Herb
Wood Betony
An old grounding herb, brewed as tea, traditionally used for tension headaches, nervous tension, and a scattered mind.
⤢📊 How it ranks (our editor score) — 78/100Tap to see the breakdown
🌱 What it is
Wood betony is a woodland-edge herb with spikes of purple flowers, traditionally dried and prepared as a calming tea.
📜 Where it comes from
Wood betony was highly regarded in medieval European herbalism, with an old saying suggesting people should sell their coat to buy betony for its wide reputation as a remedy for headaches and nervous complaints. Traditional herbalists dried the purple-flowered plant and brewed it as a calming, grounding tea.
✨ Why it's good for you
- May help ease tension headaches
- May help calm a scattered, wound-up mind
- May help support a sense of grounded calm
- May help provide a soothing herbal cup
🥗 Nutrition
Per 1 cup brewed tea (240ml) · about 2 calories
- Alkaloids and tannins
- Flavonoids
- Negligible macronutrients
Source: Nutrition estimate (per typical serving)
🥄 How to use it
Steep 1 teaspoon of dried wood betony in hot water for 10 minutes and sip when tense or for a tension headache; it pairs well with chamomile or lemon balm.
How much: As teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea →, 1 teaspoon dried herbA plant, or part of one, used for flavor, food, or gentle health support. More → per cup as needed.
Why it works: Wood betony has traditionally been used as a calming, grounding herbA plant, or part of one, used for flavor, food, or gentle health support. More →, with herbalists explaining that it eases tension headaches and a scattered, wound-up feeling by gently relaxing the nervous system.
Show full details & how to prepare it
Wood betony is an old European herbA plant, or part of one, used for flavor, food, or gentle health support. More → once so esteemed that 'sell your coat and buy betony' was a proverb. It's traditionally used for tension headaches and a frazzled, scattered, 'up-in-the-head' feeling... a gently grounding teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → that helps bring you back down to earth.
Ways to prepare it
⚠️ Cautions
- Avoid in pregnancy (it can stimulate the uterus).
- Large doses may upset the stomach or affect blood pressure... keep to modest tea amounts.
- Blood-pressure or sedative medicines may interact with wood betony's calming, blood-pressure-affecting action.
📚 Learn more
🌿 Deeper natural detail
🩺 The conventional view
💬 Ask Remy about Wood Betony
📚 Resource confidence
Based on mentions in health references
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