Stachys officinalis , Betony

Image result for betony

Stachys officinalis , Betony

General Information:

  • Family – Lamiaceae (mint family)
  • Common Name – wood betony, common hedgenettle, bishop’s-wort and purple betony
  • Perennial herb
  • Origin – Europe and Asia
  • Habitat – Moist and rich soil, and shade to partial shade

 

Identifying Characteristics:

Image result for wood betony

  • Short fine hairs
  • Square stems
  • Toothed leaves
  • blooms in mid to late summer
  • Flower is red-violet and tubular
  • 2 to 3 foot stems

 

Traditional uses:

Betony has a large array of historical uses. Early Egyptians and Anglo-Saxons believed for this herb to have magical proprieties. Additionally it was thought to ward off evil in the middle ages, and was therefore worn often in the form of an amulet. The Romans used betony to treat for 47 different illnesses. It was commonly used to cure head related ailments including headaches and hangovers. These practices continued into the 1700’s, and was then used for asthma, excess sweating, kidney problems, bronchitis and as a way to purge the body of worms.

 

Chemical Constituents:

Betony has Volatile oils, Phenylpropanoids, Phenolic acids, Phenylethanoid glycosides, and tannin’s. This is found in the dried above ground part of the plant gathered during the flowering period. 

 

Modern Uses:

Today this herb is used for a variety of conditions. This extensive list includes headaches, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, debility and convalescence. It is also used for weak digestion, nausea, heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome. Finally, some herbalist recommend using this on wounds. There is a variety of recommended doses, and there are little heal concerns with using betony. However some sources say that you should not use this herb if pregnant, and excess betony can result in vomiting.

 

Current Research:

There is very little modern research being conducted on wood betony, in fact on PubMed there is only 2 results. However there is some research to be found on google scholar.

  • One study is looking at the medicinal benefits of wood betony on carps in their aquatic ecosystem. It concluded that the use of betony on the carps improved their immune response and growth.
  • Another study looks at using betony as a treatment for schizophrenia. Betony along with other herbs apparently may become common in the treatment for this condition due to the adverse side effects of regular medication used to treat schizophrenics.

 

Sources:

  1. http://www.motherearthliving.com/plant-profile/wood-betony
  2. http://www.heirloom-organics.com/guide/va/guidetogrowingwoodbetony.html
  3. http://medicinalplants.us/wood-betony-stachys-officinalis#Betony_And_The_Nervous_System
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4789213/
  5. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/22311866.2016.1175318