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Oregon Grape
(Mahonia aquifolium)
PARTS USED
Root
PROPERTIES
Blood purifying, tonifying (liver),
laxative, antiseptic.
ENERGY
Cooling. Reduces excess Fire, reduces
excess Water, regulates and stabilizes Air.
CAUTION
Avoid prolonged concentrated use
during first trimester of pregnancy. Safe for occasional tea, culinary and
short-term uses.
Many gardens in Britain display
this North American import, known as the holly-leaved barberry, without
their owners appreciating its outstanding qualities as a liver cleanser and
tonifier, blood purifier, laxative and bowel cleanser. Its Eurasian cousin,
the common barberry (Berberis vulgaris), a shrub found in hedgerows
and waysides, is used similarly, though its action is milder. The berries
were once commonly eaten and prepared as condiments.
The bitter taste stimulates
gastric juices, improving the digestion and assimilation of food, and purges
and liver. Oregon grape and barberry are used for cases of hepatitis,
jaundice, constipation, diabetes and arthritis. Another use is in problems
due to congestion of vital energy, such as moodiness or irritability as for
example in pre-menstrual tension or depression. it may be combined with
turmeric for this purpose. |
