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what
are all these cryptic terms?
Below is a partial listing of herbs often
sold separately or in mixes (formulas) used for the purpose of aiding
in the feminization of genetic males, due at least in part to the
presence phyto-steroids. Along with the listing are brief explanations
of their common medicinal uses. You will notice that not all of the
descriptions of the medicinal uses include reference to their phyto-estrogenic
properties. Herbal products vary a great deal in potency, as such
it is very difficult to say how much of what type or combination of
herbs would be needed to bring about feminization in genetic males.
Couple this with the fact that for feminization to occur; the naturally
occurring testosterone production must also be overcome before feminization
can take place and you can see the reason for the more common as well
as predictable use of pharmaceutically compounded hormones.
This information is provided so that if you decide to use herbals,
you can be better informed of the specifics related to the plants
used. Neither the Author nor The House of Sissify are health care
providers or herbalists and make no claim to the effectiveness or
safety of using herbal products.
Although plant and glandular sources of estrogens appear to be converted
by woman's bodies into more "natural" and possible less
carcinogenic forms of hormones, it is not true that herbal products
are free from potentially dangerous side effects. This is especially
true at the larger doses needed to obtain feminization results.
As with any drug therapy whether it is pharmaceutical or herbal in
origin, feminization takes time. It is not realistic to expect results
(regardless of the drugs origin) for at least several months after
committing to a chosen regime.
Phytoestrogens
(Phyto)meaning; Plant, and (estrogens) any of various steroid hormones responsible for
the development and maintenance of female secondary sex characteristics.
| Black Cohosh |
Cimicifuga
Racemosa |
| Black Cohosh is useful in all
conditions dealing with arthritis. It improves blood circulation, and is used in treating
delayed and painful menstruation, and is often used in conjunction with other herbs in
treating menopause symptoms. It should not be used during pregnancy. Black Cohosh can be
poisonous in large doses. It contains a chemical much like estrogen, so those advised by
their doctor's not to take the Pill should avoid using this herb The phytochemicals in
black cohosh shift the estrogen/progesterone ratio toward estrogens and occupy estradiol
receptors. |
| Blue
Cohosh |
Calophyllum
Thalictroides |
| Blue Cohosh is used to regulate
the menstrual flow. It is also used for suppressed menstruation. Native Americans used
this herb during childbirth to ease the pain and difficulty that accompany birthing, as
well as to induce labor. This herb should not be taken during pregnancy, and should be
taken in very small amounts in conjunction with other herbs, such as Black Cohosh |
| Borage |
Borago
Officinalis |
| Diuretic, demulcent, emollient.
Borage is much used in France for fevers and pulmonary complaints. By virtue of its saline
constituents, it promotes the activity of the kidneys and for this reason is employed to
carry off feverish catarrhs. Its demulcent qualities are due to the mucilage contained in
the whole plant. Externally, it is employed as a poultice for inflammatory swellings |
| Caraway |
Carum Carvi |
| Caraway aids digestion, can help
promote menses, can increase a mother's milk, and is good to add to cough remedies as an
expectorant. Both fruit and oil possess aromatic, stimulant and carminative properties.
Caraway was widely employed at one time as a carminative cordial, and was recommended in
dyspepsia and symptoms attending hysteria and other disorders. It possesses some tonic
property and forms a pleasant stomachic. Its former extensive employment in medicine has
much decreased in recent years, and the oil and fruit are now principally employed as
adjuncts to other medicines as corrective or flavouring agents, combined with purgatives.
For flatulent indigestion, however, from 1 to 4 drops of the essential oil of Caraway
given on a lump of sugar, or in a teaspoonful of water, will be found efficacious.
Distilled Caraway water is considered a useful remedy in the flatulent colic of infants,
and is an excellent vehicle for children's medicine. When sweetened, its flavour is
agreeable.
The bruised seeds, pounded with the crumb of a hot new loaf and a little spirit to
moisten, was an old-fashioned remedy for bad earache. The powder of the seeds, made into a
poultice, will also take away bruises. |
| Chaste
Tree or Vitex |
Verbenaceae
Species |
| Vitex is a normalizing herb for
the reproductive system. It is most commonly used in treating infertility, PMS, menopausal
problems, and hormonal imbalances. It is most effective when taken over a period of time,
and in conjunction with other herbs used for the same purposes. It is also known as chaste
tree fruit, or chaste berry. Chaste berry increases progesterone and decreases
estrogens. (The berry's effect is to increase the pituitary's secretion of luteinizing
hormone, and reduction of follicle-stimulating hormone.) Reported clinical studies
indicate that Chaste Berry also seems to have a regulating effect on both progesterone and
estrogen, balancing the ratio between them-this greatly reduces emotional ups and downs.
In other clinical studies, Dr. Murray reported that Chaste Berry reduced acne flare-ups
and water retention, reduced general PMS, and even prolonged the ability to breast feed.
Because of the effects of increased progesterone output, Chaste Berry has a long history
of use as a testosterone suppressant. |
| Dill |
Anethum
Graveolens |
| Like the other umbelliferous
fruits and volatile oils, both Dill fruit and oil of Dill possess stimulant, aromatic,
carminative and stomachic properties, making them of considerable medicinal value. Oil
of Dill is used in mixtures, or administered in doses of 5 drops on sugar, but its most
common use is in the preparation of Dill Water, which is a common domestic remedy for the
flatulence of infants, and is a useful vehicle for children's medicine generally. |
| Dong
Quai |
Angelica
Sinenisis |
| Appears to act as an estrogen
modulator through the ability of its phytoestrogens to occupy estrogen receptor sites. |
| False
Unicorn |
|
| False Unicorn is very soothing for
a delicate stomach. It also stimulates the reproductive organs in women and men. This herb
is often used during menopause, due to its positive effects on uterine disorders,
headaches, and depression. |
| Fennel
Seed |
Foeniculum
Vulgare |
| On account of its aromatic and
carminative properties, Fennel fruit is chiefly used medicinally with purgatives to allay
their tendency to griping and for this purpose forms one of the ingredients of the
well-known compound Liquorice Powder. Fennel water has properties similar to those of
anise and dill water: mixed with sodium bicarbonate and syrup, these waters constitute the
domestic 'Gripe Water,' used to correct the flatulence of infants. Volatile oil of Fennel
has these properties in concentration. Fennel helps to take away the appetite. It is
often used as a sedative for small children. It improves digestion, and is very helpful
with coughs. It is also used for cancer patients after radiation and chemotherapy
treatments. Enriches and increases the flow of milk for lactating women. |
| Fenugreek: |
Trigonella
Foenum-Graecum |
| Fenugreek is used to soften and
expel mucous. It has antiseptic properties and will kill infections in the lungs. Used
with lemon and honey, it will help reduce a fever and will soothe and nourish the body
during illness. It has been used to relax the uterus, and for this reason should not be
taken by pregnant women In India the fresh plant is employed as an esculent. |
| Ginseng |
Panax
Family |
| Ginseng stimulates the body to
overcome all forms of illness, physical and mental. It is used to lower blood pressure,
increase endurance, aid in relieving depression, and is a sexual stimulant. The dried root
is used for healing purposes. It has been used throughout ancient times to the present day
for use in conjunction with most herbs in treating all sorts of illnesses, including
cancers, digestive troubles, and memory. It is used to tone the body during stress and to
overcome fatigue. During menopause it aids in rejuvenating the system and balances
hormones, as well as aids in regulating hot flashes |
| Goats
Rue |
Galega
Officinalis |
| Diaphoretic, galactagogue. The
herb is official in the National Formulary IV attached to the United States Pharmacopoeia;
the dried flowering tops are made into a fluid extract with diluted alcohol. In 1873
Gillet-Damitte, in a communication to the French Academy, stated that this plant when
given to cows would increase the secretion of milk from 35 to 50 per cent, since which
time, Cerisoli, Millbank and several French physicians have affirmed that Goat's Rue is a
powerful galactagogue. The best preparation is stated to be an aqueous extract prepared
from the fresh plant. |
| Gotu
Kola |
|
| Gotu Kola is and excellent mental
stimulant. It is often used after mental breakdowns, and used regularly, can prevent
nervous breakdown, as it is a brain cell stimulant. It relieves mental fatigue and
senility, and aids the body in defending itself against toxins. |
| Licorice
Root |
Glycyrrhiza
Glabra |
| Licorice Root is a great source of
the female hormone estrogen. It is used for coughs and chest ailments. It is an important
herb to use when recovering from an illness, as it supplies needed energy to the system.
Used as a remedy for stomach and heart problems, indigestion, and most respiratory
ailments. Helps to normalize and regulate hormone production. Should not be used by
pregnant women as it can sometimes lead to high blood pressure with prolonged use The
action of Liquorice is demulcent, moderately pectoral and emollient.
The Extract enters into the composition of cough lozenges and pastilles, with sedatives
and expectorants |
| Milk
Thistle |
Silybum
Marianum |
| It is in popular use in Germany
for curing jaundice and kindred biliary derangements. It also acts as a demulcent in
catarrh and pleurisy. The decoction when applied externally is said to have proved
beneficial in cases of cancer. Gerard wrote of the Milk Thistle that: 'the root if
borne about one doth expel melancholy and remove all diseases connected therewith. . . .
My opinion is that this is the best remedy that grows against all melancholy diseases,' which
was another way of saying that it had good action on the liver. |
| Mother
Wort |
Leonurus
Cardiaca |
| Diaphoretic, antispasmodic, tonic,
nervine, emmenagogue. Motherwort is especially valuable in female weakness and disorders
(hence the name), allaying nervous irritability and inducing quiet and passivity of the
whole nervous system. As a tonic, it acts without producing febrile excitement, and in
fevers, attended with nervousness and delirium, it is extremely useful. |
| Pennyroyal |
Hedeoma
Pulegioides |
| Pennyroyal herb removes gas from
the digestive system. It is also used as a tea, taken a few days before menstruation to
aid a suppressed flow. It is used in treatments for clods, upset stomach, and to stimulate
blood flow to the pelvis area. It's strong minty smell makes its essential oil useful for
externally repelling insects such as mosquitoes, fleas, and flies. It should not be taken
or used by pregnant women. Large internal doses have been known to cause convulsions and
coma. Pennyroyal oil is an effective insect repellant. Pennyroyal oil should NEVER be
taken internally! |
| Pleurisy
Root |
Asclepias
Tuberose |
| Antispasmodic, diaphoretic,
expectorant, tonic, carminative and mildly cathartic. From early days this Asclepias
has been regarded as a valuable medicinal plant. It is one of the most important of the
indigenous American remedies, and until lately was official in the United States
Pharmacopoeia.
It possesses a specific action on the lungs, assisting expectoration, subduing
inflammation and exerting a general mild tonic effect on the system, making it valuable in
all chest complaints. It is of great use in pleurisy, mitigating the pain and relieving
the difficulty of breathing, and is also recommended in pulmonary catarrh. It is
extensively used in the Southern States in these cases, also in consumption, in doses of
from 20 grains to a drachm in a powder, or in the form of a decoction.
It has also been used with great advantage in diarrhoea, dysentery and acute and
chronic rheumatism, in low typhoid states and in eczema. It is claimed that the drug may
be employed with benefit in flatulent colic and indigestion, but in these conditions it is
rarely used.
In large doses it acts as an emetic and purgative. |
| Pomegranates |
Punica
Granatum |
| The seeds are demulcent. The fruit
is a mild astringent and refrigerant in some fevers, and especially in biliousness, and
the bark is used to remove tapeworm. In India the rind is used in diarrhoea and chronic
dysentery, often combined with opium.
It is used as an injection in leucorrhoea, as a gargle in sore throat in its early
stages, and in powder for intermittent fevers. The flowers have similar properties.
The root-bark was recommended as a vermifuge by Celsus, Dioscorides and Pliny. It may
be used fresh or dried. |
| Red
Clover Blossoms |
Trifolium |
| The fluid extract of Trifolium is
used as an alterative and antispasmodic. An infusion made by
1 OZ. to 1 pint of boiling water may with advantage be used in cases of bronchial and
whooping-cough. Fomentations and poultices of the herb have been used as local
applications to cancerous growths |
| Rasberry |
Rubus
Idaeus |
| Red Raspberry is one of the most
proven female herbs. It strengthens the uterine wall during preganancy, reduces the pain
of childbirth, and helps to reduce false labor pains. After childbirth it is used to
decrease uterine swelling and cut down on post-partum bleeding. It is used to ease
menstrual cramps and to regulate the flow during menstruation. It is also good for
vomiting in small children, and dysentery and diarrhea in infants An astringent and
stimulant. Raspberry Leaf Tea, made by the infusion of 1 OZ. of the dried leaves in a pint
of boiling water, is employed as a gargle for sore mouths, canker of the throat, and as a
wash for wounds and ulcers. The leaves, combined with the powdered bark of Slippery Elm,
make a good poultice for cleansing wounds, burns and scalds, removing proud flesh and
promoting healing.
Raspberry Leaf Tea is valuable during parturition. It can be taken freely - warm. |
| Southernwood |
Artemisia
Abrotanum |
| Tonic, emmenagogue, anthelmintic, antiseptic and deobstruent. The chief use of
Southernwood is as an emmenagogue. It is a good stimulant tonic and possesses some nervine
principle. |
| Tansy |
Tanacetum
Vulgare |
| Anthelmintic, tonic, stimulant,
emmenagogue. Tansy is largely used for expelling worms in children, the infusion of 1
OZ. to a pint of boiling water being taken in teacupful doses, night and morning, fasting.
It is also valuable in hysteria and in kidney weaknesses, the same infusion being taken
in wineglassful doses, repeated frequently. It forms an excellent and safe emmenagogue,
and is of good service in low forms of fever, in ague and hysterical and nervous
affections. As a diaphoretic nervine it is also useful.
In moderate doses, the plant and its essential oil are stomachic and cordial, being
anti-flatulent and serving to allay spasms.
In large doses, it becomes a violent irritant, and induces venous congestion of the
abdominal organs. |
Phyto-Progesterones
Progesterone: (C21 H30 O2; a steroid hormone responsible
for changes in the uterine endometrium in the second half of the menstrual cycle,
development of maternal placenta after implantation and development of mammary glands.
| Wild
or Mexican Yam |
Dioscorea
Villosa |
| -Antispasmodic. Perhaps the best
relief and promptest cure for bilious colic, especially helpful in the nausea of pregnant
women. Valuable also in painful cholera morbus with cramps, neuralgic affections,
spasmodic hiccough and spasmodic asthma Wild Yam is helpful to the liver and the
endocrine system. It is also used in regulation of the female system, particularly during
menopause and menstrual distress, as well as used in treating infertility. Used with
chaste berry and dandelion it is an effective treatment for morning sickness. |
Phyto-Antiandrogens
The following natural sources of phytoantiandrogens
(anti-androgen-like compounds) have been identified, but the author is not aware of an
effective course of treatment using them. Since phytoantiandrogens are not nearly as
efficacious as true antiandrogens, huge and potentially toxic amounts of these items would
have to be consumed.
| Saw
Palmetto |
Serenoa
Repens |
| Diuretic, sedative, tonic. It is
milder and less stimulant than cubeb or copaiba, or even oil of sandalwood. Like these, it
has the power of affecting the respiratory mucous membrane, and is used for many
complaints which are accompanied by chronic catarrh. It has been claimed that sabal is
capable of increasing the nutrition of the testicles and mammae in functional atony of
these organs. It probably acts by reducing catarrhal irritation and a relaxed condition of
bladder and urethra. It is a tissue builder. |
what are all these cryptic terms? |
