Herbal Home Remedy tips for Migraine

Important Tips for Home Remedy of Migraine using Herbs

It is important to know which part of the plant you need if you are going to make your own herbal remedies. Flowers, leaves, roots, bark and berries are commonly used but sometimes one part of a plant is edible whereas another part is poisonous. We eat the tuberous root of the potato but avoid the berries and we eat rhubarb stems but not the leaves. Comfrey root stores too many alkaloids which can damage the liver, whereas they are barely present in the leaf. It is common to find stems in with leaves in herbs sold over the counter, as it is difficult to separate them when preparing herbs on a large scale. If you are preparing your own you should take the trouble, to rub the leaves off the stems as your remedy will be stronger without this inert woody matter.

Harvesting herbs

Choosing the right time to harvest is also important, it helps you to get the best quality of herbs in terms of the chemical constituents. .
. Leaves are picked just before flowers develop.
. Flowers are picked as they come out.
. Berries as they become fully ripe, while they are still smooth and shiny.
. Bark and stem is stripped in the late spring from new branches.
. Roots are dug up in early autumn before the first frosts. Pick on a dry day, and scrub roots immediately after digging.

Storing herbs

Most plants can be used fresh, but it is more convenient to dry them for use all the year round. The rules for drying herbs are:
. as cool, fast, dark and dry as possible, with as much air circulating around the individual herbs as can be allowed.

The best way for home preservation is to hang up small bunches of herbs, loosely tied, in a dark room or shed. A washing-line strung across the attic is ideal. Hanging up in the kitchen will cause most of the colour and aroma to be lost before they dry.

Large roots should be chopped before drying, as they will prove too tough for the knife otherwise. They can be spread out in a single layer on newspapers. The newspapers should be changed when they feel very damp.