Table 2.
Alphabetical List of Herbal Remedies and Characteristics of Use
| Common English Name |
Common Spanish Name |
Number of People Who Used Herb/Plant |
Frequency of Use |
Preparation | Self-Perceived Effectiveness |
Where/How Obtained |
Reported Side Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aloe vera | Salvia or sábila | 8 | Daily (62.5%) Weekly (37.5%) |
Licuado (50%) Agua fresca (25%) Tea (12.5%) Premixed beverage (12.5%) |
A lot (50%) A little (37.5%) No change (12.5%) |
Tienda (50%) Health food store (12.5%) Internet (12.5%) Consultant (12.5%) Grow it (12.5%) |
None (100%) |
| Arnica | Arnica | 1 | PRN* (100%) | Topical (100%) | A lot (100%) | Home country (100%) | None (100%) |
| Artichoke extract | Extracto de alcachofa | 2 | Daily (100%) | Tablet/capsule (50%) Other (50%) |
A lot (100%) | Grocery store (50%) Home country (50%) |
None (100%) |
| Asparagus | Esparrago | 1 | Daily (100%) | Cooked (100%) | A lot (100%) | Grocery store (100%) | None (100%) |
| Beets | Betabel or la remolacha | 4 | Daily (50%)Weekly (50%) | Licuado (75%) Cooked (25%) |
A lot (75%) No change (25%) |
Tienda (50%) Grocery store (50%) |
None (100%) |
| Bitter gourd/melon | Cundeamor or yerba mora | 3 | Daily (33.33%) Weekly (66.66%) |
Licuado (33.33%) Cooked (66.66%) |
A lot (100%) | Grocery store (33.33%) Home country (33.33%) Grow it (33.33%) |
Bitterness (100%) |
| Blood Sugar Formula capsules (mixture of 21 different herbs & vitamins) | Blood Sugar Formula capsules | 1 | Weekly (100%) | Tablet/capsule (100%) | A lot (100%) | Health food store (100%) | Stomachache (100%) |
| Brickellia grandiflora | La Prodigiosa | 2 | Weekly (100%) | Tea (100%) | A little (100%) | Tienda (50%) Home country (50%) |
None (100%) |
| Canary seeds | Alpiste | 2 | Daily (100%) | Licuado (100%) | A little (50%) No change (50%) |
Tienda (50%) Mailed from CA (50%) |
Diarrhea (50%)None (50%) |
| Cat’s claw | Uña de gato | 4 | Daily (50%) Monthly (50%) |
Licuado (25%) Tea (75%) |
A little (25%) No change (25%) Worse (25%) Don’t know (25%) |
Tienda (100%) | None (100%) |
| Celery | Apio | 7 | Daily (42.86%) Weekly (57.14%) |
Licuado (85.71%) Cooked (14.29%) |
A lot (28.57%) A little (71.43%) |
Tienda (28.57%) Grocery store (71.43%) |
None (100%) |
| Chamomile tea | Te manzanilla | 3 | Weekly (33%) Monthly (66%) |
Tea (100%) | A little (100%) | Tienda (100%) | None (100%) |
| Chia seeds | Salvia Hispania | 1 | Weekly (100%) | Cooked (100%) | A lot (100%) | Health food store | Low sugar verified with glucometer (100%) |
| Cinchona bark | La quina | 1 | Daily (100%) | Tea (100%) | A little (100%) | Tienda (100%) | None (100%) |
| Cinnamon | Canela | 5 | Daily (80%) Weekly (20%) |
Tablet/capsule (40%) Licuado (20%) Tea (40%) |
A lot (60%) A little (20%) No change (20%) |
Tienda (40%) Grocery store (60%) |
None (100%) |
| Coconoxtle cactus | Coconoxtle or Joconoxtle | 2 | Daily (100%) | Licuado (100%) | A lot (100%) | Tienda (100%) | None (100%) |
| Corn silk tea | Barba de elote | 1 | Weekly (100%) | Tea (100%) | A lot (100%) | Tienda (100%) | None (100%) |
| Cranberry | Arándano | 1 | Daily (100%) | Licuado (100%) | A lot (100%) | Grocery store (100%) | None (100%) |
| Diabetisan (Blend of extracts of Pasuchasca and Cat’s claw) | Diabetisan | 1 | Weekly (100%) | Tea (100%) | A lot (100%) | Tienda (100%) | None (100%) |
| Eggplant | Berenjena | 1 | Daily (100%) | Licuado (100%) | No change (100%) | Grocery store (100%) | None (100%) |
| Fenugreek | Fenugreco | 1 | Daily (100%) | Tablet/capsule (100%) | A lot (100%) | Health food store (100%) | None (100%) |
| Flax seed | Semillas de lino | 1 | Weekly (100%) | Cooked (100%) | A lot (100%) | Grocery store (100%) | None (100%) |
| Grapefruit | Toronja | 1 | Daily (100%) | Raw (100%) | A lot (100%) | Grocery store (100%) | None (100%) |
| Green bell pepper | Pimiento verde | 1 | Weekly (100%) | Cooked (100%) | A little (100%) | Grocery store (100%) | None (100%) |
| Green tea | Te verde | 1 | Monthly (100%) | Tea (100%%) | A little (100%) | Tienda (100%) | None (100%) |
| Herbalife | Herbalife | 4 | Daily (75%) PRN* (25%) |
Licuado (25%)Tea (75%) | A lot (25%) A little (50%) No change (25%) |
Consultant (100%) | Diarrhea (25%) Back/kidney pain (25%) None (50%) |
| Hibiscus tea | Agua de Jamaica | 1 | Monthly (100%) | Agua fresca (100%) | A little (100%) | Tienda (100%) | None (100%) |
| Horchata beverage (mixture of milk, rice, cinnamon) | Horchata | 1 | Weekly (100%) | Cooked (100%) | A little (100%) | Grocery store (100%) | None (100%) |
| Horsetail | La cola de caballo | 3 | Daily (66.66%) PRN* (33.33%) |
Tea (100%) | A lot (100%) | Tienda (33.33%) Home country (66.66%) |
None (100%) |
| Husk tomato | Tomatillo verde | 2 | Daily (50%) Weekly (50%) |
Licuado (50%) Tea (50%) |
A little (100%) | Tienda (100%) | Bitterness (50%) None (50%) |
| Jungle Miracle (blend of herbs from Guatemala) | El Milagro de la Selva | 1 | § | Tea (100%) | A lot (100%) | Home country (100%) | None (100%) |
| Lemon | Limón | 3 | Daily (66.66%) Weekly (33.33%) |
Licuado (33.33%) Agua fresca (66.66%) |
A little (100%) | Tienda (66.66%) Grocery store (33.33%) |
Bitterness (33.33%) None (66.66%) |
| Lemon root (roots of the lemon tree) | Raíz de limón | 2 | Daily (50%) Weekly (50%) |
Tea (50%) Cooked (50%) |
A little (50%) No change (50%) |
Home country (50%) Grow it (50%) |
None (100%) |
| Mint | Yerba buena | 1 | Daily (100%) | Tea (100%) | A lot (100%) | Home country (100%) | None (100%) |
| Noni | Noni | 2 | Daily (50%) PRN* (50%) |
Agua fresca (50%) Premixed beverage (50%) |
A lot (50%) Don’t know (50%) |
Tienda (50%) Grocery store (50%) |
Cramps (50%) None (50%) |
| Oats (oatmeal) | Aveno | 3 | Daily (66.66%) Weekly (33.33%) |
Licuado (66.66%) Cooked (33.33%) |
A lot (33.33%) A little (66.66%) |
Grocery store (100%) | None (100%) |
| Onion mixed with honey and lemon | Cebolla con la miel y limón | 1 | Daily (100%) | Licuado (100%) | No change (100%) | Grocery store (100%) | None (100%) |
| Oregano | Orégano | 1 | PRN* (100%) | Tea (100%) | A lot (100%) | Home country (100%) | None (100%) |
| Parsley | Perejil | 1 | Daily (100%) | Licuado (100%) | A little (100%) | Grocery store (100%) | None (100%) |
| Prickly pear cactus Leaves |
Nopale, Nopales, Noplina, Nopalito | 28 | Daily (32.14%) Weekly (53.57%) Monthly (3.57%) PRN* (10.71%) |
Licuado (57.14%) Cooked (39.29%) Raw (3.57%) |
A lot (35.71%) A little (35.71%) No change (3.57%) Worse (3.57%) don’t know (7.14%) |
Tienda (86.84%) Grocery store (10.71%) |
None (100%) |
| Fruit | Tuna | 2 | Daily (50%) Monthly (50%) |
Raw (100%) | A lot (50%) No change (50%) |
Tienda (100%) | None (100%) |
| Stevia rebaudina | Stevia | 1 | Weekly (100%) | Other** (100%) | A lot (100%) | Grocery store (100%) | None (100%) |
| Tamarind | Tamarindo | 1 | Daily (100%) | Licuado (100%) | No change (100%) | Tienda (100%) | None (100%) |
| Vegetable pear | Chayote or patastillo | 6 | Daily (33%) Weekly (33%) PRN* (33%) |
Licuado (16.67%) Cooked (83.33%) |
A lot (33.33%) A little (50%) No change (16.66%) |
Tienda (83.33%) Home country (16.67%) |
Diarrhea (16.67%) None (83.33%) |
| ? | Cuacia | 1 | Daily (100%) | Cooked (100%) | A little (100%) | Home country (100%) | Bitterness (100%) |
| ? | El mulato or palo mulato | 1 | Daily (100%) | Tea (100%) | No change (100%) | Home country (100%) | None (100%) |
| ? | Fruta de zopilote (seeds from a grass that grows during the dry season in Mexico) | 1 | Daily (100%) | Tea (100%) | A little (100%) | Home country (100%) | None (100%) |
| ? | Nin | 3 | Daily (33.33%) PRN* (66.66%) |
Licuado (33.33%) Tea (66.66%) |
A lot (66.66%) Don’t know (33.33%) |
Tienda (33.33%) Home country (66.66%) |
None (100%) |
*
PRN = 2–4 times per year as needed
?
Exact English translation not available
**
Sweetener from a plant source
§
information is missing