Women’s Health Trio

Paeonia lactiflora

White Peony is native to Asia, but due to its widespread availability across the globe, it is often recognised by different names including, Garden Peony and Chinese Peony, or by its Chinese name Bai Shao, meaning White Peony. It is a perennial known for its large showy white, pink or crimson flowers.

The name White Peony is referencing the colour of the root (not the colour of the flower), and is the medicinal part of the plant historically used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Its botanical name is after the mythical Greek figure Paeon, who was said to be a student of Aesculapius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. According to Greek mythology, Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Aesculapius by turning him into a peony flower.

Traditionally used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to:

• Nourish the live
• Regulate healthy menstrual cycle

Originating from the Far East, peonies appear strongly in the cultures of Chinese, Tibetan and Siberian folk medicine.

Schisandra chinensis

Traditionally used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to:

• Reduce symptoms of stress
• Support healthy liver function
• Support healthy sleeping patterns.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, this herb is considered harmonising because of its ability to contain all five basic flavours.

Asparagus racemosus

Shatavari is native throughout Sri Lanka and India and now naturalised in other parts of the world.

With leaves like pine needles and small white flowers, this woody climber is a member of the common asparagus family Asparagaceae.

Its name Shatavari is derived from Sanskrit, shat means ‘100’ and vari meaning ‘root’ or ‘husband’, translating to “she who possesses a hundred husbands”. Implying its traditional use in Ayurvedic Medicine as an aphrodisiac.

Traditionally used in Ayurvedic Medicine as an adaptogen, a female tonic and to:

• Support healthy stress response in the body
• Increase virility (Vrishya)
• Promote healthy libido

Long used in Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, it is often considered an aphrodisiac and a female tonic.

Withania somnifera

Native to India through to South East Asia this short, perennial shrub is now grown throughout the world.

Ashwagandha is often referred to as Indian ginseng even though botanically, ginseng and Ashwagandha are unrelated. In Sanskrit, ashwa means ‘horse’ and gandha means ‘smell’ which refers to the root of the plant having a horse-like smell.

Angelica polymorpha

Native to China this aromatic perennial herb is now grown throughout the world. A relative to celery and a member of the parsley family, Dong Quai is a hardy plant that likes to grow in cold, damp and high-altitude regions.

Zingiber officinale

Believed to have originated in southeast Asia, Ginger is a tropical loving plant which its root is grown worldwide for culinary purposes.

The botanical name Zingiber originates from the Greek word zingiberis, which was derived from the Sanskrit word shringavera, meaning ‘shaped like a deer’s antler’, an acknowledgment to the shape of the root.

Traditionally:
Obtained by the Greeks and Romans from Arab traders, it was one of the first oriental spices to arrive in Europe.

Psidium guajava

Guava has been cultivated for so many centuries that its place of origin is uncertain. Believed to have originated from Mexico through to Central America, this small, resilient, evergreen tree is now cultivated throughout the world for its medicinal and food value.

The fruit of most varieties is round, though some types are pear shaped. They have white to salmon-pink, juicy seedy flesh and an aromatic fragrance aroma.

Various parts of the plant, including the leaf and the fruit are used for medicinal purpose.

Guava is a natural source zinc which is used to:

• Support skin health
• Reduce free radicals formed in the body
• Maintain hair health
• Support nail health

Traditionally
The fruit, leaf, stem and bark of this berry fruit has been used from ancient times for various ailments.

Phyllanthus emblica

Native to India and now grown throughout the world, this tropical tree is also referred to as Indian Gooseberry and Amalaki in Ayurveda.

It is said that the Amla berry comes from the first tree to appear on earth, manifested out of the tears of Brahma while he was meditating.

A much-beloved staple of traditional Ayurvedic medicine, this plum-sized berry is considered a cooling ‘pitta’ herb (aids metabolism and digestion), and is said to possess five of the six tastes (sour, bitter, pungent, astringent, sweet), although sour is its main taste.

The fruit is a rich source of vitamin C which is used to:

• Support connective tissue production important to maintain healthy skin elasticity, integrity, structure and firmness
• Support collagen health and formation
• Support skin healing and repair
• Provide as an antioxidant support to protect against free radical damage

Its fruits possess multiple benefits and are of immense use in folk medicine. It is considered the “Mother” because it is considered as the ultimate healer due to its restorative properties

Bambusa textilis

Bamboo is native to most continents except for Antarctica and Europe. Belonging to the grass family, it is considered one of the fastest growing plants in the world. Bamboo grows in a short but strong growth spurt during summer and then remains near dormant over winter.

Bamboo is used for everything from construction to irrigation systems, from musical instruments to food, fuel and medicine.

Bamboo is a natural source of silica which can help:

• Support connective tissue production
• Maintain healthy skin elasticity, structure and firmness
• Support collagen health and formation to support skin health
• Support hair and nail strength and thickness

Early Chinese books were once written on bamboo slats and bamboo has been used as a source of medicine and construction material since ancient times.

Calendula officinalis

Native to Egypt, the Mediterranean through to Europe, this annual aromatic herb is now grown throughout the world. The bright orange daisy-like flower is also referred to as English Marigold or Pot Marigold has an aromatic odour and slightly bitter taste.

Its name is derived from the Latin word calends, meaning the first day of every calendar month as Calendula flowers open as the sun rises and can be found blooming in some parts of the world every month.
The flowers are the part of the herb used medicinally, either in the form of infusions, tinctures, liquid extracts, creams or ointments.

Calendula has been used as herbal medicine since the 12th century and has been cultivated by the Egyptians, Greeks, Hindus and Arabs. It also grew in Europe where it was cultivated in the kitchen garden as ornamental flower. These are dried for broth, which is said to comfort the heart and spirits.

Taraxacum officinale

Usually regarded as a common garden weed, the Dandelion grows wild throughout much of the world. Other common names include Blowball, Puffball, Swine Snout and Wild Endive.

A member of the Asteraceae family (a relative to sunflowers and daisies), it is distinguished by its single yellow flower which opens at dawn and closes at dusk. Once the flower has matured the plant forms a puffball of seeds that are dispersed by the wind.

Its botanical name Taraxacum originates from the Arabic word tarakhaqun meaning ‘wild chicory’. Its common name is thought to be a corruption of the French word dent de lion meaning ‘lion’s tooth’, a reference to the coarsely toothed leaves.