In my early forays into herbalism, I nearly always encountered herbal blends: rosehip hibiscus tea, a stress reducing tincture made of lemon balm and chamomile, or cold capsules containing goldenseal, echinacea, marshmallow root powder, and cayenne powder. I knew that peppermint essential oil would help a headache if rubbed on the temples, and I knew linden tea could be a good sleep aid. However, the idea of regularly using a single herb (a simple) to address a problem is something I’ve come to only in the last couple of years. Because the folks who introduced me to herbalism, whether through in person conversations or through books and blogs, typically talked in terms of blends, I assumed blends were the most effective way to use herbs.
However, as I’ve explored the use of simples over the last few months, I’ve learned there are advantages to using a single herb to address a concern. A simple is a single herb used in a tea, tincture, or salve (obviously there are other ingredients in a salve, but only a single herb is used). For example, the deadnettle extract that I make for spring allergies is a simple—it’s simply deadnettle in vegetable glycerin and distilled water. Likewise, chickweed is the only herb in my Stomach Ease extract. So, I’ve been using simples for a while in my extracts. But for some reason, I’ve been slow to embrace simples in teas. Maybe because it seems too simple?
Yet, using simples has some advantages. First, if a single ingredient tea results in an allergic reaction, however mild, you know exactly what caused that reaction. When using a blend of several herbs, it is more difficult to know which has caused the problem. Thus, if you are new to using herbs or have a history of allergic reactions, using single herbs may be a safer practice than using blends—at least until you learn what you can use without ill effect.
Another reason to use a simple is that it’s a good way to really learn a specific herb and its benefits. We often think of herbs as having one or two actions. However, very few herbs have a single or even just two actions. For example, most know peppermint as a digestive herb. But peppermint is also good for relieving headaches. It can be used for treating mild chest congestion and relieving those annoying coughs that linger after a cold. Peppermint can also induce perspiration to reduce a fever. A cup of peppermint tea might be all that is needed to ease a headache or soothe a cough. Getting to know an herb, to really learn all its healing properties is easier when using it as a simple. We may drink a cup of peppermint tea because we have a cold with a headache. In drinking that tea, we find our cough has been soothed. Reading about peppermint will tell us the herb is a decongestant. Drinking that tea gives us the experience of knowing that peppermint works as a decongestant for us personally. Herbs, like everything else, are not a one size fits all. Experiencing an herb through using it tells us what the herb will do for us. That is easier to know when we’re using a single herb.
Sometimes how we respond to an herb is not that pleasant. I mentioned earlier that when we use simples we learn how we react to individual herbs. This can be useful for those of us who have allergies or a history of weird reactions to foods and medications. For example, a few years ago, I had been drinking a chamomile-lemon balm tea blend on occasion to relax. I’d had no problems, then suddenly, each cup of the tea led to sneezing fits, runny eyes, slight wheezing—an allergy attack. Since there were only two ingredients in the blend, I decided to test which herb was the culprit. One night I drank lemon balm tea; the next, I drank chamomile tea. Chamomile was the culprit. After some research, I learned that chamomile is related to ragweed, which I’m allergic to. It was late summer, and the ragweed was in full bloom. The addition of the chamomile in the tea was enough to tip me into an allergy attack. After ragweed season ended, I tried the chamomile-lemon balm tea again. No problems. Now I reserve chamomile tea for the non-ragweed season. Had the tea blend been more complicated, I’m not sure that I would have gone to the trouble of testing all the ingredients to find the culprit. I probably would have just quit drinking the tea and missed out on the opportunity to learn more about the herbs in my tea. I would have also missed the knowledge that I can comfortably and safely use chamomile nine months of the year. Using simples, particularly when we are trying out a new herb, gives us the chance to learn if we will tolerate and benefit from that new herb. Once we know an herb works well with our body, then we can add it to blends with the confidence we’ll not have a reaction.
I’ve not turned my back on herbal blends. A well-formulated herbal blend whether it is in a tea, tincture, salve, or lotion can have truly transformative effects on our health and well-being. Certain herbs truly seem to belong together: rosehips and hibiscus, chamomile-lemon balm. Certain herbal blends create a synergy that is hard to explain but is understood and appreciated by those who have experienced it. There are many combinations that blend echinacea and goldenseal. The immune stimulating action of echinacea and the antimicrobial properties of goldenseal go hand-in-hand to help our bodies fight any manner of infection. I can’t get that combination in a simple, no matter how amazing the herb is. Blends are still my go-to. I still have the “more is better” attitude.
But I’m learning to appreciate simples. I can learn so much from them: their properties and benefits, how they work with my body. Using a simple gives me permission to slow down and really learn an herb. I read about the herb in multiple, trusted sources.* I smell it, taste it, try it as a tea or salve, or whatever is appropriate. I may explore growing it in my garden, or I may try to find it when wildcrafting so I can get to know the herb as a living being. Most of all, I learn to appreciate a bit more that not every problem in life requires a complex solution, not every concern requires a complex herbal blend for resolution. Sometimes a cup of peppermint tea is really all I need.
*I’ve recently been introduced to The History and Capabilities of Herbal Simples by W.T. Fernie. This book was originally published in 1895 and provides a fascinating discussion of plants we still use today (almond, basil, turnips) and others that may be less familiar (sow thistle, monk’s rhubarb, the lesser knapweed). The book can be purchased on Amazon; it’s also available for free on Google Books: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Herbal_Simples_Approved_for_Modern_Uses/j34fAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
0 Comments