LENTILS ( DAAL) - USEFUL MEAT SUBSTITUTE: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF LENTILS: TARKAY WALI DAAL RECIPE

LENTILS, DAAL IN URDU, LENS ESCULENTA or LENS CULINARIS

Lentils were gathered by our prehistoric ancestors, and were one of the first cultivated crops along with wheat and barley. Their origins are a little obscure and there seems to be some debated as to whether they originated in the Mediterranean region or the Near East, in Syria, northern Iraq, western Iran, southern Turkey and northern Israel, as the Lens orientalis still grow wild in these regions. Some researchers such as Daniel Zohary believe that the Lens orientalis is the predecessor of the cultivated lentil (Lens esculenta or Lens culinaris).

  Lentils are members of the Fabaceae or Leguminosea family of plants so are related to the chickpea, pea, green bean, borlotti bean, and others. Lentils come in a variety of colours, red, brown, green, black, white, yellow and orange, but all contain large amounts of protein and make useful meat substitutes. They also contain vitamins A, C, E, and K, lots of molybdenum, amino acids including choline, B-complex vitamins, B1 (thiamin) B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), pantothenic acid and B6 (pyridoxine). They are rich in minerals, containing magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, iron and calcium. They also contain Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids.

  The ancient Greeks were cultivating them in 6000 BC although they were deemed the food of the poor, as they were by the Romans, who made soups with them. Hippocrates (circa 460 – 377BC) prescribed lentils for liver problems and to keep old men virile (who would have thought that lentils would have been aphrodisiacs?). Interestingly modern research has shown that choline helps to rid the liver of fats, so helping it function more efficiently to get rid of toxins in the bloodstream.

  Aristotle (c.384-328 BC) ate lentil soup flavoured with saffron, which seems a bit wasteful, but saffron was thought to be a substance that promoted happiness, and with lentils thought of as aphrodisiacs, perhaps Aristotle had other things on his mind.

  Modern Greeks still eat brown lentil soup (φακες) especially during Lent, although it has never been a favourite of mine even when it is drenched in olive oil. They make a good fava though, but this is made with yellow split peas not lentils.

  In the Indian subcontinent lentils are common and eaten with rice or as in spicy soups. They are sometimes also incorporated into kebabs to eke out the meat. I love red lentils, soups, daals, lentil loaf, whatever; they have a nutty taste and go well with mushrooms.

  Lentils help to lower cholesterol levels and are a heart-healthy food. They can help to stabilize blood sugar levels and normalize blood pressure. Because they are low in calories and high in dietary fibre and folate, they are wonderful for people on a weight-loss diet as they prevent constipation and have anti-inflammatory actions so are good for irritable bowel syndrome sufferers and for people with colon problems. The vitamins and minerals they contain have powerful antioxidant properties so they can combat the scavenging free radicals which can cause damage to healthy cells and cause cancer.

  If you allow them to sprout, they make very nutritious bean sprouts for salads and stir-fries and you can do this by soaking them in warm water for about 12 hours, then leaving them to sprout for 5 days.

  If you grind dried lentils the flour can be added to cereal flour to make a protein-enhanced bread, and if you make a paste of lentils and apply this to old ulcerous wounds, it will cleanse them and promote new skin growth.

TARKAY WALI DAAL

Ingredients

250 gr yellow lentils, soaked in water overnight

2 onions, sliced thinly

2 tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

4 green chillies, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 inch ginger root, finely chopped

handful fresh coriander leaves

1 tbsp garam masala (See recipe)

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp chilli powder

salt to taste

4 tbsps oil

Method

Put the lentils in a pan with 4 glasses of water, salt, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander seeds, onions and tomatoes along with half of the chopped chillies. Cook on a low heat for about ½ hour or 45 mins until the lentils are soft.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the rest of the green chillies, garlic and ginger. Fry these until they change colour, then put them in the daal and stir well to mix.

Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with chapattis, naan or other breads.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

KOHLRABI - UNPREPOSSESSING VEGETABLE WITH LOTS OF HEALTH BENEFITS: HOW TO COOK KOHLRABI

KOHLRABI, CAVOLI RAPA, BRASSICA OLEAROSA var CAULO-RAPA

Kohlrabi, like celeriac, isn’t exactly the most attractive vegetable but it deserves to be more popular than it is in the USA and Britain. Its origins are a little obscure, and some say that the first documented description of this vegetable was written by a European botanist in 1554. This may be so, but Pliny wrote about a vegetable that he called “rapa” in the 1^st century AD. He also wrote about the turnip, which he called “napa.” During the year I spent in Italy I recall my boss being ecstatic when she could have kohlrabi on her pizza, she told me that this was grown in southern Italy, and was a delicacy in the region I was living in. This was cavoli rapa.

  What is undeniable is that kohlrabi was developed from the wild cabbage as was broccoli, brussel sprouts, turnips, red cabbage, kale, head cabbages and other Brassica family members. It was selected from cabbages that had good stems, and it is peculiar as it grows above ground, with its roots under the soil. Its name comes from the German Kohl for cabbage and rabi or rape for turnip, so it means cabbage turnip.

  Kohlrabi could have been spread throughout Europe by the Romans, but it might have been one of those crops that they kept to themselves. Whatever the case, it seems that this was developed in Germany and northern Europe and gained popularity in the 16^th century. It is said that it tastes better after a frost, when it has been bletted, like sloes, for example. It has a taste which is sweeter than most turnips, and is reminiscent of a broccoli stem or perhaps white cabbage.

  You can eat this raw in salads, if it is sliced thinly or cooked (thinly sliced on pizzas as my Italian boss liked it), as a vegetable steamed, boiled and mashed or stir fried, in sesame oil. You can also eat the green leaves which are rich in vitamin A and carotenes, and these young tops can be cooked like spinach or used to make saag. They can be substituted for kale or collard greens too.

  Kohlrabi contains hardly any fat, is low in calories and has no cholesterol, making it ideal for people on a weight-loss diet. It contains more than the daily recommended dose of vitamin C per serving and also is rich in potassium. It also contains Omega-3 and-6 fatty acids, the minerals selenium, sodium (not much), manganese, copper, magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorous and 11 amino acids. Vitamin A is also present in both the leaves and the vegetable.

  Kohlrabi contains isothiocyanate which is believed to help convert oestrogen in the body, and which seems to create a barrier against hormones associated with prostate and breast cancers.

  It is one of those unprepossessing vegetables that you can easily pass by in the supermarket, but it is very easy to prepare, and often, if it is young and fresh, doesn’t need peeling. Only peel the woody ones, and add them to soups and stews. Below is a simple Italian recipe to start you off on your acquaintance with this underused veggie.

SIMPLE KOHLRABI

Ingredients

Kohlrabi, cubed

olive oil

fresh lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Boil or steam cubed kohlrabi until tender – try it after 10 mins.

Drain and dry on absorbent paper, then dress with olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

HOLLYHOCKS - QUINTESSENTIAL ENGLISH COTTAGE GARDEN PLANT: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF HOLLYHOCKS

HOLLYHOCKS, ALTHEA or ALCEA ROSEA

Hollyhocks are the flowers that spring into my mind when an “English country garden” is mentioned. My great aunt had them in her garden in Worcestershire along with other typical English garden flowers, meadowsweet, poppies and for some reason a huge passionflower crawled up her door frame. These tall flowers are wonderful for children to play amongst and make for excellent screens in a garden. They attract bees and butterflies too.

  Hollyhocks are members of the Malvaceae family so are related to the mallow and hibiscus. They possess some of the medicinal properties of the Marsh mallow, and have been used as herbs to add to soups and stews, in China, although they are not very palatable. The flowers are edible, or at least the pretty petals are, which come in a range of colours. The plant is in flower from July through to the end of September, and seeds appear from August onwards.

  It is best to harvest the flowers in July and August when they are in full bloom and dry them on trays in warm air, at temperatures of 35º Celsius. These can be made into a tisane and used for mouth problems and sore throats.

  It is said that these garden hollyhocks were introduced into Britain from China via Palestine in 1573, but they were clearly known to mediaeval herbalists and to John Gerard, who refers to them as Malva hortensis (garden mallows). The plants originated in south-west and central Asia, and it is thought by some that the ancient Greeks used them for mouth problems, although it is more likely that they used the Marsh mallow and not the hollyhock.

  Mediaeval herbalist used them in this remedy for fainting spells or epilepsy perhaps, although it is highly toxic so don’t try it at home! They took hollyhock, wax, fennel, salt and mercury and steeped this mixture in water. This must have been a kill or cure remedy!

  Culpeper, writing his Complete herbal in the 17^th century had this to say about them: -

“This species of mallows is of the nature of Common Marsh -mallows, but less mollifying; it is mostly used in gargles for the swelling of the tonsils, and the relaxation of the uvula. All the parts of the plant have a rough and austere taste, but more especially the root, which is of a very binding nature, and may be used to advantage both inwardly and outwardly, for incontinence of urine, immoderate menses, bleeding wounds, spitting of blood, the bloody-flux, and other fluxes of the belly. It is also of efficacy in a spongy state of the gums, attended with looseness of the teeth, and soreness in the mouth. Dried and reduced to powder, or boiled in wine, and partaken of freely, it prevents miscarriage,

helps ruptures, dissolves coagulated blood from falls, blows, &c., and kills worms in children. “

  In Tibetan folk medicine the roots and flowers are used for inflammation of the womb and the kidneys and to stop semen being discharged involuntarily as well as to stop vaginal discharge. The roots, which are starchy, are used to stimulate appetite.

  The flower petals can be used as a food colouring and the stems have been used in paper-making as they are quite fibrous. The root is edible and contains vitamin C and some B-complex vitamins, and some minerals such as iron, copper calcium and zinc along with traces of iodine which is unusual and puts it in the same league as laver bread (seaweed) and rock samphire, which grow close to the sea. You can eat the unopened buds too as you can those of the kachnar tree.

  The hollyhock has mainly been used in medicine for its ability to soothe the mucous membranes and used for bronchial and respiratory complaints. The roots are good for such problems.

  The seeds can also be used in a hot tisane and are said to help reduce the symptoms of fevers.

  The tisane below can be used as a wash for skin inflammation or to relieve mouth problems and sore throats. If you use the flowers alone, then steep them in cold water for a few hours so that they retain their potency. It can also be used to help in colds etc.

HOLLYHOCK TISANE

Ingredients

2 tbsps of freshly picked flowers

½ tbsps chopped dried root

½ tbsps seeds

2 tbsps chamomile or lemon balm, chopped

2 pints boiling water

honey to sweeten

Method

Put the ingredients into a large pan and pour over the boiling water.

Allow the mixture to steep for 20 mins to ½ an hour and then strain and drink in small cupfuls, twice or three times a day.

This has Taste and is a Treat(ment).

 

 

JET- ONE WAY OF FINDING A VIRGIN (PHYSICIANS OF MYDDFAI)

Jet in its natural state

JET USED IN JEWELERY AND FOR HEALING

Like amber, jet is not a stone although it is classed as a semi-precious stone in jewellery –making. It has a long history of use as a jet necklace has been found which dates back to 13,000 BC. It was used as an ornament for jewellery in the Bronze Age and the Assyrians thought it a favourite of their gods. The Romans like the stone, and during their occupation of Britain after 55 BC, jet was sent from there to Rome.

polished jet

  Jet is the remains of prehistoric plants and is a kind of carbonized wood, or a type of coal. It consists of around 85 % carbon, around 10% oxygen, 1 % nitrogen and 5 % hydrogen. It is mentioned in the Anglo-Norman Sloane Lapidary which was written in 1243 and in that manuscript it says that a woman in labour should drink water in which jet has been placed to ease the pains of childbirth.                                                      

  The physicians of Myddfai had other ideas for its uses such as this one:-

 “If you would distinguish between a wife and a virgin, scrape some jet into water, and give it her to drink. If she be a wife, she will without fail pass water, but if a virgin she will not have a more urgent call than usual.”

jet mourning brooch

  Stones have been used for divination and healing as well as for protection, and jet, worn around the neck or in a purse or pocket has been said to protect from evil and was used particularly to ward off the evil eye. To the ancients it was “gagates” and the Exorcism stone.  It is said to be especially effective for Capricorns.

  New Age healers say that jet absorbs negative energy and stabilizes moods, but has to be cleaned each night in sea salt to keep it clean and able to function. They also use it to relieve migraines and pain at the back of the eyes, and believe it protects a wearer from violence.

  Traditionally it was believed that jet could cure fainting spells and that the person who could wear jet could control the four elements of earth, air, fire and water, so it could have been Prospero’s stone in Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest”.

  Queen Victoria popularized this stone as she wore jet while mourning for her beloved husband, Prince Albert. It is now associated with mourning and said to help in the grieving process.

  Jet is found in isolated patches, rather than in one definite place, like coal and may be found in pockets in rock. Whitby, in northern England is famous for its jet and a jet-jewellery business still continues there.

WHEAT - FIRST CULTIVATED GRAIN CROP: HISTORY AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF WHEAT

WHEAT, GHANDAM in URDU, TRITICUM AESTIVUM

Wheat was the earliest cultivated crop which our hunter-gatherer ancestors grew when they began to settle. Archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest varieties were grown in the Near East (Syria, Iran, Iraq etc) between 12 and 17,000 years ago. These were Triticum monococcus (einkorn) and Triticum diococcum (emmer). There are around thirty thousand varieties of wheat grown today, and it is the most widely used grain. Women were the first agriculturists and cultivated chickpeas, rye and then einkorn and emmer, according to archaeological evidence from the Karacadag Mountains in Turkey. The ancient Egyptians believed that the goddess Isis brought them wheat and barley from Lebanon in the Fertile Crescent.

  Varieties of wheat include Hard Red Winter, Hard Red Spring, Soft Red Winter, and White wheat (which is actually yellow).

 It is a member of the Gramineae family so related to barley,oats and other members of the grass family. Bulgur wheat and couscous come from wheat, and have been processed a little, but still retain most of their nutrients as compared to refined white flour, which in the US is “enriched,”  although the iron and B-complex vitamins that are put back in to the flour are not as many as those extracted during the milling process.

  Durum wheat is used to make pasta, and wheat is the grain that is most used in the production of the foods we eat. It is the basis for breads, breakfast cereals, and is good when added to soups and stews in one of its forms.

  The part of the wheat plant that we eat is the kernel or seed or wheatberry, all different names for the same thing. It is made up of three distinct parts: - the endosperm, bran and germ. The endosperm comprises about 83% of the weight of the kernel and is the source of white flour. This contains protein, carbohydrates and iron, the four main B-complex vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid and fibre. Bran comprises 14.5% of the weight of the kernel and can be bought separately, and can be added to breakfast cereals and bread as well as soups and stews. This contains fibre and a little protein along with vitamins E and B-complex ones with trace minerals and phytochemicals which have antioxidant properties. Lastly the germ comprises 2.5 % of the weight of the kernel, and is usually extracted from flour because of its 10 % fat content which reduces the shelf-life of white flour. This is, however a very good source of B-complex vitamins and minerals and is included in whole wheat flour. The main minerals contained in wheat are calcium, copper, phosphorous, iron and zinc, manganese, magnesium and the amino acid, tryptophan is also one of the constituents.

  Whole grains are particularly good for our health and have been shown to have heart-protective properties as well as cancer protective ones as they contain good amounts of nutrients which have antioxidant properties. White flour, on the other hand is of little nutritional value compared with the whole grain flour.

GUELDER ROSE OR CRAMPBARK, FOR HEALTH: HISTORY AND USES OF GUELDER ROSES

GUELDER ROSE, VIBURNUM OPULUS 

The Guelder rose is native to Europe and North America and was introduced to Britain from The Netherlands, having been cultivated by the Dutch in the province of Gueldersland, hence its name. However, it was known to Geoffrey Chaucer, who called it the Gaitre-berie in his “Nun’s Priest’s Tale” in The Canterbury Tales. In this tale he suggests that it was a laxative along with ground ivy. It is a shrub which grows to between 5 and 10 feet high and is a member of the Adoxaceae family of plants. (Formerly they were in the Caprifoliaceae family.) This means it is related to the Himalayan Viburnums and the elder tree..

  It is commonly known as Cramp bark as the bark of the tree is used to alleviate spasms of various kinds in traditional systems of medicine across the world. It contains coumarins which affect the uterine muscles and help in menstrual cramps and childbirth. In centuries past the bark has been used in tisanes and decoctions for nervous spasms and asthma, convulsions, palpitations and for the heart.

  In Canada the berries have been used as a substitute for cranberries, as they have a bitter flavour which improves to a piquant one when used in jellies and preserves. It is known as the High Bush Cranberry, but it is not a relative of the true cranberry. The berries contain vitamins C and K but are not good to eat raw.

  The trees produce balls of white flowers, before the berries, and these give rise to the name, Snowball tree. Actually it resembles an elder, and the flowers from a distance can resemble those of the elder tree.

  It is the bark of the tree that is used in herbal preparations, and this is either collected in autumn, before the leaves turn yellow or purple, and then it is dried for later use, perhaps to be ground into a powder. Alternatively it is gathered in early spring before the leaf buds open. If you cannot take aspirin, you should avoid any medications made from the Guelder rose.

  The bright red berries provide winter food for birds, and a red dye can be prepared from them. A red ink can be made from the dried berries. The Russians used to make a brandy from the berries called nastoika which was used for peptic ulcers. In China the leaves re used as a purgative, while in Japan a vinegar extract from the berries is used to treat cirrhosis of the liver.

  In the Language of Flowers the Guelder rose symbolizes winter and old age, but in the Ukraine it is the symbol of the fight for independence (the blood-red berries) and a beautiful girl is compared to it, so it has particular significance, and is used as a motif in traditional embroidery.

  The decoction of the bark is potent and you only need to take a tablespoon in a cup of water 3 times a day for cramps. This is made from 1 ounce of dried bark to one pint of water boiled, then simmered for 15 minutes.

  Another remedy and tisane for stomach cramps is to take equal amounts (an ounce of each) of Guelder rose bark, angelica root, and ginger root and three ounces of fresh chamomile leaves and flowers. Pour a litre of boiling water over these and leaves to infuse for 30 minutes, then strain and drink a small cup three times a day.

KALE - ANCIENT GREEN VEGETABLE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF KALE: KALE WITH PASTA RECIPE

KALE, KARAM KALA in URDU, BRASSICA OLERACEA var. ACEPHALA

Kale is a green leafy vegetable with ruffled, crinkly leaves which may be reddish as in the Red Russian Kale which was introduced into the USA from Siberia back in the 19^th century. The fact that it can grow in such a cold place as Siberia illustrates the point that it was a popular green vegetable in northern Europe in the Middle Ages because it can withstand severe weather conditions. It thrives in Scotland in the winter months and there it is called kail.

  In the UK its growing season is from October until March, although it is available all year round; it is most prolific in October at the start of the season. It is sweetest in early spring, but a good addition to your diet at any time of year. Although it grows well in cold climates it is in fact a native of the eastern Mediterranean and perhaps of Turkey. It also grows wild in Pakistan and is used in saag dishes.It has been cultivated and grown wild for millennia so it is difficult to ascertain where exactly it originated.

  This leafy green is a precursor of the ‘head’ cabbage which has been developed by human cultivation. It shares its genus with the cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and kohlrabi, all of which are Brassica oleracea variants. Kale fell out of favour when the cabbage became popular and has since been a second-class brassica. However it is packed full of nutrients and is another of Nature’s superfoods along with kiwi fruit and pomegranates, and of course, cranberries. It actually looks a little like spring cabbage or spring greens but they do not have the crinkly leaves of kale.

  My grandfather was very disparaging of kale, saying it was fit only for animal fodder, but we now know that it has 4 times more magnesium and 5 times more calcium than an equal amount of brussel sprouts, 17 times more vitamin C than carrots, almost double the magnesium content of spring greens and more folate than broccoli. When kale and cabbage are raw, kale has 7 times more carotene than cabbage too. Kale is low in calories and has no fat or cholesterol in it. It is at its most nutritious when steamed, even though it can be eaten raw. If it is steamed it has cholesterol lowering effects in the body.

   Scientists have identified 45 different flavonoids in kale and these have anti-inflammatory effects and also antioxidant ones. This means that the free radicals which damage healthy cells are combated and so kale can help in our fit against some cancers, notably, breast, colon, bladder, ovarian and prostate ones. The bioflavonoids kaempferol and quercetin are present and kale also is a source of Omega-3 fatty acids which are usually found in oily fish such as salmon and mackerel. As for vitamins, kale contains vitamins K, A, and E as well as C and apart from calcium also contains the minerals manganese, copper, potassium and iron; it also has the B-complex vitamins, B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin) and B6 (pyridoxine). Amino acids are also present, including tryptophan.

  The vitamins and amino acids as well as the minerals combine to fight the onset of Age-related Macular Degeneration which is responsible for poor vision in the elderly, particularly affecting women in the UK who are over the age of 60. The macula is a pot in the very centre of the retina which controls our ability to see close up, for reading and seeing fine detail. Kale and bilberries as well as carrots can help to prevent this or at least delay its onset.

  The Scots authors of the early 20^th century, J. M. Barrie (who wrote “Peter Pan”) among them and who wrote nostalgically and sentimentally about the older traditions and way of rural life in Scotland were called kailyard (kale field) authors, rather disparagingly.

  Certainly my grandfather was not the only person to look down their noses at kale, but it is very beneficial and deserves to be added to our diets.

KALE WITH PASTA

Ingredients

500 gr (1 lb) kale, large thick veins removed

2 small red onions finely sliced

4 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 small tin anchovies, drained and rinsed

25 gr pine nuts

1 glass white wine

6 tbsps olive oil

1 tsp chilli powder

salt and freshly ground black pepper

500 gr pasta (dry weight) of your choice, cooked

Parmesan cheese, grated

1 lemon

Method

Wash the kale and drain, then put it in a bowl with a little water clinging to it.

Heat 3 tbsps of the olive oil in a pan with a lid and when hot, add the chilli powder and onions and fry stirring for a few minutes. Cover the pan and turn the heat down low and cook for a further 7 minutes before adding the garlic and pine nuts. Coat these evenly in the oil and cook, stirring for 4 mins.

Meanwhile cut the kale into slices, about 2 inches wide.

Snip the anchovy fillets into small slivers.

Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and the kale and coat with oil. Stir well and add the white wine, salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the pan and cook on a low heat until the kale is tender, about 20 minutes.

After 15 minutes add the anchovies and stir well to mix.

Serve with the cooked pasta and grated Parmesan and garnish with lemon wedges.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WOODY NIGHTSHADE - TOXIC BUT BENEFICIAL: HISTORY AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF BITTERSWEET

WOODY NIGHTSHADES, BITTERSWEET, SOLANUM DULCAMARA

The woody nightshades are found around the world, the main one being Solanum dulcamara, and its many varieties. These are related to Belladonna, the spiny nightshade, Nipple fruit, aubergines, tomatoes and potatoes as well as the Physallis genus which includes the Chinese Lantern, the Cape gooseberry, tamarillo and tomatillo to name but a few. These species of plant have some degree of toxicity and woody nightshade is no exception as it has mild narcotic properties.

  Woody Nightshade is native to Britain as well as to the rest of Europe and also to parts of North Africa and northern Asia. It has been naturalized in the US having been taken there by the founding fathers for it medicinal properties. In the 19^th century and earlier its woody stems were in the British Pharmacopoeia, but in more recent times the stems are no longer used as they were. New pharmaceuticals drugs have replaced so many of the ancient remedies, and when plants are toxic, they have been easily replaced for safety’s sake.

   A variant of the woody nightshade grows in Pakistan and this is used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes and eye problems.

  The woody nightshade has heart-shaped leaves and its berries turn red when ripe, whereas those of Belladonna turn black, so it is fairly easy to distinguish between these two nightshade species.

    The Swedish botanist Linnaeus who gave the plant its Latin names was at first antipathetic towards it, but his attitude changed after he learned more about it and he decided that it was beneficial in the treatment of rheumatism, fevers and inflammatory diseases.

  The name dulcamara means sweet bitter, and is believed to be a corruption of the name given to this plant by herbalists in the Middle Ages, amaradulcis, bitter sweet. It is still called by this name in North America.

  The plant has also been called felonwort or felonweed, but this has nothing to do with convicted criminals. A felon was the name given to the sore, hard pieces of skin that sometimes grow around finger and toe nails. In older English, these were called whitlows, but the word seems to have fallen out of use, perhaps because whitlows are no longer common because we have improved diets.

  The woody nightshade was known to Theophrastus the ancient Greek physician and was in use in the Middle Ages, and has, over the centuries been used as a supposed remedy for many ailments. John Gerard the English herbalist writing in the 16^th century believed that it was good for bruises and internal haemorrhages and blood clots which were caused after a fall or a beating.

  The parts used in Europe are the woody stems, which are traditionally harvested in autumn after the leaves have fallen. These are then cut into small pieces and dried using artificial heat, not sunlight.

  The infusion or tisane is taken internally to cure skin problems including psoriasis, eczema and respiratory problems such as asthma. The measurements for this are one ounce of the dried stems to half a pint of boiling water. Let this steep for 15 minutes then strain and drink two or three times a day in wineglassful doses. This has been used for ulcerative colitis and bronchitis too. However I was not able to find any medical research to conclusively back up the traditional uses of the plant (as yet).

  Modern clinical trials have found that solanine from the stems can cause paralysis of the central nervous system, so this plant should not be used in home remedies. Studies have shown that the beta-solamarine present in this plant may inhibit the growth of cancerous tumours and have anti-cancer properties, but much more research needs to be done on this plant before results can be called conclusive.

 

  

THE STRAWBERRY TREE - NOT JUST AN ORNAMENTAL: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OD STRAWBERRY TREE

STRAWBERRY TREE, ARBUTUS UNEDO

You could be forgiven for thinking that the strawberry tree is so-called because its fruit taste like the strawberries which are ubiquitous these days, almost regardless of the season. However if you bit into one of these fruit expecting the luscious strawberry taste, you would be sorely disappointed, as they have a more delicate flavour, which may be an acquired taste. In fact the tree gets its name ‘unedo” from the Latin meaning “I eat only one.” This translation is open interpretation as it could mean that the fruit is so delicious that one is sufficient, although it probably means that the fruit is an acquired taste and one is enough. It is better tasting when cooked however and can be made into jams and preserves as it has a high pectin content.

  The strawberry tree is an evergreen and the flowers and fruit appear together in October through to December, as the flowers take almost a year to fully blossom. It can grow up to 10 metres tall, but is more often seen as a shrub than a tree in its wild state. It is a member of the Ericaceae family of plants so is related to heather and bilberries. It looks a little like a very red lychee when on the tree, but doesn’t have the same delicate flowery flavour and has an amber-coloured flesh. The fruit are ripe when they fall to the ground. It is native to southern Europe, northern France and south west Ireland, being found most plentifully around Lake Killarney, and grows in Lebanon and Turkey, where some research has been done on its properties and uses in traditional medicine.

  In Spain it has a special place, as it is on Madrid’s coat of arms along with the bear, and the fruit is used to make a liqueur. It is also used for this purpose in the Algarve in Southern Portugal, and the beverage is called medroñho or medroñheira. In some parts of Greece it is added to tsipouro which is a little like the better known ouzo.

  The fruit and leaves contain tannins although the fruit also contains pectin, so these are useful to treat diarrhoea when made into a tisane. The tisane made from the leaves has been used to lower blood pressure in Morocco, and to protect against and cure colds by the Salish tribe of Vancouver Island, Canada.

  Modern medical research has shown the leaves in particular to have potent antioxidant properties and one Turkish study “Antioxidant activity of Arbutus unedo leaves” ended by stating that the ethanol and methanol extracts of the leaves showed “Potent antioxidant activity”. This was published in Fitotherapia Vol. 74 (6) pp 597-99, with the research being done by Pabuçcuoğlu, a. et al., 2003.

  Another study by Lidia Mendes, Victor de Freitas, Paula Baptiste and Márcia Carvalho, 2011, “Comparative antihemolytic and radical scavenging activities of the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) leaf and fruit” Vol. 49 (9) pp 2285-91 in the Food and Chemical Toxicology Journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association, was possibly the first study to test the extracts of the leaf on human biological membranes came to the conclusion that the leaves possess more potent medicinal activities than the fruit, particularly as regards antioxidant properties.

  A study conducted by Moroccan scientists, Hassane Mekhl et al  published in February 2006 in the Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Medical Journal Vol.20 (2) pp 135-139 concluded that their results showed that extracts of the leaves were effective in treating high blood pressure, so bearing out the traditional use of the strawberry tree.

  Yet another study by the Turks, Hatice Ertabaktar et al, 2009 “In vitro Activity of Arbutus unedo Leaf Extracts Against Trichomonas vaginalis Trophozoites” in the Turkish Parasitological Journal Vol.33 (4) 264-65, concluded that the extracts of leaves from the tree may prove effective in treating those STDs which are caused by the Trichomonas vaginalis bacteria. However they are unsure of what constituent of the leaf has this inhibitory effect.

  The leaves contain flavonol glycosides such as quercetin and hyperin, (bioflavonoids) as well as juglanin found in walnuts, phenol glycosides including arbutin, lipids, tannins and vitamin E.

  Perhaps you should look put at the strawberry tree you planted in the garden as an ornamental and view it in a new light.