Solomon’s seal (Polygoratum biflorum or multiflorum) is a type of flowering plant. Its name is derived from the depressions found on its roots. This plant has been used for medicinal purposes for at least 3,500 years. In fact, it was mentioned in the works of Pliny the Elder (24-79 CE). It’s considered a treasure of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
This plant resembles Bellflower and False Solomon’s Seal so be vigilant when making a purchase. The herb is also sometimes called King Solomon’s Seal or Smooth Solomon’s Seal.
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Who would benefit from Solomon’s Seal Root?
Solomon’s Seal Root is highly beneficial especially for people involved in physical sports who suffer injury. Aside from being helpful to athletes, this herbal medicine or tea also suits men with fertility problems. It is an all-around holistic herbal medicine that is a fine all-natural remedy for many health conditions.
Note, however, that its fruits are toxic, so you can only use the roots for medicinal/healing purposes.
Solomon’s Seal Root Health Benefits
- It helps heal muscular and skeletal injuries and conditions such as sprains, broken bones, herniated discs, torn or stretched ligaments and tendons, arthritis, painful or creaky joints, achondroplasia and tendonitis. You can combine it with other herbal medicines such as St. John’s Wort and mullein root for more effective results.
- It helps the cartilage to heal and remain resilient.
- It soothes inflammation in the body’s connective tissues.
- When used as a tincture, 5 drops of Solomon seal extract can exhibit benefits.
- You can mix it with oils and use the mixture by topically applying it over sprains, bruises, wounds etc. It also helps heal pimples and sunburn.
- The mucilaginous root helps reduce inflammation in the lungs, airway and intestines.
- It can help with male fertility and female reproductive health.
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Detailed Information on its Benefits
Almost all ailments exhibit some form of inflammation. Inflammation is mainly caused by dryness and irritation. The mucilaginous Solomon’s seal alleviates inflammation by imparting a protective layer over the affected area. The root is composed of starches, sugars and pectin. Its medicinal action can be attributed to the entirety of its phyto-composition, which includes the following:
- Allantoin – important in wound healing
- Alkaloids – beneficial compounds that contain primarily basic nitrogen atoms
- Anthraquinones – very anti-disease
- Asparagine – an amino acid crucial to cell functions in nerve and brain tissue
- Flavonoids – phenols found in fruits, vegetables, grains, bark, roots, stems, flowers, tea and wine
- Glucosides
- Polysaccharides – antioxidant molecules
- Steroidal Saponins – anti-inflammatory and antifungal
These beneficial substances allow Solomon’s seal root tea to heal a variety of ailments. Overall, it is demulcent, vulnerary, diuretic, anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory, adaptogen and an expectorant.
Should you Consider Taking It?
The benefits of Solomon’s seal, especially in terms of improving the overall health of both men and women of all ages, are considerable. Plus, you can take it in several ways: as a raw root, tea, salve, spray, dried extract powder or herbal tincture. With an increasingly stressful lifestyle, it is helpful to take advantage of what nature has to offer.
I’m currently doing research on how Solomon’s Seal Root can aid weight loss and will be updating this article when it’s completed so please check back soon. I’ll also be posting detailed instructions with pictures of how to make a tea or tincture in your own home.
There are very few, if any, published scientific studies and clinical trials on this herbal root’s medicinal uses so I’d be very interested to to hear of any first-hand experiences. Please share anything you know in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
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I would appreciate hearing opinions regarding the lifespan of tinctures,
specifically in relation to volume. For example, were one to purchase a 32
oz. or larger bottle of tincture, does potency diminish after a particular
time; if so, is potency correlated with the type of herb (either by family,
or by individual herb) and/or as well as the extraction method (i.e.,
alcohol, glycerin)? I am most curious about alcohol extracted tinctures.
Thanks to all who consider this question.
General rule of thumb is 3 to 5 years BUT THIS VARIES GREATLY.
Lifespan depends on many factors including storage temerature, oxydation & humidity, light, as well as he peculiarities of the specific herb/herbs used.
All are best stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Larger containers allow more oxygen and humidity in every time you open them. Best way to store tinctures from a large bottle is to re-pour them into smaller bottles and fill all the way up the neck. This limits air in the bottles and you only open and close the one you are using so it gets used up fast. I save for reuse all the brown bottles that come my way, especially the 1 and 2 oz. sizes with droppers.
Try doing it 1:4 and you’ll find you won’t have these problems.. Example
1:4 weight: volume 2oz by weight of powderd herb to 8 ounces volume of
50% alcohol. Shake daily for dry macerations..
Dan
P.S. about the tincture expiration question, Most tinctures can go 5-10
years minimum stored in brown apothecary bottles.. Anemone and Lobelia
are the only two I have run across that lose potency. I’ve noticed
tinctures left in the smaller jars with the rubber bulb droppers can go
bad if stored where the alcohol touches the rubber. A client of mine was
so sensitive to it she threw all hers away half used and ordered new
ones without the droppers to taint it.
The herbs in this formula, called Female Tonic, were dong quai, wild yam,
chaste tree, damiana, licorice root, and hops. I don’t know if any of them would
be called starchy, but hops are voluminous.
By using 2 oz. herb to 8 oz. alcohol, 10 oz,( I know this is just an
example), but is it necessary to have jar filled to top so that there is no
air at top?(The instructions you read in your very first book seem to set
the standard for you, right or wrong, until you gain more knowledge and
experience, or learn different. 🙂
I have never done the percolation method, and do not have the equipment, but
would like to try it for the sake of time. Is there a substitute for the
percolating vessel? If this method produces a tincture that is just as
potent as the maceration way, and faster,I wonder why it wouldn’t be the
method of choice? What makes up for the loss of time? (what is PGA?)
Thanks.
Sandra
Herbs that _must_ be tinctured, as they aren’t all that good in teas? There’s
not too many; off-hand I can think of plants that have to be used fresh, like
oats in milky seeds, or pulsatilla; and plants that deteriorate if they’re kept
as dry herbs, like SJW, Lobelia, and Capsella.
> Under the list of herbs that you would never want to mix together, is it
> because they would cause a bad reaction, or just negate each other?
What, herbs high in tannins and alkaloids? Tannins bind the alkaloids. If you
combine the two you have something that has neither. If that’s what you want
then sure, go ahead and use it. There’s a bit of text at the top of each sheet,
don’t you read those?
Henriette
German Chamomile, Matricaria chamomilla, is very high in azulene.
That’s what makes the essential oil blue. Wonderful stuff!
-bek
Wood Betony (stachys betonica)
I use it (in teas) as one of the strongest of mint-family anti-inflammatories,
but I don’t like the taste all that much.
That is inflammation as in gut upset, UT infection, flu, etc.
It would probably do well in salves, too, but yech, the smell – that has kept me
from even trying to infuse it in oil. You’d almost think it’s a scroph… but
it’s in the Lamiaceae alright.
The other Stachys species can all be used the same way; however, Stachys
sylvatica (hedge woundwort) is pretty rare (at least over here), and rather
pretty, so I let that grow.
Stachys palustris (hedge nettle) is an _abundant_ weed on clay soil; that makes
it very easy to find if you know where to look, so I use that.
Stachys officinalis (betony) has to be garden-grown, here.
Stachys byzantina (S. lanata, S. olympica) (lamb’s ears) too is a garden
ornamental, and it could probably be used the same as the rest of them, but I
haven’t tried it.
The old name for Stachys betonica is Betonica officinalis, or was that the other
way around? Anyway, they’re all anti-inflammatories.
Now I’ll have to try the S. palustris with head troubles. Possibly good for
sinusitis and the like too.
Wood Betony seems, in my experience, to direct its antispasmodic action to
the head. A base formula for tension heaches & migraines I use is Wood
Betony, Black Cohosh & Jamaican Dogwood… you could probably leave out the
Jamaican Dogwood & it’d still work pretty well. This works as well or
better for migraines than anything else anyone who I’ve given it to has ever
tried. Sometimes I’ll add or replace ingredients… White Willow, Skullcap,
Milky Oats if its part of a longterm formula.
Don’t really use it much in sinus problems, unless I see the person
schrunching up the brow when they’re talking about what’s bothering them…
that’s a clear indication that tension is involved at least as much as the
state of the tissues.
See, anti-inflammatories. And infections give inflammations.
Other mint-family anti-inflammatories would be, oh, hyssop, and thyme, and sage,
and glechoma, and and and…
Henriette, don’t I recall you mentioning you used Ground Ivy for tinnitis?
Do you know of specific indications that differentiate it from other herbs
used for this purpose, like Gingko or Black Cohosh? I’d love to learn more
uses for this delightful little weed…
From what I understand, lamb’s ear was used traditionally as bandages for
wounds. What other things can it be used for? What kinds of inflammation
would it help? A while back, I went on a search for herbal uses of lamb’s
ear and came up sort of pretty blank – more information is out there about
wood betony than lamb’s ear even though they are in the same family.
herbal Lamb’s Ear as it is astringent, mildly antibacterial and (when dried as whole leaf) absorbent, it was used as a packing for deep stab-type wounds (such as knife and sword). It absorbed drainage, kept the wound open so it closed from the bottom, and help reduce inflamation and fight infection. I love Lamb’s Ear plant.
I love Solomon’s seal and just thought I’d share an answer to the question: “what do you do when you run out of it?”
Let’s agree at the outset that every herb is entirely unique and that
there’s no real such thing as a “substitute”. (There is no kava but kava!)
OK. That established: sometimes, you run out of an herb, and you want to
bring its energetics, actions, and affinities into a formula. (Katja & I
did an episode all about this on our podcast – Episode 30: Tulsi &
Formulating Absent Friends
With some herbs & some purposes, this is easier than others – if you want a
“pure” bitter for your digestive blend and don’t have gentian, well, go
with centaury. All set.
Some herbs are a lot harder. Solomon’s seal is a tough one – where else can
you get that deep affinity for the connective tissues, that ability to
bring in flexibility and lubrication to the joints?
No, really . . . where else??
Today I made an attempt, by including a mix of *evening primrose, pink
lady’s thumb, and japanese knotweed* in the place I’d usually call on
sol’seal. We’ll see how it turns out, but in the meantime, I wonder: what
would *you *do in this situation?
be well,
ryn
To run, et al.
I use Shatavari interchangeably with Solomon’s Seal.
The root of garden Asparagus works too.
Something about those Aparagaceae family sweet tonics . .
Hi ryn and all,
> Some herbs are a lot harder. Solomon’s seal is a tough one – where else can > you get that deep affinity for the connective tissues, that ability to> bring in flexibility and lubrication to the joints?> > No, really . . . where else??> > Today I made an attempt, by including a mix of *evening primrose, pink> lady’s thumb, and japanese knotweed* in the place I’d usually call on> sol’seal. We’ll see how it turns out, but in the meantime, I wonder: what> would *you *do in this situation?
I’d go with horsetail (for connective tissue) + marshmallow (for water lubrication), and up the intake of fatty fish (for fat lubrication).
But then, I also do nettle + rosehip for achy joints (it’s a nice nourishing, anti-inflammatory mix), so throw that in as well.
(On the fatty side, I’ve scored both bear fat and wild and farmed boar fat. Yay! There’s cracklins to be had! The bear fat salve I’ve made is very nice, if on the thick side this time. I added angelica to it, the scent of that is great with that of bear. Haven’t rendered the wild boar fat yet, the farmed boar fat is good though. We’ll see how long it takes until it goes rancid. Bear fat keeps for about two years, normal hog fat only lasts about six months.)
One of my favorite herbal subjects.
I first learned Solomon’s seal from books and was attracted to its story. My experience with it revealed less of the effect than I had expected. Michael Moore spoke about Smilacina (Maianthemum) as a substitute for Solomon’s seal. As my experiences grew with Smilacina species I found they were quite distinct from Polygonatum species.
Smilacina have a bitter/acrid aspect that provides for a very dynamic effect. In relation to Ayurvedic humoral theory it possesses a strong Bile effect. So, it moves blood, relieves stagnation, thus relieving pain. This also presents as a mild cardiac stimulating effect, opening the lungs(improves struggles with altitude) and slightly stimulating kidney function.
Although both rhizomes have been eaten traditionally, Polygonatum is sweeter and more demulcent, in my experience.