Golden Seal
(Hydrastis Canadensis)
Also called: Orangeroot, ground raspberry, yellow puccoon.
Source: Native to Canada and the eastern and midwestern
United States. Golden seal originates from North America where the root was
used by the Cherokee people for digestive problems, skin inflammations and
to make an insectrepellent ointment.
The Iriquois preferred it for whooping
cough, liver disorders and, mixed with whisky, heart problems.
It soon
became popular among the settlers as a cure-all and was listed in the official
US Pharmacopoeia until 1936.
Golden seal has been used in Europe since the 1760s, although it is rarely found
growing here and most is imported ready dried or powdered from the USA, where
is it becoming rare.
Part used: Root.
Actions: anti-catarrhal, anti-microbial, astringent, digestive and bile stimulant, healing to gastric mucosa, hypertensive, mild laxative, styptic. tonic
Medicinal Uses: Antiseptic, cold remedy (for inflamed mucous
membranes), stomach infections.
The herb can also be useful for a range of
menstrual and menopausal problems - it combines well with Vitex agnus-castus
- and is particularly helpful for cooling hot flushes and night sweats.
It has also been used to stop post-partum
haemorrhage.
The herb has a bitter taste which helps to make it an effective digestive
stimulant and despite its impressive anti-microbial and tonic properties
it is still largely used as a gastric remedy.
Forms available: Capsules, tinctures, salves, ointments, liquid
extracts. Some products are standardised to 5 per cent hydrastine.
Caution: Golden seal's anti-microbial action can damage beneficial
gut flora, so it should not be taken for long periods without a break.
The
herb is best avoided in pregnancy as safety for pregnant women and children
has not been established.
May interact with anticoagulant drugs.
The fresh
plant may cause skin irritation.
Essential information: Goldenseal is increasingly scarce
in the wild, but many cultivation projects were launched in the 1990s. Use
cultivated goldenseal when possible, or substitute other antimicrobial herbs
that are not threatened with extinction, such as Oregon graperoot and barberry.
A a digestive remedy
many herbalists recommend using barberry (Berberis vulgoris) instead - this
has very similar constituents and actions and is still plentiful.
