WHOLE OSHA ROOT (Masterwort) (Bear Root) Osha is also known by the following names: Osha root, Porter's Lovage, Porter's Licorice- root, Lovage, Wild Lovage, Porter's Wild Lovage, Loveroot, Porter's Ligusticum, Bear Medicine, Bear Root, Colorado Cough Root, Indian Root, Indian Parsley, Wild Parsley, Mountain Ginseng, Mountain Carrot, Nipo, Empress Of The Dark Forest, Chuchupate, Chuchupati, Chuchupaste, Chuchupatle, Guariaca, Hierba del cochino, Raíz del cochino, Washía (tarahumara), Yerba de cochino In the Jicarilla language, osha is called ha’ich’idéé. Osha Root (Ligusticum porteri) is a Native American herb from the parsley family. It inhabits in the southern Rocky Mountains. Osha Root has been used to soothe sore throats. Boiling the root into a tea may help loosen phlegm and is and is used for the common cold. Actions Anti-microbial, diaphoretic, expectorant Uses viral infections, sore throats Safety Information: Not to be used during pregnancy.

Osha Root Profile Also known as- Ligusticum porteri, Bear Medicine, Colorado Cough Root, Chuchupaste, and Porter's Wild Lovage

Introduction A native of the higher altitudes of the Rocky Mountains in the USA, the root of the osha plant is a traditional Native American treatment for indigestion and upper respiratory infections. The related Ligusticum wallichii has been used for nearly 2,000 years in traditional Chinese medicine, and most of the scientific studies of osha were actually performed on the Asian species.

Constituents Furanocoumarins, mucilage.

Parts Used Dried root.

Typical Preparations Teas, tinctures, encapsulations. Tinctures and extracts vary widely in concentration; be sure to follow instructions on the label. Also used is steams and saunas.

Summary Ancient Chinese physicians used plants like osha to "open the interstices" or sweat out a respiratory infection. Like its Chinese cousin ligusticum, osha will induce sweating, thought to prevent the development of a full-blown cold or flu. Osha is also used to help coughs become productive. Like other bitter herbs, osha stimulates appetite ("feeds a cold").

Precautions Not tested for safety for pregnant women, nursing mothers, or children under the age of 6.

Oshá (Ligusticum porteri) is a perennial herb in the Apiaceae (Celery) family. Commonly known as chuchupate, this aromatic plant grows in the mountain woodlands throughout the Southwest. The whole plant has been used medicinally, however the thick taproots are most highly valued.

Related species are used by indigenous people throughout North and Central America. The plants’ warming properties are used against the cold and chills. Many native people burn pieces of Oshá root as incense for purification and during ceremonies to bring singers out of trances. The roots are sometimes tied in a small bag and kept near a baby’s face to promote health. The Aztecs call the herb "acolotli", and use the powdered leaves of one species on cuts and sores, whereas the root of a closely related species is used for occasional stomachaches and gas pains. The Yaqui (Yoeme) call the plant "pawis" and, along with the Tarahumara (Raramuri) of northern Mexico, use Oshá tea for occasional stomach upsets as well as chills.

The Zuni Indians of the Southwestern United States use the root tea both externally as a wash for sore muscles as well as internally for ceremonies and various ailments. The Yuki Indians felt the roots could protect the user from rattlesnakes. The Chiricahua and Mescelero Apaches use the aromatic root with chilies as a culinary spice to flavor meat (hence one English common name, "licorice root").

Oshá roots were commonly traded among groups of native people, so tribes far removed from the geographical locations of the plants used the herb in their ceremonies and medicines. Oshá continues to be respected as a versatile and useful herb among the many different groups of people who use it.