OSHA ROOT TINCTURE aka Bear Medicine ••• herbal extract to break up lung congestion and for allergic reactions

Osha root (Ligusticum porteri), sometimes called bear medicine, grows high in the mountains of Northern New Mexico and Colorado and has been used as a traditional medicine by Native Americans and Hispanic cultures there for hundreds of years.

Bears have been known to eat these roots, and people believe they are doing so for the medicinal qualities. (The root has a honey-sweet scent, so I wonder if bears are simply attracted to its taste, but who knows!)

Osha, taken in tea or tincture form, is most notably used to break up and clear lung and bronchial congestion. It is said to be the most beneficial herb for the lungs, as it increases circulation to the lungs and helps with acute and chronic respiratory issues. It contains the volatile oil camphor and loosens phlegm in the chest. It’s beneficial in this way for combating coughs and colds, as well as sinus congestion and any bronchial inflammation. The tincture can also be mixed with a bit of water and gargled for a sore throat. With antiviral and antibacterial properties, osha is said to support the entire immune system.

Osha root has also been used to counteract antihistamine response in the body and anaphylaxis. You can use the tincture topically and internally when treating an allergic reaction to a bug bite or sting. I have not used osha this way personally, but I often carry the tincture with me when I’m camping/hiking for this very reason. Anecdotal reports have said osha is as beneficial as using an epinephrine injection pen.

Due to over-harvesting in recent years, the osha plant population has become threatened, and unfortunately, it’s near impossible to cultivate it yourself because the conditions it needs for survival are so distinct (most notably, it grows at very high elevations in the mountains).

I have sourced my osha root only from companies that harvest ethically and from individuals in Colorado who grow it on their property.

Many years ago, I loved to brew osha as a tea and even burned it as incense for its sweet scent, but now I believe the most economical way to use the endangered plant is to tincture it. Because it is so rare and so sacred, I’ve grown to respect it so much more, and making a tincture of its roots allows me to extract the most medicinal properties of this plant while giving it a long shelf-life, so it can continue to be an important component to my medical cabinet (and yours) for many moons.

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Listing is for 1 oz amber bottle.

INGREDIENTS: Osha root, grain alcohol.

DOSAGE: 1-2 dropperfuls as needed.

Tinctures are perhaps the most convenient herbal remedies for traveling and can be carried on a plane or tucked into a bag or purse :) I macerate herbs in alcohol or glycerin for several weeks, choosing specific times to start and strain based on astrological signatures.

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This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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