Feeling Lousy? Feel Better!

rehmannia

Within the armamentarium of herbal wonderments available to help with life’s ills are many herbs that stimulate immunity, many that inhibit or kill bacteria, and even some that directly interfere with viral attachment to cells and with virus replication. But when I feel sick there is one herb, an herb which does none of those wonderful things, to which I always turn. Rehmannia.

Rehmannia glutinosa is a plant with some remarkable properties many of which I make good use of in my herb formulas. Let’s Dive into some of my favorite healing properties of this little fellow.

Rehmannia Builds Blood

One of the properties which I use in my Blood Builder formula is Rehmannia’s ability to support patients suffering from anemia. Research shows that it may be particularly beneficial in cases of anemia that accompany chemotherapy for cancer patients.

Rehmannia Lowers Blood Sugar

There is also good evidence that Rehmannia can help to lower blood sugars. It can reportedly be helpful for folks that are in the early stages of diabetes. People taking insulin or other medications that lower blood sugar, or people prone to low blood sugar for other reasons, should avoid herbs like Rehmannia as its additive effect to medications they’re already taking may cause problems.

Rehmannia May Help Osteoporosis

In addition to building blood, Rehmannia also helps to build bone particularly in post-menopausal women who may be struggling with osteoporosis. Numerous studies have shown Rehmannia‘s ability to positively benefit osteoporosis patients through a variety of mechanisms.

Neuroprotective Functions.

Rehmannia also has some neuroprotective functions and can be helpful in brain injury and stroke cases. Recent studies have also shown that it can play a positive role in dementia and Alzheimer’s patients.

Rehmannia And Inflammation

Rehmannia has some important immune-modulating properties that help the immune system to function properly. I’ve used it in allergy cases, dermatitis flare-ups, and perhaps most importantly, in autoimmune cases. There is good research to support Rehmannia’s benefits in a number of autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, etc…

Rehmannia And The Kidneys

I also use Rehmannia to support and restore the kidneys. There are a lot of herbs that’ll make you pee more…diuretics like dandelion, burdock, and parsley can all be beneficial for bladder infections and kidney stones by increasing urine output and flushing the system. But Rehmannia belongs to an elite and special category of kidney restorative herbs like astragalus, chamomile, and nettle seed that can actually support and heal the kidneys when they are struggling.

Adrenal Support With Rehmannia

Rehmannia is also an excellent supporter of the adrenal glands. In addition to containing many chemical building blocks to help these glands produce what they need to produce, it also supports the glands generally. I find it helpful for folks suffering from stress and adrenal fatigue.

So, Why Does Doc Take Rehmannia When He Feels Lousy?

Good question. While Rehmannia certainly has some good benefits (as mentioned above) The reason I usually take it is that it just makes me feel better when I’m sick. For me (and many others), Rehmannia eliminates that weak, miserable, malaise that invariably accompanies any sort of illness. Whether it’s the immune-modulatory properties, the anti-inflammatory properties, or the adrenal support functions I don’t know for sure. What I do know is that when I’m under the weather and take some Rehmannia I feel much, much better. So much better in fact, that I have to remind myself that I’m sick and probably shouldn’t go to work and get everyone else sick even though I feel pretty good. Oh, and one more thing…Rehmannia is, in my professional herbalist opinion, the best tasting herb of all. Yup, it’s delicious AND it makes you feel better.

Don’t take Rehmannia if you’re pregnant or nursing. Don’t take it if you are diabetic and taking meds. Don’t combine it with blood thinners. Don’t take it if you have liver disease or GI issues or if you have surgery coming up in the next week or so. Otherwise, I find it to be a remarkably effective and safe addition to solve a number of problems and, of course, to make you feel better when you feel lousy.

Doc Jones

Click Here to See Our Rehmannia Formulas

If you’re as excited about Rehmannia as I am, join me for a more in-depth look at the functions and properties of this extraordinary little plant on YOUTUBE. We’ll be hosting a free webinar on January 8th at 6 PM MST.

Learn More about this event HERE

11 thoughts on “Feeling Lousy? Feel Better!

  1. emjay_flowers says:

    I was expecting to see a contraindication for blood thinners or anti-coagulants. No? Interesting plant; I’ll mark my calendar for Jan. 8.

    • Dr. Patrick Jones says:

      Rehmannia can potentiate warfarin a little so not combining it with blood thinners is a good idea.
      I wouldn’t recommend ever combining herbs with pharmaceuticals unlesss you’ve discussed it with someone that understands both.

  2. Kathryn says:

    So what is the name for this herb that most people would recognize? I was hoping you’d lay it on us at least at the end.

  3. Susan Crouse says:

    Hi, Doc. Love your webinars!! Thanks for helping to educate those of us who want to know about helpful plants.

    So, did I miss it, or do I need to wait until the January webinar to find out which part(s) of the plant is the healing part(s)? Looking for seed/plant info online now, to find out if I can add it to my zone 6B herb garden…

    thanks,
    Susan

  4. saundra Bell says:

    You mentioned that Rehmannia is not recommended if one has GI problems it should not be taken. Does that include ulcers?

    • Dr. Patrick Jones says:

      Rehmannia actually as some benefits in stomach ulcer cases. It’s the lower GI things that it can sometimes irritate.

  5. Wynette says:

    I was looking at a TCM site and noticed that it is also good for Reynauds Phenomenon/Disease, which I found very interesting, as I had read the email you sent. So I decided to take a look at your extremely interesting talk and downloaded the slides. Thank you very much!

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