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Monday 9:15am - 5pm Tuesday 9:15am - 5pm Wednesday 9:15am - 5pm Thursday 9:15am - 5pm Friday 9:15am - 5pm Saturday 9:15am - 1pm

Botanica Health

Welcome to the online community for Botanica Health, an independent health shop, herbalist, and clin

Botanica Health is a boutique health store and clinic specialising in cutting edge supplementation and nutrition.

16/11/2025

* As we age the release of stomach acid secretion reduces (and yet so many are on acid suppressing drugs).
* It is useful to check if you actually have LOW stomach acid. The bicarb test can be helpful.
* B12, other B vitamins, magnesium and zinc are required to make stomach acid and on the flip side if you have low stomach acid absorption of these nutrients will be hindered.
* STRESS (especially chronic) plays havoc on digestion and the body diverts to the ‘fight or flight’ reaction taking attention away from digestion; the opposite para-sympathetic phase is known as ‘rest and digest’.
* Mindful eating is paramount, with no or little water taken during a meal to avoid over-diluting gastric secretions.
* It may be necessary to add acid in, in the form of HCL or by taking digestive bitters to create gastric acid.
* Digestive enzymes can be so useful before food to aid digestion and reduce bloating and gas.
* If you have SIBO I recommend Andrographis and clove and oregano supplements alongside a high quality probiotic and Slippery elm.
* Slippery elm is THE herb for acid reflux, marshmallow is also good and you can read about it below.
* IQoro neuromuscular training device has been proven to be highly effective for people with hiatus hernia, acid reflux, swallowing difficulties and snoring.
It is well worth investigating.
* Most digestive complaints can be rectified with the right protocol and support. Life is too long to be miserable. 🩷 and breathe deeply. Inhale, exhale. From the tummy, not the chest.

12/11/2025

Study PMID: 35096113

Efficacy of Ginger Supplementation in Relieving Persistent Hypothyroid Symptoms in Patients with Controlled Primary Hypothyroidism: A Pilot Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

“Ginger led to significant improvements in the mean scores of the weight gain, cold intolerance, constipation, dry skin, appetite, memory loss, concentration disturbance, and feeling giddy or dizzy domains.
Ginger supplementation also led to a significant decrease in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, serum TSH, FBS, TG, and TChol levels compared to the placebo. In summary according to preliminary results of this study, ginger supplementation can help relieve persistent hypothyroid symptoms. Also, it may have beneficial effects in terms of weight reduction and regulation of the FBS and lipid profile in hypothyroid patients.“

04/11/2025

Blaise Pascal once famously stated, “The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.”
Heart herbs - Hawthorn, Lemon balm, Rose, Holy basil, Astragalus, Andrographis, Rosemary

31/10/2025

When synthetic hormones or other endocrine-disrupting compounds enter the system, they interfere with the body’s natural hormonal communication network — the endocrine system — which regulates everything from mood and energy to metabolism, fertility, and immunity.
🧠 Brain and mood
Synthetic hormones flatten the natural ebb and flow of oestrogen and progesterone that influence serotonin, dopamine, and GABA.
This can lead to mood swings, anxiety, depression, and lower libido.
💃 Reproductive system
Ovulation is shut down — meaning no true cycle, no natural progesterone, and an artificial hormonal rhythm.
This affects cervical fluid, uterine lining, and fertility long-term, sometimes causing post-pill amenorrhea or irregular cycles.
🌿 Liver and detoxification
The liver must metabolise synthetic hormones, increasing demand for B vitamins, magnesium, and antioxidants.
Over time, this can burden liver detox pathways and affect how the body handles other hormones and toxins.
💆‍♀️ Skin, weight, and metabolism
Disrupted oestrogen-progesterone balance influences insulin, thyroid, and cortisol signaling.
This can cause weight changes, acne, fluid retention, or sluggish thyroid function.
💓 Cardiovascular and immune effects
Altered oestrogen metabolism affects blood clotting, inflammation, and immunity — increasing the risk of clots, inflammation, or autoimmune shifts in some women.
Deficiencies in folate, B12, zinc, selenium, and vitamins C and E weaken DNA repair and immune surveillance — two key defenses against cancer development. So, while hormones directly influence cell growth, nutrient depletion amplifies vulnerability to those effects.

28/10/2025

The Secret Life of 🧊
Do you remember those days when an ice bucket would sit on the bar, and every Tom, Dick and Harry would just dive in. Who knows where their hands have been.
Well we do know.
Ice cubes can be full of germs and harmful bacteria including f***l coliforms like E. coli. And freezing doesn’t kill the bacteria, it just puts in to a dormant state. Until that is, it melts. In your tummy.
Unclean ice machines, improper handling and using unclean water all contribute to contamination.
In 2017 a BBC undercover investigation found f***l bacteria in the ice served in McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC locations in the UK. The study revealed that out of 30 ice samples from these establishments, more than half were contaminated with f***l coliform bacteria. Lucky I don’t eat in those places. Goodness knows what the meat is like …..

24/10/2025

Andrographis paniculata has been well-researched for its immunomodulatory effects. Known as the “King of Bitters” for its intensely bitter taste, it has proven to be a potent immune booster, liver protector, and anti-inflammatory powerhouse.
Immune enhancement is frontline therapy.
One of the best proven winter remedies.
Very useful at higher doses in acute respiratory conditions.
Can be taken longer term as shown in this study which demonstrates it improves immune function. PMID: 34376353

20/10/2025

You know, we often discount the seemingly common remedies thinking that perhaps they aren’t strong enough to do the job. That is a mistake.
Let’s take peppermint for instance -
🍃 Several studies have demonstrated a substantial anti-spasmodic effect of peppermint oil on smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract.
🍃 Peppermint oil must be administered via enteric coated or delayed release capsules to deliver the active oil to the small intestine where it extends release over 10-12 hours, thus delivering peppermint oil to the colon.
🍃In a 4-week supplementation study with enteric coated peppermint oil given to patients with IBS, 75% reported 50% improvement in symptoms.
🍃 In another study people took peppermint oil or placebo 15-30 mins before food for one month. The ones taking peppermint experienced 79% alleviation of the severity of abdominal pain, many were pain free; 83% had less abdominal distension, 83% had improved stool frequency, 73% had fewer bowel sounds and 79% had less flatulence.
🍃Take peppermint capsule 30-60 minutes before meals, 2-3 times daily, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
🍃Good results have also been documented in children with IBS. After 2 weeks of taking peppermint capsules, 75% had reduced severity or pain associated with IBS.
🍃 Do not use if you have gallbladder stones or biliary duct occlusion. And be careful if you have severe reflux.
🌱
IBS is also triggered by stress, irritating foods or foods that are hard to digest, poor breathing, bacterial overgrowth, antibiotic use and low stomach acid.
In Stories I will add a really good peppermint capsule with the addition of 2 beneficial remedies in the complex - Caraway and Ginger. A happy tummy is possible.

17/10/2025

“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.”Amelia Earhart
I was outside a shop just waiting, when a lady walking incredibly tenderly, her head down, was slowly making her way somewhere. I watched her for a few minutes as she just kept going.
And then a man walks towards her, takes her arm and says “Come on Peggy.” She apologises for being slow.
Together at the same slow place they walk together for another few minutes. He leads her on to the bus.
And he drives away.
I have a feeling the bus driver often collects Peggy as she slowly walks to get the bus.
It remained with me and it made me think about patience, kindness, love and seemingly small acts of kindness that are really so special. 🩵🩷

15/10/2025

I remember a few years ago now, meeting a lady with a recurrent cough, chest infections, colds and general low immunity.
I prescribed the usual herbs and vitamins and asked her had any stressful event happened that may have made her susceptible. At the time she said no. Perhaps resistance to acknowledging what she had been through kept her unwell.
Some time later, perhaps 6 months we met again. And I asked her had she got to the root of her immunity issues and persistent cough.
She had.
What she hadn’t said at the time is that in a few short months she had lost three people she loved.
In Chinese medicine the lungs are known as the
“delicate organ” and are associated with grief.
The lungs receive and let go, keeping the movement in and out in a healthy exchange with the outer world. If blocked by grief and sadness the smooth action of the lungs is affected. When we are sad, we hold our breath and oxygen is decreased.
If we are unable to express our emotions or become overwhelmed then the lungs can become weak.
But we don’t just grieve over death, of losing someone we love.
It can be any perceived loss - a friendship, home, job, freedom, choice.
We grieve on so many levels.
So what do we do -
• We verbalise unashamedly how we feel
• We lovingly care for ourselves through the heartache
• We share how we feel with people we trust
Consider herbs for resilience and to soften the sadness.
Particularly Brahmi and Holy Basil (interestingly this herb not only works on an emotional level but on the lungs too) and my father’s Ginseng Plus. He has made this formula for years and it is just so supportive and healing for stress, shock, depression, exhaustion and when your nerves feel like they are hanging by a thread.
I will add all to stories.
A rose tea would also be lovely.
“When our grief cannot be spoken, it falls into the shadow and re-arises in us as symptoms. So many of us are depressed, anxious, and lonely. We struggle with addictions and find ourselves moving at a breathless pace, trying to keep up with the machinery of culture!
Francis Weller, The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief

07/10/2025

We are meant to express. Say how we feel, cry when our eyes fill with tears, express our feelings. Speak up, say no, say yes. Don’t keep things in, because where does it all go?

We have been crying since we came in to this world and will continue to do so until the day we leave. And they have a purpose....

Releasing toxins - Tears brought on by emotional upset help the body get rid of chemicals that raise cortisol, the stress hormone.
Several of the chemicals present in emotional crying are the protein prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormones, and the endorphin leucine-enkephalin, which reduces pain.

Killing bacteria - Tears contain the fluid lysozyme and it can kill 90 to 95 percent of all bacteria in just five to 10 minutes.

Lifting your mood - a 2008 study found that crying can improve your mood better than any anti-depressant.

Relieving stress - a good cry release stress hormones or toxins from the body, and as a result, reduces tension. There is a relief from letting tears roll.

Dried tears look different according to the release.
1 - Onion tears, photo © Rose-Lynn Fisher, courtesy of the artist and Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2 - Tears of grief, photo © Rose-Lynn Fisher, courtesy of the artist and Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
3 - Laughing tears, photo © Rose-Lynn Fisher, courtesy of the artist and Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

06/10/2025

❤️Mammograms - half of all women will experience at least one false positive over a decade of annual breast cancer screening
❤️Breasts carry deep emotional significance. It is common that breast cancer patient’s have experienced intense emotional stress. Often over a loved one.
❤️Balanced hormones and keeping thyroid health optimal is vital.
❤️Keeping lymph flowing freely is important - massage, movement, reducing bra wearing time.
❤️Aspirin - studies demonstrate that aspirin can block breast cancer growth, prevent spread and reprogrammed breast cancer cells back to normal healthy cells.
❤️Niacinamide (B3) may protect against breast cancer and recurrence and metastasis.
❤️Bio-identical progesterone is protective against breast cancer
❤️Dopamine has a therapeutic effect against cancer. Get outside at UVA rise.
❤️Certain repurposed drugs that act on dopamine pathways may have inherent anti-cancer properties.
❤️Naturally dopamine can be increased by exercise, sleep, sunlight, meditation, music and foods rich in tyrosine, a precursor to dopamine - bananas, beef, eggs and green tea.
❤️Cancerous tumours need a blood supply to grow and keep growing.
Angiogenesis - blood vessel formation. Tumour angiogenesis is the growth of new blood vessels that supply the tumour to help it grow.
Angiogenesis is the tipping point between a harmless tumour and a harmful one.
The following are anti-angiogenic herbs and foods with cancer-preventative properties -
Green tea
Strawberries
Cooked tomatoes
Raspberries
Oranges
Red grapes
Ginseng
Chamomile
Olive oil
Maitake mushroom
Liquorice
Parsley

01/10/2025

I was thinking yesterday of the sheer joy you can experience when immersing yourself in nature. Looking skyward, seaward, toes in the cold water, listening to the birds and the ocean flood over the pebbles, soaking up the heat of the late September sun, inhaling the air and seeing the shift of summer to autumn in the plants. Looking at everything through the eyes of a child. There is so much to take in. And the companionship and conversations we have as a family, spending time with my sister over from Dubai. The generations in a beautiful space. And I thought of and his incredible wild cure in the river and the forest. And when you spend time with the earth in awe, you sense the curative nature of it. ❤️

Address

26 High Street, Rusthall
Tunbridge Wells
TN48RY

Opening Hours

Monday	9:15am - 5pm
Tuesday	9:15am - 5pm
Wednesday	9:15am - 5pm
Thursday	9:15am - 5pm
Friday	9:15am - 5pm
Saturday	9:15am - 1pm

Website

http://www.botanicahealth.co.uk/

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