Self heal (prunella vulgaris) is a very special little plant which has been used as medicine for centuries around the world. It is one of the more widely studied wild medicinal herbs and in this video I talk about traditional uses, some of the studies that have been done with self heal, how to identify it and how I like to craft it into herbal remedies. It is a bit early in the season to start seeing self heal's small beautiful flowers blooming but I wanted to get this video out a little earlier in hopes that you will be keeping an eye out for it.
A brief overview of Prunella Vulgaris uses/benefits:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/prunella-vulgaris
Modern uses in herbalism: https://commonwealthherbs.com/self-heal-herb-of-the-week/
Self heal uses of Indigenous tribes of North America:
http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Prunella+vulgaris
Self heal distribution/subspecies:
https://thebelmontrooster.com/families-of-familiar-plants/lamiaceae-family/prunella-vulgaris-self-heal-etc/
Here are some of the sources on studies done with this plant:
A well put together overview of multiple studies done with Prunella Vulgaris:
https://scialert.net/fulltext/amp.php?doi=pharmacologia.2013.441.448
Prunella vulgaris inhibiting HIV:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21513560/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10819439/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2802570/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1371029/
Prunella vulgaris inhibiting herpes simplex 1 & 2:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17091431/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15182906/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10588332/
Topical use of prunella vulgaris on herpes lesions:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17475343/
Overview of anti-herpes and hiv activity:
https://virologyj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1743-422X-8-188
Articles on prunella vulgaris against different cancers:
Lung cancer:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21198292/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25331476/
Breast cancer:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6085460/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32978480/
Uterine tumors:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32552673/
Liver cancer:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22745076/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27222069/
lymphoma:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22876685/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17228664/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20450729/
Prunella vulgaris effects on diabetic mice:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0753332216311684
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17392144/#:~:text=vulgaris%20enhances%20the%20antihyperglycemic%20effects,increased%20in%20STZ%20diabetic%20mice.
Prunella vulgaris lowering blood glucose levels, cholesterol levels and improving heart conditions within diabetic mice:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22928826/
Reducing inflammation of heart cells:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23884101/
Inhibiting high glucose induced inflammation oh human umbilical vein cells:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22312316/
Photoprotective/anti-aging properties from sun damage:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6103252/
Protective against sun damage:
Uvb protection:
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Prunella-vulgaris-extract-and-rosmarinic-acid-DNA-Vost%C3%A1lov%C3%A1-Zda%C5%99ilov%C3%A1/65f2317d750a2f9061f82a62425fd844ecdef103
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19862537/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29378470/
Uva protection:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1011134406000753
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16631374/
Blue light: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31811921/
anti-allergy activity:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10865455/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1934578X1601100111