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| Appendix: Actions of Herbs |
| Adaptogen. An herb that increases resistance and resilience to stress, enabling the body to avoid reaching collapse because it can adapt around the problem. Adaptogens appear to work by supporting the adrenal glands. |
| Alterative. An herb that gradually restores proper functioning of the body, increasing health and vitality. Some alteratives support natural waste elimination via the kidneys, liver, lungs or skin. Others stimulate digestive function or are antimicrobial. |
| Anticatarrhal. Anticatarrhals help the body remove excess mucus, whether in the sinuses or other parts of the body. Catarrh is not of itself a problem, but when too much is produced it is usually in response to an infection or as a way for the body to remove excess carbohydrate. |
| Anti-inflammatory. An herb that soothes inflammations or reduces the inflammation of the tissue directly. Anti-inflammatories work in a number of different ways, but rarely inhibit the natural inflammatory reaction as such; rather they support and encourage the work the body is undertaking. |
| Antimicrobial. Antimicrobials help the body destroy or resist pathogenic microorganisms. Antimicrobials help the body strengthen its own resistance to infective or- |
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