Active Ingredient: alkaloids


The Iroquois and Cherokee were among the first of the American tribes in the eastern United States to use this small perennial plant (Hydrastis canadensis) medicinally. They harvested its fleshy underground stems (rhizomes) and roots and used them to treat a variety of infections and other complaints, from insect bites and digestive upset to eye and skin ailments. By the nineteenth century, healers began to refer to this native wildflower (which resembles a buttercup) as goldenseal because the cuplike scars on its bright yellow rhizomes resembled the wax seals then used to close envelopes and certify documents. The plant's colorful roots also provided dye for clothing.

Health Benefits

Goldenseal has long been valued for its ability to soothe inflamed or infected mucous membranes. It is found in popular herbal blends for taming intestinal and gallbladder inflammation. Traditional Chinese healers give goldenseal (berberine, specifically) to cancer patients whose immune systems are weakened as a result of chemotherapy treatments. It's even being explored as a treatment for liver disorders.

Specifically, goldenseal may help to:

Curtail colds, flu and other respiratory infections. If you feel that you may be developing a cold or the flu, take some goldenseal at once. The herb has both anti-infective and immune-system stimulating properties that may shorten the course of the illness. Goldenseal is often combined with echinacea for this purpose. In addition, because goldenseal can soothe mucous membranes, gargling with a tincture (diluted in warm water) or drinking the tea may relieve a sore throat.

Reduce symptoms of sinusitis. Goldenseal's properties as both an anti-infective and mucous membrane anti-inflammatory may be helpful in easing sinusitis symptoms and hastening the healing process. It is particularly effective when used in the form of a warm sinus irrigating solution that loosens and washes away the thickened, infected mucus that can cling to the walls of the sinus cavities.

Combat infections of the urinary tract and vaginal area. Goldenseal may help in controlling urinary tract infections if taken at the first signs of infection. Along with reducing inflammation, drinking goldenseal tea can also help to flush bacteria away from the urinary tract. In addition, a goldenseal douche may be useful for vaginal yeast infections. There are also goldenseal vaginal suppositories commercially available.

Treat eye complaints. Historically, goldenseal has been used for a variety of eye infections, including conjunctivitis (pinkeye). The eye's mucous membranes respond particularly well to an eyewash made of cooled goldenseal tea.