The essential herbal travel kit

Photograph by William Ng

Travel can be stressful — crowds of harassed people in confined spaces, whizzing round the world in airconditioned aluminium cigars with wings, exposure to bugs from exotic climes, jetlag, rude desk clerks, and no garden to wind down in.

Never mind, take some of your herb garden with you and it will do you good. Spend some time planning your herbal travel kit and you’ll soon find travelling a lot less strssful.

Building resistance

For a number of reasons, travel can lower your resistance to the ubiquitous and annoying viruses that can wreak havoc with your health.

Consider building up your resistance several days before a trip with echinacea and astragalus.

A bottle of echinacea tincture and some slices of astragalus root [Botanical.com has more information] are a frontline against virus attacks.

These are immune system stimulants for increasisng your general nonspecific resistance.

More to the point for the average traveller, astragalus can decrease the incidence and duration of the common cold.

Another plant to include is some form of adaptogen, such as ginseng.

Adaptogens are thought to increase endurance and resistance and to ‘normalize’ body functions.

In China, ginseng is considered neither a panacea nor a tonic. Rather it is thought to normalize various body functions, like blood pressure, blood sugarand energy levels, and to increase strength and stamina (increasing Yang).

Settling the stomach

Ginger, in powdered form, is a must in the travel kit, especially if you are prone to motion sickness.

Ginger is also useful for other stomach complaints, from indigestion to nausea to ulcers.

Peppermint tea is another good digestive, which reduces gastric secretion (acidity) and increases stomach emptying speed by over 40%. These effects are ideal for simple overindulgence.

For international travel, food- and water-borne gastrointestinal problems can be a real concern.

Management of the diarrhea has been accomplished historically through the use of astringents, using plants high in tannins.

These are antibacterial, and form a protective coating on the intestines.

Potent astringents in their dried form include blackberry root (Rubus fruticosus), bistort root (Polygonum bistorta), white oak bark, and blackberry or raspberry leaves.

Green or black teas are also high in astringency, but their caffeine makes them a poor choice, since it stimulates gastric secretion and intestinal muscles.

If you are crossing more than two time zones, the effects on your biological clock can range from minor restlessness to total disruption.

They can include drowsy days and sleepless nights and digestive distress, and can take days to readjust.

Judicious use of stimulants (tea, ginseng, Ephedra) and sedatives (valerian, chamomile, hops or kava-kava) for the first few days can help to readjust sleep cycles.

First Aid

Minor accidents can happen anywhere.

Aloe vera is essential for minor burns, including sunburn, and for wind chapping or the ravages of arid climates.

Aloe is especially effective for moisturizing when mixed with glycerine.

Witch hazel is equally useful; for scratches, scrapes (including shaving irritation), burns and insect bites. It is, in fact, the only natural astringent approved by FDA as safe and effective.

It is a good idea to include a potent antiseptic, such as Australia’s tea-tree oil. It also treats athlete’s foot and other fungal skin conditions.

Arnica tincture, or one of the cramsor rubs, is handy for bruises, strains and sprains.

For ore muscles and joints, use Tiger balm or a similar blend of warming and stimulating essential oils.