Health Medicine Herbs - Natural Healing Books



Health and Medicine Herbs Reference Books

In this internet age, when all information in the world seems only a mouse click away, many believe we have outgrown the need for books, and that the death of print is imminent. But the information you find on the surfing the web is only the glittery surface of a deep sea of knowledge. If you really want to learn about herbs you need at least three good reference books; preferable the old-fashioned, physical, hold it in your hands and read in your favorite chair by lamplight even if the lights go out kind. These herbals, especially the older ones, can be challenging to read, not only for the archaic English, but also because they were written at a time when people had common knowledge of plants, how to identify them, grow them, preserve them, and make them into medicine and food to sustain themselves and their families, and assume this level of knowledge on the part of the reader. The selection of books here, and the authors quoted from them throughout this website, are the ones in my personal bookcase. While you can find most of them by searching online bookstores, many hidden treasures populate the dusty shelves of second-hand bookstores in your town. If you are lucky enough to find one still in business consider giving them your support.

Online Reference Sources

  1. German Commission E Monographs

    The German Commission E is rather like an FDA of herbs, and is one of the most respected world organizations in the field of for herbal drugs and preparations from medicinal plants. It was established in by the Minister of Health in Germany in 1978.

  2. HerbalGram/Herbclip

    ABC's quarterly, peer-reviewed scientific journal. Free articles online - membership allows access to all articles plus the written journal.

  3. Mountain Rose Herbs

    Mountain Rose Herbs is quality source of bulk herbs but offered much more than just an online store. Their website has many pages of herbal information included in herb profiles, blog posts and articles as well as a directory of training programs for herbalists.

  4. Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases

    Accurate and trustworthy online tool for researching the actions and properties of herbs.

  5. Environmental Working Group

    (EWG) A nonprofit dedicated to providing good information and ratings on toxic consumer products including household furnishings, cleaning supplies, food and cosmetics.

  6. Jim Robbins

    Environmental and science journalism.

  7. Journal of Ethnopharmacology

    Publishes papers on medicinal and other useful indigenous plants as well as their bioactive compounds. Some open access - some articles behind paywall.

  8. Henriettes Herbal

    Online repository of public domain books from the Eclectic Medical period in the 1880s and 90s including King's American Dispensatory, 1898.

  9. Worlds Healthiest Foods

    Non profit organization with really good, detailed information about important vitamin and mineral content of foods.


Looking for something you can read offline? Join our mailing list and get a free copy of Methods for Using Herbs. This free handbook includes instructions on how to make basic herbal preparations at home. It covers making herbal teas, herb infused oils and balms, tinctures, and more.