SWEET WORMWOOD, QING HAO - MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES

SWEET WORMWOOD, SWEET ANNIE, QING HAO, ARTEMISIA ANNUA (L.)

Sweet wormwood is a close relative of wormwood, (Artemisia absinthum), mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), southernwood, (A. abrotanum) and tarragon (A. dracunculus) to name but a few in the genus. They are all Asteraceae or in the daisy family of plants. Apuleius, who was a Berber living in what is now Algeria in the 2^nd century AD wrote that this genus of Artemisia got its name from the goddess of hunting, Artemis in Greek, Diana in Latin. He describes how she gave these herbs to Chiron the centaur who practised medicine, for the benefit of the human race. The herb centaury is named after Chiron.

  Sweet wormwood can grow to as high as 9 feet or 3 metres and rapidly grows as wide as 1 metre. It flowers in late summer and leaves should be harvested before these appear, to be dried for later use. It is native to south-eastern Europe and Asia and has been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine. It can cause dermatitis, so if you go to gather it wear gloves. Its pollen is highly allergenic too so if you are susceptible to hay fever don’t go near it when it is in flower. Its essential oil has been used in the perfume industry but could be utilized more. It is not, as its name suggests as bitter as wormwood, but if you make a tisane of the leaves, you may want to add some honey or stevia leaves to it.

  It is naturalized in the US where it has been used in wreaths for its perfume, and n Europe it is cultivated both for its medicinal uses and to flavour vermouth.

  A poultice of the hot leaves can be used to staunch a nosebleed, as well as to stop bleeding from scratched rashes, and to help boils and abscesses to heal. You can make a tisane of the leaves 1 ounce of fresh leaves to 1 cup of boiling water and allow this to steep for 10 minutes before straining and drinking. This can be used for diarrhoea, colds, flu digestive problems and fevers. It can also be used as a wash on skin eruptions and cuts.

  The Chinese had been using Artemisia annua for 400 years to cure malaria, before research was undertaken to discover how this worked. The plant contains a substance named artemisinin and derivatives of it are artemether and artesurate which were also studied, and these have been found to work to cure malaria, out-performing drugs to which the parasitical bacteria which causes malaria has become resistant. In clinical trials 90% of malaria cases were cured by this means.

  Then scientists began to consider the possibilities of sweet wormwood and artemisinin as anti-cancer agents, and their hunches seem to be right, as in vitro it has killed off breast cancer cells and those of leukaemia. This ancient remedy was known to the ancient Chinese, but lost in time until in the 1970s and archaeological dig uncovered old herbal remedies among which was how to remove artemisinin from sweet wormwood to help cure cancer. It never ceases to amaze me how much we have forgotten.

HOW TO MAKE GREEK-STYLE PRAWNS AND MUSHROOMS: EASY TASTY RECIPE

GREEK-STYLE PRAWNS

I hadn’t had prawns since Thailand, so not for two years, until the other day when I found them in a hypermarket. There were fresh mushrooms too, which were another treat, and then I found the Halloumi cheese although Feta is preferable for this recipe, but never mind! To make straight Greek prawns omit the spices, and use Feta with more oregano and a wineglass of white wine. Greeks don’t use mushrooms either. Here, though is the recipe I cooked.

Ingredients

1 lb shelled prawns

3 oz Halloumi or Feta, cubed

½ lb mushrooms (khombi), stalks and skins removed and diced

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 or 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 or 4 tomatoes peeled and roughly chopped

1 heaped tsp dried oregano

2 tsps cumin seeds

1 inch piece of cinnamon

1 bay leaf, torn to the vein, but intact

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil for frying

Method

Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds, ad fry for a minute, then add the cinnamon, onions and garlic, and fry until the onion is translucent. Stir so that the garlic doesn’t burn.

Add the prawns and stir. Fry until they have been coated with oil on all sides.

Now add the mushrooms which should soak up the remaining oil.

Add the tomatoes and wine if you are using, and the oregano, bay leaf and black pepper.

Cook for 20 minutes and then add the cheese and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Remove from the heat and serve with rice.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

BOG ASPHODEL ( MOOR GOLD ) - INFORMATION

BOG ASPHODEL, NARTHECIUM OSSIFRAGUM

The bog asphodel or bastard asphodel lives in swampy ground and loves the terrain of Ireland, where it is the flower of County Ross, Yorkshire and Lancashire in northern England. It also grows in other parts of the British Isles and is native to Western Europe. It is not a true asphodel, as its name, bastard asphodel implies, although it is a member of the lily family and distantly related to the other asphodels. It is a member of the Dioscoreales order of plants along with black bryony among others.

  In Welsh it is called Llafn y bladur or Scythe’s blade and also Gwayw’r brenin or King’s braxy (braxy is an acute usually fatal sheep’s disease caused by bacteria); in Irish Gaelic it is Sciollam na moná.

  The Latin name Narthecium comes from narthex which means (here) a tall umbelliferous plant such as fennel. Ossifragum is from the Latin meaning bone-breaker, and this name reflects the fact that people thought that eating the Bog Asphodel made cattle and sheep’s bones brittle and easily broken. We know now that this phenomenon was due to lack of calcium rather than because of the plant.

  The plant has yellow star-shaped flowers, with between 6 and 20 on one stem, which are followed by egg-shaped orange-red fruit which contain tiny seeds. It has two sword-shaped leaves. The plant can grow up to 40 centimetres or 16 inches tall. The fruit used to be used instead of saffron to dye hair and cloth, producing a pale yellow dye. In the Shetland Islands off the Scottish coast the fruits have been used as a substitute for saffron in cooking. The tradition of using it to dye hair gave rise to the name ‘maiden’s hair’ in parts of Yorkshire, where it was also called ‘moor gold’. John Wise from the New Forest in southern England, writing in the 19^th century called it ‘Lancashire Bog Asphodel’.

  It contains steroidal saponins as does Tribulus terrestris (puncture vine) which probably account for the fact that it has caused photosensitivity in Norwegian lambs. Eating the plant has also caused the deaths of cattle and sheep by causing liver and/ or kidney damage, so is best treated with care.

  However, it has potential human health benefits as it contains an antibiotic active aglycone which is being investigated.

  It is said that the Bog Asphodel has been used in traditional medicine to treat hernias, coughs, inflamed genitals, ulcers, and spasms when taken in a decoction with wine. The mashed root was also applied externally to affected areas. This treatment is not recommended of course and is for information only.

  

ASPHODELS, JACOB'S STAFF: HISTORY, BENEFITS AND USES OF ASPHODELS: SPONGY ASPHODELS RECIPE

ASPHODELS, ASPHODELUS RACEMOSUS AND OTHERS

Asphodels have always fascinated me since I read Homer and I bought many of them, which had been dyed through osmosis to blue, green and violet when I lived on a Greek island. Of course they also grow wild in Greece especially on the island of Crete where they have the yellow ones, Asphodelus lutea as well as the more common white variety,   A. fistulosus, which has leaves that give rise to its name of onion-leaved Asphodel. Asphodels are member of the lily family of plants, Liliaceae and although native to the shores of the Mediterranean and Central Europe are also in Asia.

Pakistani asphodel

  In Pakistan the rather straggly –looking asphodel (Asphodelus tenuifolius) is a common weed in wheat fields in the same way as the poppy and cornflower are in Western Europe. This one is native to Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

   The ancient Greeks planted Asphodels near tombs as they believed that they were a favourite food of the dead. Homer describes the asphodel meadows (άσφοδελόν λειμώνα The Odyssey 24:12) in Hades, the Greek Underworld and some have mistakenly thought that this was a happy place so have though that it was the yellow asphodels to which he was referring. However a closer reading of the text shows that he was talking of the white, somewhat ghostly asphodel, so William Carlos Williams, the American 20^th century poet got this right in his poem “Asphodel that Greeny Flower.”

   “Of asphodel that greeny flower

                        like a buttercup

                               upon its branching stem-

     Save that it is green and wooden

                        I come, my sweet,

                               to sing to you

                     …………………

     I had a good collection,

                        The asphodel,

                                             forebodingly

     among them.”

The flower had associations with Persephone, who was condemned to spend six months of the year in the underworld because she had been tricked into eating six pomegranate seeds while she was captive there.

  Hesiod clearly held the asphodel in high esteem as he wrote in his poem, “Works and Days”

    “Fools, they do not know by how much

      the half is greater than the whole,

      nor what great advantage there is 

      in mallow and asphodel.”

He meant that the mallow and asphodel were cheap, plain foodstuffs which had many health benefits, but the wealthy had no time for these foods as they considered them food only for the poor.

  The English Romantic poets and Milton misunderstood the meaning of Homer’s asphodels and in Paradise Lost book 9 line 1,039 Milton has this to say of the asphodel, implying that it was a flower associated with the sensual plants of hyacinth and violets:

  “Flowers were the couch pansies, violets, asphodel and hyacinth, earth’s freshest, softest lap.”

  In early English and French poetry the name asphodel was given to the flower we now call the daffodil.

  Asphodels can grow to around 3 feet tall and if they are cultivated it is for their roots, which can be dried and boiled in water to produce a mucilage which is something like reconstituted Gum Tragacanth (gond katira). The roots contain inulin, a starch and although the root contains some bitter substances, these are removed by boiling. Glue can be made from the bulbs by drying and pulverizing them and then mixing with cold water.

  The bitter roots have been used in traditional medicine to help remove obstructions which prevent the menstrual flow being normal, and they are also a diuretic and have antispasmodic properties.

  Asphodels are related to asparagus and asparagus racemosus, and scientific studies have found that the asphodel (racemosus) has antimicrobial properties which can prevent secondary infections occurring in cancer patients.

  The asphodel, along with horta (wild edible greens such as the mallow and dandelion) helped the Greeks survive the harsh years of the Second World War, as their starchy roots saved many from dying of hunger.

  Both Hippocrates and Dioscorides advocated that the asphodel roots should be roasted in the embers of a fire and then eaten mashed with figs and the shoot eaten fried; like a pakora.

  In Britain there is the Bog Asphodel, which is yellow, Narthecium ossifragum.

  Here is a Greek recipe for asphodel shoots, which is a kind of omelette.

SPONGY ASPHODELS

Ingredients

1 cup tender shoots, 1½ inches long

1 small onion, very finely chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsps cream or evaporated milk

salt to taste

olive oil for frying

Method

Make a cut in the asphodel shoots and blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes.

Mix the eggs and milk beating until well mixed.

Fry the shoots with the onion for a few minutes and then pour the egg mixture over them.

Cover the pan and cook over a low heat until the eggs are set.

Serve as you would an omelete.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

  

 

BELGIAN ENDIVE - THE TRUFFLE OF LETTUCES: HEALTH BENEFITS AND ENDIVE AND WATERCRESS SALAD RECIPE

BELGIAN ENDIVE, CICHORIUM ENDIVA

The Belgian endive is the queen of the chicory family, but is a very close relative of Cichorium intybus or chicory. These are the only two plants in the genus although there are variants of the endive (pronounce ondeeve as, after all it is Belgian). Both are members of the Asteraceae family of plants or the daisy family.

  There is a lot of confusion about these two plants, but the original chicory is the one whose roots are used as a coffee substitute or to flavour coffee. This one, the Belgian endive is more like a nutty flavoured lettuce, with which it goes well. It has a pleasantly mild bitter flavour. The Brits call the endive “chicory”, which further adds to the confusion, so if you look up a recipe for endive on a British website such as the BBC look for chicory recipes.

  The story about endive is a rather strange one, as it was apparently discovered by one Jan Lammers in 1830. Before he went away to fight in the Belgian War of Independence he had put chicory roots in his cellar, intending to dry them and roast them for coffee. However when he went to check on them on his return home he found that they had sprouted pale white leaves. Being the curious type, he tasted them and found that they were good. It took years to perfect their cultivation, but they were launched onto the Paris markets in 1872 and became an instant success, with the nickname “white gold.” In the world of leafy salad greens these are the caviar or truffles of it.

  So what do you do with them? You can do anything with them boiled, steam, grill, bake or use raw in salads with other greens. They go well with radicchio, lettuce, watercress and rocket (arugula) or with lamb’s lettuce. You can use the leaves as scoops for dips, or stuff the leaves with caviar, smoked salmon, seafood and blue cheeses for appetizers.

 They contain dietary fibre, so are good for the digestive tract and to prevent constipation and they are rich in the mineral potassium, as are mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, and figs, among other fruit and vegetables. Potassium is necessary for the normal functioning of the nerves and muscles, making it good for erectile dysfunction. It is also a blood pressure regulator.

  They contain a fair amount of vitamin A as do bilberries and carrots, which help the eyesight, in particular preventing or at least delaying the onset of age related macular degeneration, and cataracts as well as decreasing the likelihood of night-blindness. They also contain vitamin C which is found in citrus fruits such as lemons, grapefruit and pomelos, as well as tomatoes and broccoli among other fruit and vegetables. This has powerful antioxidant properties which can help boost the immune system and combat free radical damage to cells.

  The endive also contains one of the B-complex vitamins, B9 or folic acid or folate, which we need to synthesize and repair DNA and this is vital for normal growth and healthy red blood cells. This is also found in foods such as turnip tops, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts and bananas.

  Although a leaf is mainly water (95%) and has no calories, it is still good for us, especially when mixed with other things. Try this salad and see what you think.

ENDIVE AND WATERCRESS SALAD

Ingredients

1 head of Belgian endive, leaves separated

1 bunch watercress

50 gr walnuts

100 gr Roquefort, crumbled

3 inch piece of root ginger, peeled and cut into julienne strips

Dressing

olive oil

white wine vinegar

2 tbsps chives snipped

1 tsp mustard, such as whole grain or Dijon (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method.

First mix the dressing; you need 2 parts olive oil to 1 of white wine vinegar and mix by shaking in a jar. Then add the chives and a tsp mustard of your choice if you wish.

Put this in the fridge to chill.

Put the individual endive leaves on the bottom of a salad bowl or a plate and cover with the rest of the ingredients. Use the strips of ginger as garnish.

Serve the dressing separately.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

CHICORY - THE ROOT FOR COFFEE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF CHICORY

CHICORY, CICHORIUM INTYBUS

Chicory and endive are sometimes confused, perhaps because they are the only two members of the genus Cichorium. Endive is cultivated and resembles a tight-leaved pale green torpedo shaped lettuce whereas chicory looks like a tall dandelion, but with blue flowers not yellow, and its leaves grow at right-angles from the stem. It has similar properties to the dandelion too, but can grow up to 2 feet tall. In Britain the endive is called chicory too, while chicory, the herb is also called Succory which further adds to the confusion. Chicory is native to Europe, Scandinavia, North Africa and western Asia. It is cultivated for the root, but grows wild too. It’s a member of the Asteraceae or daisy family of plants.

   For centuries chicory has been used either as a substitute for coffee or as an adulterant to it. There was an outcry when the British government demanded that manufacturers stopped putting chicory root in coffee back in the 18^th century, although the practice has long gone out of fashion in Britain. However it is still going strong in New Orleans and can be found in some European coffees too. it is thought to counteract caffeine the stimulant in coffee.

  Apart from being roasted and ground to make coffee or to add to it, you can cook the roots as you would parsnips, although they are more bitter than these traditional root vegetables. You can boil them too and add them to sauces and gravies to give these a deep rich colour. The Romans used to add chicory leaves to salads, and use the roots as a vegetable.

  Chicory leaves, young tender ones, picked before the flowers appear in July are good raw in salads and the flowers can be used too as they are edible, although with a slightly bitter taste.

  The roots contain inulin and were thought to be good for diabetics, until it was discovered that inulin, a starch, is not retained in the body but tends to pass straight through. However a sweetener is now made from inulin and this may be used safely by diabetics.

  The leaves contain dietary fibre, so make a good mild laxative and prevent constipation and therefore piles, as well as having vitamins A, B-complex thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3) as well as vitamin C. They are rich in the mineral calcium and also contain iron. The plant also contains bioflavonoids such as quercetin and sesquiterpenes.

  It is best to use roots that are less than two years old and young leaves. They can both be dried after harvesting for later use, and it is best to harvest the roots in the autumn when they have finished flowering, so October would be a good time, in most countries. A decoction of the roots is said to be good to reduce liver enlargement, and it has been found that extracts of chicory have liver-protective properties. Traditionally the roots have been used for rheumatism while the leaves have diuretic properties. A decoction of the whole plant used to be given to people with gravel or stones in their internal organs.

The latex in chicory stems was used to get rid of warts.

  A decoction can be made with 1 ounce of the fresh, cleaned root, to 1 pint of water, boiled down to ¾ pint for liver problems and for the inflammation caused by gout and rheumatism.

  A poultice of the bruised leaves can be applied to reduce swellings and inflammation although for swellings, mallow leaves are probably best. An infusion of the root, 1 ounce of root to 1 pint of boiling water, poured over the chopped root and left to stand for 15 minutes can be applied to eruptions on the skin and to soothe irritation. Distilled flower water was used to reduce eye irritation and in Jacobean times the flowers were used to make a sweet dish along with the flowers of violets, called “Violet plates.”

  The seeds contain a soothing oil which is good for the skin and it is the seeds which have been found to have the most potent antioxidant properties in the plant. The seeds have proved to be liver-protective.

   The polyphenolic acids in the plant have antiviral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, immuno-stimulating and anti-oxidant properties and research has shown that the extracts of the plant could possibly be used to combat the HIV virus. It is also thought that extracts of this chicory plant could help with heart irregularities, although much more research is needed before scientists can prove that the extracts from the plant work on people.

  

HOPBUSH ( DODONAEA VISCOSA): USES AND BENEFITS OF HOPBUSH

HOPBUSH, DODONAEA VISCOSA

The hopbush is so-called because its colourful fruits can be used as a substitute for hops in brewing. It is native to the Southern hemisphere where it grows in South and South-East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and Latin America, as well as elsewhere. It gets the name Dodonaea in honour of Rembert Dodoens a 16^th century Flemish botanist, royal physician and professor. The name viscosa comes from the Latin which means sticky, referring to the texture of the plant’s leaves. It is a member of the soap tree family, the Sapindaceae and so a relative of reetha, the soap berry tree.

  In Pakistan it is called sanatha and the leaves and bark are used for fevers and to reduce swelling caused by inflammation and bumps. The fruit and bark have astringent qualities so are used to treat diarrhoea and to heal wounds externally.

  In some countries the leaves are chewed for their stimulant qualities, although as they contain saponins and the oil in them is cyanogenic, this is not advisable, although I’m told they spit out the leaf having masticated it well. Cattle have reportedly suffered liver damage after eating the foliage, although there are no known reports of this having adverse affects on humans.

   The bark is sometimes used in poultices for swellings and headaches and is added to baths. The leaves have pain-killing, wound healing and diaphoretic (sweat-promoting) qualities as well as being astringent and useful for skin rashes, toothache and sore throats. A decoction or infusion can be made from them and the liquid applied to affected areas of the skin.

  In some countries such as New Guinea they are used for house construction, as the shrubs can grow to 8 metres high, although they normally reach between 1 and 3 metres tall. They can also be used as live fences, and the wood is used to make cabinet, hammers and other small items as it is strong and durable.

  Modern research has shown that the hopbush has potential benefits as the leaves have been found to have anti-fungal, anti-diabetic (in vivo on rats) anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory anti-oxidant properties. They can also help to combat ulcers. They contain flavonoids and tannins as well as saponins and steroids and triterpenes, but further research is needed to discover exactly which substances have the most active beneficial properties.

HENNA ( LAWSONIA INERMIS): INFORMATION, USES AND BENEFITS OF HENNA

HENNA, LAWSONIA INERMIS

Henna is a shrub or small tree that is widely cultivated for its medicinal purposes as well as its decorative ones. It is the dried powdered leaves that produce henna hair dye, and the dye from this shrub is also used for leather and textiles. Unlike annatto it is not added to food. The substance that makes the red colour is Lawsone.

  The European Commission have been slow to approve the use of henna for any other purpose than hair dye because it is sometimes adulterated and when used on the skin has exacerbated already existing allergies. However it has been used on the skin at least since the Bronze Age in countries which include Greece (some figures on wall paintings show women decorated with henna). It is mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus which is a medical text from ancient Egypt dating back to the 16^th century BC. The prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and his household used it and it figures in the “Prophetic Medicine” book which lists medicinal plants and natural substances that the prophet used.

  Henna has been used by followers of most of the world’s religions including Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Zoroastrians among others. It grows from North Africa through to Indonesia, and was imported to Spain by the Arabs in the 12^th century. The Night of Mehndi (henna) is still celebrated in Pakistan and other countries on the night before a marriage, with the bride and her female friends decorating each other’s feet and hands with intricate henna designs. The traditional designs have become more intricate as the mehndi can be bought in easy applicators, and glitter and other colours are now also used to enhance the effects of this traditional body art. Henna has been used in this way in celebrations for millennia, and the Romans also used it for hair dye.

  In Pakistan villagers still follow the ancient traditions and decorate their horses, donkeys and mules with henna to protect them from evil and presumably accidents while traveling on the increasingly busier roads.

  To use it as hair dye you use 100 grams of powder to 300 mls of boiling water and mix this to a paste. Let this cool then apply the pulpy mixture to your hair and leave it for 30 minutes up to 2 hours, depending on the intensity of colour you require. Be warned though, if you have grey or white hairs, they will turn vibrant orange. In Pakistan I have been stunned by elderly men with orange hair and beards, and elderly women with orange hair who have let the white grow back. The donkeys look pretty though.

  The flowers are usually white and have a fragrance which is used in perfumes, and they are also steeped in vinegar and then applied in a poultice to foreheads to relieve headaches.

  This site’s owner used to use henna on his feet to relieve the prickly, burning sensation he gets in winter on the soles of his feet, but as it stains his feet orange, he has now taken to using turnips or kaddo which he says are equally beneficial. Apparently this remedy is also used in the Philippines.

  The roots are used in traditional medicine to treat gonorrhea and to increase a woman’s fertility, while made into a decoction they are used as a diuretic and for bronchitis. A tisane of the leaves and flowers is used externally for skin problems, rheumatism and taken orally for tetanus, epilepsy and stomach problems. The leaves are also used to treat leprosy, jaundice and scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) and a leaf decoction is used to regulate a women’s menstruation and to bring on a period. A decoction of the leaves is given to relieve abdominal pains after childbirth too. In some countries a tisane of the leaves is given to people who are obese to aid weight loss.

   I’ve just been informed that there is a traditional remedy for strong hair; you heat 250 grams coconut oil and add a handful of henna leaves and heat almost to boiling point. Then you leave to cool and store in an airtight container.

   The shrub (which can grow anywhere between 2 and 6 metres tall) is used as a live fence as some plants are spiny, and it can be helpful in preventing soil erosion. The wood can be made into small objects such as tent pegs, and is used as fuel for cooking. Animals forage for the leaves, so the plant is put to many uses. It is an ornamental shrub as you can see from the pictures.

Henna powder

  Modern medical research has been done on extracts from the plant and has found it to be antimicrobial and antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, antiparastic and antiseptic. It is thought that it could be employed for its natural antibiotic properties as some micro-organisms have become resistant to synthetic antibiotics. It also has possibilities for the textile industry as they search for anti-microbial fabrics.

  If you thought that henna was strictly for the hair, then this should make you rethink those ideas.

 

RUDRAKSHA-TREE FROM SHIVA'S TEARS; HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES

THE ROSARY BEAD TREE, RUDRAKSHA, ELEOCARPUS SPHAERICUS

This tree is an evergreen with white flowers in the Eleocarpaceae family, which is native to the Indian subcontinent and the Himalayan regions. It is said by Hindus to have sprung from Lord Shiva’s tears, and is used for its medicinal properties as well as for its spiritual ones by Hindus and Buddhists. It should not be confused with the Bead Tree or the Chinaberry tree (Melia azadarach). It is a symbol of purity, and the bead that is most prized has to be given as a gift by a holy person for it to work.

  The tree is especially valued for its seeds, which are made into prayer beads, or soften a person wears just one bead around the neck to protect from evil. There are several categories of seeds, the one most prized being the one with only one line on it, which is believed to protect the wearer for life against any accident. There is a whole site devoted to the spiritual side of the seed, Rudraksha 101 if you are interested in pursuing it.

  In Ayurvedic medicine, the seeds and blue fruit surrounding them (which gives rise to the name blueberry beads for the rosary beads) are used for all manner of ailments, including:- insanity, epilepsy, bronchitis, coughs, colds, neuralgia, arthritis, mental problems, insomnia, headaches, jaundice, high blood pressure, and fever. However this list is not exhaustive.

  The berry contains flavonoids such as quercetin and 7 alkaloids whose properties are under investigation.  In fact although there have been several clinical studies in vivo they have been on animals and more research is needed into how the extracts of fruit and seeds actually work to produce the effects they have on animals.

  The various extracts have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties and to be effective against fungal infections such as Candida albicans (thrush). They have also lowered anxiety levels and proven to be a mild sedative. They also have pain-killing properties. Studies have shown that they have anti-convulsion properties, and can relieve the symptoms of asthma and help with bronchial problems. They can also lower blood cholesterol levels and so protect the heart as they also show that they can lower blood pressure. They can relax the smooth muscles in the body and can help cure ulcers. Perhaps the main benefit we will eventually be able to gain from them is that they may be a useful anti-depressant.