Safe and tonic herbs meet certain criteria, alerting us to the fact that they are trustworthy and gentle. For instance, all true tonic herbs are nourishing, nutrient-rich, mild, common, gentle, and food-like. I also stipulate that, for a plant to be used as a tonic, it must be plentiful (i.e, abundant and not at-risk).

These characteristics are so very helpful when we work with herbal medicine to support ourselves and our families. When we use tonic herbs, we know that we are using herbs considered safe and gentle and that we are not over-harvesting or plucking endangered plants.

Herbal tonics can support mental health, addressing mood and behavior and helping people build up resilience and deal with stress in a more balanced way. For more about holistic mental health, see my Integrative Mental Health Academy for a variety of course options and downloadable resources.

Tonic Herb Examples

Use these herbs as whole foods (such as oatmeal) and also in food preparations, such as salads, vinegars, soups, teas, syrups, honeys, pestos, salts, puddings, and granolas. Get creative! With this list of safe herbs, you can be confident that what you are making is safe for most people (specific contraindications are listed with each herb where necessary).

Of course, not every single herb is safe and gentle for every single person. Someone with low blood pressure, for instance, should avoid hawthorn, linden, and lemon balm. So even though they are generally safe herbs, you must be disciplined to make yourself aware of herbs specific to your personal situation.

Wonderful tonic herbs to enjoy on a long-term regular basis include oats milky tops and oat grain; alfalfa; stinging nettle leaves; alfalfa; linden (also called basswood); borage; violet flower and leaf; gotu kola; slippery elm; chamomile; and elder flower.

Below are specific details about each of these tonics to guide you in understanding the herb's flavor profile, which part of the plant to harvest, and how to use it in the kitchen. Be creative and try to use as many as possible fresh.

Stinging Nettle, Urtica Dioica

Alfalfa, Medicago sativa

For both these herbs:

Flavor: green, earthy

Use in: teas, soups, honeys

do not use nettle in cases of diarrhea. Nettle can cause mild diarrhea and excessive urination. (Because of this, it can be an effective remedy for constipation.)

Ways to use nettle: fresh leaves baked on top of pizza; fresh leaves in a pesto with oregano and basil; dried leaves in a stew or soup; dried leaves in tea/infusion; fresh leaves chopped into cream cheese for a dip

Hawthorn berry, leaf & flower, Cretaegus spp.

Flavor: mild, minty

Use in: teas, honeys, ices, syrups

do not use in: hypotension (low blood pressure)

Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis

Flavor: mild, lemony

Use in: teas, honeys, syrups

do not use in hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's); because it lowers thyroid levels, it can be effective in hyperthyroid cases (Grave's Disease)

Oats milky tops and oatstraw, Avena sativa

Flavor: soft, green, mild

Use in: teas, baths, pastes. The fruit (oat) is our

familiar oatmeal.

Linden leaf and flower, Tilia europa

Flavor: soft, green, mild

Use in: teas, honeys, syrups

Chamomile, Matricaria recutita

Flavor: herby, light, pleasant

Use in: teas, syrups, ices

avoid with ragweed allergy

Elder flower, Sambucus canadensis

Flavor: light, fresh

Use in: teas, syrups, honeys

Roses, Rosa rugosa

Flavor: mild, floral, lovely

Use in: syrups, puddings, ices, honeys, teas

Hibiscus, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Flavor: bright, tangy, pungent

Use in: teas, syrups, honeys, smoothies

Dandelion root, Taraxacum vulgare

Flavor: earthy, rooty, bland

Use in: stir-fries, soups, chai, decoctions

Borage, Borago officinalis

Flavor: sweet, light, floral

Use in: teas, ice cubes, syrup, smoothies, salads

Violet, Viola odorata

Flavor: flower is light and sweet; leaf is bland (the

leaf is the better option for tonics)

Use in: salads, tinctures, vinegars, syrups

Slippery Elm, Ulmus rubra

Flavor: mild, bland. Has a mucilaginous/slick feel

when cooked.

Use in: the inner bark is prepared as a decoction, or

it is powdered. Add to hot milks, cook as a porridge,

add to oatmeal, puddings, smoothies.

Holy Basil (Tulsi), Ocimum tenuiflorum

Flavor: pleasant, mildly basil-like, light

Use in: teas, syrups, puddings (as a tea base), honey

Amla, Emblica officinalis

Flavor: tart, tasty

Use in: powder blends, smoothies, honeys, hot milks

Raspberry leaf, Rubus ideaus

Flavor: bland, chalky

Use in: teas

Red Clover, Trifolium pratense

Flavor: sweet, floral

Use in: teas, syrups. Be aware it has phytoestrogens.

Enjoy experimenting with these herbal tonics and foods, and be sure to notice how you feel after using them, especially over a long-term period such as a few weeks. Do you feel energized? Sleepy? Well-nourished?

Document what you eat, when you eat it, and what happens afterwards -- both physically and emotionally. With careful record-keeping, you will become aware of the effects of plants and begin to understand how herbal medicine can be effective for your personal needs.

For more detailed chemistry, enroll in my course Herbal Actions or my 96-hour certificate program Herbal Medicine Foundations. To study how herbal tonics affect mental health, check out Holly's Integrative Mental Health Academy.