ANTI-VENOM HERBS

 interesting material:

With the possibility of snake venom in our water supply I wanted to offer some hope. 

Black cohosh is an herb that works like an anti venom to all venomous snakes. If you think you’ve been exposed I would recommend black cohosh in tincture form, 10-20 drops 3 times a day for a couple days to rid the body of venom. *CANNOT BE USED WHILE PREGNANT* Black cohosh can stimulate uterine contractions creating premature labor and should not be used during pregnancy. 

Plantain is a weed that grows everywhere and is also commonly used when bit by a venomous snake as it draws poisons out of the body. You can eat it directly in large amounts if bitten by a snake out in nature and it will save your life. Though it’s best taken as an infusion (tea made by pouring hot water over the herb and steeping for 20 mins before drinking.) or in tincture form. I would drink at least 3-5 cups of plantain daily for a few days if exposed. Tincture would be taken at an approximate dosage of 25-30 drops every 5-10 minutes. 

Yarrow can also be used in combination with plantain as a tea to help expel venom toxins or as a tincture. Tincture dosage would be 10-20 drops every 10-20 minutes. 

Echinacea tincture to help support the immune system is also crucial. Dosage would be 1-2 oz immediately after exposure. 

I have also included photos from a book I had to read in my masters program called “Herbs to the Rescue Herbal First Aid Handbook” by Kurt King, M. H. 

A water distiller should also provide the cleanest drinking water possible, removing toxins before you can even drink them. 

I know berkey is a popular option, but I do not trust them. You have to dig very deep online to find proof, but there are countless people who have had berkey water tested, and the filters don’t work even half as well as they claim. In fact the fluoride filters have been shown to create high levels of aluminum in the water and only cut down the fluoride by about 30%. 

I have personal proof of the ineffectiveness of berkey filters. I make gingerbeer and kombucha and have for over five years. It’s always recommended to use distilled water as it’s the cleanest water when making these probiotic ferments. I began using a berkey and using that filtered water instead when making my kombucha and gingerbeer. I had the same starter liquid for YEARS for my gingerbeer with zero issues when using distilled water. Within three months of using berkey water my starter liquid was filled with mold and unusable. The same thing happened shortly after to many of my batches of kombucha. 

Since investing in a water distiller I once again have had zero issues with my ferments. 

I also started having some health issues after switching to a berkey that went away when I went back to distilled water. I no longer have a berkey and will never own one again. After a year of using one I was far from impressed, and often found the water tastes funny. Everything was installed and primed correctly so it was not user error. Again if you do enough digging there are countless accounts of people having their berkey water independently tested and showing that the filters are ineffective, and contaminate the water with aluminum. So buyer beware.