Oregon grape root, berries and leaves are currently used by western herbalists. However, use of the roots in herbal medicine is most common. The plant is found throughout the United States and other parts of the world. It grows up to ten feet in length and is found in moist, sunny, forest soil. The leaves have a “holly-like” appearance and are shiny green with sharp spikes. When using the root color is important! Make sure the bark is a vibrant yellow! If it is a cream color the medicine value will not be very potent.
Today, Traditional Herbalists use it to treat eye infections, vaginal infections, skin wounds, mouth infections, inflammatory bowel disease, infectious diarrhea, parasites, infections in the upper digestive tract, pylori, urinary tract infections, sore throats and other illnesses. After seeing the ways, it is used to fight infections some refer to it as a “herbal antibiotic”. However, this is misleading because there are several antimicrobials herbs that have the same effect on pathogens. However, each herb works in different ways, for different infections, and it's best to match the herb to the individual, not the disease.
"Today [Oregon grape root] is one of the indispensable articles of herbal materia medica. It was first used as a bitter tonic to promote internal and external secretion in dry and atrophic diseases. Today it is sometimes used (or abused, really) as a “natural antibiotic” because the presence of germ-killing-berberine. This is a materialistic way of viewing a plant by its “active ingredient” rather than by the overall influence of its numerous constituents working together".
- Matthew Wood, Earthwise Herbal: New World Medicinal Plants
Today, Traditional Herbalists use it to treat eye infections, vaginal infections, skin wounds, mouth infections, inflammatory bowel disease, infectious diarrhea, parasites, infections in the upper digestive tract, pylori, urinary tract infections, sore throats and other illnesses. After seeing the ways, it is used to fight infections some refer to it as a “herbal antibiotic”. However, this is misleading because there are several antimicrobials herbs that have the same effect on pathogens. However, each herb works in different ways, for different infections, and it's best to match the herb to the individual, not the disease.
"Today [Oregon grape root] is one of the indispensable articles of herbal materia medica. It was first used as a bitter tonic to promote internal and external secretion in dry and atrophic diseases. Today it is sometimes used (or abused, really) as a “natural antibiotic” because the presence of germ-killing-berberine. This is a materialistic way of viewing a plant by its “active ingredient” rather than by the overall influence of its numerous constituents working together".
- Matthew Wood, Earthwise Herbal: New World Medicinal Plants
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