antimicrobial – Harman Farms LLC

I won’t lie, I will use eucalyptus essential oil in my diffuser even if I’m NOT congested at times. Too much can be too much for me sometimes, but even a little bit smells heavenly.

Eucalyptus is commonly known for congestion of the sinuses and chest. In Ayurvedic practices, it is considered a cooling and moist herb.

Congestion

The volatile oils found in eucalyptus aid in congestion by relaxing airways and actually thinning mucus. Most people are pretty familiar with using it in steam, or as an essential oil in a diffuser. Interestingly enough, this herb can be helpful as a tea. This is a very potent herb though, so use with caution as it can be overwhelming. A safe start would be 1/2 a teaspoon of dried eucalyptus per cup of water. If you grow this herb, you can also use one torn fresh leaf per cup of water. It is not recommended to take more than 3 cups a day. When steeping, do not exceed 15 minutes due to its potency.

Diaphoretic

Eucalyptus is a herb that is diaphoretic and can mildly induce sweating. As much as most of us hate the idea of sweating, it is our body’s natural response to avoid overheating. When we’re sick and we have a fever, that’s our body’s immune system killing whatever is foreign in our bodies. When we finally break into a sweat, our fever will break and we’ll feel a little bit better.

Expectorant

This herbal action promotes the dispelling of sputum (spit and mucus). This is very helpful for coughs and chest congestion. Even just inhaling steam that’s been infused with eucalyptus has the potential to be a huge help.

Antimicrobial

Eucalyptus has a pretty major component called eucalyptol. This is the component of eucalyptus that is antimicrobial. Eucalyptol can have the potential to effect many bacteria. The list of bacteria it effects consists of, but is not limited to:

Mycobacterium tuberculosis
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
various viruses
various fungi (even candida)

This herb is a fantastic addition for inflamed tissue in the respiratory tract and even for fever.

Young children should not be exposed to eucalyptus. Eucalyptol can actually have severe effects on young children and babies.

Avoid eucalyptus oil if pregnant or breastfeeding. Using it in food amounts when pregnant or breastfeeding should be fine. If you worry about consuming too much, just avoid it altogether. Always better safe than sorry.

Looking to buy eucalyptus essential oil? My favorite brand is here, with an organic option here.

Want to see what herbs we have in our garden? Take a look here.

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Sage. Antimicrobial, bitter, carminative, diuretic, and astringent. There’s a lot going on with this herb, so it’s a great addition for many dishes to help get the benefits. You can also use this herb in medicinal recipes.

Antimicrobial

Something that is antimicrobial kills microorganisms, or stops their growth. Natural or synthetic antimicrobials are grouped based on the microorganisms they act against. So that means, something that is antibiotic is antimicrobial; something that is antifungal is antimicrobial. But something can be antimicrobial, but not necessarily antibiotic or antifungal. And the antimicrobial is then further categorized based on which strain of bacteria, fungi, etc. they fight against. There are TONS of herbs that are antimicrobial, but their microorganism fighting speciality differs. Sage fights against Bacillus Cereus. Bacillus Cereus is a bacteria that causes diarrhea and vomiting. Sage can also fight against minor skin infections/acne.

Bitter

Fun fact, bitter-tasting herbs aid in digestion, strictly because of the bitter taste. If you have chronic stomach issues with bloat or gas, or you want to give your digestive system a good kick-start, drink an herbal tea that is bitter about 20 minutes before eating. If you’re taking sage for an illness this bitter taste can be beneficial. 75% of your immune system is in the gut and keeping your digestive system healthy and running smoothly, especially when you’re sick, is important. You want your immune system to be focused on fixing you and not working extra hard on an ill functioning digestive system. How does this work? As soon as your taste receptors detect the bitter taste, your vagus nerve gets going, meaning all the digestive organs responsible for secretions begin as well as other functions involved in getting food from point A to point B.

Carminative

In short? Got the farts? Yeah, carminative properties help with flatulence.

Diuretic

Increases urine flow. This can help with water retention and high blood pressure.

Astringent

If you have oily skin, applying a sage infusion (especially if your skin is sensitive) can help because it tightens the skin.

In Ayurveda

Sage is classified as a drying and slightly heating herb, which makes it great for colds with lots of phlegm. It’s not something I would recommend by itself for a fever, but you can use it in combination with other herbs that are diaphoretic and fever breaking. Since sage is drying, avoid use in dry coughs.

So, that’s sage! I could actually do a second post in sage for culinary use to maintain good health as well. I can even write a third post on its history in different cultures. This herb is awesome and so easy to grow. Mine is going nuts.

Following the herbalist path. Look here to see where I turn to continue my education here.

Not growing your own sage? I always recommend visiting Mountain Rose Herbs. If they’re out of stock and you don’t want to wait, I recommend this brand.

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