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Dear Pharmacist,

At one of your lecture's I heard you say you drink linden tea at night but you never said why. What is it and why is it something you like?

--L.P. Jacksonville, Florida

Answer:Linden herb is so awesome and because it has so many health benefits, I incorporate it into many home-made herbal teas. You may not have been heard of it before but this centuries-old herb has been historically used as a non-narcotic treatment to help with sleep and anxiety and it lowers blood pressure.

Linden herb is chock-full of of antioxidants and ingredients that impact your cardiovascular, digestive and respiratory tract. Linden is best known to help with mild insomnia and anxiety. One of the active ingredients in linden is an essential oil called farnesol, which helps relax the cardiovascular system. This may have a positive impact on arrhythmias while also curbing stress. Most people report feeling relaxed, and even drowsy. Linden can also help with indigestion as well as nausea and vomiting.

This is interesting. Linden mildly reduces blood pressure because the farnesol it contains acts like a natural calcium channel blocker (drugs that are in this category include amlodipine, nifedipine and diltiazem among others. Linden also is a mild diuretic and gently dilates blood vessels allowing blood to flow more freely. Sweet, if you have high blood pressure! That said, don't give up your medication, I don't think it's as strong as medicine unless you combine it with other antihypertensive herbs.

This is a good time of year to mention that linden is capable of soothing the upper respiratory tract, great if you have a cold or flu. It promotes sweating, so this as a great natural way to break a fever and release toxins from your body. It has natural antiseptic properties so it could ward off infections. Having both expectorant and anti-inflammatory properties, linden can help thin mucus and this could be very soothing for some people, especially those with bronchitis, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma.

Linden supports liver health and enhances bile secretion and these actions help you eliminate toxins better. Linden is not that popular (yet) so if you want it, these are only a few options: Dried herb is sold online and some health food stores, just make tea like I do (one tablespoon herb per cup of water); for a stronger effect, buy a pure extract made by Herb Pharm or capsules made by Nature's Way.

Linden grows all over Colorado and it's a gorgeous tree. If you have one, be careful harvesting because of skin reaction. Also, too much linden can adversely effect the heart. Because it has widespread effects on the body, head to toe, it could interact with medications, especially lithium and diuretics. It's important to ask your doctor if new herbs, even great ones like linden, are appropriate for you.

Suzy Cohen

Suzy Cohen, is known as America’s Pharmacist. She has been a licensed pharmacist for 24 years and is a Functional Medicine practitioner. She’s the author of 6 books, including her most recent Amazon #1 best-seller, “Thyroid Healthy: Lose Weight, Look Beautiful and Live the Life You Imagine.”

She was the host of The Thyroid Summit which broadcast worldwide in June 2014. Suzy has been a syndicated columnist for 19 years reaching 20 million in circulation each week. She is a Huffington Post writer, and also hosts her own syndicated medical minute on TV. Suzy has been featured on The Dr OZ Show 6 times, and has appeared on The View, Good Morning America Health, The Doctors and hundreds of other networks. She is a member of The Institute of Functional Medicine, also the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, The American Pharmacists Association and ILADS, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. You can read free articles and receive your free newsletter by visiting her website, SuzyCohen.com

Books authored by Suzy Cohen include:

  • Thyroid Healthy
  • Headache Free
  • Drug Muggers
  • Diabetes Without Drugs
  • The 24-Hour Pharmacist
  • Eczema: Itchin’ for a Cure (kindle only)
  • Understanding Pancreatitis & Pancreatic Cancer (kindle only)