Speedwell - Veronica officinalis
Speedwell, Veronica officinalis, is a beautiful sub-alpine perennial that has been used as tea and medicine. It contains tannins, saponins, and aucubin. Aucubin is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial.1
The substances in speedwell have both anti-inflammatory and astringent properties, making speedwell a good choice for irritated throats, skin, and mucous membranes. It is used in some herbal cough drops for the coughing, phlegm and as an expectorant.
It is bitter and can stimulate digestion. There is some evidence it is preventative for stomach ulcers and helps the stomach mucosa repair itself.2
It has a long history of being used for gout. Indigenous North Americans ate a diet of wild meat which can contribute to gouty arthritis, and they used speedwell as medicine. Studies have shown that Veronica officinalis inhibits Xanthine oxidase, an enzyme that contributes to uric acid accumulation and eventually gout.3
Dosing: Tincture 1-3 ml 3 times a day. The fresh or dried plant can be made into a tea or gargle which will impart a dry feeling in the mouth.
1Sharifi-Rad, J., Tayeboon, G. S., Niknam, F., Sharifi-Rad, M., Mohajeri, M., Salehi, B., Iriti, M., & Sharifi-Rad, M. (2018). Veronica persica Poir. extract – antibacterial, antifungal and scolicidal activities, and inhibitory potential on acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, lipoxygenase and xanthine oxidase. Cellular and Molecular Biology, 64(8), 50–56. https://doi.org/10.14715/cmb/2018.64.8.8
2Scarlat, M., Vl Şandor, M. Tǎmaş, and B. Cuparencu. "Experimental anti-ulcer activity of Veronica officinalis L. extracts." Journal of ethnopharmacology 13, no. 2 (1985): 157-163.
3Patrick L. Owen, Timothy Johns, Xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of northeastern North American plant emedies used for gout, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 64, Issue 2, 1999, Pages 149-160, ISSN 0378-8741, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(98)00119-6.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874198001196)