Yerba Santa

What is Yerba Santa? 

Spanish missionaries who were pleased with the plant's medicinal properties gave it the name "yerba Santa," which translates from Spanish to mean "holy herb." The natural habitats of Eriodictyon californicum include northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. The leaves of this fragrant, evergreen plant have been used for ages in traditional medicine. You may utilize yerba santa leaf in a variety of ways. For example, you can steep it in bath water for a herbal soak, add it to honeys and syrups, or apply it externally. Originally from the Southwest of the United States, yerba santa is an evergreen with sticky leaves. Yerba santa has a pleasant flavor, in contrast to many other astringent plants. It is used in herbal syrups as an addition to mask the flavor of other components and as a food flavoring. Its qualities pleased Spanish monks, who gave it the name "holy weed." Yerba santa belongs to the family Hydrophyllaceae. may be steeped for at least 30 minutes to dissolve the resins, although it may also be consumed as a tea. used more often as an alcohol tincture.

How do I use Yerba Santa?

Both people and animals with infected wounds were treated with yerba santa, either by itself or in combination with other plants. In order to relieve rheumatism, the leaves and branches were burned in steam baths. The Ohlone fashioned aprons and skirts out of the leaves.

Yerba Santa benefits:

A "bitter or sweetish-soapy"-tasting tea produced from the leaves and blossoms was used to treat headaches and other TB symptoms. Blood purification, fevers, coughs, colds, stomachaches, asthma, rheumatism, and pleurisy were all treated with infusions of yerba santa leaves and flowers.

◉ Respiratory conditions: Yerba santa is often used to treat respiratory ailments, particularly those involving a build-up of mucus in the body. It is regarded as one of the finest expectorants since it breaks up thick mucus and makes it easier for the body to expel it. Yerba santa is very beneficial for acute colds and coughs with upper respiratory and sinus congestion. Because yerba santa dilates the bronchial airways and facilitates easier airflow into the lungs, it is an effective muscle relaxant for asthmatics. For example, smoking yerba santa in a pipe is used for treating asthma.

◉ Asthma:- For the treatment of asthma, Native Americans would often smoke or chew the leaves. Early European immigrants in the western United States often used a tonic or tea produced from the plant's leaves to alleviate severe asthma. Many consumers of Yerba Santa pills and extracts assert that using Yerba Santa was more convenient and successful than standard asthma treatments, despite the paucity of studies in this area. Customers have reported that, in several occasions, a single drop relieves their asthma symptoms for four to twenty-four hours.

◉ Cures Mouth Diseases: Chewing yerba Santa produces a lot of saliva, which is why it works well for curing persistent dry mouth. Furthermore, bad breath may be effectively treated by the leaves' pleasant flavor. In addition to chewing the raw leaves, Yerba Santa is also sold as oral sprays. Reviews of these sprays are conflicting; some claim they alleviate sleep-related dry mouth, while others claim the benefits wear off quickly. Oral sprays containing yerba santa have been shown in studies to provide relief for up to two hours after use. Furthermore, tooth decay prevention is often included into spray compositions.

◉ Cures Cough: According to research, using an aerosol spray formulated with an extract from yerba santa may help shield the upper and lower respiratory tract mucosal membranes from drying out. It also lessens coughing and shields the lungs from bacterial inflammation. More studies reveal that the plant may both treat the inflammation of the tissues that create mucus and lessen the quantity of phlegm produced by the lungs, which makes it an excellent remedy for the "wet" symptoms of a cold, such as runny noses. Additionally, testimony suggests that it works well for treating chronic coughs that did not improve with other drugs.

Where can I buy Yerba Santa?

Buy Yerba Santa from the health food store in the USA, Alive Herbals.

Yerba Santa information (at a glance):