Liberating Goldenrod

     Spring may not be the time of year when people expect to see Goldenrod. But it is the time of year when several people (especially in Florida) may need to use it. Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) blooms around the same time as Ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya) and, unfortunately, has been accused of causing seasonal allergies in late summer to early fall. However Ragweed is typically the allergenic culprit. Goldenrod actually has very little pollen with which to cause allergy problems. And the pollen it does have is sticky so it rarely gets to be airborne. Most people who have been introduced to both plants don't know how they could be mistaken as Goldenrod's flowers are beautifully golden while Ragweed has nondescript green flowers. Even though they're both in the Asteraceae family, there's a really good bit of differences between the two, and the Herbal Academy has a very detailed blog post about just that.

     Goldenrod grows just about everywhere from North America to Europe, and even all the way to Asia. There are over 100 species and all of them are beneficial in several ways. The two considered to be the most medicinally beneficial are Solidago canadensis and Solidago odora. Even the colonists loved Goldenrod. After the Boston Tea Party, Goldenrod tea, which they called “Liberty Tea,” became so popular that it ended up being exported to China.

Check out a video I recently shot, all about this amazing plant!

Medicinal Uses:

Summary of Actions- Diuretic, drying, aromatic, antioxidant, expectorant, antifungal, anticatarrhal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic, astringent, carminative, vulnerary, tonic, and diaphoretic.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)- Known as Huang Hua, Goldenrod is pungent, bitter, and cool. The meridians it works best on are the liver and gallbladder meridians. Goldenrod is used to dispel wind and clear heat, resolve swelling and remove toxicity. Especially useful when there is a sore throat, jaundice, headache, cold, urinary tract infections (UTI), kidney stones, fungal infection on the hands, or swelling on the back.

Seasonal Allergies- Goldenrod has an amazing ability to calm the runny eyes, runny nose, and sneezing that comes with seasonal allergies. Even Ragweed allergies. It's also an amazing decongestant.

Sinusitis, Flu, & the Common Cold- Goldenrod is antiseptic and antimicrobial, which makes it a great choice for dealing with a sore throat along with other symptoms of the flu, cold, and/or sinus infections. It also has great expectorant properties to help expel mucus from the lungs, and decongestant properties to dry those pesky sinuses. It's also extremely beneficial when fever is involved, as it helps open the pores and allows the body to sweat out the fever more efficiently.

Cardiovascular Health- Goldenrod is an excellent source of rutin which helps support circulation and capillary strength. It also shows promise in the lowering of cholesterol and preventing atherosclerosis.

Skin & Wound Care- Goldenrod's scientific name, Solidago, means “to make whole.” It certainly seems to work wonders on wounds. Helping speed their healing and preventing infections. It's also a great ally when dealing with eczema and other chronic skin conditions.

Kidneys- Goldenrod helps prevent the formation of kidney stones and can help clear out “urinary gravel.”

Bladder & Urinary Track- Goldenrod is super useful for the urinary system. It's astringent and antiseptic properties make it useful for treating both bladder and urinary tract infections. It strengthens and tones the urinary system and helps reduce inflammation in both the urinary track and bladder.

Anti-Fungal- Goldenrod works well to help deal with Candida type yeast infections such as thrush or vaginal yeast infections.

Muscle Pain & Arthritis- Recently, Goldenrod has become fairly well known to help relieve a wide variety of aches and pains. It's especially known to help muscle pain and arthritis.

Contraindications and Warnings- Goldenrod can be overly drying to those with a dry constitution, if taken over a long period of time. Consult your doctor, midwife, or herbalist before taking Goldenrod if you are pregnant, have heart problems, or have kidney problems. Minor allergic reactions may occur in a, very, few people.

     I only included a basic introduction to this amazing herb. I hope you have learned a new appreciation for how amazing goldenrod is. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. And these amazing pictures are thanks to my friend Shannon at Ancient Grove Yoga and Wellness.

If you want to learn more about this amazing plant, join me at COAL on March 1, 2018 for our Monthly Materia Medica. For more information, contact Leann at BatLadyHerbals@gmail.com or visit the Florida School of Holistic Living in Orlando, FL. 

Refrences:

Foraging & Using Goldenrod: The Nerdy Farm Wife: https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/foraging-using-goldenrod/

Glorious Goldenrod: Susan Weed: http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Glorious-Goldenrod.htm

Goldenrod: Dr. Vikram: http://www.drvikram.com/goldenrod.php

Goldenrod: White Rabbit Institute of Healing: https://www.whiterabbitinstituteofhealing.com/herbs/goldenrod/

Goldenrod Medicine: Dana Tate Bailey: https://southernherbalist.wordpress.com/2015/08/18/goldenrod-medicine-solidago/

Goldenrod Plant: Herbs with Rosalee: https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/goldenrod-plant.html

Goldenrod vs. Ragweed: Herbal Academy: https://theherbalacademy.com/goldenrod-vs-ragweed-theyre-not-the-same-plant/

Goldenrod: The Bee's Knees: The Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine: https://chestnutherbs.com/goldenrod/

Health Benefits of Goldenrod: Herbal Academy: https://theherbalacademy.com/health-benefits-of-goldenrod/

Herb of Common Goldenrod: TCM Wiki: https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/herb-of-common-goldenrod

Medicinal Uses of Goldenrod: Garden's Ablaze: http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbGoldenrodMed.htm

5 Natural Ways to Combat Seasonal Allergies

     I don't know how things are in your area, but so far this year Central Florida has seen record breaking pollen counts. This means that my husband's seasonal allergies have been acting up worse than usual. Even my allergies, which usually don't bother me all that much, have made themselves known. So I thought that I'd share with you some of the things I do for allergies in my home.

1-Dietary Changes: There are some foods that can actually make your allergies worse. If you know what you are allergic to, do a little research and find out what foods could be causing oral allergy syndrome, a reaction to your food due to pollen allergies. Even if you don't have oral allergy syndrome, there are a few thing you can do to improve your allergy symptoms. Cut back on the dairy! Dairy products can increase the bodies mucus production and make the mucus much thicker. Cutting back on the dairy can help to manage this aspect of your allergies. Also, quite a few allergy symptoms can be caused by, or compounded by, issues in the gut. Probiotics can help relieve many of the issues that may be the underlying cause of allergy symptoms.

2-Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a wonderful tonic for the whole body, but by far it shines when dealing with seasonal allergies. ACV is packed full of beneficial vitamins, including lots of B vitamins. Make sure you get the raw, unfiltered ACV with the mother (the mother is the bacteria that helped make the ACV), the bonus for this is that you get some amazing probiotics in with it. Take 1 teaspoon in water 3 times a day for maximum results. It works (and tastes) even better if you use ½ teaspoon of raw, local honey in the mixture.

3-Nettles: Urtica dioica, or stinging nettle, is a natural antihistamine. Nettle can be made into a tea, tincture, or capsules, and in many places it's a common cooked green. However, to best use nettles for allergy relief, you should find an alcohol based tincture. The natural antihistamine found in nettle is best extracted using alcohol, so a tea won't have as much. If you eat the herb or take a capsule of dried nettle leaves, you'll still get all the antihistamine properties as well, but you'll need to consume more to get the same effect that you would get from just one dropper-full of the tincture.

4-Goldenrod: I know it seems strange that the plant most known for causing hay fever can actually help, but it really can. Solidago spp. is a great herb to use on a regular basis to help prevent and control allergy symptoms. However, it does not work if you are taking any synthetic allergy medicines with it. Goldenrod works well as either a tea or a tincture. If you're worried about a pollen allergy, make sure that the tea/tincture is made with leaves that have been harvested before the plant has flowered, to keep from accidentally getting pollen on the leaves.

5-Local Honey: There may not be any scientific evidence that consuming raw, local honey lessens allergy symptoms. However, it has worked like a charm with my family. The thought is that local honey contains the pollen from local flowers and consuming it will help your immune system to acclimate to this pollen. Whether or not this is true, honey is packed full of amazing vitamins and minerals that help to boost immune function and improve symptoms such as congestion.

     I hope these tips will help you and your family through this allergy season! If you have any questions or comments please leave them below.

Resources:

Earth Clinic : Apple Cider Vinegar for All Allergies : https://www.earthclinic.com/allergies/apple-cider-vinegar.html

Know Your Roots : How to Take Goldenrod for Allergies : http://www.knowyouroots.com/ijustgottashare/2015/07/08/how-to-take-goldenrod-for-allergies/

Naturopathic Physicians : Natural Treatments for Your Seasonal Allergies : http://www.naturopathic.org/content.asp?contentid=117

Wellness Mama : 7 Effective Natural Remedies for Seasonal Allergies : https://wellnessmama.com/8370/allergy-relief-remedies/