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| Tonic Herbs |
| A tonic is an herb that restores and strengthens the entire body, restoring normal tone, stimulating digestion, improving the immune system, and increasing energy, vigor and strength. Some tonic herbs are also ''alteratives'' or blood cleansers; others are "adaptogens" or herbs that bring the body back into balance by raising or lowering blood pressure, speeding or slowing the pulse and adjusting other systems as needed. |
| Burdock Root (Arctium lappa) |
| Called gobo in Japan, where it is a common vegetable sold in markets and sushi bars, burdock root is a blood-cleansing herb and general tonic that promotes kidney function and helps clear the blood of harmful acids. In France, fresh burdock root is used to lower blood sugar and is prescribed for diabetics. Erroneous reports of toxicity in burdock stem from a single instance in which burdock root was contaminated with belladonna, which contains the poisonous compound atropine. The incident was never repeated, but some medical authorities still refer to the atropine content of burdock root. |
| Burdock root should be brewed as a decoction (simmer 1 Tbsp. dried root in 2 cups water for 10 to 15 minutes), and it is often combined with dandelion root, which has similar properties, and other herbs. |
| Garlic (Allium sativum) |
| Garlic has been used for thousands and thousands of yearsfor so long, in fact, that its medicinal and culinary applications are older than our written records. Sanskrit manuscripts show that garlic was used as a remedy 5,000 years ago, and the Chinese have been using garlic for at |
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