Herbal Spotlight: Goldenseal

We honor and value sacred plants and strive to carry on the cultural traditions of herbal healing through each of our handmade products.

This month, we wanted to honor goldenseal — one of the most popular, yet lesser-known, herbal remedies worldwide. This perennial herb comes from the buttercup family, which is native to eastern Canada and eastern United States. Often combined with echinacea for cold-fighting properties, goldenseal often shows up in feminine hygiene and urinary tract products, allergy relief products, and digestive aids.

Why is goldenseal so widely used?

It’s naturally rich in alkaloid compounds — most specifically, berberine. Berberine is known for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, which contributes most to goldenseal’s health benefits. It’s been said that berberine can prevent E. coli from binding to the urinary tract, which helps prevent UTIs, and contributes to lower blood pressure and blood sugar.

Sources:

Wikipedia

WebMD

Healthline