Betony - Betonica officinalis

Historical Uses
The Wood Betony was held in high repute not only in the Middle Ages, but also by the Greeks who extolled its qualities. It also appears in Balds Leechbook, the Anglo-Saxon medical texts as a treatment for a bleeding mouth. 1

An old Italian proverb, ' Sell your coat and buy Betony, ' and 'He has as many virtues as Betony,' a saying of the Spaniards, show what value was placed on its remedial properties. Antonius Musa, chief physician to the Emperor Augustus, filled a whole volume with enumerating its many virtues; it cured forty seven different disorders; and hence the proverb still existing, “You have more virtues than Betony”2

John Gerard tells us, there is a conserve made of the flowers and sugar good for many things, and especially for the headache. A dram weight of the root of Betony dried, and taken with mead or honeyed water, procureth vomit, and bringeth forth gross and tough humours, as divers of our age do report. The powder of the dried leaves drunk in wine is good for them that spit or piss blood, and cureth all inward wounds, especially the green leaves boiled in wine and given. The powder taken with meat looseth the belly very gently, and helpeth them that have the falling sickness with madness and headache. It is singular against all pains of the head: it killeth worms in the belly; helpeth the ague: it cleanseth the mother, and hath great virtue to heal the body, being hurt within by bruising or such like. 3

Culpeper said that Betony, “helpeth those that cannot digest their meat, those that have weak stomachs, or sour belchings. It helpeth the jaundice, falling sickness, the palsy, convulsions, shrinking of the sinews, the gout, those that are inclined to dropsy and those that have continuous pains in their head.” 4

In the Medicina Britannica, 1666, we read " I have known the most obstinate headaches cured by daily breakfasting for a month or six weeks on a decoction of Betony, made with new milk, and strained."

Finally, Robert Turner, a physician writing in the latter half of the seventeenth century, recounts nearly thirty complaints for which Betony was considered efficacious, and adds, 'I shall conclude with the words I have found in an old manuscript under the virtues of it: "More than all this have been proved of Betony." 5

Modern Research
You can see from the above, that Betony has been proposed for gastrointestinal, urinary, gynaecological, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and skin problems. Betony fell out of favour in modern times because it can take a long time of continuous use to see results as it helps the body to heal itself cumulatively, but as a tonic it improves circulation and harmonises the functions of the digestive system.

In The Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies (Tyler 1993) the pharmacognocist Dr Varro Tyler writes: of Betony, this former panacea is effective in treating diarrhoea and irritations of mucous membranes on account of its tannin content, and the flavonoids have been reported from Russia to lower blood pressure. Wood betony contains phenolic glycosides with strong antioxidant activity that are believed to contribute to the lowering of blood pressure. 5 This cumulative effect of Betony is again referred to by Hoffman in 2003 who said “Its underlying action appears to be through toning and strengthening the nervous system while simultaneously soothing nervous tension”.

Confirming Culpeper’s findings that the herb could be used to treat jaundice, according to Bastyr Universities Materia Medica, 49 patients with obstructive jaundice who underwent surgery because they were unresponsive to conventional detoxification therapy, were given a Betony preparation before and after the operation. Under the influence of the preparation, a more rapid normalization of the indices of homeostasis occurred. The most pronounced effect was noted in patients with benign obstructive jaundice.” 6

The same texts provide confirmation of Gerard’s, Culpeper’s and the Medicina Britannica information on headaches; “Stachys relaxes skeletal muscle and has a tropism for the muscles of the upper back, shoulders, and neck. It is useful in the treatment of headaches secondary to muscle tension and/or hypertension that is worsened by anxiety. A related set of indications is nervous debility associated with anxiety and tension. Stachys has astringent and alterative (healing) actions, giving it usefulness in treating rheumatism and toxic conditions. 6

In 2012, Stachys officinalis (the previous name for Betonica officionalis) demonstrated significant antioxidant properties against free radical cell damage and in vitro studies suggest the essential oil may have antifungal efficacy against Aspergillus and Candida albicans 7

In 2013, extracts of the aerial plant parts showed significant anti-inflammatory activity in rats, similar in strength to diclofenac. 8 This again confirms its use in the treatment of headaches and John Gerard’s description that it “hath great virtue to heal the body, being hurt within by bruising or such like”.

An encouraging study in 2013, involved the efficacy and safety of the aerial parts of Betony being evaluated in the treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding due to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. A randomized clinical trial of 66 women aged 15–45 years were assigned to either Medroxyprogesterone (a progestin medication) or Betony for three months. Results showed that whilst decrease in prevalence rate was similar, the side effects for Betony were less serious as compared to Medroxyprogesterone and Betony may therefore be considered as an alternative in treating clinical symptoms of abnormal uterine bleeding due to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. 9

Topical Uses
A poultice made from the herb can be applied to heal wounds and bruises on the skin. Betony’s anti-inflammatory properties help ease the inflammation of the skin caused by eczema as well as other skin conditions.

Dosage
Tisane – 1-2tsp/5-10g 3 times per day.
Tincture - 1:5 45% - 2-6 mls - 20 drops = 1ml/1tsp = 5ml

Precautions
Do not use in pregnancy