09/08/2025
🍇This month's herb blurb, we’re diving straight into cold and flu season with this helpful herb, Berberis nervosa or Mahonia aquifolium, aka Oregon Grape. The Oregon grape is not actually a grape. It is part of the holly family and has bright yellow blooms that can be made into yellow dyes, and blue berries as the plant matures. The roots also have medicinal properties and are dried as a powder in tea or tincture. This plant is native to the Pacific Northwest and used by Indigenous healers for centuries. Travelers used this plant for treating wounds and GI infections, like dysentery, along the Oregon Trail.
🌿Its main ingredient, berberine (yes that berberine), has been found to have potent immune support with antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antiviral properties, supports liver function, helps with insulin sensitivity and blood sugar balance, and can help reduce “bad” cholesterols like LDL. Berberine has been used for its anti-cancer properties and in weight loss as well.
😷This potent herb has a very bitter taste which some patients don’t appreciate, however it is very effective in our Cold/Flu and Sinus herbal tinctures, especially during travel. If you have sensitive taste, ask for our BioVegetarian supplement before your holiday travels.
