Common Herbs and Their Health Benefits

When you think of herbs, the first thing that probably comes to mind is using them in 
food. They are great for flavoring your food, with a wide range of flavors and aromas to 
choose from. But that isn’t even close to the amount of benefits you get from herbs.

In this report, we are instead going to talk about medicinal herbs. They are herbs and 
plants that contain healing and medicinal properties that can help with everything from 
improving your gut health and reducing anxiety, to helping you with skin issues and 
even infections. 


Why Use Medicinal Herbs?

There are many reasons people choose a more natural and holistic approach to 
medicine. It is not meant to replace western medicine and medications you might need 
for various illnesses, but instead to complement it. To provide an alternative when it is 
available, and when it can help with minor health issues. 

There are many benefits to using medicinal herbs, including:

Saving money on medications
Providing healing from home
Speeding up healing
Preventative medicine
Saving time by not going to the doctor (for minor issues)

With that being said, here are 10 of the most common herbs that have healing 
properties.
















 

1. Lavender

Let’s start with one you have probably heard of, and might have even used. Lavender is 
a wonderful herb that is often used for mental health, skin problems, and even fungal 
infections. You might find it in plant form or have used lavender essential oil.

Lavender is very easy to find in its various forms, including dried, essential oils, and tea 
leaves. It has a light, flowery scent, and its immense number of benefits are what make 
it one of the most popular that you can get your hands on.


Health Benefits of Lavender

Relieve pain – This is probably one of the most common reasons people use lavender. 
It is great at reducing mild pain, from headaches to gastrointestinal distress.

Improve your sleep – Whether you have insomnia or stress-related sleep issues, 
lavender is calming and can help you get a good nights’ sleep.

Help manage blood pressure – Lavender has been shown in many studies to help 
balance out blood pressure levels, often from reducing stress.

Reduce anxiety and stress – Naturally, lavender is wonderful for mental health 
conditions, including chronic stress and anxiety.



2. Chamomile

Next up is another extremely common herb, chamomile. Many people have had a cup 
of chamomile tea and understand that it can be relaxing to have before bed, but don’t 
realize this herb provides so many more health benefits.

Chamomile is not one type of plant, but a group of plants that all look similar to the daisy 
plant. There are a lot of varieties, but the most common for medicinal purposes are 
Roman chamomile and German chamomile. They are anti-inflammatory and provide a 
lot of calming and relaxing effects.


Health Benefits of Chamomile

Improve your digestion – Many people use chamomile for their digestion, especially 
drinking a cup of chamomile tea after eating something that upset their stomach.

Help you relax and sleep better – Chamomile tea and vapor such as in essential oils 
can help tremendously with relaxing, reducing stress and anxiety, and improving your 
sleep.

Treat skin conditions – Did you know chamomile can actually speed up healing of 
various skin conditions? This includes burns and other wounds like lacerations and cuts.

Natural treatment for stomach conditions – In addition to helping with your digestion, 
chamomile can also be useful with other stomach conditions, including bowel movement 
problems, gastritis, and ulcerative colitis.

Use for cold and asthma symptoms – When you get chamomile in a vapor form or 
with essential oils in a diffuser, you can relieve some of your cold symptoms.
















3. Sage

An herb that is more often used for food, also has some healing benefits you might not 
realize. However, instead of using sage in a cup of tea or as an essential oil, it is most 
commonly used to burn and smoke. This makes it an interesting addition to the list. 

If you have ever heard of people burning sage, this is what they are referring to. Sage is 
bundled up, tied together, then burned and used to cleanse a room. It can also be 
healing for individuals for a variety of different reasons.


Health Benefits of Sage

Purify – One of the most common reasons people use sage for burning and smoking is 
to help purify the body and the environment you live in. Sage has many natural healing 
properties, including being antibacterial and antimicrobial. It can help purify your body of 
various toxins.

Get rid of negative energy – Smudging sage is a very popular way to get rid of 
negative energy, either from your person or the space in which you live or work.

Help with other conditions – Many people have reported using sage to help neutralize 
positive ions, which can lead to allergens like mold, dust, and pet dander. If you are 
particularly sensitive to these allergies, burning sage might help. It has also been known 
to help with other respiratory issues, including asthma and bronchitis.


4. Lemon Balm

If you have not heard of lemon balm before, now is a great time to learn more about it! 
Lemon balm, sometimes referred to as balm mint, is a wonderfully healing plant. It is in 
the mint family, and comes from many regions, including Central Asia, Europe, and the 
Mediterranean. 

Lemon balm can be found in a few different forms, including dried leaves to be used in 
tea, tincture liquid, and other dried forms when making your own natural care products. 
The primary healing ingredient in lemon balm is called rosmarinic acid, which provides 
antioxidant properties. 








Health Benefits of Lemon Balm

Sleep better – Insomnia is a problem that many people struggle with, but don’t want to 
use harsh drugs that lead to dependence and drowsiness. Another option is to use a 
more natural herb, such as lemon balm, which has been shown to help with sleeping 
problems.

Relieve anxiety – In addition to helping you sleep better, lemon balm can also be a 
great holistic remedy for anxiety, stress, and other negative emotions.

Lower your cholesterol – Did you know one of the reported health benefits of lemon 
balm is lowering your bad cholesterol? It doesn’t hurt to give it a try.

Find relief for indigestion and heartburn – Finally, you may get some relief for 
heartburn, GERD, acid reflux, and indigestion.


 

5. Ginger

When you were little, you might remember having a cup of ginger tea or some Ginger 
Ale when you had a tummy ache. Ginger is a great herb for digestive issues and 
nausea, but it also contains a lot of other amazing medicinal benefits.







There are a few different forms and varieties of ginger, including:

Fresh ginger root
Ground ginger 
Mature ginger

It has many healing properties, including being antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, and 
you will see from the below benefits. 


Health Benefits of Ginger

Thanks to the anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, ginger can help with the 
following:

Improve your digestion – Need some help with your digestion? If so, having a cup of 
ginger tea can often reduce bloating and gas, and help you find some relief.

Reduce acute or chronic pain – While less common, some people have also found 
benefits with ginger helping to reduce some types of pain, particularly muscle soreness 
from exercise.

Reduce nausea – Not only does ginger help tremendously with digestion, but also with 
nausea for other reasons. In fact, it is one of the most popular natural remedies people 
use for nausea and vomiting.

Help with the cold or flu – People are constantly trying to find more natural remedies 
for illnesses like the cold and flu. Ginger has been used for hundreds of years for this 
very purpose, thanks to the antiviral properties.


6. Rosemary

Rosemary is one of those herbs that is not only used often in cooking for its excellent 
flavor, but also for its various health benefits. You will find rosemary growing most often 
in the Mediterranean region, but you can get the plant or dried rosemary just about 
anywhere you find plants and herbs.

Here are some things to know about rosemary:

You can get some of the health benefits just by using it in your cooking.

The rosemary plant is a perennial, meaning it can live for multiple years. 

You want to be careful with high doses of rosemary, as it can make you ill.


Health Benefits of Rosemary

With rosemary, you can get some of these amazing health benefits:

Reduce inflammation in the body – Herbs that contain natural anti-inflammatory 
properties are great for reducing inflammation, as well as helping with pain caused from 
inflammation and swelling in the body, such as with arthritis.

Improve your digestion – There are many herbs that help with digestive issues, and 
luckily rosemary is one of them.

Find relief for joint pain – If you have joint pain in addition to inflammation, rosemary 
might be able to help with that as well.

Improve your memory – Surprisingly, the aroma of using rosemary essential oils in a 
diffuser and for aromatherapy can actually help improve your focus and memory 
function.


7. Peppermint

Another plant in the mint family is peppermint, which has so many health benefits that 
people aren’t even aware of. Peppermint does have a strong smell and its essential oils 
are very popular, but don’t forget about the herb itself and all the medicinal qualities it 
has!

In addition to the popular use of peppermint, which is to help ease digestive issues, 
bloating, and intestinal discomfort, it can also help with many other areas of healing. 


Health Benefits of Peppermint

Here are some of the top health benefits of using the peppermint herb or oils:

Relieve pain from headaches – When you have headaches caused by tension or 
stress, peppermint is a wonderful holistic remedy to keep you from taking too many 
over-the-counter pain relieving drugs.

Improve your energy levels naturally – If you want more energy without stimulants 
like caffeine, consider a cup of peppermint tea instead.

Reduce pain from menstrual cramps – Try using peppermint during your menstrual 
period if you suffer a lot from cramps.

Freshen your breath – If you have gingivitis, you can easily freshen your breath with 
peppermint.

Improve your digestion – Last, but certainly not least, it can of course help with 
digestive issues. It is commonly used for indigestion, gas, bloating, and nausea.


8. Yarrow

Next we have yarrow, which is also a popular essential oil in addition to the herb itself 
being used often. Yarrow is actually part of the sunflower family, with the herb itself 
looking like clusters of daisy flowers. Here are some of the health benefits you get with 
this herb.


Health Benefits of Yarrow

Heal your wounds more quickly – Yarrow can help speed up the healing of skin 
lacerations and wounds.

Reduce inflammation – Inflammation in the body can lead to swelling and pain, which 
can be remedies with some yarrow.

Relieve your anxiety – Anxiety disorders are not easy to live with, and often get worse 
over time without treatment. If you want to complement other anxiety treatments, try a 
natural herb like yarrow.

Improve your digestion – If you have ever suffered from digestive issues, you know 
how valuable it is to find a natural remedy. If the other herbs are not helping, why not 
give yarrow a try?
















 


9. Turmeric

This one probably won’t surprise you at all! Turmeric has been used for many years for 
healing, but it has become even more popular in the last few years. Whether you use 
the herb, capsules, or make a cup of “golden milk”, it has numerous health benefits for 
people who are looking for more holistic options.

Before we get into the health benefits, here are some things you might not know about 
turmeric:

Turmeric is actually in the ginger family, which is why it looks so similar to ginger root. 

It was originally used in Ayurvedic medicine before it became more mainstream.

It is commonly used in Indian and Asian cooking, especially combined with curry flavors.

You can get it in many different forms, including capsules, dried, powder, and bottled.


Health Benefits of Turmeric

Here is a list of some of the many health benefits you can get by using turmeric on a 
regular basis:

Inflammation and joint pain – The curcumin found naturally in turmeric is especially 
useful for reducing inflammation in the body caused by arthritis and other joint issues.

Relieve itching and skin irritations – Some people have found turmeric useful in 
helping to reduce chronic itching and other skin problems.

Reduce anxiety and depression – Stress, anxiety, and depression are all mental 
health issues that can be improved by using turmeric regularly.

Relieve heartburn – If you have heartburn from something you ate, or related to GERD 
or acid reflux, you may find some relief with turmeric in your tea or food.


10. Goldenseal

With a name like goldenseal, you might not even know this is a plant, but it contains 
many healing properties. The goldenseal plant has large leaves similar to what you find 
on palm trees, with a single flower in the center of each. These flowers are what contain 
all the medicinal properties. 


Health Benefits of Goldenseal

Don’t miss any of the amazing ways goldenseal can improve your health more naturally. 


Relief for respiratory conditions – A lot of respiratory conditions may be improved 
with goldenseal, including common cold conditions, asthma, fever, and whooping 
cough.

Help with digestive and bowel problems – People have shown great improvements 
in their bowel and digestive issue with goldenseal, including constipation, diarrhea, 
ulcers, and gastritis.

Female conditions – For people with female born anatomy, it might be helpful for 
menstrual cramps and PMS.

Skin lesions and other skin issues – It is not uncommon for people to use goldenseal 
for conditions like wounds, itching, blisters, acne, dandruff, and cold sores.

Chronic medical conditions – Finally, there are some other mild and serious 
conditions that might be helped with goldenseal. It is not a cure, but can be used in 
conjunction with more traditional treatments, including for cancer, chronic fatigue, liver 
problems, gonorrhea, and pneumonia.



