The Medicinal Uses of Usnea

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any alternative or conventional treatment.

(The following post on Usnea initially ran as a series of three articles several years ago, the first medicinal herb I covered here on Prep School Daily.  Usnea and nearly 100 other herbs and natural substances are covered in Armageddon Pharmacy, available on Amazon.)

Some claim that Usnea, also known as old man's beard (among many other names) is "found everywhere."  It most definitely is not.  "Found everywhere" does not apply to deserts; indeed, Usnea favors moist environments, and it especially favors conifers.  If you spend a lot of time looking, you may find some in the desert, but if someone's life is depending on it, it's going to take a long time to find enough.  Usnea  does not grow in cities.  Which basically covers everywhere I grew up and where I live now, and probably where a lot of readers live.  But if you happen to live where there's a bit more humidity in the air, and there are some orchards or forests, and outside of the city, you might just find some right at or near home.  Otherwise you'll have to make a trip. 

For those of you who still have one last hurrah of camping season to enjoy before winter sets in, be on the look out for Usnea.  We gathered some ourselves earlier this month while camping at Lake Tahoe.  Tempting as it is to pick it off the trees, try only to it gather from downed branches or trees.  We really want to allow what's on the trees to continue growing.  The Usnea lichens aren't actually making the tree sick (so you're not doing the tree a favor by picking it off); they are a sign that the tree is already sick. Plucking Usnea off the tree just isn't socially acceptable (among herbalists, obviously; the rest of the world could care less) --kinda like picking your nose in public.  Of course, when gathering Usnea off the ground, don't pick up the stuff that's been all stepped on.   At any rate, it shouldn't take more than half an hour to gather a grocery sack full of it.  (Of course, it could take a lot longer--it all depends on the health of the trees in the area you're collecting.)  That's probably the amount that you want, especially if you had to make a special trip to obtain it.

Usnea barbata.  If this is what grows around you, you'll collect a lot very quickly.

This is Sugar Pine Point State Park in California, where we collected our Usnea. Yes, all that lichen growing on the tree on the left is Usnea.  It's not the barbata or longissima species, but it is definitely Usnea, and that is all that matters.   In fact, Stephen Buhner thinks the smaller tufted varieties exhibit a bit more medicinal strength. 

Why, actually, do we want this stuff as preppers?  I thought you'd never ask.

Usnea is actually a top natural antibiotic, and not in the sense that "Oh, well, if I run out of the leftover or fish antibiotics I stored, then this might work...," but in the sense that this is what many people, including doctors, are turning to as a means of eliminating bacterial infections. 

WOUND POWDER

First off, Usnea makes an excellent antibacterial wound powder.  Simply sprinkle the powder on top of your wound and then cover with a bandage.  That's it.  Seriously.

OK, a little more info then.  First off, you're probably going to want to be really sure you're actually getting the right stuff.  After all, there are like six hundred-ish  species of Usnea.  They're all good for medicine, really.  But some are nice and long, like the first picture, and some are small and tufted, like the lower picture.  Some are grayish-green (first picture), and some are yellow-green (second picture).  Apparently, you usually find only one kind and color of lichen on any given tree, but up at Bucks Lake this summer we found the longer gray-green and the shorter yellow-green varieties growing on the same trees.  So if you're comparing what you've gathered with pics here or online elsewhere, you've probably gotten the right stuff.

But just to be sure, because we are using this for medicine, take a few minutes, say ten to fifteen, and soak a little bit of your Usnea in some warm water.


Then separate out one strand and hold each end between your thumb and forefinger.  Now slowly stretch out the strand.  It should be a bit like elastic, and it should go back into shape when you release it.  If you stretch it so much that it snaps, you'll be able to see the inner white cortex, like a very fine white thread (OK, you should be able to see it if you don't need reading glasses yet).  Usnea does this; Spanish moss does not.  Usnea has a white cortex; Spanish moss has a black cortex.


To make your wound powder, place an ounce or so of Usnea (after removing other plant matter and debris) in a blender or coffee grinder and process until it is a powder.  If you look closely, you will see that you have a very fine green powder (the outer sheath) and fine white threads (the inner cortex).  Sift the Usnea through a fine mesh strainer to separate the powder from the cortex.  This fine green powder is what you want for treating wounds.  Don't throw the white threads away; they can be used for other medicine-making. (More on that in another post.)

You can either apply the powder directly to the wound and then cover it with a bandage; or you can put a layer of gauze down first.  In rare instances, Usnea may cause contact dermatitis.  If you experience any irritation, it's probably best to discontinue use immediately.  The dressing should be changed daily.  Within twenty-four hours you should see substantial improvement in the wound.

Package some of your Usnea in plastic straws to add to your medical kits.

Also, Usnea does not have to be made into a powder before applying it to a wound; the whole lichen can be applied directly.  It does, however, take up a lot more space that way.  Or you're banking on the idea that you will be able to find it when you need it. And that's something no self-respecting prepper would ever do.

Note.  Usnea, in addition to its attraction to bacteria, also has a certain affinity for heavy metals such as found in car exhaust.  So when collecting it, make sure you are at least 300 feet away from roads.  When we're trying to help someone who is ill or injured, it kinda defeats the purpose to expose the patient to heavy metals.  Just sayin'.

PART 2

In Part 1 of the Usnea series, we discussed gathering this fine herb and powdering it for use in wound management.  In Part 2 today we'll cover the preparation of an Usnea tincture and why you are really going to want to have some of this DIY wonder drug herb in your preps.

First off, let's discuss what a tincture actually is.  Herbalists have their own language and in the educational process it's kinda important to understand what they're talking about.  So here we go:

A tincture is a liquid herbal extract--you know, like the vanilla extract you use for making cookies and other tasty things.  In the herbal world, tincture generally refers to concentrated liquid herbals extracted by alcohol.  Alcohol is most often the solvent of choice because it is food grade and because (this is the important part) it can extract the herbal constituents that are poorly soluble in water (if you want your herbal medicine to do its job, you have to get the active compounds from the plant to your body).  The specific alcohol used to make tinctures varies by herb.  Some herbs have more water soluble compounds in them as well, so a lower-proof alcohol (i.e., one that has more water in it) is used to make those tinctures.

Other solvents to make tinctures for internal consumption include vinegar and glycerin, both of which have their advantages and disadvantages.  While alcohol has the benefit of being a premier solvent for both acidic and basic (alkaline) constituents, vinegar is effective really only for obtaining alkaloids.  Because it is acidic, vinegar can't do a good job of extracting acidic components.  Glycerin is similar to alcohol, but it is just not as effective in extracting active components.  But because it is sweet, it's easier for children to take.  Glycerin and vinegar tinctures are not as medicinally powerful as alcohol tinctures, so more of those preparations need to be taken to achieve the desired degree of efficacy.  Those who wish to avoid alcohol may think their problems have been solved.  Not so!  Remember, glycerin and vinegar are just not as effective at extracting the chemical constituents.  While this is fine if you are merely treating common colds and sore throats that are going to resolve on their own anyway, if you're dealing with a serious condition, say tuberculosis, you may be missing something critical.  And glycerin and vinegar tinctures have relatively short shelf lives.  Bummer.

So what to do?  Stay with me here, to the very end.  There are other options, I promise.

First off, let's consider the amount of alcohol actually consumed with a tincture, and the amount of alcohol consumed at other times, you know, when no one is looking.  Like chocolate chip cookie dough.  Tinctures are often administered in numbers of drops.  That's not that much alcohol, and it is definitely not tasty or desirable in any way.  My chocolate chip cookie recipe calls for two teaspoons of vanilla extract per batch of 36 cookies.  Using my dropper (and droppers vary), that works out to five drops per cookie, and I probably eat half my cookies before they're baked.  What about you?

How about smoothies?  In our house, we add a teaspoon or two of vanilla per quart of smoothie.  Going on the conservative side for estimation's sake here, we'll use one teaspoon per quart, and that works out to 1/4 teaspoon per one cup serving of smoothie.  And we never even give a thought to the amount of alcohol we're consuming in these situations.

Now consider that you could be trying to save a life.  Is the amount of alcohol in a few drops or 1/4 teaspoon excessive?  OK, I understand.  Really.  It still makes me uncomfortable.  Not to mention it still tastes really nasty.  So here's one more work-around since the vinegar and glycerin tincture solutions to the alcohol problem failed you.  Add your drops of alcohol-based tincture to very hot water and let sit.  Alcohol boils off/evaporates.  Voila!

TINCTURE

Now back to Usnea.  As stated in Part 1, Usnea is really good stuff for treating wounds.  But it is so much more.  Usnea tincture can be used to treat skin infections and abscesses (you don't even take it internally in this case), vaginal and fungal infections (well, kinda, but at least you didn't ingest it), and upper respiratory infections (well, same).  However, that's not all.  It's effective against MRSA.  Even more remarkable is that it eliminates tuberculosis.  And not just the tuberculosis of 100-140 years ago that every immigrant into this country was screened for at Ellis Island and Angel Island, and that could be easily cured with antibiotics a few decades ago.  It kills the antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis that we apparently no longer screen immigrants for, but seem to be welcoming with open arms.  That tuberculosis.

Are you interested now?  I thought so.

The instructions for making Usnea tincture come from Stephen Harrod Buhner's Herbal Antibiotics book (reviewed here), which I very highly recommend.  The following directions come directly from Stephen Buhner's book:

Again, the immune-stimulating polysaccharides are most efficiently extracted with heat. To do this, when you are making your tincture, heat the herb first in the water you are going to use for tincturing. The best way is in a slow cooker (or, failing that, on low heat, covered, overnight in the oven).

Use a tincture ratio of 1:5 (1 part herb to 5 parts liquid). The liquid should be composed of half water and half pure grain alcohol. So if you have 5 ounces of herb, you will use 25 ounces of liquid—12.5 of water, 12.5 of alcohol.

Put the powdered herb in the slow cooker, add the 12.5 ounces of water, and stir well. It will turn into a kind of mush. Cover and then cook on low heat for 48 hours. Let cool enough to work with it without burning yourself, then pour into a heat-tolerant jar (Mason or equivalent), add the alcohol when the mix is still warm but not hot, and then put on the lid and shake well. Let macerate for 2 weeks, then decant and strain out the herb. Bottle and store out of the light.


As indicated above, Usnea is one of the herbs that should be extracted with pure grain alcohol (95% or 190-proof).  That's the truly hard stuff.  It's sold under the name of Everclear or Mohawk.  I'd never bought coffee or Coke in my entire life, let alone anything alcoholic (except vanilla extract and the like), so buying Everclear was going to be a real trip.  I remembered talk from kids in high school about getting Everclear.  I never really paid attention, though I understood from their conversation that it was powerful. (Even the folks at Everclear say it is not to be consumed alone, but should be mixed with something.)  I searched the alcohol aisles of all the local grocery and drug stores for Everclear to no avail.

I was getting ready to make my first trip ever into a dedicated liquor store when I read online that Nevada prohibits the sale of Everclear within the state.  WTH?!  We have legalized gambling, pot, and prostitution, but no Everclear.  And neighboring Utah, which prohibits gambling, pot, and prostitution, does sell Everclear.

Talk about irony.

PART 3

The previous posts on Usnea covered harvesting this little botanical wonder and then processing it into a wound powder or tincture.  For the vast majority of conditions for which you would use an Usnea tincture, you're going to want to have this already prepared and ready to use.  You can't just tell your sinus infection or athlete's foot to go away and return in six weeks when your tincture is ready.

The tincture dosage for acute conditions is 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, three to six times daily.  It is taken internally to treat urinary tract infections; gastric ulcers, especially those due to Helicobacter pylori; tuberculosis; thyroid cancer; pneumonia, coughs and colds.  Most of these conditions are or can become very serious and a qualified health practitioner should be consulted before beginning any therapy. 

While Usnea has been traditionally used in China to treat tuberculosis, there is precious little in the way of scientific research in using the whole herb to treat disease.   Most studies focus on usnic acid or sodium usnate, the active constituents that Big Pharma wants to extract so that they can patent it and make Big Bucks.  The Chinese have conducted a few clinical studies.  In one trial of 30 patients with tuberculosis, 24 were cured and 6 exhibited varying degrees of improvement.  Treatment lasted just over seven weeks.  Chronic bronchitis in over 200 patients was also effectively treated with sodium usnate or usnic acid. 

For sinus infections (many of which are not actually bacterial, so your leftover antibiotics aren't going to work anyway) put 10 drops into one ounce of water in a nasal spray bottle (got mine on Amazon).  Use as needed.

The tincture can be used topically to treat ringworm, athlete's foot, mastitis, boils, and impetigo.

For vaginal infections, dilute one tablespoon of tincture in one pint of water.  Douche morning and night for three days.

For impetigo (strep and staph infections of the skin), ringworm, athlete's foot, mastitis, boils, burns, skin wounds, etc., put the undiluted tincture (for impetigo) or a 1:1 (for everything else) dilution of the tincture on a cotton ball and wash the affected area morning and night until resolved and another day or two beyond.

For sore or strep throat put a dropperful in a glass of water and gargle several times each day.

TEA

Usnea can also be prepared as a tea or infusion.  Because it is only partially soluble in water, the active constituents (the stuff that's going to make you well) are best extracted in alcohol (hence, its popularity for use in alcohol tinctures).  For each six-ounce cup of tea, put 1 teaspoon of herb (whole herb) in a bowl and wet it with alcohol and cover.  Let sit for 30-60 minutes.   Then add hot water and let steep, covered, for 15-30 minutes.  Drink one quart per day for acute illness.

SALVE

Infuse powdered Usnea, (just the fine green powder, not the white threads) in olive or coconut oil.  Let sit for two weeks, then strain out the Usnea.  Melt beeswax and add enough to make salve of your desired consistency.  This salve is just for promoting healing, not for treating infections.

Studies demonstrate that Usnea is better than penicillin for treating bacterial infections.  And it doesn't harm beneficial intestinal bacteria.  It often performs better than metronidazole (Flagyl) as well. Usnea is not effective against cholera, typhoid, or salmonella.

Usnea also displays great anti-viral activity against herpes simplex and Epstein-Barr infections.  For many conditions, Usnea is best used in a formula.

Contraindications:  Do not use internally during pregnancy.  May cause skin irritation.

Interactions:  Usnea is synergistic with clarithromycin.[1]

Other uses for Usnea:  Dye, fire starter, food (bread and porridge).  

For further reading:
http://tipsdiscover.com/health/herbal-antibiotics-the-localized-non-systemics-usnea/
https://www.christopherhobbs.com/wp-website/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Usnea-booklet-text.pdf
https://www.offgridquest.com/health-nutrition/usnea-medicinal-herb-of-the-forest
https://thenaturopathicherbalist.com/herbs/t-u/usnea-barbata/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19683421
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22865029
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17291738
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5955472/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6388510/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6406502/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5739313/

[1]  Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antibiotics, 2012, 197. 

1 may 2023