Oregon grape root, also known as Mahonia aquifolium, is a versatile herb that has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. Native to western North America, the plant was used by Native Americans for a variety of ailments, including stomach issues, skin problems, and even as a general tonic.
Herbal Actions:
One of the primary actions of Oregon grape root is as a bitter tonic. The alkaloids in the root, particularly berberine, stimulate digestion by increasing the production of digestive juices in the stomach and liver. This makes it useful for a range of digestive issues, including indigestion, constipation, and liver stagnation. Oregon grape root is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties, making it helpful for conditions such as arthritis and eczema.
Folklore:
The Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest used Oregon grape root as a ceremonial plant, burning the root to create a cleansing smoke. They also used the plant to make a yellow dye for clothing and baskets. Later, during the 1800s, Oregon grape root became a popular alternative to goldenseal, which was becoming scarce due to over-harvesting.
Energetics:
In traditional Chinese medicine, Oregon grape root is considered to have a bitter and cold energy, which helps to clear heat and dampness from the body. This makes it useful for conditions such as acne, urinary tract infections, and digestive issues. In Ayurvedic medicine, the bitter taste of Oregon grape root is said to stimulate the digestive fire, or agni, which is essential for overall health and vitality.
Spiritual References:
In Native American traditions, Oregon grape root is associated with the element of fire and is used in purification ceremonies. The root is also said to have protective qualities and can be carried in a medicine bag or used in a protective charm. Some people also believe that the plant has grounding energy that helps to connect them to the earth and promotes a sense of calm.
Overall, Oregon grape root is a versatile herb with a long history of use in traditional medicine. Whether used as a bitter tonic to aid digestion, a topical treatment for skin conditions, or as a ceremonial plant, Oregon grape root has much to offer. As with any herbal remedy, it’s important to consult with an herbalist before using Oregon grape root, particularly if you have any underlying health conditions or are taking medications.
OREGON GRAPE (Mahonia aquifolium)
Family: Berberidaceae
Parts Used: Root
Taste: Bitter
Herbal Actions: Bitter Tonic, Cholagogue/Choleretic, Laxative, Alterative,
Antimicrobial, Diuretic, & Astringent
Bitter Tonic: This remedy is likely one of our most reliable bitter tonics in the Western materia medica.It has a direct stimulant action upon the secretory glands of the digestive system, most notably the liver, and gallbladder, but also the stomach, and small and large intestines. In this way, it is used to stimulate digestion, specifically in regard to the breakdown and absorption of fats and oils. It achieves this through its action of stimulating bile production in the liver and its secretion via the gallbladder.
Cholagogue/Choleretic: These 2 actions often go alongside bitter tonics. Choleretics are substances that increase the bile production of the hepatocytes in the liver, whereas cholagogues assist in the direct secretion of bile from the gall bladder into the small intestine. Essentially these terms are interchangeable, as choleretics are typically cholagogues and vice versa, and most medicinal agents that have a bitter taste are also cholagogues and choleretic.
Laxative: The beauty of a remedy like Oregon Grape, is that its laxative properties are due to its bitter tonic, cholagogue, and choleretic properties. This means that rather than allopathically relieving a symptom like constipation, it is doing it in a more
vitalist manner by increasing the digestive system’s natural secretions (most notably bile) which are the body’s inherent laxative agents. Thus, if you understand the total net action of a bitter tonic, you see that the laxative nature is but a secondary result of a more core action on physiology.
Alterative: Due to its potent bitter tonic action, Oregon Grape is also considered a systemic alterative. It assists in regulating the metabolic functions of the body, both on the digestion and absorption side, as well as the detoxification side. Thus it is used to facilitate the overall detoxifying processes of the body whenever there are specific signs and symptoms that point towards metabolic depression and an accumulation of toxins in the form of waste products from slowed metabolism. The old doctors called this “bad blood syndrome,” which typically manifested as digestive upset, lymphatic swelling, poor excretion, skin conditions, joint pain, chronic infections, low energy, fatigue, and brain fog, among others. This is one of the most important applications of Oregon Grape root, most notably for chronic skin conditions such as eczema, acne, and psoriasis.
Antimicrobial: This is typically due to the research that has been on the popular alkaloid berberine, which gives the root its yellowish hue. While berberine certainly exhibits antimicrobial activity, it’s important to understand that Oregon Grape is not a natural antibiotic. This is a very allopathic way of understanding plants, and often results in misuse of the remedy and an overlooking of the totality of the herbs properties and energetics. We must keep our knowledge of plants within the context of their wholeness. Thus, while Oregon Grape does express direct antimicrobial activity, it is also a powerful metabolic alterative, meaning that it is shifting the ecological status of the body. Its antimicrobial property is also rooted in the ways it powerfully changes the internal ecology by relieving the internal environment that enables microbes to thrive and flourish. Oregon Grape (well berberine really) has been shown to also inhibit protozoa’s (Entamoeba, Giardia, Leishmania, Trichomonas), fungi (Candida), and various bacteria (Bacillus dysenteriae etc.). GREAT FOR STOMACH BUGS. TAKE WITH YOU TRAVELING TO OTHER COUNTRIES.
Diuretic: While not one of its primary uses and applications, the roots of Oregon Grape do display an influence upon the urinary apparatus as a diuretic. It is not considered a strong diuretic remedy, but all the research on berberine did show that its excretion through the urinary tract. Thus all of the antimicrobial actions mentioned above apply to the urinary tract and has resulted in its application in the
treatment of urinary tract infections with success.
Tonic/Astringent: Upon tasting the roots, one will notice that there is a mild astringency to them, lending tonic effects. We see this action as having a specific affinity for the mucosal membranes lining the digestive system, urinary tract, and respiratory system. Thus it would be used to tonify, dry up and move out stagnant mucous, or what we would consider the damp/stagnation tissue state.
Affinities: Digestive, Liver/Gallbladder, Urinary tract, Mucosal Membranes, Skin, Blood, Lymphatic.
Energetics: Cooling, Drying, and Stimulating.
Specific indications:
This is a type of plant that can be referred to as a “power plant,” meaning that it is one of those remedies that assists one in becoming stronger in embodying their true self. It’s particularly useful for people that tend to give their power away, is timid, submissive, and can even get into a state of fear of others- what they think about you, what they want from you, etc.
There’s a certain intensity about the morphology of Oregon Grape, with its prickly leaves and scorpion-like appearance, it is who it is and isn’t afraid to express that.
Oregon Grape people sometimes have a certain degree of passivity, awkwardness, and social anxiety not because of nervousness, but because they simply don’t feel strong in who they are. In that way, they can often think other people don’t like them, accept them, or are somehow unkind to them behind their backs. These are the ways I think of this remedy as a “power plant,” helping one to step into their personal power, claim who they are, and express it out in the world without fear of what others might think, do or say.
It is a great remedy for young chronic Cannabis smokers who have dried-out mucous membranes, and brain fog, feel timid in themselves, and are on the socially awkward side of things.
