The Herbal Library

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Browse every herb in the database by name, category, or the body system it's traditionally associated with.

All categories Aromatic Culinary Medicinal

Results

18 herbs

No. 001Medicinal

Alfalfa

Medicago sativa

A widely used food and animal-feed crop, promoted as a supplement for many uses, including lowering cholesterol. Extracts have been studied on skin cells in the lab, but not on skin in people.

No. 002Medicinal

Indian gooseberry, a fruit rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, used in Ayurveda and as one of the three fruits in Triphala. Trials suggest it may lower cholesterol, blood sugar and a marker of inflammation.

No. 003Medicinal

Artichoke Leaf

Cynara cardunculus

Leaves of the artichoke plant, recognized in Europe for indigestion, fullness and bloating. Several small trials suggest it may lower liver enzyme levels in fatty liver disease.

No. 004Culinary

Cinnamon

Cinnamomum verum

A warm kitchen spice made from tree bark, traditionally used for digestive complaints. Research on its effects on blood sugar and cholesterol is mixed.

No. 005Culinary

Flaxseed

Linum usitatissimum

Small seeds rich in fiber and the omega-3 fat ALA, eaten whole, ground or as oil. Research suggests flaxseed may lower blood pressure and cholesterol slightly.

No. 006Medicinal

Fo-Ti

Reynoutria multiflora

He shou wu, a popular Chinese root traditionally taken to darken graying hair, as an anti-ageing tonic, and for dizziness and constipation. Hundreds of cases of liver injury have been linked to it, a few of them fatal.

No. 007Culinary

Garlic

Allium sativum

A pungent kitchen bulb traditionally used for heart and circulation health. Research suggests garlic supplements may lower blood pressure and cholesterol a little.

No. 008Medicinal

Ginseng

Panax ginseng

A root long used in traditional Chinese medicine as a calming herb and an adaptogen. Research on its effects is mixed.

No. 009Culinary

Goji Berry

Lycium barbarum

Small red berries known in China for over 2,000 years as a tonic, now a popular health food. Small trials suggest they may slightly lower triglycerides and raise "good" cholesterol.

No. 010Medicinal

Green Tea

Camellia sinensis

Unfermented leaves of the tea plant, drunk for thousands of years. Drinking the tea is considered safe, but concentrated green tea extract supplements have rarely caused serious liver damage.

No. 011Medicinal

Gynostemma

Gynostemma pentaphyllum

A plant from the cucumber family, known in China as jiaogulan and used in traditional medicine and teas. It has been studied for lowering cholesterol.

No. 012Medicinal

Hibiscus

Hibiscus sabdariffa

The tart red calyces of this flower are made into a tea known as roselle or sour tea. Reviews of trials suggest it may lower blood pressure.

No. 013Medicinal

Jamaican Rat Ears

Peperomia pellucida

A small weed of damp, shady places, also called shining bush, used in Caribbean folk medicine as a cooling remedy and for skin sores. Research so far is limited and often weak.

No. 014Culinary

Purslane

Portulaca oleracea

A leafy plant eaten as a vegetable and used as a folk medicine, called pussley in Trinidad. Reviews of trials found it may lower fasting blood sugar a little and improve cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes.

No. 015Medicinal

Reishi

Ganoderma lucidum

A mushroom prized for centuries in traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean medicine. A Cochrane review found it didn't lower heart disease risk factors.

No. 016Medicinal

Sea Buckthorn

Hippophae rhamnoides

An orange berry eaten as juice, oil and food, and used in traditional Chinese medicine for cough and digestion. Trials suggest it may improve blood fats in people with abnormal levels.

No. 017Medicinal

Shan Zha

Crataegus pinnatifida

Chinese hawthorn fruit, eaten and used in Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years for indigestion, especially after meat, and for high blood fats. Research is mostly in the lab and in animals.

No. 018Medicinal

Yucca Root

Yucca schidigera

A desert plant of the southwestern US and northern Mexico, used by Native Americans for arthritis. It's rich in soapy compounds called saponins and is approved as a food additive in the US, but evidence for arthritis is weak.