List of most helpful herbs / herbal supplements

[Jwarrior77]

What are the most helpful herbs you have come across that's helped your symptoms? Whether it being anti-inflammatory, immune boosting, boosting energy, etc. I'd like to know. Thanks.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

There was a poll (actually, I think there have been several, but this is the one that turned up in my search) done in 2012 that has lasted for several years, and resulted in the following blog post by the poll poster:

On-going supplement poll
https://forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/on-going-supplement-poll.18960/

And here's the results of the poll, up to the current date I think, and still open for additional otes as far as I can tell ...

Results of ME/CFS Supplement Poll
http://www.storiesoutloud.co.uk/supplementsme/pollresultsall.py

Hope this kicks things off for this thread ...

 

[pamojja]

Results of ME/CFS Supplement Poll
http://www.storiesoutloud.co.uk/supplementsme/pollresultsall.py

Better to look at that list not sorted by rating - where the most helpful herb only got 1 vote - but by amount of 'good votes'. Where the most helpful got around 100 votes. Like this: http://www.storiesoutloud.co.uk/supplementsme/pollresultsall.py?sort=good_votes#id_pollresults

Where the most helpful herb turns up on place 15th: Turmeric, then Ginger, Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, Gingko, Valerian, Chamomile, Ginseng, Milk thistle, Garlic..

One herb which helped me with inflammation at therapeutic doses and not found on this list is Boswellia extract.

Otherwise, the top 2 supplements other than herbs of that list - Magnesium and CoQ10 - for me are not only most helpful, but even essential (Mg for ceasing of very painful muscle-cramps from Mg-deficiency, CoQ10 from not less painful angina-like chest-pains).

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

At the top right of the poll, just above where the herbs/supps list starts, there's a 'SORT BY" list of choices that allow you to chose how you view the list. For quick access to whatever you're searching for, just click on 'By Name', and the list will resort itself into an alphabetical listing. You can also chose to sort by 'Ratings', 'Votes', or 'Good Votes' ....

One herb which helped me with inflammation at therapeutic doses and not found on this list is Boswellia extract.

I agree. Leaving out Boswellia Serrata seems like an odd oversight, since it addresses a lot of issues that seem to orbit around ME, like inflammation, joint pain, bowel issues. But then so do turmeric and ginger. And I'd add Ceylon Cinnamon to that list. Some of them have subtle effects that you only really notice if you stop taking a particular herb/spice/supp, but then the benefit becomes pretty clear.

Like you, mag is an absolute essential for me, and I was glad to see it rated s ohighly by others .... humans are such an insecure species .... and CoQ10 has been really helpful as well, But mag was my Holy Grail, at that time and still now....

 

[Wishful]

Don't take the list as 'herbs that are guaranteed help you'. We are individuals, with individual responses. What works for one may make you worse, and the herb (or spice or whatever) that would work really well for you might not even be on the list. I'd say that the list is just something to help you decide which things might be worth trying, and what priority to give them, in the absence of any better method of choosing what to try.

 

[Wolfcub]

Herbs that have helped me (symptomatically) are:
Echinacea angustifolia (sometimes but not all the time!)
Astragalus (showed great promise in the first year and I had so many remissions, then stopped doing anything, but that doesn't mean it's no good.
Ginger (for weird almost-anxiety feelings after eating, and if there is any nausea, even exhaustion-caused nausea.)
Chamomile (relaxing)
Peppermint (refreshing)
Rosemary sometimes gave me a tiny boost if I felt really really dire. But it increases blood pressure so that might have been why. Maybe my BP was too low?? (my BP was checked by doctor and found to be normal when it was tested.)
Marshmallow Root tea. (mucilage and anti-inflammatory) This is helping me a lot with gut issues which have hung on since coronavirus. I can now eat fibre again the last 3 days (fingers crossed for the coming days.)