Weeds & Seeds Swap

Echinacea Purpurea plants, also known as cone flowers are actually something lacking in my garden. My mother has some beautiful plants that look just like the one pictured, the purple cone flower, known for the medicinal properties of enhancing the immune system.  (I use Echinacea and Golden Seal often for different infections, and during season changes to keep myself healthy.)

The plants are not hard to grow, and there is no excuse for them not being in my garden, so as I sit here with some snow outside and temperatures of 18 degrees, I dream of planting some in my garden when the warm weather comes.

I am so focused on the medicinal properties, especially of Echinacea Purpurea, that it took a visit to coneflowers.com to make me realize that there are many varieties and beautiful colors to these plants. Vibrant oranges, purples, pinks, yellows, reds and a variety of different petal shapes.

Generally the plants are not hard to grow, and though I prefer heirloom plants when possible, the hybrid varieties available are more suited to some gardens, or containers, as heirloom plants tend to get very large. I noticed that there were hybrid Cone Flowers from some of the top growers.

I hope you are enjoying this time of year when we dream and plan our gardens, do you have Cone Flowers in your garden?

Black Walnut, which goes by the botanical name Juglans nigra is not something many of us will be planting in our gardens, but if you have a tree on your property, you have probably come across the nut or hulls on your property. This hardwood tree grows in the US, Canada, Europe and even in parts of Asia.

Medicinal properties are said to be in the roots, leaves and hulls.

Greeks and Romans used Black Walnut for skin conditions such as fungal infections, and Chinese use it for pain in the lower to mid-back, constipation, asthma and other uses that show this plant has a number of medicinal qualities. It promotes healing of sores in the mouth and throat. It is also a parasitic.

What Science shows:

• The hulls are high in tannins which is why some use it to rid the body of intestinal worms/parasites.
• Studies in U of Missouri in 1960’s seemed to show it helped with blood pressure and had some properties that may have anti-tumor affect.
• Black Walnut hulls are quite high in Vitamin C
• Past studies with an extract form showed it showed it contracted smooth muscles of rat and guinea pig intestines.  Such activity is helpful in the elimination process
• Please contact me if you would like references for any of the above.
• Black Walnut can be purchased in capsule and extract form.

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

 Image from http://www.marietta.edu

We where in Maine in November of 2007 when this picture was taken.  It was a mild fall, and a very late one, if you remember.  We spent some time in the tide pools during low tide looking for sea creatures, and there is no shortage of kelp!

We spent the night in Kittery, Maine, and then headed out taking the Route 1 coastal route, absolutely beautiful spots to stop along the way, and then inland a bit to 95 to make quicker time, then spent a night in Bangor, and finally headed to our favorite location to spend some time, Bar Harbor and the Acadia National Park.  We had vacationed here many times in Black Woods Campground with our children, it was nice to see the old spots again and remember.

Once again, the garden isn’t the only place where green things are growing.

Kelp grows in both the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and other oceans throughout the world. It is a fast-growing plant, and the leaves have little air pockets or blisters in them that cause them to float to the top of the water.

Orientals have used Kelp for centuries to treat the genito-urinary tract. They have also used it to soften hardened masses such as cysts and tumors.

Kelp is a source of Iodine, when is helpful in treating Goiter and some causes of obesity. Historical uses include treating constipation, bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, indigestion, ulcers, colitis, gallstones and reproductive problems in both males and females.

What Science Has to Say:

One of Kelp’s main components is algin, a gelatinous fiber whose product include sodium alginate and alginic acid. Algin absorbs most nutrients and toxins from the digestive tract. This results in less blood and tissue absorption of toxins and a lowered caloric intake. Because of this, algin is able to help treat obesity, atherosclerosis, and is a blood purifier. I have a lot more I could write on Sodium Alginate, and if you’d like more info, ask, and I’ll post more in a comment. But know this, Sodium Alginate greatly reduces absorption of environmental pollutants and heavy metals…such pollutants contribute to diseases like leukemia, bone cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, anemia, and decreased production of blood cells.

I don’t want to lose you, there’s a lot more to share on Kelp, so I’ll add more in a later post.

Added 12/30/08 - I forgot to add the following on Kelp:

More Scientific information:

Iodine is another important constituent of Kelp. It is well known for its effects on the endocrine system. It stimulates the production of several iodine-containing hormones. Disturbed function of the endocrine glands is believed to be major underlying cause of atherosclerosis and subsequent heart disease.

Iodine is an important nutrient for the thyroid gland, which produces a hormone called thyroxin, which may be involved in the regulation of blood cholesterol levels. Metabolism is increased aiding in weight loss.

An industrial innovation for improving lipid metabolism has recently (actually some years ago now) been developed which prevents hyperlipemia and treats diabetes. The way it works is that kelp is fed to chickens which biologically incorporate its iodine in their eggs. The eggs are then a dietary source for diabetics and people with hyperlipemia. (of course this Nutritionist is wondering why the diabetics don’t just take kelp :-).

The thyroid has several other functions, and the thyroid is benefited by iodine which is found in kelp. Let me know if you’d like me to scan and email in pdf format more information, with the bibliography for the information provided in these posts. If you would like a fact sheet about any of the items marked in red, please send me an email. Thanks!

Milk thistle has been used for liver complaints for over 2000 years, Discorides, a Greek herbalist used it to cure snake bites - I know, sounds kind of like a snake oil story…haha…it’s not, this herb has serious and effective medicinal properties.

What Science Has to Say:

Milk thistle contains silymarin, a mix of bioflavonoids that have properties that protect the liver. German scientists isolated silymarin in 1968, and it is now one of the most researched and prescribed herbs in European medicine. It also contains high amounts of chromium, fat, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, tin and zinc.

How do the medicinal properties act on the liver? It changes the structure of the outer liver cell membrane, preventing liver toxins and poisons from entering the interior cell. It stimulates protein synthesis in liver cells which generates DNA and RNA, helping to regenerate liver cells, but interestingly, DOES NOT stimulate growth of malignant cells.

Salymarin also inhibits the enzyme lipoxygenase, which forms leukotrienes from oxidized polyunsaturated fats that damage the liver. As an antioxidant, silymarin is at least ten times more powerful than vitamin E. The gluthathione (GSE) content of the liver is increased with salymarin. GSE detoxifies hormones, drug and chemicals. An easy way of saying this, is that it is very helpful in cleansing the liver of environmental toxins.

Studies in Germany find that the herb is highly effective with few side effects. It approves use during lactation and pregnancy as there are properties that promote lactation.

There are several other studies I could share with you, and if you want the references for the studies mentioned, please so email me, I have them readily available.

This is a Myrrh tree, it is the resin of the tree that has the medicinal properties. It is a favorite medicinal herb of mine. This may not be something that will find it’s way into many gardens in the US as it’s origin is Arabia.

Myrrh is available in essential oil form and is associated with inspiration, strength and endurance, something Jesus Christ needed and inspired during his physical life on earth. Perhaps this was the symbolism behind this gift brought to Jesus by the Wise Men. I use a combination of herbs that is good for the upper respiratory system that contains myrrh, especially when I have a sore throat, as it has an affinity for the throat. I tried using the exact same combination that contained Golden Seal in place of Myrrh, and it did not work nearly as well in my case for an upper respiratory infection that involved the throat.  Though it is good to be very careful with a case of strep throat, it has been known to remedy this as well, but please, don’t use it for this unless you know what you’re doing…and especially in the case of children, take them to your health care provider if you suspect strep.

Mullein is a common site along the roadways where we live and in many parts of the country. The leaves are soft to the touch, which is why it is sometimes called “Velvet Plant”, “Donkey’s Ears” and other such names. In the late summer it grows a tall stalk, that reminds me a bit of a corn cob without the corn, until all the yellow blooms open.

The botanical name for the Mullein I am fond of for medicinal purposes is Verbascum thapsus L. It’s medicinal use is focused on the respiratory system. The ancient Greeks and Ayurvedic physicians used and use it as a cough remedy. During the Civil War, the confederate army is said to have used it for respiratory problems.

Historically, it has been used for such disorders as asthma, bronchitis, coughs, influenza, colds and tuberculosis. As I type this, my son is taking my absolute favorite herbal combination that contains Mullein for his allergies. It works like a charm. It has also been used to soothe the intestinal tract and acts as a very mild diuretic.

Scientific Support:

The plant contains two to three percent mucilage (polysaccharides, which absorb water) which provides the demulcent action (soothing intestinal tract). The expectorant properties are believed to come from saponin components. Other active substances include flavanoids and tannins. The German Commission Erecommends mullein for catarrh of the respiratory tract and describes it as a soothing expectorant. Scientists have found the methanolic extract of mullein displayed a strong effect against the influenza viruses A2 and B in chick fibroblast cultures and chick embryos. One source claims the mucilage in the herb protects mucous surfaces, inhibiting the absorption of allergens through the membranes.

As always, contact me if you would like me to send you the source information for these studies from my reference list. It is a lot to type here, but I have it readily available.

Click either of the links in this article to be taken to sources for Mullein and my favorite combination for the respiratory system

Thanks for reading!

People often think of Spring as a time of for cleansing…not only “Spring Cleaning” the house, but cleaning the body as well. I think of fall as another time of “beginnings”, parents are sending their children back to school and have time to start projects they couldn’t do during the summer months; churches are starting their fall programs; business owners find this time to be an inspiring time for their businesses; these are all examples of how this is a season of beginnings, a time to start anew.

What better way to begin the season than with a good internal cleansing, something that many should be doing on a regular basis. In some areas you may have seen advertising on television for “Dual Action Cleanse”, a natural, herbal cleansing formula that helps the body eliminate toxins from the digestive system. As a Nutritionist who loves medicinal herbs, I know the importance of ridding the digestive system of accumulated waste, and such unpleasant things as undigested matter and mucous build up in the colon.

Usually, after a good Body Detox you feel renewed energy, refreshed and ready to face the challenges of the new season to come. Visit the “body detox” link for more information about “Dual Action Cleanse” and to see the special they are offering right now.