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An Introduction to Essential Oils Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts that are obtained through steam distillation, cold pressing, or other methods. These oils are known for their distinct aromas and therapeutic properties, and ...
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We offer a wide range of high-quality aromatherapy and essential oils, carefully curated from aromatic plants and known for their therapeutic properties. Our collection includes pure essential oils, fragrance oils, carrier oils, and bath oils, amo...
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At Napiers, we are committed to supporting women at every stage of their lives. We understand the unique health needs and challenges that women face, from reproductive health and menstrual health to fertility and pregnancy, hormonal health, and me...
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Managing stress, sleep, and mood are crucial aspects of maintaining overall well-being and mental health. At Napiers, we understand the impact that these factors can have on our customers' lives and offer a range of herbal and natural products to ...
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Alan is a fully qualified Five Element Acupuncturist and has been practising this wonderful system of medicine at Napiers Clinic in the West End of Glasgow for the past 18 years.
Angela practices Herbal Medicine at Napiers Bathgate, Edinburgh & Glasgow, as well as with the Napiers CLAID Clinic.
Audrey is a Medical Herbalist, graduating in 2007 with a BSc (Hons) in Herbal Medicine & Phytotherapy from Edinburgh’s Napier University and is a registered member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (MNIMH). Audrey is a practicing member within the Napiers CLAID Clinic.
As a fully qualified, experienced Holistic Therapist, Bettina works with clients on a one-to-one basis to establish an optimal treatment plan or therapy to best support your skin health and well-being.
Cat offers a range of massage including holistic, deep tissue, trigger point therapy, advanced sports stretching and pregnancy massge.
Claire is an experienced Western Medical Herbalist (BSc), a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) and works at Napiers online clinic.
Clare is an experienced medical herbalist based in the West Highlands of Scotland, home to deer, livestock, ticks, and Lyme disease. She works for the Napier's CLAID clinic on a Thursday morning.
Clare began training at Edinburgh’s Napier University in 2005, gaining a Bachelor of Science Degree in Herbal Medicine in 2009. She joined the Napiers Clinic team shortly after her graduation, initially working in the dispensary before beginning her herbal practice in 2010. Since then she has been a key member of our clinical team, working alongside Dee Atkinson in running the general herbal clinics, as well as heading the Baby & Child Clinic.
Cybele is a passionate Sophrologist and founder of Chamapola, Healing Yourself - Healing Together.
Dean is a Naturopathic Practitioner experienced in Nutrition and Herbal Medicine. With interests in nerve problems, cardiovascular health, digestive disorders as well as male and female reproductive system wellbeing.
Dee is the senior herbal practitioner at Napiers the Herbalists in Edinburgh. She runs a general medicine clinic with a special interest in women’s health, managing hormonal health and ageing. More recently, Dee set up the Napiers Long Covid Clinic to facilitate an integrated approach between doctors, herbalists and nutritionist to this new disease.
Isabelle has over 20 years helping individuals and couples achieve their fertility goals through nutrition.
Jill is a fully qualified and insured Advanced Clinical Massage Therapist offering Outcome Based Treatments
John is a friendly and experienced counsellor offering 1-1 sessions on Fridays at Napiers Clinic in Edinburgh city centre and online via FaceTime/Skype. He has worked in private practice supporting people for over 18 years and brings a wealth of experience.
Kate is a BANT registered Nutritionist who owns and runs the Edinburgh Clinic of Nutrition. She trained for three and a half years at Patrick Holford's renowned Institute of Optimum Nutrition in London and is currently studying with The Institute of Functional Medicine in the US.
Kim is qualified in Aromatherapy Massage and Indian Head Massage. Working with the needs of her massage clients led to a deeper interest in their health and Kim studied the BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine degree at Napier University, Edinburgh. Kim is one of the lead herbalists within the Napiers CLAID Clinic and sees many patients.
Kirstin is a fully qualified member of the Society of Homeopaths and holds an RSHom distinction in Classical Homeopathy. Kirstin qualified from the Northwest College of Homeopathy's four-year training course in Manchester.
Lynn is a registered osteopath and has been practicing osteopathy for nineteen years. She studied osteopathy and cranial sacral therapy at the European School of Osteopathy and graduated in 1991. Lynn has a background in physiotherapy and is trained in structural, craniosacral, functional, fascial and visceral osteopathy.
Malgorzata graduated from the College of Naturopathic Medicine where she studied Western Herbal Medicine and Naturopathic Nutrition /Diplomas in Herbal Medicine (2017), Naturopathy (2017), and Naturopathic Nutrition (2020). She is also qualified in KORE Therapy, Anmo-fu - 5 Element Abdominal Massage, Craniosacral Balance and Stress Release Therapy and Cupping. Her first degree is a PhD in History.
Margaret practices Naturopathic Nutritional Therapy at Napiers Edinburgh.
Mark runs the podiatry clinic, offering diagnosis and treatment of various disorders relating to the feet, ankles, legs and lower back. He offers podiatry, chiropody, orthotics and nail surgery.
Mary is a qualified therapist in Swedish, Indian and Thai Foot Massage.
Mary trained in Edinburgh, and has been working as a complementary therapist since 1999, holding diplomas in Clinical Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Therapeutic Massage and Hopi Ear Candling gained from the International Therapy Examinations Council (ITEC). She is a member of, and is fully insured to practice with, the Complementary Therapists Association (CThA).
Melissa qualified from Middlesex University in 2000. She runs a general herbal practice from her boat, The Herbal Barge, which is based on the river Lea in North London. Melissa joined the CLAID Clinic Co-operative to work collaboratively in an integrated and specialised context to support patients with long covid.
Mike is a body worker and NLP Practitioner who is passionate about working with the person as a whole; offering treatments that integrate body and mind.
Monica has a Masters degree in herbal medicine from the University of Central Lancashire. She is the research herbalist heading up the Napiers CLAID Clinic. The CLAID Clinic specialism is Lyme disease Borrelia burgdorferi and co-infections - crypto-infections Bartonella, Babesia, Rickettsia, Erlichia, Anaplasma, Mycoplasma, etc. A research herbalist is not the same as a medical herbalist and Monica does not run a general clinical practice. This allows her to focus on Lyme disease and bacterial and viral infections.
Natasha is an experienced and qualified medical herbalist in Western herbal medicine, a forager and mycotherapist. As well as practicing as part of Napiers' general herbal medicine practice, she also sees patients as part of the CLAID Clinic.
Nikki was awarded a first class honours degree in Herbal Medicine from the University of East London and trained at clinics in Glasgow and London. She was also awarded the Arthur Barker prize for her final examination grades. Nikki also has ITEC Diplomas in Holistic Massage and Aromatherapy. She is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists which is the UK’s leading professional body representing herbal practitioners. NIMH members follow a strict code of conduct and are committed to ongoing and continual practitioner development and training.
Ona Madorell is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist, graduating with distinction from the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM). She has further enhanced her expertise through a course in blood test interpretation and a postgraduate program focused on the microbiome.
Pearlyn is a licensed acupuncturist and a registered member of the Acupuncture Society, and is fully insured to practice acupuncture, tuina, cupping and moxibustion.
Rebecca is an Associate Nutritionist, specialising in gut health and women's health, from hormone imbalance to fertility, pregnancy and beyond.
Sara is qualified Medical Herbalist, Ayurvedic Therapist and Yoga teacher, holding an MSc. in Western Herbal Medicine from Middlesex University.
Satya trained at the School of Natural Medicine where she graduated with a Diploma in Healing Diets and additional immersion studies in Herbal Medicine, Healing Diets, Iridology & Naturopathy, Quantum Botanicals and Flower Essences. Satya has a Nonviolent Communication Leadership Certificate with Bay NVC and an MA in European Dance Theatre Practice from Trinity Laban.
Sheila is a Holistic Therapist who qualified in KCR in 2019 with the KCR Academy. After a long career in retail, an ankle injury led her to seek an alternative approach to healing.
Shona has worked at Napiers Clinic for 30 years where she has picked up a wealth of knowledge about various complementary therapies. She trained as a Food Sensitivity tester with The Health Partnership Company, where she was taught how to use the 3 point marker system.
Thanos is an experienced Medical Herbalist and practises as a Herbalist and Orthopaedic Acupuncturist at Napiers in Edinburgh and at Napiers Bathgate.
Wendy qualified in 2002 with a BSc(Hons) in Phytotherapy. Since then she has practiced in Fife, Angus and the Lothians. She is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.
The Cordyceps species used medicinally have traditionally been found growing on the larvae of moths and it used to be thought that they were parasitic. However, it has been suggested that they have a symbiotic relationship with their hosts, helping them thrive in extreme environments, such as the high Tibetan plateau, and only converting to their fruiting form on the death of the host insect.
Main active components– The ability of Cordyceps to increase metabolic efficiency and promote adaptation to harsh environments is largely due to the nucleoside derivatives (cordycepin, etc.) that it produces, which are also responsible for many of its unique health-promoting properties. In addition, polysaccharide fractions have shown significant immunomodulatory activity.
Traditional use– Because of its rarity, Cordyceps was traditionally restricted to the few who could afford it. Its main uses were in the treatment of asthma and erectile dysfunction, and as a tonic for the elderly and those recovering from long illness.
Energy– In the same way that Cordyceps species help their hosts survive in oxygen-poor environments, Cordyceps-based products are used to enhance athletic performance and endurance by increasing the efficiency of energy metabolism.
Studies in healthy elderly subjects using Cs-4 (3g/day) showed significant increases in aerobic capacity and resistance to fatigue, while other research has shown increases in energy output and oxygen capacity in sedentary humans taking C. sinensis and increased endurance in animals given C. militaris (2,3).
Asthma/COPD– As well as increasing efficiency of energy metabolism, Cordyceps provides valuable support for those, including children, with impaired lung function from conditions such as asthma and COPD, based on an adult dose of 3g/day (1).
Anti-viral– The nucleoside analogues found in C. militaris and hybridized cordyceps species function as reverse transcriptase inhibitors, inhibiting viral replication. At the same time, cordyceps’ polysaccharides have been shown to enhance the immune response to viral infections (1).
Cancer– Because of its combination of immune-modulating polysaccharides and nucleoside derivatives, many practitioners consider Cordyceps to be one of the most useful mushrooms for helping improve treatment outcomes in cancer, with cordycepin reported to induce apoptosis (cancer cell death) in multiple cancer cell lines, including: oral, bowel, bladder, leukemia, melanoma, multiple myeloma, breast and prostate (see notes).
Diabetes– Cordyceps provides useful support for cases of diabetes, with actions including: Triggering release of insulin, increasing hepatic glucokinase and increasing sensitivity of cells to insulin. Again, cordycepin and related nucleoside derivatives appear to play a key role in cordyceps’ anti-diabetic action and cordycepin has also been shown to suppress the chronic low-grade inflammation associated with diabetes (4-5).
Infertility– In addition to its traditional use for improving libido and treating erectile dysfunction, Cordyceps can be beneficial for both male and female infertility, with increases in steroid hormone production and improvements in testes morphology, sperm quantity and quality at a dose of 3-4.5g/day,6-8.
Kidney protective– The traditional use of Cordyceps to support the kidneys is backed-up by reports of improved kidney function in patients with chronic renal failure and speedier recovery in patients with antibiotic-induced kidney damage (1).
Hepatoprotective– Cordyceps can be a beneficial supplement for those suffering from impaired liver function, with inhibition of fibrosis and reductions in liver enzymes reported for liver conditions, including hepatitis and liver steatosis (fatty liver)9.
Notes – Nowadays the Cordyceps available in supplement form is almost exclusively sourced from commercially cultivated material, dramatically increasing its availability, lowering its cost and making it suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
The move to cultivated material has led to a number of different Cordyceps products being available:
● Cordyceps sinensis – Strains of wild-harvested Cordyceps that have then been cultivated on grain-based substrates (solid fermentation / biomass technology).
● Cordyceps militaris – C. militaris has long been a common substitute for C. sinensis and, as C. militaris contains higher levels of cordycepin than C. sinensis, it may even be that it is at least partially responsible for the reverence in which C. sinensis has traditionally been held. Now artificially cultivated and harvested as fruiting bodies. Sometimes called Cordyceps Flowers and known in Chinese as Yong Chong Cao.
● Cs-4 – Not strictly Cordyceps, Cs-4 has been identified as Paecilomyces hepiali, an organism isolated from wild C. sinensis specimens by China’s Academy of Sciences and selected for ease of cultivation by large-scale liquid fermentation technology.
Most studies have used 3.0 or 4.5g/day, supplementation of 1.5g/day can provide useful support for long term use.
Because Cordyceps has been shown to increase levels of male and female sex hormones, it may not be appropriate for those suffering from hormone dependent cancers (prostate and breast) and its hypoglycemic properties mean that it should be used with caution by those taking insulin.
1. Medicinal value of the caterpillar fungi species of the genus Cordyceps (Fr.) Link (Ascomycetes). A Review. Holliday J, Cleaver M. Int J Med Mushr, 2008;10(3):219–234.
2. Effect of Cs-4® (Cordyceps sinensis) on Exercise Performance in Healthy Older Subjects: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Chen S, Li Z, Krochmal R, Abrazado M, Kim W, Cooper C. J Altern Complement Med. 2010 May; 16(5): 585–590.
3. Effect of medicinal plant extracts on forced swimming capacity in mice. Jung K, Kim IH, Han D. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Jul;93(1):75-81.
4. Hypoglycemic activity of polysaccharide, with antioxidation, isolated from cultured Cordyceps mycelia. Li SP, Zhang GH, Zeng Q, Huang ZG, Wang YT, Dong TT, Tsim KW. Phytomedicine. 2006 Jun;13(6):428-33.
5. Cordycepin Suppresses Expression of Diabetes Regulating Genes by Inhibition ofipopolysaccharide-induced Inflammation in Macrophages. Shin S, Lee S, Kwon J, Moon S, Lee S, Lee CK, Cho K, Ha NJ, Kim K. Immune Netw. 2009 Jun;9(3):98-105.
6. Influence of Cordyceps sinensis on Reproduction and Testis Morphology in Mice. Shenzhen Journal of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine. 2005-6.
7. Improvement of sperm production in subfertile boars by Cordyceps militaris supplement. Lin WH et al. Am J Chin Med. 2007;35(4):631-41.
8. Upregulation of Steroidogenic Enzymes and Ovarian 17β-Estradiol in Human Granulosa-Lutein Cells by Cordyceps sinensis Mycelium. Biology of Reproduction May 1, 2004 vol. 70 no. 5 1358-1364.
9. Inhibitive Effect of Cordyceps sinensis on Experimental Hepatic Fibrosis and its Possible Mechanism – Liu YK, Shen W. World J Gastroenterol. 2003 Mar; 9(3):529-33.
Snow Fungus is an excellent mushroom for health maintenance and in its dried form is a popular ingredient in oriental cuisine, prized for its translucent appearance and crunchy texture. Learn more here.
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Spring is a time of growth and renewal in Scotland, and it is also a time for wild herbs to start flourishing. Wild herbs have been used for centuries for their medicinal properties, and they continue to be popular today.
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