Herbal Actions Flashcards
1
Q
What are the 2 effects a herbal action can have?
A
Systemic effect on the whole body
Specific effect on a particular tissue or organ system
2
Q
What are the 2 categories of herbal actions?
A
Tonics or effectors
3
Q
What are the further classification of herbal actions?
A
Stimulating, relaxing, tightening, soothing, restorative, nourishing
4
Q
What do normalizers/tonics do?
A
Nourish the body. Support natural processes of growth, health and renewal
ex: nettle
5
Q
What do effectors do?
A
Treatment of specific illnesses. Observable impact on the body
ex: echinacea
6
Q
What are lymphatic effectors?
A
Stimulate the lymph node activity
7
Q
What are Hepatic Effectors?
A
Choleretics- they add bile
8
Q
What are laxative effectors?
A
Stimulate colon. Direct peristalsis
9
Q
What are Lymphatic tonics?
A
Help with with lymphatic flow
10
Q
What are laxative tonics?
A
Osmotic, bulking. Reflex peristalsis
11
Q
Is a bitter a digestive stimulant or relaxant?
A
Stimulant
12
Q
Is a hepatic a digestive stimulant or relaxant?
A
Stimulant
13
Q
Is a choleretic a digestive stimulant or relaxant?
A
Stimulant
14
Q
Is a cholagogue a digestive stimulant or relaxant?
A
Stimulant
15
Q
Is a laxative a digestive stimulant or relaxant?
A
Stimulant
16
Q
Is a nervine tonic a digestive stimulant or relaxant?
A
Relaxant
17
Q
Is a carminative a digestive stimulant or relaxant?
A
relaxant
18
Q
Is an alterative a digestive stimulant or relaxant?
A
stimulant or relaxant
19
Q
Is a demulcent a digestive stimulant or relaxant?
A
relaxant
20
Q
Is an anti-emetic a digestive stimulant or relaxant?
A
relaxant
21
Q
Is an antispasmodic a digestive stimulant or relaxant?
A
relaxant
22
Q
Name 3 respiratory system actions.
A
expectorant, anticatarrhals, antitussives
23
Q
Name 6 digestive system actions.
A
cholagogue, choleretic, bitters, demulcents, carminative, antiemetic, emetics
24
Q
Name 9 adrenal & nervous system actions.
A
adaptogens, nervine tonics, nervines relaxants, sedatives, hypnotics, nervine stimulants, antidepressants, anxiolytics, nootropics
25
Name 7 cardiovascular actions.
cardiotonics, hypotensives, blood vessel tonics, antioxidants, hypolipidemics, hypoglycemics, circulatory stimulants.
26
Name 2 urinary system actions.
Diuretics, antilithics
27
What is an antilithic?
Prevent calcification. Prevent the formation of stones in the urinary system and remove previously formed stones.
28
Name 5 actions for the reproductive system.
emmenagogues, galactogogues, uterine tonics, female reproductive tonics, male reproductive tonics
29
Name 6 actions for the immune system
antimicrobials, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, antihelmintics, deep immune tonics.
30
Name 7 MSK System and connective tissue actions.
Connective tissue tonics, rubefacients, vulneraries, analgesics, antispasmodicss, antiinflammatories, antirhematics
31
Name 6 actions of the skin and mucus membranes.
emollients, demulcents, astringents, styptics, vulneraries, rubefacients
32
Name 5 herbal cleansers.
Alteratives, diuretics, laxatives/aperients, lymphatics, diaphoretics
33
True or False. A herb can have an affinity for certain tissues or body systems
True. It will have a specific action on that area.
34
True or False. Adding a herb with an affinity to a certain tissue or organ can help deliver a formula to the affected area that needs to be treated or supported.
True.
35
Herbs with tissue affinities? Do we need to know?
36
What is an expectorant?
Help the body to remove excess mucous from the lungs
37
What is an anticatarrhal?
Help the body to remove excess mucous from the sinuses. Thin mucous
38
What is an antitussive?
A cough SUPPRESSANT. Helps prevent coughing by working on a part of the brain that controls the action
39
What do cholagogues do?
Stimulate the release and secretion of bile from the gall bladder. They also have a laxative effect on the digestive system since they increase the amount of bile in the duodenum. STIMULATES FLOW of bile.
40
What is a choleretic?
Increase the volume of secretion of bile from the liver. STIMULATES PRODUCTION of bile.
41
What is a demulcent?
Rich in mucilage and can soothe and protect irritated or inflamed internal tissue.
42
What does a carminative do?
Relieves flatulence.
43
Is an anti-emetic a digestive stimulant or relaxant?
relaxant
44
What does an emetic do? And antiemetic?
Causes vomiting.
Prevents vomiting.
45
What is an adaptogen?
Help the body respond to stress, anxiety and fatigue.
46
What is a nervine tonic?
Act directly on the nervous system and improve and strengthen their functions. Restorative.
47
What is a nervine relaxant? And stimulant?
Relax and sooth the nervous system (Passion flower)
Stimulate and activate the nervous system (Coffee)
48
What is an anxiolytic?
Stimulate neurotransmitter synthesis to relieve anxiety.
49
What is a nootropic?
Improve cognitive function, attention, memory, creativity.
50
What is a cardiotonic?
Increase tonus of heart muscle and contractility. Treats cardiac insufficiency. For angina or heart attack.
51
What is a hypotensive?
Help lower blood pressure.
52
What does a blood vessel tonic do?
Nourishes blood vessels. Restore blood vessels, varicose veins
53
What is a hypolipidemic?
Used to treat high cholesterol. Remove lipids.
54
What is a hypoglycemic?
Improve insulin sensitivity. Lower blood sugar.
55
What does a circulatory stimulant do?
Help improve circulation
56
What does a diuretic do?
Increase the production of urine. For UTIs
57
What does an antilithic do?
Prevents the formation of urinary calculi or destroy current stones.
58
What is an emmenagogue?
Stimulates blood flow in the uterus, causing menstruation. Regulate menstration.
59
What is a galactogogue?
Lactation inducing for breast feeding.
60
What does a uterine tonic do?
Induce labor, reduce postpartum hemorrhage, and prepare women for an easier child birth by toning muscles of the uterus.
61
What does a reproductive tonic do? Female? Male?
Support cellular regeneration, balance hormones, soothe.
62
What is an antimicrobial?
Kills microbes and microorganisms to prevent their development.
63
What is an antihelmintic?
Expel parasitic worms and other internal parasites from the body.
64
What is a rubefacient?
Bringing circulation. Cause reddening or irritation of the skin. Relieve pain in various MSK conditions.
65
What is a vulnerary?
Healing. Used to treat wounds.
66
What is an analgesic?
Pain reliever
67
What is an antirheumatic?
Reduce inflammation and pain at the joints, muscles, or connective tissues.
(Wild Yam, turmeric, arnica, gotu kola, celery seed)
68
What is an emollient?
Soften and sooth the skin. Mucous containing. Used for eczema and psoriasis. Form protective barrier.
(Almond oil, aloe, chickweed, plantain, comfrey)
69
What is an astringent?
Drying, draws water out, oil fighting
(Red raspberry, calendula, tea tree, witch hazel)
70
What is a syptic?
Contracts tissues or blood vessels. Stops bleeding. (astringent herb applied topically)
(Yarrow, plantain, witch hazel)
71
What is a diaphoretic?
Increases perspiration. Used for fever reduction, detox, outward circulation.
Stimulating: Ginger, Cayenne, Yarrow
Relaxing: Linden flowers, elder flower, catnip
72
What is a hypnotic?
Used to induce sleep.
Valerian, melatonin
73
What is a deep immune tonic?
Restore the immune system.
(Reishi, schisandra)
74
Which herbs are used as demulcents to sooth the digestive tract?
Marshmallow, licorice, slippery elm
75
Which herbs are used to sooth the respiratory tract? Soothing expectorant?
Mullein, coltsfoot, plantain
76
Which herb is used to sooth the genitourinary tract?
Corn Silk
77
What herbs are bulking laxitives?
Aloe gel, psyllium husk, flax seed, marshmallow root
78
What herbs are vulnerary?
Comfrey, plantain, calendula
79
Which herbs are astringent?
Yarrow, meadowsweet, witch hazel, red raspberry leaf
80
Which herbs are analgesic?
Cayenne, California poppy, cramp bark, white willow
81
What does anti-pyretic / febrifuge do?
Controls / reduces fever
82
What are some anti-pyretic / febrifuge herbs?
Meadowsweet, peppermint, white willow
83
What are some cholagogue and choleretic herbs? (They are also hepatoprotective and hepatotrophorestorative)
Milk thistle, golden seal, turmeric, dandelion root
84
What herbs are alteratives?
Burdock, yellow dock, cleavers, dandelion root, nettle, red clover
85
What is an alterative?
Gradually restores proper nutrition, elimination & metabolic function of the whole body. METABOLISM.
86
What do anti-oxidants do?
Reduce oxidative damage. Inhibits the reduction of dehydroascorbic acid via glutathione by acting as H+ donors allowing resonance stabilization allowing damaging molecules to be unreactive.
87
What are some antispasmodic herbs?
Hops, chamomile, peppermint, cramp bark, ginger
88
What are some carminative herbs?
Fennel, chamomile, lemon balm, peppermint, ginger
89
What are some rubefacient herbs?
Cayenne, mustard seed, castor oil, onion & garlic
90
What are some nervine relaxants?
Lavender, passion flower, lemon balm
91
What are some nervine stimulants?
Peppermint, Orange, Caffeine
92
What are some nervine tonics?
Oat tops, St. John's wort, gotu kola
93
What are some immune stimulants?
Tea tree oil, oil of oregano, echinacea, old man's beard
94
What are some stimulating expectorants?
Blood root, eucalyptus
95
What are some immunomodulator / deep immune tonics?
Astragalus, medicinal mushies, schisandra
96
What are some anti-catarrhals?
Elderberry & flower, eyebright, wild indigo, goldenseal
97
What are some adaptogens?
Siberian ginseng, licorice, ashwaghanda, schisandra, holy basil
98
What are some anthraquinones?
cascara, senna, aloe latex, turkey rhubarb
99
What is the difference between choleretic and cholagogue?
Choleretic stimulates PRODUCTION of bile
Cholagogue stimulates FLOW of bile
100
What is an aperient?
A bowel stimulator. Laxative.
101
What does a diaphoretic do?
Increases perspiration.
