The Herb Library

Withania somnifera

Ashwagandha Root

One of the world's most researched adaptogens, used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 3,000 years as an herb of restoration and longevity. Supports healthy cortisol balance and adrenal resilience.

Adaptogen · HPA Axis Restorative · Immunomodulator · Neuroprotective · Anti-inflammatory · Thyroid Supportive
- Promotes healthy cortisol balance and a well-regulated stress response
- Helps restore adrenal resilience depleted by prolonged or chronic stress
- Supports healthy immune function during periods of ongoing stress
- Encourages a healthy inflammatory response throughout the body
- Nourishes thyroid health and hormonal balance during life transitions
- Supports deep, restorative slow-wave sleep quality overnight
- Promotes cognitive clarity and mental sharpness during periods of hormonal change
- Supports healthy cerebral circulation and brain function

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

SHINE AGAIN

Actaea racemosa

Black Cohosh Root

Widely used by Native American peoples for women's health for centuries before entering the North American medical mainstream in the 19th century. Among the most researched herbs for perimenopausal support, including hot flashes, mood shifts, and sleep disruption in modern clinical literature.

Phytoestrogenic / Serotonergic · Anti-inflammatory · Nervine · Antispasmodic · Uterine Tonic · Analgesic
- Promotes mood stability and eases irritability driven by hormonal fluctuation during perimenopause. One of the most studied herbs for menopausal symptom support, including hot flashes, mood shifts, and sleep disruption.
- Supports comfort during hot flashes and night sweats
- Supports nervous system balance during hormonal transition
- Eases musculoskeletal discomfort associated with hormonal changes
- Promotes mood stability and eases irritability driven by hormonal fluctuation

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Matricaria recutita

Chamomile Flowers

One of the oldest medicinal herbs in human history, chamomile has been used for millennia across European, Egyptian, and Roman traditions as a universal calming and digestive remedy. Gently calms the nervous system and is well-tolerated by children and adults.

Relaxing Nervine · Antispasmodic · Anti-inflammatory · Carminative · Bitter Tonic
- Releases muscle tension held in the body long after the stressor has passed
- Eases digestive cramping, bloating, and the gut tension that stress produces
- Supports a healthy inflammatory response under chronic stress
- Supports a calm, settled state that makes rest more accessible

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

SHINE AGAIN

Vitex agnus-castus

Chaste Tree Berry (Vitex)

Used medicinally since ancient Greece and documented by Hippocrates, Dioscorides, and Theophrastus. Vitex has been a primary women's herb in European herbal medicine for over 2,500 years.

Pituitary Tonic · Nervine · Cycle-Regulating · Uterine Tonic
- Acts on the pituitary gland to support healthy progesterone levels relative to estrogen, addressing the hormonal imbalance at the root of many perimenopausal symptoms.
- Requires alcohol extraction to preserve its active constituents.
- Supports healthy hormonal balance, particularly progesterone relative to estrogen
- Acts on the pituitary to support cycle regulation and hormonal transition
- Supports uterine comfort and healthy menstrual function during transition
- Addresses the hormonal patterns underlying mood instability, irregular cycles, and sleep disruption

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Turnera diffusa

Damiana Leaves

Damiana has been used as a tonic and mood-supportive herb by indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America for centuries. It entered the North American materia medica as a nerve tonic and hormonal supportive in the 19th century.

Nervine Tonic · Mood-Supportive · Antidepressant · Adaptogen · Antidepressant · Aphrodisiac · Digestive Tonic · Hormonal Balancer · Circulatory Stimulant
- Gently uplifts mood and restores emotional resilience
- Especially helpful for the pattern of nervous exhaustion layered with low mood, emotional flatness, and depleted vitality
- Supports vitality and healthy energy that stress and hormonal disruption can deplete
- Supports healthy reproductive hormone balance during periods of chronic stress and burnout
- Eases digestive discomfort and supports the gut-nervous system communication that mood depends on
- Helps restore whole-body vitality quietly suppressed by sustained depletion

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

SHINE AGAIN

Zingiber officinale

Ginger Root

One of the most widely used medicinal plants in human history, ginger appears in medical texts from India, China, the Middle East, and Europe, always associated with warmth, circulation, and digestive health.

Circulatory Stimulant · Anti-inflammatory · Anti-microbial · Analgesic · Carminative · Diaphoretic · Warming Nervine
- Supports healthy circulation throughout the body, delivering nutrients depleted tissues need
- Eases digestive discomfort, including nausea, bloating, and sluggish digestion
- Supports immune resilience with broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antioxidant properties
- Encourages a healthy inflammatory response with broad anti-inflammatory action

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

SHINE AGAIN

Centella asiatica

Gotu Kola Leaves

Revered in Ayurvedic medicine as a brahmi herb for centuries, gotu kola is associated with longevity, cognitive vitality, and nervous system health. Traditional Chinese medicine uses it similarly for the mind and circulation.

Adaptogenic Nervine · Neuroprotective · Cerebral Circulatory Stimulant · Anti-inflammatory · Cognitive Restorative
- Promotes healthy blood flow to the brain for sharper mental clarity
- Supports healthy brain cell function and cognitive vitality
- Encourages a healthy inflammatory response at systemic and neurological levels
- Promotes healthy circulation throughout the entire vascular system
- Supports cognitive restoration alongside nervous system nourishment

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

SHINE AGAIN

Crataegus spp.

Hawthorn Flowers & Leaves

A revered heart herb across European herbal traditions for centuries. Hawthorn holds a sacred place in Celtic traditions and has been used clinically in European phytotherapy for cardiovascular support for over 100 years.

Cardiotonic · Nervine · Antioxidant · Anti-inflammatory · Anxiolytic · Astringent
- Supports cardiovascular comfort during periods of chronic stress and anxiety. Daily use builds genuine cardiovascular resilience over time.
- Especially supportive during hormonal transitions that may affect cardiovascular comfort.
- Supports healthy cell function against the cumulative effects of chronic stress
- Especially supportive during hormonal transitions that affect cardiovascular comfort
- Supports the heart on both emotional and physiological levels
- Daily use builds genuine cardiovascular resilience over time

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Humulus lupulus

Hops Strobiles

While best known for brewing beer, hops have been used as a sleep and nervous system herb in European folk medicine for centuries. Its sedative properties were formally recognized in 19th-century pharmacopoeias.

Sedative-Hypnotic · Nervine · Antispasmodic · Bitter Tonic · Phytoestrogenic · Anodyne
- Supports sleep maintenance and helps reduce the pattern of nighttime waking
- Supports healthy cortisol balance during the night, which may help reduce early morning waking
- Mild phytoestrogenic activity addresses hormonally driven sleep disruption
- Releases physical tension and eases restlessness after the mind quiets
- Benefits deepen with consistent nightly use

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Lavandula angustifolia

Lavender Flowers

Lavender is one of the most beloved aromatic herbs in Mediterranean tradition, used for relaxation and rest since ancient Roman times, and it remains one of the most studied aromatic nervines.

Nervine · Sedative · Antibacterial · Anti-microbial · Anti-viral · Antispasmodic · Analgesic · Carminative · Anxiolytic · Aromatic
- Supports the nervous system's shift from activation to rest through both aromatic and internal action
- Deepens the calming effect through dual aromatic and internal pathways
- Releases muscle tension and eases headaches and muscle tension that linger from day into night
- Supports a calm, settled emotional state at bedtime
- Eases digestive tension and cramping that surface when the body finally slows down

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Melissa officinalis

Lemon Balm Leaves

A beloved garden herb in the mint family, used in European and Western herbal medicine for centuries, especially for calming the heart, the mind, and supporting gentle emotional restoration.

Nervine · Carminative · Antiviral · Cognitive-Supporting · Cardiotonic · Aromatic · Sedative
- Eases digestive discomfort, including bloating, cramping, and gut nervousness caused by stress
- Supports cardiovascular comfort and relieves the tension that anxiety can cause
- Provides antiviral immune support when stress challenges the body's defenses
- Especially helpful during periods of grief, sadness, and emotional overwhelm
- Gently encourages sleep without next-day heaviness or grogginess
- Calms perimenopause-related anxiety, irritability, and emotional distress

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

SHINE AGAIN

Leonurus cardiaca

Motherwort Leaves

The name motherwort reflects its long use as a women's herb in European folk medicine. It has been used for uterine and heart conditions across Chinese, European, and North American herbal traditions for centuries.

Heart Tonic · Nervine · Uterine Tonic · Antispasmodic · Bitter Tonic · Cardiotonic · Anxiolytic
- A primary herb for the heart during perimenopause, both physiologically and emotionally
- Eases heart palpitations, chest tightness, and cardiac anxiety during perimenopause
- Promotes uterine comfort during irregular, heavy, and cramping perimenopausal cycles
- Calms acute emotional volatility and overwhelm triggered by sudden hormonal shifts

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Urtica dioica

Nettle Leaves

Among the most nutritionally dense of all medicinal herbs. Nettle has been used as a food and medicine across Europe and Asia for thousands of years, valued for its exceptional mineral content and restorative properties.

Nutritive · Adrenal Supportive · Anti-inflammatory · Diuretic · Mineral-Rich · Alterative
- Supports adrenal function and healthy cortisol balance during hormonal transition
- Supports energy and vitality through deep nutritional nourishment
- Supports a healthy inflammatory response during perimenopausal hormonal shifts
- Supports healthy menstrual comfort during the irregular cycles of perimenopausal transition
- Supports hair thickness and skin integrity as hormonal changes affect these tissues

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Avena sativa

Oat Tops
(Fresh Milky)

A cornerstone in the Western herbal tradition, milky oats have been used for centuries as a restorative nerve tonic. The fresh milky stage is the only form with full nervous-system restorative properties.

Trophorestorative · Nutritive Nervine · Adaptogen · Neuroprotective · Cardiovascular Tonic · Demulcent
- Helps restore nervous system tissue depleted by prolonged stress
- Deeply nourishes a depleted nervous system for lasting resilience
- Promotes healthy cardiovascular function through gentle toning action
- Supports deeper overnight restoration alongside other sleep herbs
- Supports long-term nervous system resilience with consistent use

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Citrus sinensis

Orange Peel

Used in traditional Chinese medicine as a qi-moving digestive herb, and in European folk medicine for its aromatic nervine and bitter tonic properties. The peel is more medicinally potent than the fruit itself.

Nervine · Carminative · Bitter Tonic · Circulatory Stimulant · Antioxidant · Aromatic
- Tones the nervous system with its bitter action, gently stimulating without the crash of caffeine
- Supports healthy digestion and relieves bloating and sluggishness
- Contributes bioflavonoids and vitamin C that support immune resilience and circulatory health
- Supports mood through aromatic brightness that the nervous system recognizes before the first sip

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

SHINE AGAIN

Passiflora incarnata

Passionflower Leaves

Native to the Americas and long used by Indigenous peoples as a calming and sleep-supporting herb, passionflower entered European herbal medicine in the 17th century. One of the most effective herbs for the tired but wired pattern: racing thoughts and mental loops, even when the body is exhausted.

Nervine · Antispasmodic · Anxiolytic · Sedative · Anti-inflammatory
- Supports the body's natural calming pathways that stress and anxiety can disrupt
- Releases physical muscle tension the body holds as a direct expression of sustained stress
- Calms racing thoughts and mental loops that keep the nervous system activated
- Supports a healthy inflammatory response in the nervous system
- Soothes digestive cramping and gut tension that stress settles into the body
- Especially helpful for burnout states, where the nervous system has lost its ability to self-regulate

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Mentha x piperita

Peppermint Leaves

A hybrid of watermint and spearmint, peppermint has been used medicinally since ancient times. It appears in records from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome as a remedy for headaches, digestive issues, and cooling inflammation.

Nutritive · Adrenal Supportive · Anti-inflammatory · Diuretic · Mineral-Rich · Alterative
- Supports healthy digestion and eases the gas, bloating, and cramping that stress triggers
- Eases nausea, particularly when stress or anxiety is the trigger
- Promotes alertness and mental clarity without the jitteriness or crash of caffeine
- Promotes healthy cerebral circulation and blood flow for sharper cognitive function
- Provides gentle support for tension held in the head, neck, and gut

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

SHINE AGAIN

Trifolium pratense

Red Clover Blossoms

Rose hips were consumed as a nutritive and immune-supporting food long before vitamin C was isolated. During World War II, Britain gathered rose hips to supplement vitamin C as citrus imports were restricted.

Phytoestrogenic · Lymphatic · Anti-inflammatory · Cardiovascular Tonic · Bone-Supportive · Alterative
- Provides phytoestrogenic support for perimenopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats with consistent use
- Supports cardiovascular health during hormonal transition
- Supports healthy bone density during perimenopause
- Supports skin health, healthy detoxification, and lymphatic function

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Rosa spp.

Rose Petals

Rose has been associated with the heart, love, and grief across nearly every herbal tradition in the world, from Persian medicine to Ayurveda to indigenous American herbalism. Its role in supporting the heart at both the emotional and physiological levels is among the oldest in recorded botanical medicine.

Nervine · Astringent · Anti-inflammatory · Cardiotonic · Antioxidant · Aromatic
- Lifts mood and eases emotional heaviness during grief, loss, or sustained sadness
- Soothes the nervous system with a softness that complements more assertive nervines
- Supports a healthy inflammatory response and provides antioxidant protection
- Contributes a delicate floral note that enhances the sensory ritual of brewing

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Rosa canina

Rose Hips

Rose hips were consumed as a nutritive and immune-supporting food long before vitamin C was isolated. During World War II, Britain gathered rose hips to supplement vitamin C as citrus imports were restricted.

Antioxidant · Anti-inflammatory · Immune-Supporting · Nutritive · Circulatory Tonic
- Exceptionally rich in vitamin C and one of the most concentrated plant sources available
- Supports immune resilience during periods of sustained stress and provides antioxidant protection for healthy cellular function
- Supports healthy circulation and cardiovascular health with bioflavonoid and vitamin E content
- A naturally occurring source of vitamins and minerals for foundational nutritive restoration

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

SHINE AGAIN

Salvia officinalis

Sage Leaves

Revered since ancient times, the genus name Salvia derives from the Latin salvare, meaning “to save.” European herbalists regarded it as a longevity herb, and its use for menopausal hot flashes is recorded in traditional texts dating back centuries.

Antidiaphoretic · Neuroprotective · Anti-inflammatory · Antioxidant · Carminative · Astringent · Cognitive-Supporting
- Well-known for its ability to reduce hot flashes and night sweats through its antidiaphoretic action
- Promotes memory, focus, and cognitive clarity during the perimenopausal transition
- Helps the body manage oxidative stress that hormonal fluctuations may accelerate
- Eases digestive discomfort, bloating, and gas during periods of hormonal change
- Supports a reduction in hot flash frequency with consistent use

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Scutellaria lateriflora

Skullcap Leaves

A North American native plant long used by Indigenous peoples and later adopted into Eclectic medical practice in the 19th century as a primary nerve tonic and restorative. One of the most respected nervous system restoratives in the Western herbal tradition.

Relaxing Nervine · Anodyne · Antispasmodic · Neuroprotective · Sedative · Nerve Tonic
- Calms nervous system overstimulation to help fall asleep and supports nervous system restoration during sleep
- Especially effective for the “tired but wired” pattern: an exhausted body paired with an activated mind
- Relieves muscle tension and eases tension headaches that persist into the evening
- Aids nervous system repair during sleep through active restorative actions
- Protects nervous system tissue against the cumulative effects of chronic stress

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Mentha spicata

Spearmint Leaves

Spearmint has been used medicinally since ancient times, appearing in Greek and Roman pharmacopoeias. Its antiandrogenic properties have been studied for hormonal uses in modern research.

Anti-inflammatory · Antiandrogenic · Carminative · Nervine · Cognitive-Supporting
- Supports a healthy inflammatory response throughout the body, including hormonal headaches and tension
- Supports healthy androgen balance during perimenopausal hormonal shifts that contribute to mood and skin changes
- Eases digestive discomfort that worsens during hormonal fluctuation
- Supports gentle mental clarity and helps ease brain fog

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Ocimum sanctum / tenuiflorum

Tulsi
(Holy Basil) Leaves

Revered in Ayurvedic tradition for over 3,000 years as the Queen of Herbs. Holy basil holds a sacred place in Hindu practice and is one of the most widely studied adaptogens in the world.

Adaptogen · Relaxing Nervine · Immunomodulator · Neuroprotective · Analgesic · Antimicrobial
- Supports a healthy stress response so the body becomes more resilient to ordinary stress triggers
- Supports healthy cortisol balance, which plays a significant role in mood, motivation, and emotional resilience
- Supports healthy immune function that chronic stress consistently suppresses
- Supports healthy cerebral circulation to sustain memory, focus, and mental clarity under stress
- Supports a healthy inflammatory response throughout the body

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

SHINE AGAIN

Valeriana officinalis

Valerian Root

Used medicinally in ancient Greece and Rome, valerian was one of the most commonly prescribed herbs in European medicine through the Middle Ages and Renaissance for its reliable sleep-supporting properties.

Sedative · Nervine · Antispasmodic · Hypnotic · Anodyne
- Promotes a calm, relaxed state in body and mind at bedtime
- Eases physical tension and restlessness that disrupts sleep
- Supports nervous system relaxation at the end of the day
- Addresses both difficulty falling asleep and waking during the night

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Verbena hastata

Vervain
(Blue Vervain) Leaves

Sacred to both ancient Roman and Celtic traditions, vervain has been used as a nervine and liver herb for thousands of years. In the Western herbal tradition, it is a primary herb for those who drive themselves relentlessly.

Relaxing Nervine · Antispasmodic · Bitter Tonic · Liver Supportive · Anti-inflammatory · Circulatory Stimulant
- Promotes calm and clarity without dulling mental alertness
- Releases jaw, neck, and shoulder tension held from chronic stress
- Promotes healthy liver function and normal hormone metabolism
- Encourages a healthy inflammatory response in the body
- Promotes healthy circulation to tissues restricted by ongoing tension

Eden’s Leaves Formulas:

Stachys betonica

Wood Betony Leaves

One of the most prized nervines of Anglo-Saxon and medieval European medicine. The herbalist Culpeper wrote extensively of its virtues for the head and nervous system in the 17th century.

Nervine · Digestive Tonic · Anodyne · Antispasmodic · Bitter Tonic
- Calms overthinking and mental restlessness so you can be present
- Promotes healthy digestion and gut comfort during stressful periods
- Helps ease tension headaches and pressure from mental overload
- Helps the nervous system process and release mental tension rather than recirculate it

Eden’s Leaves Formulas: