Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an herb that deserves a deep look at the historical use and evidence-based use of this plant. Ashwagandha has global effects on the body including psychiatric, neurodegenerative, anti-aging, oncology, and fertility just to name a few.

The presentation will look at the use from an Ayurvedic perspective as well as a Western herbalism perspective. Mary Rondeau explores Ashwagandha’s effect on sleep, sub-types of anxiety, and Vata, Pitta and Kapha constitutions. She also provides several herbal recipes to highlight the medicinal strengths of Ashwagandha. (Catalog Number 22ME10)

Recorded on June 3, 2023 at Medicines from the Earth. Mark has never presented such a comprehensive overview of his work over four decades and we wanted to get this to you as soon as possible!

We congratulate Mark Blumenthal on the 35th anniversary of the nonprofit American Botanical Council (ABC) and the 40th anniversary of its peer-review journal HerbalGram. It was a pleasure and honor to have Mark join us at this year’s Medicines from the Earth Herb Symposium to share his journey with ABC.

Under his leadership, the organization has grown from an herbal education organization to one of the leading advocates and educators for the sustainability and authenticity of herbal materials. The Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) has seen ABC collaborating for over 12 years with leaders in the botanical field to help members of the herbal industry identify and select authentic herbal materials and avoid buying cheap, intentionally mislabeled fraudulent materials.

Additionally, ABC’s Sustainable Herbs Program has inspired and educated responsible herb companies to access sustainable and regeneratively farmed botanical materials. Mark’s lively presentation will increase awareness of the positive progress in responsible sectors of the herbal community and how we, as herbal consumers, benefit from this progress. (Catalog Code 23ME03)

Disruption of healthy sleep patterns can occur for many reasons, including current stressful situations, female hormonal imbalance, adrenal dysfunction, nutritional deficiency, depression, anxiety, glucose deregulation, hepatic detox issues, thyroid malfunction, chronic inflammation and pain. Botanical medicines offer safe and effective non-habit-forming sleep aids to address the specific needs of the individual.

This presentation includes a description of current standard medical treatments, diet and lifestyle recommendations and case histories. Naturopathic physician, Mary Bove, also discusses a variety of botanicals including California poppy, valerian, American skullcap, chamomile, catnip and more.

Addressing the challenges presented in the keynote address the previous evening, this panel describes therapies for those already exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Kenneth Proefrock begins with a detailed description of the pathways by which the body eliminates toxic environmental chemicals, and how those systems can be enhanced with botanicals and nutrients. Mary Rondeau discusses the role of EDCs in autism, and Jason Miller speaks specifically about the disruptions to the endocrine system that can lead to cancer, and the physiological processes behind it. Botanicals and other natural therapies to restore balance are provided in every section.

Other topics: when fasting is beneficial for detoxification, and when it can be harmful to patients in an already weakened condition; what diets and lifestyle changes can be helpful; and many more details brought out in the question and answer period at the end. (Catalog Number 19ME17)

The information on this site is provided as a research resource for health professionals and is not intended to replace diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care practitioner. Consult your medical care provider before using any herbal medicine.

Children are filled with love and sticky fingers and manage to bring home every bug from school. As a result, common childhood ailments regularly include diarrhea, vomiting, earaches, and coughs. While these common childhood conditions are important for strengthening the immune system, they can be burdensome to a working family.

Half the battle is having a well-stocked botanical medicine cabinet, and the other half is getting kids to take the herbal preparations. Learn about creative (and tasty!) ways to get these medicines into kids. Ayurvedic and western dietary and herbal preparations are discussed. (Catalog Number 20ME29)

Resilience is the ability to cope with stress and adversity and bounce back to a state of normal functioning. Botanicals can aid in resilience by countering catabolic processes associated with stress, improving carbohydrate metabolism, and aiding the recovery of the normal functioning of the mind and body. This lecture from naturopathic physician, Tori Hudson, explores botanicals including Rhodiola, St. John’s wort, ginkgo, lemon balm, red clover, kava and others. (Catalog Code 14SW03)

This lecture examines the relationships between fragrance, olfaction, the limbic system, moods and mental states according to concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. Explore Shen (spirit) disturbances and the Seven Pathological Emotions, Prana Vata (mind / breath current) and mental health, and essential oils as botanical Chi and Prana. David also discusses the use of aromatherapy for the management of anger, depression, addictions, OCD and PTSD. (Catalog Code 15SW16)