Monday, May 26, 2008

Herbs for constipation:Recipes for relieving constipation

compiled from some popular herbal guides

Constipation tea/tincture (Deb Soule, The Roots of Healing, p92)
Dandelion root 2 parts
Yellow dock root 1 part
Angelica root 2 parts
Burdock root 1 part
Ginger root 1 part
Licorice root 1/2 part
Place 7 to 8 tablespoons of herbs in 1 quart of water and simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Drink warm as needed. As a tincture, take 25-50 drops as needed. For chronic constipation, take 3x a week for 1 to 3 weeks.

Laxative Tea (Michael Moore, Herb Formulas for Clinic and Home)
3 parts Psyllium seed
3 parts Licorice root
2 parts Rhubarb root (Rheum officinale)
2 parts Senna pods, crushed
2 parts Angelica root
Drink as a simple tea/infusion in the evening.

Herbal Laxative Syrup - for adults (Kathi Keville, Herbs for Health and Healing, p 84)
1 teaspoon honey (or barley syrup or some other natural liquid sweetener)
2 teaspoons cascara sagrada bark tincture
1 teaspoon licorice root tincture
1/2 teaspoon tincture of fennel, ginger, or peppermint
Warm honey enough to make it liquid. Combine it with the remaining ingredients and stir well. Take 1 teaspoon.