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Billericay Herbal Medicine, Nature's Table, 8 The Walk, Billericay (2026)

12/09/2026

How gorgeous are our hedgerows are at the moment? Hawthorn (Crataegus species) is one of our main herbs for the circulatory system and you can spot them in the hedgerows amongst the sloes and blackberries right now. The beautiful bright red berries contain flavonoids such as quercetin, hyperoside and rutin which dilate the blood vessels so that the bloodflow around the body is improved. Hawthorn also supports and protects the heart muscle so that it can pump more efficiently – more strongly but less often so the heart rate is not raised. This all means that hawthorn tends to be the most often prescribed herb for high blood pressure. We also use it for angina, heart failure, "furred up" arteries, and after heart attacks.

In addition to its effect on the heart and circulatory system, hawthorn also contains constituents that have a relaxing effect. This means we use it in anxiety and stress, especially if panicking gives that tight kind of feeling in the chest, or palpitations. If I have room to squeeze hawthorn into a prescription I will always do so if the patient has a history (or family history) of heart problems, even if that’s not what they came to see me about originally…

If you are taking any medication for your heart or blood pressure, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, always consult a qualified medical herbalist before using hawthorn.

We use it in tincture form but it’s also useful as a herbal tea. If you do pick the berries, watch out for the thorns and make sure they are not at the roadside or in a field where chemicals could have been sprayed on them. And always use a good guide to make sure you are picking the right thing!

Even if you don’t use your hawthorn berries medicinally, you can make a number of goodies out of them such as hawthorn and rosehip “ketchup”, hawthorn fruit leathers and hawthorn brandy amongst others! But don’t forget to always leave plenty for the wildlife who rely on them.

10/09/2026

Today is Su***de Prevention day. Let your family, friends and family know that you are there for them - "listening" doesn't have to be with your ears, some people may feel more comfortable having a text conversation.

07/09/2026

As it's both Vascular Disease Awareness month and ! blood pressure week, today I'm posting about blood pressure. Blood is pumped around the body by the heart, and as it does so, it exerts a pressure on the walls of the blood vessels. This is blood pressure. You’ll have heard your blood pressure is measured by two numbers, for example “120 over 72”. The first number (systole) is the maximum pressure which happens when the heart contracts or beats. The second number (diastole) is the lowest pressure which happens when the heart relaxes between beats. Most people know that having high blood pressure can be dangerous as it puts a strain on the heart and can lead to a heart attack or stroke, amongst other health problems.

What causes high blood pressure? Some ethnic groups are more prone to it, and it can also run in families. It can occur as a result of kidney or endocrine disease, or from taking certain medications, or during pregnancy, or simply from ageing. Other causes include smoking, high-salt/processed foods, excess alcohol, being overweight, high stress levels, lack of sleep, and lack of exercise.

There are lots of different diets out there aimed at lowering blood pressure and which one you should follow does depend on the individual. But universally it’s recommended that vegetable intake is increased to ten (yes, ten!) portions daily…due to their fibre, magnesium and nitrate content which all lower blood pressure and their antioxidant content which works against inflammation (a cause of high bp). Garlic is a great addition to the diet and easy to do – not only does it lower bp but also helps “thin the blood” and reduce cholesterol. (Please check with your herbalist or GP if you are taking blood thinners)

In herbal medicine, we have a number of herbs that can help reduce high blood pressure in different ways. Some relax the blood vessel walls so that pressure is lowered, and some have a diuretic effect (like “water tablets”). We also support the heart with herbs that can increase the force of the beat but lowering the rate of the heart, taking the strain off it. We also address stress levels, or lack of sleep, with relaxing and sedating herbs if needed. The kidneys can be affected by this condition so we also use herbs to help support these. Lifestyle issues are very important in high blood pressure. Medical herbalists will talk to you about relaxation, exercise, diet and any other issues that might be affecting you. As I often say, it’s not all just about the herbs!

If you'd like to find out more about how we could work together to keep you healthy please get in touch - Zoom appointments are available as well as face to face.

05/09/2026

Found on my morning walk in the hedgerow by a stream, these are hops (Humulus lupulus). Of course famous for their use in brewing b**r, but did you know they are also used in herbal medicine?

The valerianic acid and essential oils in hops are sedative so you may have heard of them being used in sleep pillows to help people drift off, or perhaps in a bath. We use hops mainly in the form of a tincture in combination with other herbs. Hops are also antispasmodic so ease muscle tension in conditions like headaches and IBS or indigestion, or period cramps. As they are relaxing they help people who subconsciously tense themselves up when stressed.

Hops have been found to have a mild oestrogenic effect so can be helpful in menopausal symptoms. They can also ease fluid retention and enhance libido. Hops are not suitable for use with certain medications or in certain medical conditions so I wouldn’t self-medicate with this one.

It's thought that the name "hop" comes from the Anglo-Saxon "hoppon" meaning "to climb”, which this plant certainly does!

02/09/2026

Despite the masses of flowers I had in spring, my elderberries (Sambucus nigra) don't seem to be quite so abundant this year, probably due to the lack of rainfall. However, there are still plenty in my garden and the starlings in particular seem to be enjoying them. Don’t eat them raw as they will upset your stomach, but you can make syrup (add ginger, star anise, cloves and cinnamon), tincture, jam or even herbal tea out of them. Please don't forget to leave some for the wildlife though!

Did you know elderberries have medicinal properties? Ongoing research has shown they have antiviral activity, stopping certain viruses from entering body cells and multiplying. Elderberry has also been found to reduce symptoms and duration of flu if taken once the virus has taken hold – they are also decongestant. I keep it as part of my “going down with something” tincture which I give to my family at the first sign of a sniffle. They can also stabilise collagen so can be used for healing sprains and strains, varicose veins and haemorrhoids (the latter two also benefit from the anthocyanin content which can protect the walls of the blood vessels).

There’s a lot of traditional use and folklore associated with the elder tree, which I thought you may be interested to read about. Pagans use elder for protection and to remove negative spells; some also believe if you fell asleep under an elder tree you will dream of the faerie land. However, Christians saw elder as symbolic for death and sorrow, as it was used for the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.
Instruments made from the wood of elder are said to produce the music most loved by the Spirit world. In Serbia, the twigs were believed to bring luck to the happy couple at their wedding. It was also thought the elder tree could absorb her (elder is thought of as being female) owner’s illness by pouring three spoons of their used bathwater over the roots of the tree.

Have you ever made anything out of elderberries?

31/08/2026

For a lot of you, the hayfever season is finishing (sorry to those who go on until October!), and I've been hearing it's been a particularly bad year this year. You may not feel you need to do anything about it this year, but if your antihistamines just weren't cutting it for you, or you're fed up of taking them, why not put a note in your calendar to contact me before it all starts again next year?

The herbal approach is to control both the symptoms and the hypersensitivity (allergic) reaction which is triggered by inhaling pollen. Histamine is produced and released from the mast cells into the lining of the nose and eyes, causing inflammation and irritation. This is why the tablets we get at the pharmacy for hayfever are called antihistamines. We have herbal antihistamines which stabilise the mast cells, reducing the release of histamine. One of the most familiar of these is good old stinging nettle!

Medical herbalists also use herbs to dry up catarrh; for example, elderflower, which is abundant in the UK in spring. We also use herbs that keep the membranes of the inner linings of the nose, eyes and throat in good condition. As always with a herbal prescription, we attack a condition in more than one way for the best results, so it’s not just antihistamines.

It's useful to start a herbal regime for hayfever about a month before it would normally kick in for you so why not pop a reminder in your phone? Although it's certainly not too late once symptoms have started - and to those of you expecting to struggle on until October we can still make a difference now if you'd like to try! Get in touch - I offer appointments in Billericay, Chelmsford and on Zoom.

29/08/2026

One of my favourite wildflowers - I love the contrast of the purple and yellow of the tiny flowers of bittersweet, also known as woody nightshade (Solanum dulcamara - "dulce amara meaning "sweet-bitter"). Related to deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), you can find it flowering at the side of paths along hedgerows or in ditches - it seems to like darker areas most. It also climbs along whatever it can find. Other members of the nightshade family include tomatoes, potatoes and peppers - you might notice the resemblance of the berries and the leaves.

Bittersweet is not used to my knowledge these days by herbalists but one of the most common uses in the past was to keep gentlemen invigorated for longer! (please do not self-medicate - it's not safe!) It was also worn as a band around the head for tinnitus. Farmers would adorn their cattle with chains of bittersweet if they suspected their herd had been cursed, and it was recommended bittersweet was combined with holly for horses. Norwegian traditions involved combining bittersweet with tree sap and heath-spotted orchid and smearing the resulting mixture on people and animals as protection against demons.

The photos show the ripening berries which often develop while the plant is still flowering.

26/08/2026

The stinging nettles have very much gone to seed! We often use stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) leaves or even the roots in herbal medicine, but did you know that the seeds also have medicinal properties?
We use the seed mainly when a patient has kidney problems – the tincture has been found to lower blood creatinine levels (high levels mean impaired kidney function) when taken by patients with damaged kidney(s), from disease or certain medications.

Some herbalists use them as a native (grown in the UK) adaptogen to help the adrenal glands cope with stress amongst other things. They’ve been reported to help with brain fog, burnout and problems with physical and mental stamina.

If the seeds are eaten fresh they can be very stimulating to some individuals, one colleague of mine likened them to a “cheap espresso” – so go easy! Dried seeds are less stimulating in this way. It’s recommended that you pass them through a sieve first and then you can mix them in with yoghurt or your cooking. Medical herbalists often use them in the form of a tincture, mixed in with other herbs for whatever issues they are tackling. It can also be used topically as a balm or oil for pain.

From Henriette’s herbal (https://www.henriettes-herb.com/): in 19th century Germany crooks selling substandard horses used to give them a couple of handfuls of nettle seed daily a fortnight before market – giving them shiny coats and making them appear younger and hence bringing them a better price!

24/08/2026

I know lots of you have seen it before but I love this old photo of the fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) growing over at Two Tree Island, Leigh-on-Sea, with Delilah in the background! If you’re familiar with fennel as a herb, it’s probably as an after dinner tea, either on its own or in a blend of some sort. Its essential oil content makes it what we call a “carminative” herb – it relieves wind in both directions! Excellent for occasional bloating or indigestion after meals, or in IBS. It can also be drunk by nursing mothers with other herbs to relieve baby colic. One caution with fennel (and the same goes for peppermint while I’m here) – if you’ve been diagnosed with GORD/GERD – gastro-oesophageal reflux disease - it can cause vomiting, so check with a qualified herbalist before you use it.

But fennel isn’t just a digestive herb, and it’s not just used in herbal teas, it can be used in tincture form as well. One of the essential oils it contains, anethole, is similar structurally to epinephrine (a neurotransmitter found naturally in the body). This means that it has the effect of relaxing a type of muscle found in the digestive system, stopping spasms; and the bronchi of the respiratory system, opening them up. So for this reason, and also the fact that it has warming expectorant properties (bringing up catarrh), we use it in conjunction with other herbs for chesty coughs and bronchitis.

Fennel contains phytoestrogens ("plant oestrogens") so I sometimes prescribe it for menopausal symptoms. And did you know that fennel can help increase milk flow in breastfeeding mothers? It’s what we call a “galactagogue” and has been used traditionally for hundreds of years for this.

The Greeks knew fennel as "Marathon", and even named a town after it. In medieval times, fennel was hung over front doors on midsummer’s eve to ward off evil spirits. The seeds were also pushed into keyholes to make extra sure. It’s found in drinks such as absinthe, Pernod and sometimes ouzo. Not sure of the medicinal qualities of these though!

21/08/2026

Can you only discuss one issue at a time with a medical herbalist? Due to time limitations, when you see your GP, most surgeries ask you to book a double appointment if you have more than one issue you need to talk about. In a herbal medicine consultation, in the hour we have you can get it all off your chest, and then we’ll ask you even more questions that you didn’t realise you needed to sift through!

You can talk about more than one problem; such as your hayfever and your headaches; your digestive problems and your cycle; your arthritis, skin problems and anxiety. There may be links between your ailments that you hadn't considered! And in follow up appointments, what happens if something else comes up? Not a problem.
You are prescribed a mixture of herbs and if one condition has started to become under control, we can “tweak” the herbs to concentrate on a different condition. What if we’re still looking at the original condition but in the meantime you’re still bunged up after recent virus? We can prescribe you a second herbal mix for a couple of weeks to help get rid of the catarrh or soothe your throat. Suddenly come up with a skin rash or dry patch? If appropriate, we can mix you a cream.

As we have all your medical details from your first appointment, we can react to what’s important to you at that time. And if you’re a patient who we haven’t seen for a while, as long as no major medical issues have taken place in the meantime, we will of course still have your notes so you can pop back in for new ailments, major or minor. It’s not often that people have only one health complaint at a time and we medical herbalists are fully equipped to deal with this – we’re the ultimate in multi-taskers!

Billericay Herbal Medicine

12/09/2026

10/09/2026

07/09/2026

05/09/2026

02/09/2026

31/08/2026

29/08/2026

26/08/2026

24/08/2026

21/08/2026

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