To most people, the acrid taste is one of those dreaded flavors. It’s reminiscent of having vomited in your mouth and that awful aftertaste you get. GROSS! It can be described as a bitter, burning flavor especially in the back of the throat. It’s not pleasant, but the actions are worth it.
The energetics of most acrid herbs are cooling or mildly warming and drying. Herbs in this category tend to be very relaxing, antispasmodic and can be emetic (cause vomiting) if taken in high enough doses.
What are a few acrid herbs?
- black cohosh, Cimicifuga racemosa
- kava kava, Piper methysticum
- lobelia, Lobelia inflata
- blue vervain, Verbena hastata
Lobelia is a wonderful herb to choose when you have tension or spasm in the respiratory tract (it’s useful in other organ systems for spasm as well).
- asthma attack
- bronchitis
- spastic cough
Take lobelia as a tincture, a few drops at a time, until the effects are felt, keeping in mind that some people will be more sensitive than others. The body’s response to this flavor in larger doses is profuse sweating followed by nausea and vomiting (which comes in handy if that’s the action you’re looking for, like in the case of food poisoning).
Main affinities
The remaining herbs above will have relaxing effects on differing organ systems throughout the body:
- uterus/ovaries – menstrual and ovarian cramps
- nervous system – headaches
- musculoskeletal – muscular tightness
- nervous system – stress/anxiety (kava kava is great here)
- musculoskeletal – stiff neck or backache
- musculoskeletal/nervous system – muscular twitching (lobelia)
Herbal opportunity
Are you ready to jump into a complete herbal program?
We are still offering a $300 scholarship for anyone who needs a financial break during this difficult time in our country. We’ve also made two payment plans available to make our program affordable for everyone. We have designed an incredibly thorough program that includes everything you need to get the basics of herbalism. Plus, I (Monica) meet weekly with our Fundamentals students via Zoom to connect, chat, answer questions and provide guidance throughout the program.
We’d love to welcome you to the Huckleberry Mountain Botanicals Community!
Yes, I want to take advantage of the $300 scholarship!
