Stirred Water Herbs

10/15/2026

Herb of the Day
Fenugreek, Trigonella foenum-graecum
Part Used: Seed
Vitamins; Minerals; Fiber.

Biochemical Actions: Secretolytic (breaks down secretions); Hyperemic (causes increased blood accumulation in a portion of the body); Hypoglycemic (lowers blood glucose levels); Mildly Antiseptic; Phytoestrogenic.

Medicinal Uses: Dermatitis, high cholesterol, indigestion, inflammation, arthritis, breast milk deficiency, cancer, constipation, eczema, gas, hair loss, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, infections,, sore throat, stone formation in the urinary system, ulcers. The blood glucose lowering effect has been quite pronounced in studies. The fiber in fenugreek seeds helps relieve diarrhea and soften the stool, relieving constipation - a double benefit from one herb! Loss of appetite; Dyspepsia, gastritis, debility, GI inflammation; Preventing atherosclerosis; Promoting lactation.

Safety Issues: No known contraindications or interactions with other drugs.
If you take fenugreek seeds, drink plenty of water to provide the fiber with liquid to make your stool move easily through the intestines. Class 2b, though Bone and Mills both state no adverse or harmful effects expected in pregnancy or lactation in recommended dosages.

General Dosage: 2 g/day of dried seed (although much high doses have been used, up to 25 g/day, for hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities); 2 ml/day of a 1:1 liquid extract; 2 to 4.5 ml/day of a 1:2 liquid extract or equivalent in tablet or capsule form; 10 ml/day of a 1:5 (no more than 30% alcohol) tincture. In the studies on diabetes, defatted fenugreek seed powder was used at twice daily dosages of 1 1/2 - 2 grams for every 2.2 pounds of body weight.

10/13/2026

Herb of the Day
Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare
Part Used: Seeds

Medicinal Uses: Stomach upsets such as intestinal “flutters” (flatulence), colic, cramps from diarrhea, sense of fullness in stomach after eating; mucous conditions (catarrh) of the respiratory tract – particularly treated in children with fennel syrup and fennel honey. The extracts of fennel are phytoestrogenic enough to stimulate the production of breast milk in some women. Relaxes sphincters and decreases spasm of the gastrointestinal tract; acts as an expectorant in the respiratory tract, increases the mucociliary activity of the ciliary epithelium; exerts estrogen activity, increases milk flow.

Safety Issues: The essential oil is contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding; may provoke allergic reactions of the skin and respiratory tract.

Dosage: Adult dose of herb 5-7 grams daily in divided doses; Infant colic: 3-4 ounces of tea daily (remember, herb tea will take up vital space in baby’s tummy where mommy milk needs to be – dose baby at lowest possible dose of the tea to attain efficacy); 2-5 drops of glycerin-based fennel preparation (may be a combined preparation with catnip for maximum effectiveness for colic).

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10/10/2026

Herb of the Day
Eyebright, Euphrasia officinalis
Part Used: Herb

Biochemical Actions: Antiinflammatory; Antibacterial; Astringent.

Traditional Uses: Internally: Colds, congestion, coughing, hoarseness, nasal membrane disorders, sinusitis, sore throat; Externally: Blepharitis (eyelid inflammation), pinkeye, styes.

General Dosage: Internally: Liquid extract: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon daily; Tincture or TincTract: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon up to three times daily; Tea: 2-4 grams of dried herb in a cup of boiling water taken up to three times daily. If you are using directly in eye best if done with supervision of a professional herbalist.

10/10/2026

Only 2 openings left 9am and 2pm.

10/08/2026

Herb of the Day-Eleuthero Eleutherococcus senticosus
Part Used: Root, root bark.

Biochemical Actions: Adaptogenic; Pro-endurance; Immune modulating; Radioprotective; Tonic.

Medicinal Uses: Eleuthero, what we used to call Siberian ginseng – and is still designated as common name – is a shrub or small tree native to central Eastern Asia. You can find it all over Russia, and it is entering cultivation in various western states of the U.S. The root is the medicinal part of the plant. Why did the common name change occur? Because Eleutherococcus is not actually part of the Panax family but the Araliaceae family.
Out of all the adaptogens, Eleuthero may be the most studied. Russian studies of over 6,000 patients resulted in reports of positive effects with minimal side effects on mental alertness, work output, and work quality when individuals were subjected to heat, noise, exercise, and heavy workloads.
Eleuthero appears to increase T lymphocytes significantly, may be of benefit in stress, pneumonia, pyelonephritis, cancer, and as an adjunct therapy during conventional cancer treatment.
Eleuthero for Whom?
Younger individuals suffering from stress or for athletes searching for a safe alternative to hormones;
Those suffering from physical stress from work or exercise;
Use caution with those taking digoxin. One case report showed an elevation in serum digoxin levels in a patient taking eleuthero, though there were not toxic effects from the mixture.

Safety Issues: Class 1. Although the German Commission E contraindicates Siberian ginseng in high blood pressure, some herb texts authors state that eleuthero lowers blood pressure and has a tranquilizing effect on the central nervous system.

General Dosage: 2 to 8 ml/day of a 1:2 liquid extract or equivalent in tablet or capsule form. Solid extract, standardized to contain more than 1% eleutheroside: 100-200 mg daily. Tincture fresh root 1:2 at 75% alcohol:25% water; dried root 1:5 at 50% alcohol:50% water.

10/02/2026

Herb of the Day

Elecampane, Inulahelenium
Parts Used: Rhizome (fresh or dried), roots

Biochemical Actions: Stimulating Tonic Expectorant; Antimycobacterial; Muscle Relaxant; Anthelmintic; Anti-inflammatory; Immunostimulant; Antiseptic.

Medicinal Uses: Useful as a stimulating expectorant that does not easily upset the stomach, particularly for chronic bronchitis and upper respiratory catarrh; night sweats secondary to chronic disability.

Veterinary Note: Elecampane was brought to North America to help heal skin infections in horses and sheep.

Safety Issues: Class 2b; 2c – According to the British Herbal Compendium, elecampane is contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation; however, no substantial basis for this concern has been found. Mills and Bone consider it “no adverse” or “no harmful” “effect expected in pregnancy and lactation, though Mills does note “large doses of alantolactone or overdose with elecampane can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, rash, and symptoms of paralysis.”

General Dosage: 4.5 to 12 ml/day of a 1:1 liquid extract; 3 to 6 ml/day of a 1:2 liquid extract or equivalent in tablet or capsule form; 9 to 15 ml/day of a 1:5 dried root tincture (60% alcohol).

10/01/2026

Dear Valued ZRT Laboratory Customer,



As you know, earlier this year the ZRT Laboratory Team announced changes to our hormone testing, including conversion of our saliva steroid immunoassays to liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) and electrochemiluminescence (ECLIA).



All new testing was submitted to New York Department of Health (NYDOH) for approval. Unfortunately, after many months of waiting, New York requested that ZRT Laboratory eliminate supplementation ranges and personalized comments. ZRT Laboratory believes that this will degrade the quality and interpretation of results for the large percentage of patients using hormone replacement therapy.



So, after careful consideration, ZRT Laboratory has made the decision to discontinue testing samples originating from the state of New York, effective December 31, 2026.



We know you may have questions so please reach out directly to our Sr. Director of Sales, Greg Breed at [email protected], cell 864-363-2784 or calendar link, https://meetings.hubspot.com/gbreed.



Lastly, we would like to thank you for testing with ZRT Laboratory and hope to
re-initiate testing in the state of New York if regulations change.



Sincerely,
ZRT Laboratory

09/29/2026

Herb of the Day
Echinacea, Echinacea angustifolia, E. pallida, E. purpurea
Parts Used: Above-ground parts harvested at flowering time; root

Biochemical Actions: Immunomodulating; Immune-enhancing; Depurative; Anti-inflammatory, Lymphatic; Sialagogue (increases saliva);

Medicinal Uses: Useful for immune-stimulant, mainly acting on non-specific immunity, hence may modulate immune function in allergy and autoimmunity; enhances resistance to infections, particularly of the upper respiratory tract; assists in recovery from chemotherapy; anti-inflammatory, particularly by topical application.

Safety Issues: Class 1. Bones and Mills both advise caution for transplant patients taking immunosuppressive drugs; short-term therapy only is warranted. Echinacea long-term is detrimental or contraindicated in disorders such as autoimmune disease, allergies and asthma. The typical dosages below are sometimes recommended by herbalists to be increased during acute infections.

General dosages: E. angustifolia root Dosage: 3 g/day of dried root; 0.75 to 3ml/day of a 1:1 liquid extract; 3 to 6 ml/day of a 1:2 liquid extract or 3 to 15 ml/day of a 1:5 (50% alcohol) tincture.

09/24/2026

If you are interested in the mushroom walk you can click on the event link or go to catskillfungi.com and sign up. It is $35. Kids under 16 are free. 20% goes to Act of Kindness Fund in the store. Let us know if you have questions.

Inspiring Connection with Fungi