With the back-to-school season in full swing, families and students face the familiar challenges of settling into new routines. Parents are busy juggling making lunches, helping with homework, and chauffeuring their children to their activities, while students, whether in elementary school or university, are adjusting to the demands of their academic lives. This stressful transition can make this time of year feel incredibly overwhelming.
Herbal teas and extracts made with plant medicine can help your whole family ease back into their routine. Here are our favorite recommendations on herbal medicine for the back-to-school season!
Battling the Back-to-School Bugs With Herbal Medicine
Returning to the classroom means kids’ immune systems are battling a gauntlet of microbes. And it doesn’t help that any stress they’re experiencing from getting used to their busy schedules makes it even harder for our bodies to keep themselves healthy.
You can help fortify their immunity and reduce their sick days by using these medicinal herbs:
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)
When a pathogen (like the cold virus) enters our body, our white blood cells identify the invader and signal our immune system to deploy a team of macrophages to eat the pathogens. Following up are the natural killer (NK) cells, another type of white blood cell that targets virus-infected cells and destroys them before the virus can spread.
Because echinacea’s alkamides increase white blood cell production, they can identify the organisms that make us sick much faster, so we feel better sooner.
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
We’ve sung the praises of elderberry’s power before, but it’s worth talking about again! These purple-black berries are incredibly rich in antioxidants called anthocyanins.
Instead of directly attacking infected cells, those anthocyanins inhibit a microbe’s ability to penetrate past the cell wall. If they can’t get inside, they can’t multiply, so our bodies have an easier time removing the invaders before they can make us sick.
Giving your littles a ¼-¾ teaspoon dose of elderberry elixir each morning throughout the fall and winter will help stave off nasty bugs and keep their immune systems alert.
Cleavers (Galium aparine)
If you’ve ever felt tender, swollen lymph nodes in your neck when you were sick, it’s actually a good sign because it means that your immune system is doing its job of clearing away infections. These bean-sized glands produce infection-fighting lymphocytes, so they kick into overdrive when you’re ill to make sure there are enough white blood cells to take care of the problem.
We love cleavers for cold relief because they are lymphatic, helping the white blood cell-rich lymph fluid flow and reducing that painful swelling in your neck. They’re also astringent, meaning that they can tighten up tissues to reduce inflammation in the throat and sinuses.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Calendula is a favorite for butterflies and an amazing immune supporter with antiviral, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. They’re also slightly lymphatic, like cleavers, so pairing these together helps stop the sickness in its tracks and brings a wave of white blood cells to sweep away the last of the infection.
Immune Support Tea Blends
We recommend teas for children because they may find the herbal extracts bitter. With this herbal medicine for back-to-school, you can turn their daily immunity support supplement into a tasty drink by adding a touch of honey and a squeeze of lemon.
Miss Anne offers custom tea blends and a selection of house recipes, so just let us know what you need!
Cold Season Tea
If your little one wakes up sniffling and achy, Cold Season Tea by Maypop has ingredients to help their immune system fight back. The peppermint is deliciously minty and helps soothe congested sinuses, lemon balm and elderflower are anti-virulent, and yarrow is an anti-inflammatory to alleviate aches.
Iced Immuni-Tea
Elderberry, echinacea, and hibiscus make for a bright, tart tea that provides additional vitamin C for healthy immune function. Sweeten with honey and serve it over ice with breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Lymphatic Cleanse Tea
For sinus drainage and sore throats, cleavers, calendula, and peppermint make a detoxifying tea that works wonders to help the immune system clear out toxins and open up the airways for more comfortable breathing.
Nature’s Answer to Stressing Less and Focusing More
College life is a stressful, exciting time, and as a parent, you want to support your young adult through these often challenging years.
One way to do that is to keep them stocked up on herbal allies that keep their minds sharp with a monthly care package or a Miss Anne’s Maypop Herb Shop gift card. We carry all of these well-researched herbs that have what students need to handle the pressures of higher academia.
Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri)
During those late-night study sessions, bacopa is one of the best herbs for giving yourself a cognitive boost without the crash or jitters of other stimulants like caffeine. It works by increasing our brain’s production of serotonin and dopamine, helping us feel calmer and more focused even when the pressure’s on.
Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica)
Students who deal with daily anxiety may consider adding a small perennial plant called gotu kola to their daily routine. It’s a member of the parsley family and has a long history in Ayurvedic medicine as a powerful brain tonic.
Gotu kola supports brain health in several ways, including increasing blood flow to improve oxygen and nutrient delivery. When our brains are well-fueled, they work faster and remember better, perfect for those times when your college student has to concentrate.
It’s also an anxiolytic, pulling down the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in our system. High cortisol tells our bodies that something’s wrong, so gotu kola’s ability to bring it back into balance gives us a sense of well-being.
Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum)
Adaptogenic holy basil, or tulsi, has medicinal properties similar to both bacopa and gotu kola!
Like gotu kola, holy basil helps regulate cortisol spikes and clear away the effects of chronic stress, such as fatigue and mental fog. At the same time, it also improves dopamine production, like bacopa, so we get more of the “feel good” hormone that helps us feel capable and mentally sharp.
The benefits don’t stop there, though! When lack of sleep and a diet of microwaved pizza damage the immune system, holy basil’s antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties can back it up.
Herbal Extracts for Your University Student
While teas are always an option for university students, they may prefer the convenience of a grab-and-go bottle of herbal extracts. Miss Anne mixes house-made blends lovingly crafted with synergistic ingredients. Still, if your student has allergies or is sensitive to certain plants, we recommend starting with an herbal simple—linked in the sections above—to see how they react. You can also order a custom blend for a tailored remedy.
Otherwise, here are our favorite extract blends for mental health support:
Stress Less
Our Stress Less Nerve Restoration Blend features milky oats to nourish frazzled nerves and soothe overworked systems. It is supported by adaptogenic ashwagandha, nervine skullcap for relaxation without sedation, and lavender to promote a peaceful state of mind.
Mind Mender
With holy basil, calamus, gotu kola, bacopa, and rosemary, Mind Mender Brain Tonic has all three of our featured herbal medicine for back-to-school, along with calamus to support memory and rosemary for improved circulation to the brain.
Sweet Slumber Sleep Support
When it’s finally time to unwind and restore with a good night’s sleep, Sweet Slumber Sleep Support combines California poppy and passionflower to calm the mind and ease anxiety while catnip and hops gently relax the body into a deep, restful sleep.
