Weeds & Seeds Swap

We’re looking at ways to enjoy the cool months of winter in climates that are not warm all year round…and I found another today, Saunas!  What a wonderful way to warm yourself, whether inside or out. 

Not only does this sound inviting, but there are health benefits…your skin is the largest organ on the body, and time in a Sauna, if your health care provider approves, is a perfect way to cleanse the pours, and flush out toxins. I was looking at a site with beautiful infrared saunas with many designs for both indoor and outdoor use. At the site that the “live link” above will lead you to, you will find a list of health benefits provided by using a Sauna, including pain relief (my aching muscles and joints like the sound of that), detoxification, and other benefits.

You can enjoy the outdoors in the winter in a snow-resistant outdoor Sauna…imagine enjoying the warmth of a Sauna in your yard, once green and colorful with flowers, now white with snow…the contrast of the cold and warmth of a Sauna is appealing to many. Prices are quite good, quantities are limited on some designs so visit soon, and the shipping appears to be free, at this particular site, so it may be a good time to take a look.

It has been a while since I focused in on an herb, not necessarily because it is growing in my garden, but because of my 20+ year fascination with herbs, and their culinary and medicinal properties.

This picture, used with permission, shows the bushy plant with it’s berries that goes by the botanical name ruscus aculeatus.  Years ago I remember an acquaintance using Butcher’s Broom and another product often used for oral chelation to save their legs, they were in danger of losing them because of complications related to diabetes.  I remember the person describing the feeling coming back in the legs as circulation returned, amazing memory.

Butcher’s Broom is native to western Europe, the southern states in the US, and in some areas of the Mediterranean.  Though it looks like a bush, it is part of the Lily family.

Historical Use Info: 

Information is available about this pretty bush with it’s bright red berries that dates back to early Greek civilization when rhizomes (a stem of the plant that is underground to which the roots are attached) were used for inflammation and the circulatory system.  Pliny, a naturalist from the early years after Christ’s death, used it to successfully treat varicose veins, if you believe his description of seeing the swellings become flat.  Other early uses include laxative and diuretic, rejuvenation.  In Europe it has been used medicinally for over 2000 year.  The more current herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper called it “the plant of mars” siting it’s strong cleansing and “opening” abilities.  The herb has been listed in Materia Medica since the 14th century, and as an approved therapeutic herb in European Pharmaceutical Codex.

What Science Says:

Scientists have discovered, while looking for new sapogenins, that it contained actives that were necessary for the synthesis of steroids. It contains ruscogenin, a steriodal, that is similar in structure to diosgenin, the active given much acclaim for it’s benefits in the herb Wild Yam.  Perhaps this is why it seems to have anti-inflammatory properties.

Other pharmaceutical studies have found that butcher’s broom has vasoconstrictive properties, which means it may benefit those with varicose veins, phlebitis, and hemorrhoids.  Also other properties in the plant have been found to reduce “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and may reduce coagulation of the blood…keep this in mind if you are taking blood thinners and giving thought to using this herb.

There is more that I could share, but must run, please know that you can contact me any time if you would like me to cite where the information comes from in my posts, I have that information…none is used without permission.

If you would like a fact sheet about any of the items marked in red, please send me an email. Thanks!

All the usual disclaimers apply…I’m not a doctor…do not use this information to diagnose…if you decide to use this for your own purposes you are responsible for the outcome.

The botanical name for this spiny bush, shrub, or small tree is Cratageus oxyancanthoides. Though it is native to the Mediterranean, it is cultivated worldwide. Wildlife enjoy it as a safe place to take cover, and as a food source. The bush flowers in the spring, and the berries are ready to harvest in early fall. They are used to make jams and jellies, and for medicinal purposes. If allowed to grow, a tree can reach up to 24″ tall.Back in Greek and Roman times, the herb was used decoratively for wedding bouquets, and the suspicious Romans used it in baby beds to keep away evil. Some records state that upon Christ’s death on the Cross, the herb became associated with death, as supposedly the thorns made up his crown of thorns, though He did have a crown of thorns placed on his head, I am not sure what type of plant it was from. It was the English herbalist from the 17th century, Nichlolas Culpeper who suggested the herb be used for kidney stones and congestive heart failure.Studies validate some of the benefits of Hawthorn to the heart and circulatory system. (I am realizing as I type this that in a day or so it will be February, a month that focuses on Heart health awareness.)

Scientific Info:

Hawthorn berry actives include Procyanidolic oligomers, or PCOs, which collectively refer to proanthocyanidins. These are plant bioflavanoids which, because of their chemical structure they are easily absorbed by cell membrane, and because of this, the protective properties are easily absorbed by our bodies down to the cellular level.

The term Proanthocyanidins as well as ORAC is quite popular with the many health drinks out there touting the benefits which include:

• Trapping free radicals and lipid peroxides
• Delaying the onset of lipid peroxidation
• Inhibiting free radical production by the enzyme xanthine
• Inhibiting the damaging affects of enzymes that destroy connective tissue

These protective properties in Hawthorn berries are particularly beneficial to the tissues of the circulatory system and protect against heart disease. Some of the benefits to the heart attributed to the herb include:

Stimulating peripheral vasodilation which lowers blood pressure and stress on the heart and increasing the flow of blog to the extremities.

• After the above, there is a mild dilation of the coronary vessels and then increased enzyme metabolism in cardiac muscle contractions
• Increase oxygen utilization by the heart
• It should be noted that in stressful conditions, the affect can be the opposite, please contact me if you would like me to send the specific studies.

Hawthorn berries are often suggested by herbalists for heart problems related to aging and degenerative conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, angina, and arrhythmia.

Cautions:

According to the book “Healing Herbs”, high doses of the herb can have a sedative affect, and are recommended for those with chronic insomnia, but amount taken should not exceed safe levels for cardiotonic effects.  And I will add that there are better herbs to use if you are dealing with insomnia.

If you would like a fact sheet about any of the items marked in red, please send me an email. Thanks!

As always, my Disclaimer applies to this, and all posts on this blog.

I’m sure you recognize this flower, maybe you’ve seen it along a roadside, or in a field. Maybe you’ve had some growing in your lawn and thought of it as a weed that should be removed. The white variety of clover was a common sight in our lawn when I as a child.

As with many plants that I used to think of as just weeds to be pulled and discarded, this one has some medicinal properties.

Like soy, this herb contains the the isoflavone Genistein.

Isoflavones are phytoestrogens that may benefit some with cardiovascular health, so this is considered to be an herb that may support the cardiovascular system.

I had hoped to have some scientific data for you, and will add it when I do, but historical use data is being proven valid by science over and over again. If you were to use Google or another search engine to look up Genistein, you would find a wealth of information…some attached to people marketing products and other scientific. You would also find pros and cons for the use of herbs that affect the hormones. I always recommend using herbs that affect the hormones with care. But Red Clover has been used safely by many for a very VERY long time. Do you homework.

You can click on the blog title to be taken to a source for Red Clover as a single herb, or you may be interested in it combined with other herbs that it works in synergy with, like Red Clover Blend, an extract that can be dropped right under the tongue, added to juice, or added to water as a delightful tea.

I thank you for reading today…and when your driving along the road, looking across a field, or stumble upon a weed in your yard…think twice…some may have to be pulled, others can be moved to a special spot in your yard set aside just for medicinal herbs.

Many of my posts are about the medicinal benefits of herbs, but this post, I’d like to focus on a medical concern that requires more than simple natural remedies. Whether you are working outdoors in your gardens, or working on your property and home, it is important to take time to think about your heart. In the summer there is outdoor work to be done that many undertake after spending a lot of time sitting during the winter months. In the winter there is snow to shovel.

I want to introduce you to a site that will help you to understand the risk factors, and other facts about the heart. St Jude Medical has put together insidecardiacarrest.com, a site that will help you understand the risk factors and warning signs of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), and what treatments, including Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators, are available. There are two video’s, one specifically about SCA, and the other called “The Human Heart“, both with information provided by an MD in a way that anyone can understand.

Visit today so you will be prepared to care for yourself and those you love.

Is it only in old movies that I’ve seen someone walk up to a soda fountain and ask for a Sarsaparilla?  Or a “Sasparilla” if you chose the common misspelling of the word.

The source of the delicious flavor in this drink is a vine, and the flavor is in the roots. These vines have long prickly stems and shiny leaves, and numerous reddish-brown roots. It is the deep roots of this plant that are harvested and prepared for brewing delicious drink, or tonic, with the flavor of root beer.

The vine grows in tropical areas, temperate zones, places like the Caribbean, and South American or Central America.

Medicinally, Sarsaparilla is traditionally used to support the circulatory system and the liver. It also has tonic properties and have been used traditionally for skin support. It may also promote normal digestion and appetite.

Click here for a source of Sarsaparilla in capsule form. Thank you for reading!

Claudia L. Meydrech, CN, Herbalist & ” The Happy Nutritionist“

Isn’t this a beautiful picture of an Amish farmer turning the soil in his Alfalfa field? Alfalfa is food for both animal and man. Alfalfa hay is used to feed horses and farm animals, we even used it to feed our our little pet guinea pigs.

But Alfalfa is wonderful for people, too. Like Aloe Vera discussed in an earlier post, it is an herb that many know about. It is able to draw nutrients from deep within fertile soil because of its deep root system. For hundreds of years the herb has been used in folk medicine for inflammation, arthritis, and rheumatism. Because the nutrient content is good for many things in the body, it is considered a body tonic herb.

Among the nutrients pulled up into the leaves from the soil, and taken in from the sun, are:

• Protein
• Fat
• Beta carotene
• Vitamins E, B1, B2, C, D and K
• Isoflavonoid phytoalexins
• Isoflavone phytoestrogens
• Alkaloids asperagine and trigonelline
• RICH source of Chlorophyll

There are studies that show that the herb reduces cholesterol absorption and the formation of plaque in arteries. The herb is said to have blood purifying properties, aids in some reduction of cholesterol level, and relaxes smooth muscles. It can help reduce blood sugar levels and help balance the good bacteria in the digestive system. (Contact me if you would like study sources.)

Alfalfa is the source of chlorophyll in something I like to add to my drinking water called “Liquid Chlorophyll“. 

Alfalfa is available on every herbal supplement shelf.

If you are interested in receiving a fact sheet about any of the items marked in red, please send me a request by email. Thank you!