Borago officinalis, Borage

French = bourrache, German = boretsch

Common names

Starflower, Burrage, common bugloss, beebread, bee plant :: Borage for Courage!

History

References to Medieval medicine:

The flowers were used in salad to exhilarate and make the mind glad. Used for comfort of the heart. To drive away sorrow. Increase the joy of the mind. Syrup made of the flowers comforts the heart. Purges melancholy.
Syrup made of the juice of borage with sugar, adding to it powder of the bone of a Stag’s heart is good against the cardiac passion of the heart. Melancholy and falling sickness.
The root is not used in medicine; the leaves eaten raw clean the blood, esp. in those who have been sick lately.
As a healing salve.

For the cardiacle (spasm of the heart). To make a man laxative. Medicine that helpth against leprosy. For haematuria.

(References taken from:Gerard’s Herball, The Physicians of Myddfai, A Leechbook )

Medicinal uses

Leaves and flowers: adrenal gland stimulant and restorative, galactagogue, diuretic, demulcent, emollient, antirheumatic, refrigerant, diaphoretic, expectorant, anti-depressive Seeds: antirheumatic, anti-inflammatory (please see Glossary).

Benefits

The traditional use of ‘Borage for Courage’ suggests that it has a supportive effect on the adrenal glands. It has since been confirmed that the plant encourages the production of adrenaline which helps the body cope with stressful situations, as well as possibly acting as a restorative agent on the adrenal cortex. It is often prescribed to restore the adrenal glands after steroid therapy. An infusion of the leaves and flowers can be taken as a tonic after stressful situations or for mental exhaustion and depression. Clinical trials have shown that borage seed oil reduces cardiovascular reactivity to stress by reducing the systolic blood pressure and heart rate and by increased task performance. A hormonal effect is indicated by a traditional belief that the leaves and seeds of the plant can increase the milk supply of nursing mothers; it is also said to improve mood in menopausal depression. Borago helps prevent inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa in cases of allergy and infection, and it may also assist in iron absorption. It can be used externally as a compress or poultice for inflammation, or as an eyewash to relieve irritation. A hot infusion of Borago has a diaphoretic effect in the treatment of colds and flu, and the presence of saponins is probably responsible for its expectorant action., while the mucilage in the leaves help to soothe the respiratory tract in dry, rasping coughs. It is indicated in bronchitis, catarrh, congested membranes and pleurisy, and the flowers were a traditional ingredient of cough syrups.

The pressed seed oil of Borage, rich in gammalinolenic and linoleic acid, is used in the same way as Evening Primrose oil in the treatment of menstrual problems, eczema and other chronic skin conditions, and It is often combined with Evening Primrose oil to help reduce blood cholesterol levels.

Warnings

Can cause irritation. This herb is restricted in Australia and New Zealand due to its pyrrolizidine alkaloid content, but at therapeutic dosages it should be perfectly safe to use. These restrictions do not apply to the seed oil.

Please consult a qualified herbalist before using this herb.

References

Bradley, P.R. (ed.) 1992 British Herbal Compendium, Volume 1, BHMA, Bournemouth.

BHMA 1983 British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, BHMA, Bournemouth.

Culpeper, N. 1649 Complete Herbal and English Physician, 1990 reprint of the 1814 London edition of Culpeper’s Complete Herbal, Meyer, Illinois.

Grieve, M. 1931 A Modern Herbal, (ed. C.F. Leyel 1985), London.

Hoffmann, D. 1990 The New Holistic Herbal, Second Edition, Element, Shaftesbury.

Lust, J. 1990 The Herb Book, Bantam, London.

Mabey, R. (ed.) 1991 The Complete New Herbal, Penguin, London.

Mills, S.Y. 1993 The A-Z of Modern Herbalism, Diamond Books, London.

Ody, P. 1993 The Herb Society's Complete Medicinal Herbal, Dorling Kindersley, London.

Weiss, R.F. 1991 Herbal Medicine, Beaconsfield Arcanum, Beaconsfield.

Special thanks to www.purplesage.org.uk