Self Heal-Heal All Profile
Also known as- prunella vulgaris, Heal All, Prunella, Woundwort, Hercules Woundwort, Sickle Herb, Carpenter's Herb, Dragonhead, and Blue Curls
Introduction
Heal all is a common weed that grows wild throughout North America, Europe and temperate areas in Asia. A low-growing perennial with purple flowers, Heal All has been used in traditional medicine to treat a wide variety of ills and wounds, including cuts, abrasions, bruises, sore throats, thrush, yeast infections and liver ailments. More recently, heal all has been used in combination with bugleweed to treat Graves disease, a disorder of the thyroid. While heal all may seem to enjoy the reputation of panacea, there are some medicinal uses that have been consistent throughout the world, and which are being borne out by modern research.
Constituents
Betulinic-acid, D-Camphor, Delphinidin, Hyperoside, Manganese, Oleanolic-acid, Rosmarinic-acid, Rutin, Ursolic-acid, and Tannins
Parts Used
leaves and flowers
Typical Preparations
The leaves of heal all are edible and are often used in soups and salads. Dried, they are used with other herbs in making tea. Even a weak infusion of self heal has enough antibiotic and antiseptic effect to be an effective treatment for conjunctivitis and sties. Also found encapsulated and as an extract.
Summary
There is a German saying, "He needs neither physician nor surgeon who has self heal to help himself', and that sentiment seems to be confirmed as modern medicine studies one of the most commonly used healing herbs in the world. Chemical analyses have shown that heal all has antibiotic and antiseptic properties that are effective against herpes and e. coli, among others. It is astringent, and helps slow and stop bleeding both internally and externally. It has shown promise in treating AIDS and tuberculosis and some forms of cancer.
Precautions
Currently, there are no known harmful side effects to the use of heal all.
