Steven Horne's Newsletter Articles

September 26, 2023

Chinese Arborvitae and Biota Seed

In front of my childhood home, on either side of the front porch, were two Chinese arborvitae trees. These trees are popular for landscaping because they can be nicely shaped. However, even when I started learning about the edible and medicinal properties of plants around me, I never considered that the two trees growing right on my doorstep might have any medicinal value. It wasn't until I was trying to solve a minor mystery that I started to conjecture that the trees could be helpful for high blood…

September 19, 2023

The Time-Tested Uses of Fenugreek

Even though there is access to a wide variety of information on the web, it can be easy to miss out on the valuable information found in various herbal traditions around the world. For example if you are searching for information on fenugreek and find the entry on Wikipedia it will tell you that “there is no clinical evidence that fenugreek has therapeutic properties.” Contrast this with one of my Ayurvedic reference books, Ayurvedic Herbs by Virender Sodhi, an Ayurvedic medical doctor and naturopath.…

September 12, 2023

Bitter Melon

This Asian food can help lower blood sugar and help fight viral and parasitic infections. It has been shown to both protect and regenerate insulin-producing pancreas cells.

September 5, 2023

Gymnema: The Sugar Destroyer

One of the best ways to understand herbs is to taste and smell them, and then try them in liquid form. You can gain a greater understanding of herbs by doing this than you would ever obtain by just reading about them in books and swallowing them in capsules. I would especially try this with Gymnema sylvestre, or just gymnema. Gymnema contains compounds that bind to and block the receptor sites for the sweet taste. So, if you chew up some of the gymnema leaf or put an extract or tea in your mouth…

August 29, 2023

Paw Paw

The American paw paw (Asimina triloba) is a deciduous tree native to the eastern United States and Canada. It is the only temperate member of the family Annonacea. All the other plants in this family grow in tropical or subtropical climates and a number of these are used medicinally, including cherimoya, graviola (sweetsop), and ylang-ylang. While paw paw does produce edible fruits, we’re more interested in how it can be used as a medicine. Like many other members of the Annonacea family, paw…

August 22, 2023

Castor Bean Oil

Long used as a laxative, castor oil can be used topically to ease pain and break up congestion. The leaves can also be used as a poultice to reduce swelling and pain, help heal boils and sores, and help ease constipation

August 14, 2023

Pokeweed: A Powerful, But Toxic Medicinal Plant

This toxic botanical can be helpful for severe lymphatic swelling, cancer, and glandular imbalances in large, lethargic people. But, because of its toxicity it is important to know how to prepare and dose pokeweed safely.

August 8, 2023

Blue Flag

Lifting your body and soul out of stagnant, boggy conditions and into the light, blue flag is a type of iris that is a strong herbal medicine. It can help stimulate the liver and gallbladder, be used as an emetic, and as a lymph cleanser.

Chinese Arborvitae and Biota Seed

The Time-Tested Uses of Fenugreek

Bitter Melon

Gymnema: The Sugar Destroyer

Paw Paw

Castor Bean Oil

Pokeweed: A Powerful, But Toxic Medicinal Plant

Blue Flag

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