Heads up! I’m NOT a doctor or nutritionist. I’m not giving you any medical advice or dietary recommendations here. Check with your doctor before you make any changes to your lifestyle, diet, or supplement regimen.
Most hemochromatosis websites will tell you that in order to block iron, one simple and easy-to-remember trick is:
- Drink a cup of coffee with breakfast
- Drink black or green tea with lunch
- Drink a glass of red wine with dinner
If this daily routine works for you, then more power to ya.
The truth is, I really (really really) like beverages. I'm the girl that's got a La Croix and a cup of tea and a juice and a glass of water and a 2-hour old cup of coffee going all at the same time. I'm sipping on something at all hours of the day.
So I got curious to see if there were any other drink options out there that also block iron. Especially because a lot of well-known options - like coffee, green tea, and black tea - all have caffeine so they're not great anytime later in the day.
And while I love red wine - we HH'ers are only allotted a little bit of the vino on a daily basis.
I knew there had to be something else that could be sipped on in the late afternoon and evening.
Fortunately, for me (and you too!), there are plenty of alternatives out there that can be just as beneficial for hemochromatosis as coffee, tea, and wine, and they block iron like a boss.
One of which is vervain.
Ver...whaa?
While I'm sure you've made plenty of recipes with herbs like basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and dill...
You've probably never written "vervain" on your grocery shopping list - unless you're a super health nerd (or maybe a witch).
It's not a very well-known herb these days, but vervain has an eventful and almost magical past going back thousands of years.
In ancient Egypt, vervain was thought to have bloomed into life from the tears of the goddess Isis as she wept over Osiris' death. It came to be called "Tears of Isis" which eventually morphed into other nicknames like "Hera's Tears" and "Juno's Tears."
According to folklore, vervain was used on Jesus’ wounds after he was taken from the cross, which is why it earned itself the nickname “herb of the cross."
Anyone practicing witchcraft in the middle ages believed the herb would protect people from ill; it was also used as an aphrodisiac, which is why some herbalists call it "the herb of love."
During medieval times physicians believed that when vervain was "placed in a patient’s hand the presence of the herb would cause them to speak his or her fate truthfully, offering the physician an accurate prognosis."
Vervain eventually became common a staple in traditional German medicine, where it was all the rage for healing cuts and wounds. If you sliced your hand open sowing seeds or cooking stew (or whatever else you'd be doing in Germany hundreds of years ago), vervain was kinda like the Neosporin of its day.
The German word for vervain "Eisenkraut" means something along the line of "true iron herb." Vervain doesn't contain any iron though! The reason it got this "ironic" label was because it was used during the smelting process, as smelters believed it made steel stronger. That's why it's still sometimes referred to as "iron weed."
Today, scientific studies show promising medical applications for the herb that seems to have made such an impact on gods & goddesses, Christians, witches, lovers, iron-wielders, and hard-working Germans alike.
As we'll explore below, research demonstrates that vervain lowers iron absorption! Its got antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. It can fight off germs, illness, and chronic inflammation. It’s also a natural sedative and relaxant that many people find useful for sleep troubles and anxiety.
And doctors today are actually recommending vervain!
For example, Dr. Josh Axe recommends vervain for boosting gum health because of its anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties.
WebMD notes that for anyone with sinusitis - taking an herbal supplement containing a combination of herbs including vervain alongside standard medication is more beneficial than taking standard medication alone.
While gum and nose health are nice, what about the scientifically-backed benefits of vervain that specifically relate to hemochromatosis? Let’s dive in!
Before we start, a quick note about terminology...
Scientifically speaking, vervain's official name is Verbena officinalis, which sometimes gets shortened to "verbena."
This can be gosh darn confusing because lemon verbena is a common herb we see these days in grocery store aisles (check out the tea section - it's everywhere!).
However, lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora) is a completely different plant than vervain (Verbena officinalis) with different properties, so they can't be substituted for one another. There are other types of vervain - such as blue vervain (Verbena hastata) and white vervain (Verbena urticifolia) - but these are also different than straight up 100% vervain (Verbena officinalis), which is what we're talking about here.
TOP 6 BENEFITS OF VERVAIN FOR HEMOCHROMATOSIS
- Lowers iron absorption
- Reduces inflammation
- Relaxant and sleep-aid
- Fights off infections
- May protect your heart
- May help treat colorectal cancer
1. LOWERS IRON ABSORPTION
The best thing about vervain for anyone with hemochromatosis? It lowers iron absorption.
Studies show - vervain decreases the amount of iron you absorb from food.
One study was even able to measure vervain's inhibitory properties. The study measured people's iron intake from a meal. When people ate that same meal paired with vervain, researchers learned that people absorbed a lot less iron. The study concluded that...
Vervain blocks iron absorption from a meal by 59%.*
That means vervain can potentially block OVER HALF the iron* in a meal.
*Just a heads up! This pertains to non-heme iron only (if you need a refresher, plant-based foods contain non-heme iron, meat contains a combination of heme iron and non-heme iron.)
WHY THIS MATTERS IF YOU HAVE HEMOCHROMATOSIS:
In case you missed the memo, the extra iron in your body triggers dangerous free radical chain reactions on everything inside you - it reacts with your cells, tissues, and organs, causing damage and disease. You're at an especially high risk for liver, heart, and pancreatic problems - the three organs whose functionality is most affected by excess iron. Less iron = healthier you.
2. REDUCES INFLAMMATION
Inflammation is one of those buzz words we seem to hear everywhere these days in the health and wellness world - but what is it, exactly?
Inflammation is your body's response when there's something wrong - for example, when you sprain your ankle, your ankle swells up. That's inflammation.
You get inflammation for a very important reason - your body is activating certain proteins, chemicals, and cells that help protect the part of you that's hurt. If you're injured, your body sends white blood cells to the injured area. In some cases, your body even releases adrenaline to help you with your "fight or flight" response if it thinks you're in danger.
Most of the time, inflammation is helpful - and you actually wouldn't be able to heal without it. Like when you sprain your wrist - the damaged part of your hand swells up because it needs more protection and care while it heals.
Internally, you get inflammation from all sorts of things - you might be fighting off bad bacteria or viruses, you might have a sensitivity to certain foods, or you might have a reaction if you accidentally ingest or breathe in toxic chemicals. Getting inflamed is your body's way of saying, "there's something wrong!" and protecting itself.
Sometimes, though, this inflammation inside your body can become "chronic" - and chronic inflammation is no longer helpful. Because the source of the inflammation never goes away, your body continues fighting off threats - and it never gets a break. Eventually, the body's long-term inflammation turns into a host of symptoms that make you feel sick.
Chronic inflammation makes itself known in your body as...
- achey joints and muscles
- stomach pain
- fatigue
- constipation/diarrhea
- insulin resistance
- depression/anxiety
And chronic inflammation is a risk factor for health conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Fortunately, some foods have anti-inflammatory properties that fight chronic inflammation. Vervain is one of these!
In a study on rats, vervain extract showed "remarkable anti-inflammatory activity." Its ability to reverse chronic inflammation even helped heal gastrointestinal damage in rats.
What does this mean for us humans? Vervain may have the potential to help take our bodies out of their inflamed states, and possibly even reverse some side effects (like gastrointestinal damage) of chronic inflammation.
WHY THIS MATTERS IF YOU HAVE HEMOCHROMATOSIS:
See the list of chronic inflammation symptoms above? Don't they look awfully similar to symptoms of hemochromatosis?
That's because the excess iron in your blood causes inflammation, and increased iron stores are correlated with markers of chronic inflammation.
The extra iron most commonly leads to inflammation in your joints causing joint pain, but inflammation from iron overload can also show up in the form of stomach pain, mood problems, fatigue, insulin resistance, diabetes, and digestive problems.
3. RELAXANT & SLEEP-AID
Vervain has long been believed to have a relaxing effect. Its calming qualities were documented as far back as 1652, in the book The English Physician - saying it was capable of treating "over-enthusiasm."
Much more recently than 1652, in a 2016 study on mice - vervain helped mice not only fall asleep, but stay asleep.
Here's what the study's results say...
“Verbena officinalis possess anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and sedative activities, which provides scientific background for its medicinal application in various neurological ailments, such as epilepsy, anxiety, and insomnia.”
For non-science nerds, this means that there's real proof that vervain can chill you out.
WHY THIS MATTERS IF YOU HAVE HEMOCHROMATOSIS:
If your hemochromatosis has you feeling a little "over-enthusiastic," you're not alone.
Anxiety, severe irritability, & mood swings are all symptoms of HH - and these feelings can be totally overwhelming.
Even when you're past all the stress of figuring out what's wrong with you (which can take freakin' forever with hereditary hemochromatosis because the symptoms look like a lot of other diseases), there's a lot you have to think about.
For me personally, I experienced a lot of anxiety long after I got diagnosed because I didn't just magically "feel better."
It took months for me to even notice a significant difference in my symptoms. Getting to the point where I felt a real change required a lot of doctors' appointments, dietary changes, and lifestyle changes. So...was I anxious during that time? That goes without saying.
One thing I've learned is - if you feel the stress, mood swings, anxiety, or irritability all related to HH, there are lots of tools out there to help you, but one pretty easy one is to pour yourself a cup of vervain tea.
4. FIGHTS OFF INFECTIONS
Vervain kills bacteria and prevents bacterial (and even some viral) infections from spreading.
One study looked at vervain essential oil as a possible alternative to traditional chemical pesticides and discovered that vervain stopped the growth of pathogens.
In fact, vervain was able to eradicate 24 strains of disease-causing bacteria!
When compared side by side, vervain extract was actually able to wipe out some types of disease causing bacteria even better than the antibiotic amoxicillin.
While this has only been tested in a test tube (there hasn't been a study on actual humans yet) this research is a big deal!
For thousands of years in traditional medicine, vervain was used to treat infections, and while traditional medicine can sometimes be way off and wacky (like how medieval doctors thought vervain made patients tell the truth) these studies show us that vervain is indeed an infection-fighter and bacteria-destroyer.
WHY THIS MATTERS IF YOU HAVE HEMOCHROMATOSIS:
Too much iron is tied to bacterial infections, some of which are deadly.
If you have iron overload, it's possible that you get sick more because you're more susceptible to germs.
Think about it - even after you eat just one iron rich meal, you're going to have much higher levels of serum iron and transferrin saturation than a normal person.
Bacteria and viruses are able to take advantage of your excess iron. Just like us humans, pathogens need iron to survive. They use your extra iron to help themselves multiply and grow, so infection takes over your body.
That's why iron overload is also linked to bad gut bacteria. Bad gut bacteria causes bloating, digestive problems, food sensitivities, moodiness, and it weakens your immune system so you're less capable of fighting off illness.
Fortunately, vervain can help keep this bad bacteria and infections at bay.
5. MAY PROTECT YOUR HEART
Researchers have discovered a chemical compound found in vervain that may protect your heart and activate blood circulation.
This naturally occurring compound in vervain is called verbenalin (some people call it cornin - but FYI it's the same exact thing). You can't find verbenalin anywhere else other than vervain.
One study isolated the verbenalin from a vervain plant to look at how it can help increase blood flow to the heart even when the arteries around the heart are clogged. And the study concluded that yes, verbenalin helps with blood flow around the heart and protects the heart from injury. This has only been tested in animals so far, but all signs point to GO when it comes to vervain's heart-protecting abilities in people.
WHY THIS MATTERS IF YOU HAVE HEMOCHROMATOSIS:
Your heart is the SECOND MOST commonly damaged organ if you have hemochromatosis - the excess iron in your heart affects your heart's ability to circulate enough blood for your body's needs. If hemochromatosis goes untreated for too long, it can lead to heart failure.
If you already treat your hemochromatosis with regular phlebotomies, you're helping to prevent heart failure already! However, if you've already experienced heart problems as a result of your HH, or if you just want to be proactive about protecting the organs you know are most sensitive to iron overload, then you may want to start incorporating vervain into your wellness routine for heart health.
While studies are still really preliminary, it seems promising that vervain is able to help with blood flow around the heart - so stay posted as researchers learn more!
6. MAY HELP TREAT COLORECTAL CANCER
One special extract of vervain alters the activity of colorectal cancer cells in test tube.
This vervain extract interrupts the spread of colorectal cells by preventing their adhesion to healthy cells. Aka the bad cancer cells can't stick to healthy cells.
If cancer cells can't stick to healthy cells, the cancer cells can't spread, which means tumors can't grow.
What does this show us? Vervain extract in the future may be able to control and slow down tumor growth in people with colorectal cancer, improving survival rates.
WHY THIS MATTERS IF YOU HAVE HEMOCHROMATOSIS:
While getting phlebotomies and eating a low-iron diet are doing wonders for you, it's helpful be aware of the things that go hand-in-hand with iron overload and the HFE genetic mutation, even if you've got your iron levels control.
There are certain cancers that are more common for people with hereditary hemochromatosis. One of those is...you guessed it, colorectal cancer (liver cancer and breast cancer are also common).
And...here's the zinger:
You're at a higher risk for cancer if you have two copies of the C282Y genetic mutation, EVEN IF you have normal iron levels! So, make sure you know which genes caused your hereditary hemochromatosis since you may be more prone to cancer.
HOW TO USE VERVAIN
QUALITY MATTERS
Herbs aren't regulated in the same way as pharmaceutical drugs - they don't have to go through the same testing or research as drugs. That's why it's important to buy from companies that are transparent and can prove they have high quality stuff - don't just buy the first thing you see online - it could be totally fake!
SO...HOW TO KNOW WHAT'S GOOD?
Here are my favorite ways to get a little vervain in my veins...from companies I trust.
Smallflower offers unique personal care and wellness products from all over the world. They're a great place to look for specialty items like vervain that aren't super popular in U.S. grocery stores and markets these days.
Gaia's Turmeric Supreme Immune A.S.A.P.
This is a combination of herbs and spices including both vervain and turmeric. Turmeric also has amazing benefits for hemochromatosis - just like vervain, it's known to lower iron levels and decrease inflammation.
Use this to relax - you'll only need a couple of drops. Because you'll use such a small amount, this flower essence won't work for blocking iron (use either the Smallflower tea or Gaia's Turmeric Supreme Immune A.S.A.P. for that) - it's best used to relieve tension and promote relaxation. Bach's has been around for a century - and their flower remedies receive a lot of hype. (In case you haven't tried it, Bach's Rescue Remedy is perhaps the company's most famous herbal concoction with a cult-like following due to it's calming effects on screaming kiddos and frazzled adults alike).
If you're really a go-getter and want to grow your own vervain, try planting vervain seeds in your herb garden.
SAFETY
Good news! Vervain is generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
It's considered to be "well-tolerated" in scientific studies.
It's rare - but a few people have reacted to vervain. Some experience gas/bloating, and a few people experience rashes or allergic reactions. So it's always good to try a small dose first (some people recommend buying a tincture and rubbing a small amount on your arm as an easy test).
Anyone with kidney disease should keep away from vervain. The verbenalin in the plant can irritate your kidneys if it's overused, potentially aggravating symptoms.
If you're pregnant, hold off on vervain because it can stimulate your uterus (in fact, before modern medicine it was actually used during the last two weeks of pregnancy to help a woman go into labor).
CHECK WITH YOUR DOC
Always talk to your doctor before trying a new herb or remedy!
Make sure you let your doc know about any health conditions you have, as well as any drugs or supplements you are taking to avoid possible interactions.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Have you tried vervain? Share your thoughts! Leave a comment below.
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