If you’re looking for an alternative to over-the-counter or prescription drugs for some common conditions, try these herbs to ease symptoms and help you cure your condition naturally:

Herbal medicine, also known as herbalism or botanical medicine, is a medical system based on the use of plants or plant extracts that may be eaten or applied to the skin. Since ancient times, herbal medicine has been used by many different cultures throughout the world to treat illness and to assist bodily functions. While herbal medicine is not a licensed profession in the United States, herbal remedies in the form of extracts, tinctures, capsules and tablets as well as teas may be recommended by healthcare practitioners of many different disciplines as a practical way to address a wide variety of medical conditions.

What Conditions Is Herbal Medicine Used For?

Herbal medicine has been used to treat or alleviate virtually every possible medical condition. Some of the most popular herbal remedies and the conditions for which they are used include:

Condition

Herbal Remedies

Acne

Calendula, aloe, tea tree

Allergies

(hay fever) Nettle herb, eyebright, cayenne, garlic, horseradish, Chamomile

Alcoholism

Evening primrose, kudzu

Alzheimer’s disease

Ginkgo, rosemary

Angina

Hawthorn, garlic, willow, green tea

Arteriosclerosis

Garlic

Arthritis pain

Meadowsweet, ginger, cayenne, black cohosh, yucca, devil’s claw, Capsicum, ginger, turmeric, willow, cat’s claw,

Asthma

Coffee, ephedra, tea

Athlete’s foot

Topical tea tree oil

Attention-deficit disorder

Evening primrose oil

Bad breath

Parsley

Bladder infections

(cystitis) Cranberry juice, marshmallow root, pipsissewa, uva-ursi, echinacea, usnea

Boils

Tea tree oil, topical garlic, echinacea, eleutherococcus, ginseng, rhodiola

Bronchitis

Echinacea, pelargonium

Burns, scrapes, rashes, bites

Calendula cream, chamomile cream, St. John’s wort oil, Aloe

Cancer

Bilberry, blackberry, cocoa (dark chocolate), green tea, garlic, ginseng, maitake mushroom, pomegranate, raspberry

Cankers

Goldenseal

Colds

Cayenne, garlic, ginger, osha, sage, yerba mansa, elder flowers, berries, Echinacea, andrographis, ginseng, licorice root

Congestion, sinus

Cayenne, horseradish, eyebright, eucalyptus, ma huang

Congestive heart failure

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) Supplement,Hawthorne Berry,L-carnitine and L-arginine Amino Acids,Levodopa (L-dopa)

Constipation

Hawthorn

Cough

Sage leaf, loquat leaf, licorice root, wild cherry bark, marshmallow root, Psyllium, Rhubarb, Senna, Slippery elm

Depression

Eucalyptus

Diabetes, Type 2

St. John’s wort

Diabetic ulcers

Comfrey

Diarrhea

Bilberry, raspberry

Diverticulitis

Peppermint

Dizziness

Ginger, ginkgo

Earache

Echinacea

Eczema

Chamomile, topical borage seed oil, evening primrose oil

Fatigue

American ginseng, red ginseng, rosemary, rehmannia, licorice, gentian, Cocoa, eleutheroccocus, rhodiola,

Flu

Echinacea, elderberry syrup (also see “Colds”)

Gas, intestinal

Peppermint, cumin seed, caraway seed, fennel seed, Peppermint, Chamomile, Anise, Caraway, Coriander, Tumeric

Giardia

garlic, long pepper, Oregon grape, grapefruit, beet juice, horseradish, goldenseal, wormwood, pumpkin seeds, coconut,

Gingivitis

Goldenseal, green tea

Hay fever

Stinging nettle, butterbur

Headaches

Feverfew, wood betony, willow bark, meadowsweet

Herpes

Topical lemon balm, topical comfrey, echinacea, garlic, ginseng

High blood pressure

Garlic, beans, cocoa (dark chocolate), hawthorn

High blood sugar

Fenugreek

High cholesterol

Apple, cinnamon, cocoa, evening primrose oil, flaxseed, green tea

Hot flashes

Red clover, soy, black cohosh

Impotence

Panax ginseng, maca, yohimbine, ginkgo, Mondia whitei

Indigestion 

Chamomile, ginger, peppermint

Infection

Topical tea tree oil, astragalus, echinacea, garlic, ginseng, rhodiola

Infections of the skin

Echinacea, tea tree oil

Insomnia

Valerian, California poppy, chamomile, linden flower, Kava, evening primrose, hops, lemon balm,

Irregular heartbeat

Hawthorn

Irregularity

Senna, psyllium seed

Irritable bowel syndrome

Chamomile, peppermint

Lower back pain

Thymol, carvacrol, white willow bark

Memory (poor)

Ginkgo, rosemary, gotu kola

Menstrual cramps

Kava, raspberry, chasteberry

Migraine

Feverfew, butterbur

Morning sickness

Ginger

Muscle pain

Capsicum, wintergreen

Nausea

Ginger

Nervous tension, Anxiety, Stress

Eleuthero (Siberian ginseng), valerian, California poppy, passion flower, Hops, kava, chamomile, lavender

Premenstrual syndrome

Chasteberry, evening primrose

 Relieve Pain and Inflammation

Garlic, beans (navy, pinto, black, etc.), cinnamon, eleutherococcus, flaxseed, green tea

Sore throat

Sage leaf, echinacea, licorice, marshmallow

Stomachache

Ginger, peppermint, chamomile, gentian, centaury

Stress

Eleuthero (Siberian ginseng), California poppy, ligustrum, ashwaganda, schisandra

Ringing in the ears

Ginkgo

Seasonal affective disorder

St. John’s wort

Shingles

Capsicum

Sore throat

Licorice, marshmallow, mullein

Stuffy nose

Echinacea

Tonsillitis

Goldenseal, astragalus, echinacea

Toothache

Willow, clove oil

Varicosities

Garlic, goldenseal, Pau D’arco

Ulcers

Aloe, licorice

Yeast infection

Bilberry, horse chestnut

This is only a brief overview of some of the many safe and effective herbal remedies.