Herbalistix, Herbal Medicine in Kerry

28/01/2026

Medicinal mushroom regulations: An update on restrictions and herbal safety 🍄

Recent changes to medicinal mushroom regulations have impacted access to turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) and cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris). This article discusses safety legislation and the value of working with medical herbalists.

In the UK, over-the-counter herbal and mushroom supplements are sold as food supplements, which means that they are regulated by the FSA. The FSA aims to ensure that any items that are sold as food or food supplements are guaranteed to cause no harm. Whether a product has a health benefit is not considered.

This separation of food from medicine in legislation is historical and practical — to preclude inaccurate, misleading, or completely unfounded claims. It is important to remember that when herbalists prescribe and dispense herbs, they are considered medicine. When herbs are sold in a shop or a market without a consultation, they are considered food supplements, even if they are identical to what a herbalist would prescribe after a consultation.

When a supplement company is banned from selling something that isn’t really a food, or from making a claim that implies it is a medicine, it isn’t the same as preventing the public from accessing natural medicines. Medicinal herbs and mushrooms are still available to forage and purchase — over-the-counter for those that have been proven to be safe to use without medical advice or monitoring, or via a herbalist following a consultation as part of a bespoke prescription for those with restrictions. This ensures safe access to foods and medicines, which, on the whole, is a system that works well.

🔗Read the full article via: https://www.herbalreality.com/herbalism/safety/medicinal-mushroom-regulations-an-update-on-restrictions-and-herbal-safety/

27/01/2026

Sustainability is the theme for this season’s Power of Plants magazine. Our editor Jenny Carden-Porrett interviewed Ann Armbrecht of the Sustainable Herbs Initiative (SHI) to find out more.

As an anthropologist by training and then a herbalist student with Rosemary Gladstar, Ann has a deep interest in the relationships that we have with people and plants. According to Ann, the aim of SHI's work is “to be a North Star” and help guide people inside and outside the herbal industry to source and buy herbal products that support health in its widest sense. Ann has some suggestions of where we can all start, whether we are herbalists, herbal product companies or consumers.

- Grow and harvest some of your own herbs. It gives real insight into the work and the costs involved to produce high quality medicinal plants.

- Take a deep dive into one herb - where it grows, how it grows, who produces or harvests it and its conservation status. Follow its journey and share that with others, whether in your herbal practice or herbal community.

- Ask questions of the companies that you buy herbs, herbal supplements or herbal products from. Do they know where their herbs come and if not, why not? Let them know why this matters. SHI is also producing a new consumer guide to help with this.

- If you are a company sourcing medicinal plants, join an SHI Learning Lab. They bring together stakeholders from across the global supply chain to explore how to make meaningful change in the herbal industry.

The next Learning Lab starts on January 27th, DM for more information.

22/01/2026

This book is still on reading lists for those studying but it available for every home to own.
🌿The story of Maude and Hilda is worth exploring as these 2 remarkable women made history with how they supported others, educated, and helped during the wars.
🌿Mrs C. F. Leyel is our Hilda, she used a pen name as was the fashion back then.
🌿Hilda wrote the introduction and edited the book, as well as founded The Society of Herbalists to protect the profession from government control.
On her death it became The Herb Society a registered educational charity that is now in its 99th year.
Perhaps you are a member, gaining the many benefits we offer and enjoying a community that speaks out and supports herbs in all their virtues.

15/01/2026

It’s time to introduce our first fantastic speaker for our first online event of 2026!

We will be joined by Lynn Shore, who will be talking about ‘The Magic of Foraging: Reclaiming Intimacy with the Land.’

A longstanding member, and now Trustee of The Herb Society, Lynn is also active in the Association of Foragers, Herbalists Without Borders, the Dutch Phytotherapy Association, and the Complementary Medical Association. As a Trustee, she brings expertise in urban herbology, education, and community engagement to inspire sustainable herb use and connection with nature.

Originally from Bristol, Lynn grew up in a farmhouse on the edge of the city, where early experiences of foraging and observing wildlife sparked a lifelong passion for the natural world. She now lives in Amsterdam with her family.

After earning a degree in genetics and working briefly in genome research, Lynn became a biology teacher. She has pursued extensive training in herbal medicine over 25 years, studying with practitioners including Susun W**d and Glennie Kindred, and holds Dutch qualifications in herbal medicine, stress management, and depression coaching.

In Amsterdam, Lynn runs Mugwort and Marigold, a complementary therapy practice, and Urban Herbology, which reconnects people with urban nature through foraging walks, workshops, and online courses. She also manages a community herb garden where residents grow and tend local herbs.

In October 2025, Lynn’s first book, The Green City Witch: Weaving a Magical Life in Urban Spaces, was published by Aeon Books.

When: Saturday 28th February from 10.30am - noon
Tickets go live: Monday 19th January
Who can join? Anyone with an interest or passion for herbs!

This event is open to members and non members. Tickets can also be purchased in advance to access the recording if you can’t join live.

14/01/2026

Some of the main herbs and their organ affinities. An oversimplification to be sure but a good place to start: Wormwood-digestive tract; Elecampane-lung; Calendula-skin; Saint John's Wort-nerves; Yarrow-blood; Comfrey-tissues and bones; Mullein-lymph; Hot Peppers-circulatory system; Echinacea-immune system; Elderberry-also immune system; Dandelion-liver; Aloe-skin and digestive tract; Hawthorn-heart; Tulsi-spirit (an adaptogen); Spilanthes-oral mucosa; Goldenseal-mucous membrane; Valerian-central nervous system; and Arnica-muscle and ligament. Seeds and plants available online at www.strictlymedicinalseeds.com. The classic medicinal cookbook is "Making Plant Medicine." One of the best references for more information on growing, harvesting and utilizing medicinal herbs is "Growing Plant Medicine Vols 1 and 2."
Pretty pictures at this video link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pISCQbRxg2E

11/01/2026

12/10/2025