5 Tonic Herbs To Work with Everyday

A valuable place to get started learning about herbal medicine and what plants can do, is by exploring herbal tonics. 

Herbal tonics are the foundation of any herbalism practice. Herbal tonics are herbs that will be the most used herbs on a day to day basis. They are some of the most ubiquitous, plentiful, and most affordable plant medicines. They can be cultivated quite easily and they make up the base of most of my custom herbal remedies + blends.

Herbal tonics, also called NOURISHING TONICS, are herbs that you can use every day and they will be safe over long periods of time. They are herbs that usually have a significant affinity for improving the tone and process of a part of the body or a system of the body AND are highly nutritive, meaning they have a high amount of vitamins and minerals.

I like to think of nourishing herbal tonics as daily multi-vitamins. I see drinking a daily herbal tea like I see eating vegetables everyday, a valuable way to get phyto-nutrients and antioxidants into the body.

A lot of these nourishing tonics are super tasty as well although they can be enhanced with a little bit of sweetener and milk of choice if one has difficulty with the taste at first. 

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NETTLE

I’ve written an entire articled diving deep into nettle and will always come back to nettle as a foundational herb. 

It’s a phenomenal herb to start an herbal journey with that has a wide spectrum of bio-available vitamins and nutrients including magnesium and calcium, as well as iron. 

The Latin name is Urtica diocia and Its considered a salty herb because of it’s high mineral content. According to David Hoffman in his book Medical Herbalism, it is one of the most widely applicable plants in our materia medica because it strengthens and supports the whole body.

Nettle is said to help strengthen and tone the muscles around the pelvis, to activate the liver and cleans the blood, to improve blood pressure for those with low blood pressure, to support blood sugar balance, and it can help decrease inflammation. It can improve urine flow and is nourishing to the connective tissue. It is a valuable tonic for seasonal allergies and hay fever and it has a significant affinity for the kidney and adrenal glands

This is one of the nourishing tonics that is considered an ENERGY BUILDER without being stimulating. If you are someone who suffers with fatigue, a strong nettle tea on a daily basis may be a valuable part of your wellness toolkit.

OATSTRAW

Latin name Avena sativa, oat straw is our beloved oatmeal plant. Where nettle is a great herb with an affinity for the adrenal glands and kidneys, and building energy and nourishing the body, Oatstraw has an affinity for the nervous system.

Being the primary nervous system tonic in western herbalism, it is considered a trophorestorative for the nervous system. A trophorestorative is a nourishing herb or food that usually has an affinity to a particular organ or system of the body, it acts on the particular system to bring it into balance and can also restore function.

Oatstraw makes a great daily tea and recuperative for those who are prone to nervous exhaustion. Think exhaustion that comes from being over worked, over stressed, sick, and generally frazzled.

This herb relieves nervous stress and increases resiliency in the nervous system. It’s great for people with anxiety or anxious tendencies and mental health concerns where there is a lot of activation in the nervous system as opposed to depressed nervous systems.

This herb also has been shown to be valuable for tight next and shoulder muscles, headaches, type a people who have been thinking and going non stop, and it is associated with sexual health and fertility. 

RED RASPBERRY LEAF

If you have a uterus and are interested in natural remedies, you have likely heard of this plant. 

Rubus idaeus is the Latin name and indeed it is a significant reproductive tonic. This is the same plant as the red raspberries that we might grow or buy from the grocery store, but here we are using the leaves as a nourishing medicine.

Red raspberry leaf is considered to be a menstrual regulator and fertility enhancer. It is a rich source of iron, niacin, manganese, and supports healthy connective tissues and metabolism function making this a VERY valuable herb during pregnancy.

Red raspberry leaf does have an astringent quality to it, meaning that it leans more towards being drying, but as with all our nutritive tonics in this list, it does arrive in the body towards more neutrality. If it feels too astringent, you can balance it with a pinch of marshmallow root or slippery elm bark, two very moistening and demulcent herbs.

MULLEIN

Our next nourishing tonic herb is an important herb for lung health and that is Mullein, Latin name verbascum thaspus.

Mullien is a plant that grows wild on the sides of roads and steep banks. It has long stalks with yellow flowers that shoot up from thick, fuzzy green leaves.

Mullein is an expectorant, demulcent, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and vulneary. It has a strong affinity for the LUNGS and respiratory tract and can be used for most lung issues to create a solid foundation of wellness. 

Mullein is a demulcent herb meaning it is moisturizing making it great for bronchitis, dry coughs, and Inflammation of the throat and trachea. It works by drawing moisture into dried tissue. As an expectorant it can help open the lungs to reduce coughing and tightness.

LINDEN

Our final nourishing tonic is Linden. Latin name Tilia cordata, Linden is also referred to as Tilia or lime. It is a hypotensive, demulcent, nerviness, antispasmodic, and antiviral. 

First and foremost linden has long been used to promote the fever response to shorten the duration of viral infections in the case of fevers, colds, flu. It has mild antiviral properties as well and furthermore, supports bronchitis, coughing, and congestion.

It is mucilaginous, so creates a bit of a thicker drink which can sooth irritation caused by coughs and inflammation. It makes a good medicine when you are sick with an upper respiratory tract infection

Linden is often highlighted as a medicine that supports heart health because it can lower blood pressure very reliably. It is a vasodilator meaning that id dilates blood vessels. It is also considered a Nervous system tonic, so if stress and tension is one of the reasons that you have high blood pressure, this is your herb.

It is an antispasmodic for muscle tension and cramping and it is great for anxiety, pain, nervousness. It as mild a sedative effect and I like to think of it as heart medicine for that reason. It’s an herb that helps to unwind a few layers of tension so that we can get to the heart of the matter.

MOVING FORWARD ON YOUR HERBAL JOURNEY

These herbs are my top 5 starter herbs for people who want to get into herbal medicine. 

My suggestion would be to to pick one of these herbs and work with it for 3-4 weeks and see how it makes you feel. 

As tonics, they can and SHOULD be taken every day to access the benefits that I am talking about.

I suggest mixing 4-6 teaspoons of dried herb in a large mason jar (32 ounces/ 4 cups) and fill the jar with boiling water. Let the tea steep for as little as 20 minutes, and up to overnight. 

And Drink 4 cups per day. 

If you need help choosing which herb to start with here is a little guide:

• If you have nervous system dysfunction, anxiety, or stress: drink oat straw

• If you are an athlete, feel tired, or fatigued, need to build energy: drink nettle

• If you want to strengthen the lungs: drink mullein

• If you want to improve the menstrual cycle, fertility, are pregnant, or want to tone the uterus: drink red raspberry.

• If you have high blood pressure, physical tension, heart issues (emotional, spiritual, or physical): drink Linden.

And if you can’t just pick one, pick two! Pick three! Pick all of them! Just keep in mind that  it can be helpful to just do one at a time to really get to know the plant and how you respond to it.  If you have a really great response or a not so great response, you will be able to isolate which herb is influencing you. 

If you try any of these herbs,  let me know how it goes! I love to hear from you. I wanna know your thoughts, your perspectives, your experiences. 

So send me a DM, an email, a comment, etc. 

I hope that some of these medicine speak to you and are asking to be part of your wellness journey. Plant medicine helps us feel better in our bodies that we can do good things in our lives (like fight the system). It is one of my greatest joys to be able to introduce plant allies to you. 

Would you rather LISTEN to this article? Check out the Herbs + Ease Podcast for a more robust educational experience!

Kristen Prosen