Old River Farm Herbs & Healing

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Old River Farm Herbs & Healing

Medical Herbalist based in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, UK Graduated with a Distinction from the Heartwood Professional Herbal Medicine Course.

Member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), the Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners (URHP), and the American Herbalists Guild (AHG). Fully insured and able to conduct online consultations. Please get in touch for further details.

11/11/2025

Remembrance Day

A day to remember all of those who fought and died in conflicts.

This commemoration originated after the fighting in World War I ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 with the signing of the Armistice. Now we pause at 11:00 on the 11th of November to remember all of those who fought and died in wars (including the animals who served also).

The red poppy as a symbol of remembrance came from a famous WWI poem written by Canadian doctor John McCrae called 'In Flanders Fields'. It was written in 1915 after the death of his friend. The poem is a lament from the perspective of the dead, describing the poppies growing in the battlefields of Flanders and urging the living to continue the fight.

What does this have to do with herbal medicine, you may ask.

Well the red poppy (Papaver rhoeas, also known as corn poppy or field poppy) has a long history of use in traditional herbal medicine as a mild sedative, pain reliever, and cough treatment. It should not, however, be confused with the o***m poppy (Papaver somniferum), which is the source of strong narcotic opiates like morphine and codeine used in modern pain management.

Currently the most common species of poppy used in Western Herbal Medicine is California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), a non-narcotic alternative valued for its gentle sedative, anxiolytic (anti-anxiety), and mild anodyne (pain-relieving) properties. It is used for insomnia, nervous tension, anxiety, and various spasmodic conditions like menstrual or digestive cramps. It is considered safe enough for children when used under professional guidance.

08/11/2025

Medicinal Mushroom Series: Turkey Tail

Trametes versicolor is a common polypore mushroom found throughout the world. Owing to its shape being similar to that of a wild turkey's tail feathers, it is most commonly referred to as turkey tail.

Turkey tail has a long history of medicinal use, dating back over 3,000 years in China and the Indigenous communities of the Americas. It was used to support the immune system and overall health. In more modern times, out of all the mushrooms used for their medicinal qualities, more research has been carried out on turkey tail and its extracts than any other fungus, mainly due to its high percentage of beta-glucans (>50%).

In the 1960s and 1970s, Japanese scientists isolated a protein-bound beta-glucan complex called PSK (Polysaccharide-K) from turkey tail mushrooms. Chinese scientists later identified a related compound, PSP (Polysaccharide Peptide), which was also found to have immune-supportive activity in studies. Many human clinical trials have been conducted over the past 50 years exploring these compounds, and PSK has been approved as an adjuvant therapy alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy for certain cancers in Japan.

Turkey tail has also been researched for its antiviral, immunomodulating, and cholesterol-regulating properties, as well as for prevention/treatment of upper respiratory, urinary and digestive tracts.

References:

Hobbs, C. (2020). Medicinal Mushrooms: The Essential Guide. Storey Publishing, USA.

Powell, M. (2014). Medicinal Mushrooms: A Clinical Guide. Bamboo Publishing, UK.

31/10/2025

Happy Halloween to all! 🎃👻🧟‍♀️

And Samhain greetings too! 🔥🕯✨🧙‍♀️🧙‍♂️

Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival that marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Celebrated from October 31 to November 1, it was believed to be a time when the veil between the world of the living and the dead was thin, allowing spirits to pass through. Modern traditions of Halloween have roots in Samhain, including dressing in costumes to avoid evil spirits and the practice of trick-or-treating.

There are herbs associated with Samhain rituals:

- Mugwort: Used for divination and dreamwork, to help connect to the spirit world, and can be burned as incense or put into dream pillows.

- Rosemary: Associated with remembrance, often used in rituals to honour ancestors and to protect and cleanse a space.

- Sage: Used for purification and cleansing of spaces, as well as for wisdom and protection.

- Cinnamon: Used for releasing rituals and can be used in incense or other ritual blends.

- Bay Laurel: Has traditional uses for protection and wisdom.

- Yarrow: Believed to enhance psychic powers and is associated with divination and spirit communication.

- Hawthorn: Seen as a gateway between the human and spirit worlds and is used for protection.

25/10/2025

Medicinal Mushroom Series: Cordyceps

Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi (sac fungi) that includes over 260 species worldwide, many of which are parasitic. Variants of cordyceps have been used in Chinese medicine for over 1,500 years to support energy, stamina, and immune function. The name Cordyceps is derived from the ancient Greek word for 'club', and the Latin -ceps, meaning 'head'.

Cordyceps is a very unusual medicinal mushroom. It does not look like most other mushrooms we are used to seeing, and being parasitic, it has a rather famous notoriety. Many of you may have seen the TV Show 'The Last of Us' where a mutated Cordyceps variant begins infecting humans and turns them into zombies. But don't let that put you off being curious about this useful medicinal mushroom.

While the wild Cordyceps (C. sinensis) is very rare (and very expensive), there are now cultivated species like C. militaris that can be grown on non-insect, grain-based substrates. These are now widely available as popular dietary supplements and culinary ingredients.

Cordyceps contains many bioactive compounds such as beta-glucans (which all fungi produce), as well as a large number of bioactive nucelosides like cordyceptin and adenosine. These nucleosides are able to participate in biochemical reactions such as DNA/RNA synthesis, which have led to its use in the treatment of cancer and viral infections (including HIV and hepatitis), and the development of pharmaceutical drugs such as AZT (Retrovir), Videx, and Epivir.

Other health benefits include:

- Anti-ageing
- Improves athletic performance
- Increases fertility
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antidiabetic
- Hepatoprotective (protects the liver)
- Supports the respiratory system
- Improves energy

References:

Hobbs, C. (2020). Medicinal Mushrooms: The Essential Guide. Storey Publishing, USA.

Powell, M. (2014). Medicinal Mushrooms: A Clinical Guide. Bamboo Publishing, UK.

18/10/2025

Medicinal Mushroom Series: Ganoderma

Ganoderma is a genus of shiny-capped, polypore fungi that includes about 80 species. It has been used for thousands of years in traditional Asian medicine. Ganoderma means 'shiny skin' due to its lustrous orange, yellow, red, or black cap.

The most well-known and widely used mushroom of this genus is Ganoderma lucidum. Its name in Japanese is Reishi or Mannetake, also called the mushroom of immortality or 10,000 year mushroom. In Chinese it is called Ling Zhi, the spirit mushroom or mushroom of spiritual potency.

G. lucidum is one of the most famous of all medicinal mushrooms, with annual global sales of US$4-5 billion. It has wide-ranging health benefits due its high polysaccharide (beta-glucan) content and triterpenoid compounds belonging primarily to two families: ganodermic and lucidenic acids.

These compounds contribute to a long list of health benefits:

- Anti-inflammatory
- Immune modulation
- Antimicrobial
- Antioxidant
- Hepatoprotective (protects the liver)
- Anti-hypertensive (lowers blood pressure)
- Inhibits cholesterol synthesis
- Inhibits tumour growth (induces apoptosis)
- Inhibits viral growth
- Improves cognitive function
- Improves energy
- Relieves symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, and depression

With a list that long.......no wonder this amazing medicinal mushroom is known as the mushroom of immortality!!

References:

Hobbs, C. (2020). Medicinal Mushrooms: The Essential Guide. Storey Publishing, USA.

Powell, M. (2014). Medicinal Mushrooms: A Clinical Guide. Bamboo Publishing, UK.

12/10/2025

Medicinal Mushrooms

October is the season for mushrooms! The fruiting bodies of many species (the part you see above ground) flourish in autumn with the return of the cooler, wetter weather.

Mushrooms contain simple sugar chains called polysaccharides that are the building blocks of their cell walls. The beta-glucan polysaccharides in particular are very important medicinally, as they help to modulate our immune system.

All mushrooms contain these (even the humble button mushroom that you can buy in the supermarket). Therefore all edible mushrooms are good for you to a certain extent but some are extra powerful. These tend to be the saprotrophs (hard, woody mushrooms that break down and recycle wood cellulose or, in the case of cordyceps, insect exoskeletons). These fungi are the highest in beta-glucans content.

In the UK we can find growing in the wild:

- Artist’s bracket (Ganoderma applanatum) - a relative of Reishi (Gandoderma lucidum).

- Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor)

- Chaga (Inonotus obliquus)

- Hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa)

- Birch polypore (Piptoporus betulinus)

- Scarlet caterpillarclub (Cordyceps militaris)

I will examine each of these mushrooms individually in future posts.

***PLEASE NOTE: Not all mushrooms are edible, and some are highly poisonous. Always use a reliable identification guide or consult an expert before foraging for wild mushrooms.

21/09/2025

Happy Autumn Equinox!! 🍂🍁

And also a partial solar eclipse! 🌞

This is a time of powerful transformational energy!! ✨⚡️

The solar eclipse symbolises transformation, deep introspection, and the start of new beginnings. It's a potent time to confront inner 'shadows', release what no longer serves you, and set intentions for profound personal growth.

The autumnal equinox marks the astronomical start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring when the sun crosses the celestial equator, resulting in nearly equal hours of day and night. Symbolically, it represents the end of the harvest, a time for reflection, gratitude for past abundance, and preparation for winter. Culturally, it is celebrated with harvest festivals and remembrance of ancestors.

13/09/2025

Sadness.

An emotional expression of grief, loss, hopelessness, helplessness, unhappiness, sorrow, or when the world just feels heavy.

Given our societal pressures today, it can be difficult to deal with sadness. Mental health professionals usually tell us to take a step back, acknowledge our feelings without judgment, try to reduce overwhelming inputs, and practice self-care through activities we enjoy.

Mother Nature can also help too by very generously offering us plants and trees to help lift our spirits. Just walking out in nature and using our senses to see, smell, hear and feel what is around us can be very soothing.

Trees release beneficial airborne chemicals called phytoncides which can improve human immune and nervous systems, and exposure to trees also boosts dopamine, the 'feel-good' neurotransmitter.

There are many herbs that can help improve mood also. Currently, rose is abundantly offering us her hips (fruits), after also offering us her delicate but beautiful flowers earlier in the spring.

Rose has long been associated with the emotional heart and feelings of love. As a herb that works on the emotional heart, rosehip is also understood to bring healing in grief, loss and depressive states.

The photos are from my dog rose plants (Rosa canina) - a native species on the British Isles.

06/09/2025

Goldenrod (Solidago spp): the Herald of Autumn! 🍁🍂

As the nights draw in and the temperatures start to cool, most herbaceous plants begin to die back and prepare for their winter slumbers. But not Goldenrod! Its bright beautiful golden flowers pop up just when we need them as we start to enter the autumn season.

As pollen counts can increase as we move into autumn, goldenrod is there to help alleviate our allergy symptoms and many other symptoms related to the seasonal transition.

Traditionally, Goldenrod has a long history of being used as a wound healer. Its name 'solidago' is actually from the Latin word for 'to make whole.' It has been used topically to not only heal wounds but also infections, burns, and aches/pains. Internally it has been used primarily as a diuretic, which is beneficial for many urinary issues. It has also been used for respiratory and digestive issues.

In more modern times the use of Goldenrod tends to focus on its powerful decongestant abilities. It is therefore very helpful for clearing sinus congestion, allergies, and flu symptoms, and if combined with sage in a strong tea it is a very effective gargle for sore throats and laryngitis. Just in time for flu season! 🤒🤧🤕

01/09/2025

I have recently been awarded a 5-star rating by the Foods Standards Agency (UK) for selling my herbal teas.

23/08/2025

Tis the season of the berries!! 🫐

They have come earlier than usual this year, and there are so many of them!!

Mother Nature is being quite generous with her bounty this year. I have been picking blackberries almost daily for nearly a month now, the hawthorn trees have exploded in a sea of red and the dark purple elderberries have appeared almost overnight.

It is a busy time for herbalists and anyone who enjoys cooking with berries or preserving them. Please always remember to forage responsibly if the plants are not on your property, ensure they haven't been sprayed with pesticides or too close to roads (exhaust fumes), and always ask the landowner's permission before foraging anything.

And please leave some for the wildlife too!! ☺️🐦🐇🐿

09/08/2025

Seaweed (also called macroalgae) - refers to thousands of species of multicellular marine algae that can be grouped into red, brown and green species.

Seaweed offers a range of potential medicinal benefits due to its rich nutritional profile, including potential roles in supporting thyroid function, heart health, gut health, and immune function, as well as helping to regulate blood sugar levels. It is a good source of iodine, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

On a recent trip to the West Coast of Ireland, I was able to experience a seaweed bath for the first time. It was a unique opportunity to relax in a steaming hot bath, where the hot water extracted the oils and minerals in the seaweed and thus soaked into my skin and body. Although it felt slimy at the time, my skin felt amazingly soft afterwards!!

The particular seaweed used in the bath appears to be Fucus serratus (also known as toothed wrack, serrated wrack or saw wrack), a common seaweed of the North Atlantic that is olive-brown in colour and has distinctive serrated edges on the fronds.

Please note: if adding seaweed to your diet for its medicinal benefits, it is important to consume it in moderation and be mindful of the iodine levels in different types of seaweed.

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King's Lynn

Telephone

+447768676502

Website

http://www.oldriverfarm.org/

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