Nocturnal Herbalist Marcos Patchett

Wild swimming in winter (or cold showers) as popularised by Wim Hof and others seem to help poor circulation, inflammatory disorders, depression and many other issues. In this Livestream I discuss my thoughts on these practices and show and tell some of the little herbal hacks I use to help recover from cold exposure!

 

LINKS:

Cold water swimming benefits – detailed research paper https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7730683/

Clear instruction video on ice water hand and foot training for poor circulation, Reynaud’s, and (potentially?) reducing neuropathic pain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzg7dfllzvM

The original VICE documentary on Wim Hof
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaMjhwFE1Zw&t=42s

Research paper on the many biological activities of Cayenne (chilli) pepper https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7432674/

Angelica root – traditional medicinal uses https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Angelica+archangelica

Wood Betony: traditional uses https://eattheplanet.org/wood-betony-a-fascinating-herb-with-many-benefits/

Wood Betony’s plant family (Stachys) – interesting phytochemistry research paper https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7601302/

Rosemary – general research papers

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5905578/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6325740/

 

ADDENDUM - I couldn't find the specific reference I saw years ago describing Angelica's ability to improve circulation through the heart - but it seems likely to be the coumarins in the root, which have Calcium-channel blocking activity and act as vasodilators. I recall reading that extracts could specifically increase blood flow through the
coronary arteries, if I find the reference I will post it! https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pca.2800030108

Many people experience low mood and motivation in the colder, darker months of the year. In this Livestream I talk
about Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD from a herbalist's perspective, and riff on a few plant-based and practical remedies.

LINKS:

The most extreme form of “winter blues”:
seasonal depression aka SAD general info: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder


Cold water for SAD and depression? Basic overview of potential benefits of cold water immersion for mental and physical health: https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/cold-water-swimming-why-an-icy-dip-is-good-for-your-mental-and-physical-health


St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) general info: https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/st-john-wort


Sage (Salvia officinalis): pharmacological review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5634728/
and traditional uses https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/sages-05.html


Ginseng (Panax ginseng) as an antidepressant https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6869450/

Many people espouse dietary beliefs which are perceived as
rigid or extreme. In this livestream I mull over some thoughts on diet dogma, where it comes from, and some of the positives and negatives of food-focused beliefs.

 

LINKS:

The "Rawlicious" video which got me thinking about
these topics this week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw4lP6UK4-U

My favourite YT nutrition channel - balanced and well
researched, Nutrition Made Simple https://www.youtube.com/@NutritionMadeSimple

IBS, IBD and endometriosis are common ailments with very different causes, frequently associated with suffering and loss of quality of life. In this livestream I discuss some approaches that may be beneficial for dealing with these issues.

LINKS:

IBS: need for simultaneous mind + gut treatment (full paper) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10496425/

IBS overview https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534810/

IBD overview https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470312/

Endometriosis overview (very technical/medical language) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK567777/

Herbal and plant therapy in patients with IBD (full paper) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4367210/

Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) review (full paper) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5478785/

Wild Yam general info (website) https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/wild-yam

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) pharmacological investigations https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7393038/

Endometriosis and mental health 2-way links – American Psychiatric Association https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2020.4b10

Herbalist Jim McDonald’s excellent Calamus article https://www.herbcraft.org/calamus.html

All medicines (including herbal medicines) can cause "side
effects" to varying degrees. In this Livestream I discuss a recent personal Adverse Drug Reaction to the generally wonderful Reishi mushroom(Ganoderma lucidum), and some protocols I follow as a medical herbalist for minimizing unwanted drug interactions when using herbal medicines alongside prescription drugs.

 

LINKS:

Reishi medicinal uses: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92757/

Case history of eosinophilia caused by Reishi: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8758446/

Reddit account case of raised eosinophils after Reishi: https://www.reddit.com/r/MushroomSupplements/comments/jjb9ja/eosinophil_and_basophil_count_elevated_while/

In ancient times it was common to use herbs in conjunction with astrology or other forms of divination to treat illness.  This was often done by first using gentler internal medicine for a few days or weeks to adjust the perceived imbalance (known as “digesting the peccant humour”), before administering a more drastic treatment in an attempt to jump-start the body back to health (“purging the humour”).  In this livestream we’ll take a meander through some of the Renaissance herbal formulas and treatment strategies for different ailments and symptom patterns, looking at them through both a traditional and a contemporary pharmacological lens.

LINKS:

Books:

Richard Saunders’ “The Astrological Judgement and Practice of Physick” (1677). https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Astrological_Judgement_and_Practice.html?id=w2cBzeCZUGUC&redir_esc=y



Richard Burton’s “The Anatomy of Melancholy” https://gutenberg.org/files/10800/10800-h/10800-h.htm


The “angina experiment” is described in “Meaning, medicine
and the ‘placebo effect’” by Daniel Moermann https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/meaning-medicine-and-the-placebo-effect/C189929ABE972E5D4C7FE32008EE8838


Plants:

Borage https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-16807-0_46


Chicory https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3860133/


Polypody https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327886800_ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL_STUDIES_OF_Polypodium_vulgare_Linn_A_COMPREHENSIVE_REVIEW

Hellebore https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1934578X231201053


Rhubarb https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7448319/