessarily contraindicated: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18214851/

26/07/2025

Ginkgo Biloba: The Overlooked Ally in Dementia Care

With Alzheimer-like pathology turning up in multiple dementia types, the one-drug-fits-all approach falls short. Enter Ginkgo biloba—a multitasking herbal powerhouse.

Clinically shown to protect neurons, boost BDNF and Nrf2, enhance microcirculation, reduce inflammation, and even support brain regeneration, Ginkgo offers a holistic edge.

For complex dementia, Ginkgo isn’t just helpful—it may be essential. Read the following post.

https://www.thegreenherbalistclinic.com/book-an-appointment/

Dementia patients generally show a mixed pathology, and it has been found that patients diagnosed with Alzheimer disease (AD) often have other pathologies, such as white matter lesions, vascular dementia and LATE (limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy). A recent large cross-sectional study from Sweden has now shown the reverse: based on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, an AD pathology was relatively common in people diagnosed with other dementias.

Specifically, an Alzheimer biomarker profile was seen in unspecified dementia, Parkinson's dementia and frontotemporal dementia. Moreover, biomarkers indicating an Alzheimer-like pathology were negatively tied to cognitive function.

While most patients clinically diagnosed with AD had evidence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid and tau pathology, those biomarkers also emerged in people with other dementias, said Tobias Borgh Skillbäck of Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Molndal, Sweden, and co-authors.

In nearly 14,000 adults, a clear, Alzheimer-like profile based on three CSF biomarkers: amyloid-beta 1-42, total tau (t-tau), and phosphorylated tau 181 (p-tau181) was seen in 68% of people with early-onset AD, 65% of late-onset AD, and 52% of people with mixed Alzheimer and vascular dementia.

Among people without an AD diagnosis, the Alzheimer profile emerged in 25% of people with unspecified dementia, 9% of people with Parkinson disease dementia, and 8% of people with frontotemporal dementia.

In several dementias, scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were associated with CSF biomarkers. MMSE scores were linked with amyloid-beta 1-42 in late-onset AD, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and unspecified dementia. MMSE scores also were tied to t-tau in late-onset AD, early-onset AD, and unspecified dementia; and linked with p-tau181 in early-onset AD.

This study highlights the complex nature of dementia, with a mixed pathology evident in most people. To my thinking, such findings question the value of trying to find a single drug treatment and imply that a multifactorial approach (as for example via Functional Herbal Therapy) is more rational.

In particular, I feel that Ginkgo biloba is highly underestimated in this context by most clinicians. Its inherent multifactorial activity makes it the best starting point for a complex dementia pathology. Clinical studies have shown that it is neuroprotective and boosts BDNF and Nrf2, is anti-inflammatory, and promotes microcirculation and mitochondrial function. In addition, it is neuroregenerative (used for stroke recovery in China).

For more information see:
http://bit.ly/4kXVmz9

and

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40293734/

16/07/2025

Food for Thought
Caution around Echinacea use—especially in autoimmune conditions—is often based on misconceptions about its effect on the immune system. These concerns stem from a limited understanding of immunity and a misreading of the research, while also overlooking Echinacea’s long-standing traditional use.

Rather than viewing it as a mere immunostimulant, it’s more accurate to understand Echinacea as an immunomodulator, supporting balance rather than overactivation.

Research paper to read
https://altmedrev.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/v2-6-451.pdf

A question I have been repeatedly asked over the years is do you use 'Immune Herbs' like Echinacea with patient's who have autoimmune diseases?

Watch and find out my approach.