BUTTER NUT TREE WITH MAHUA FLOWERS: SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR TRADITIONAL USES - HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF THE BUTTER NUT TREE

BUTTER NUT TREE, MAHUA, MADHUCA LONGIFOLIA 

The butter nut tree is an evergreen or semi-evergreen tree with a dense canopy, which grows in forests in the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka. It is cultivated in warm climates for its oil-bearing seeds, although traditionally the flowers of the mahua tree have been and are used and gathered for the brewing industry and for use in medicine (see post on Mahua flowers). The tree is a member of the Sapotaceae family and as such is related to the African Shea tree, which is also famous for its shea butter. A synonym which is accepted for this tree is Madhuca indica, although there are others which are not accepted by the world’s experts.

   The “butter” from the butter nut tree comes from its oil-producing seeds, and this is used as an edible oil in some parts of India. The seed cake which remains after extracting the oil is unsuitable for animal feed because of the saponins it contains but can be used to make soap. The tree starts to produce flowers and fruit when it is ten years old and it is estimated that it can produce 90 kilos of flowers per annum. It continues to be productive until it is approximately a hundred years old.

  The flowers are a yellow-white, which when ripe and fallen give place to an oval fruit which is initially green and then yellow when ripe. It ripens between May and September, depending on which part of the subcontinent the trees are in. The flesh is eaten as a vegetable, and the one to four seeds it contains can be pressed to obtain oil. Currently this is being studied for its potential as biodiesel. (Biomass and Bioenergy Vol. 35 (4) April 2011, pp.1539-44, Sangita Yadau et al. “Prospects and potential of Madhuca longifolia (Koenig) J f Macbride for nutritional and industrial purposes”. This concludes that as the seed oil contains palmitic, oleic, linoleic and stearic fatty acids it has both nutritional and industrial possibilities.)

  One study has shown that the ‘butter’ from these seeds has more free radical scavenging power than that of extra-virgin olive oil. There are studies underway which are investigating the cytotoxicity properties of the ethanol extract of the seeds and their oil.

  Apart from the flowers the other aerial parts of this butter nut tree have medicinal properties and have been the subject of some clinical trials which have set out to determine if the traditional medicinal uses of this tree have any basis in scientific fact.

  The powdered outer layer of bark is mixed with ghee and honey is used to enhance male libido, so is thought to be an aphrodisiac. The powdered bark is also mixed with long pepper and other ingredients to use as nasal drops for sinusitis and for epilepsy. The seed saponins have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties, and traditionally it has been massaged into joints to relieve the pain of rheumatism and arthritis. The bark is used in a variety of preparations to relieve itching, swellings, fractures, and for snake bites - externally. Internally it is used to treat diabetes mellitus.

  The heartwood of the tree has been used in traditional medicine systems for seizures. One study published in Pharmacognosy Communicatuions, 2011, Vol.1 (2) pp. 18-22 by Sandip Patel et al “Investigation into the mechanism of Action of Madhuca longifolia for its Anti-epileptic Activity” supported the traditional use of the heartwood in the treatment of epilepsy.

  The leaves are used for diabetes in Indian folk medicine and a study published in Internet Journal of Pharmacology 2009 Vol. 6 (2) by Rumi Ghosh et al “Antihyperglyaemic activity of Madhuca longifolia in alloxan-induced diabetic rats” showed that an ethanolic extract of the leaves demonstrated “significant hypoglycaemic activity” concluding that a long-term study was required to “develop potential antidiabetes drugs.”

  The leaves are said to have expectorant properties and so are used for coughs. They are also used in poultices and applied to eczema. They have been found to have antibacterial properties and are used as cooling agents in cases of fever.

  This is another tree which has immense potential for human health.

MAHUA FLOWERS: THEIR USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS

MAHUA FLOWERS FROM THE BUTTER NUT TREE, MADHUA LONGIFOLIA 

The Butter nut tree is native to the Indian subcontinent and grows in forests where the mahua flowers from it are collected from the ground by tribes’ people. The tree is a member of the Sapotaceae family and as such is related to the African Shea tree which produces the ingredient used in cosmetics, shea butter.

  The tree is an evergreen or semi-evergreen and grows to between 17 and 20 metres high, with a dense, spreading canopy. It is now cultivated in warm climates for its oil-bearing seeds. However in parts of rural India tribal people rely on the flowers of mahua as it is called (mahuva in Urdu) for their family income.

  The flowers do not remain on the tree for long, and some say that they bloom at night and fall to the forest floor at dawn. They bloom between March and May, or at least this is their peak season, and the fruits ripen during the rainy season as do mangoes.

  The flowers are dried after being collected from the forest floor and then sold to the state government in Orissa, for example, so that they can be made into an alcoholic drink. Unfortunately they are paid ridiculously low prices for their efforts and the flowers have been affected by climate change and are falling to the ground before they are mature because of unseasonable rain. They are also infested with red ants and these are not spotted until the flowers have been gathered, thus spoiling them.

  The flowers and trees have religious significance for these people and there is a legend that Shiva gave the trees to people so that they could give the gods wine with their sacrifices of animals. Shiva called a parrot, a tiger and a boar, and turned them into mahua trees; that is why, so it is said, that if you drink a little of the wine made from these flowers you repeat things as a parrot does. If you drink a little more of the wine you start roaring like a tiger, until finally, when you have drunk a lot, you lounge around on the floor like a boar.

leaf buds

  The flowers were used in garlands when a princess chose a bridegroom and they are still part of religious ceremonies today, especially in central India. The branches from the tree are also used in marriage ceremonies and the tree is sacred to some tribes in India.

  In Sanskrit madhu means honey and this is how the tree got its botanical name, as the flowers have a strong aroma which is reportedly musky and heady. Tamils use the flowers as sweeteners when there is no sugar from sugar cane available, although they use this with caution as excessive use of the flowers is believed to prevent people thinking clearly and could lead to complete lunacy.

  In traditional medicine, the flowers are used for a variety of purposes. An extract of the flowers is used for heart disease and to treat excessive vaginal discharge. This is also believed to be good for the eyes, TB, asthma, blood diseases, thirst and burning sensations. The flowers are also believed to be aphrodisiacs and to increase the quantity (but not necessarily the quality) of sperm.

  The distilled juice of the flowers is used to get rid of parasitical internal worms, tonsillitis and bronchial problems. The juice of the flowers is used directly on the skin to treat skin problems, and as nasal drops it is used for sinusitis. A decoction of the flowers quenches thirst, and a general health tonic is made with powdered dried flowers mixed with ghee and honey. The flowers are also used to promote lactation in breast-feeding mothers, and to cure cystitis, while the expressed juice is also used to staunch the bleeding of wounds.

  The flowers are not the only parts of the tree used, but the rest of the tree is dealt with in another post. Click here to read it.

TOOTHBRUSH OR SANDPAPER TREE: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE TOOTHBRUSH TREE

TOOTHBRUSH TREE, SANDPAPER TREE, STREBLUS ASPER 

The toothbrush tree or sandpaper tree is a member of the Moraceae family so is related to the banyan, peepal, mulberry, shahtoot mulberry, Punjab fig, European fig, the Tropical fig (Ficus septica) and to the Jackfruit trees. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, southern China, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

  It is a small tree growing to around 10 metres with dense branches, and has small yellow fruit which look a little like loquats. In the Philippines it is known as Kalios and in India it is the Shakhotaka. Its leaves are like sandpaper, hence one of its English names, and these have been used as toothbrushes (the other English name) and for oral hygiene.

  It has been used in traditional systems of medicine for centuries and lends itself to the art of topiary and bonsai.

  The bark of the tree can be boiled in water and the resultant liquid is used as a disinfectant for wounds and skin problems. A decoction of the bark is used for fever, diarrhoea and dysentery, while the bark itself is chewed as an antidote to snake bites. In the Philippines a tea is made from the leaves and drunk as a beverage. The powdered root is used for diarrhoea and dysentery and can be made into a poultice for ulcers on the skin. The root is used for epilepsy, inflammation and boils, and the root extract is astringent and antiseptic. The bark exudes a latex when cut which is used in India for chapped hands and feet. It is also used for swollen glands, being put on them externally. The seeds are used for nosebleeds, piles and diarrhoea too.

 An extract of the leaves has been shown to have antimicrobial properties, and one study, undertaken by Subha Rastagi et al. “Streblus asper Lour, (Shakhotaka): A Review of its Chemical, pharmacological and Ethnomedicinal Properties” in Evidenced-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Vol. 3 (2) pp 217-222, stated that the tree possesses antioxidant, anti-allergic, antimalarial, anti-cancer, cardio-tonic and insecticidal properties. The volatile oil from the leaves showed “significant anti-cancer activity” as does an extract of the root according to a further study Abstract B73: “Chemopreventive effect of Streblus asper, a bonsai plant, on osteosarcoma cells: A Preliminary Study” Azman Seeni et al. Cancer Prevention Research 3 (Meeting Abstract Supplement) B73 January 7^th  2010. This study suggests that the antioxidant compounds in the root extract such as caffeic acid may act as carcinogenic inhibitors, although further research is needed to substantiate the findings and to carry the work further.

  In Ayurvedic medicine the leaves are used to help promote the milk-flow of breast-feeding mothers, as well as being used as poultices for boils and skin ulcers. The roots are used for diarrhoea and dysentery while a decoction of the bark is also given for these ailments and for fevers. The latex from the tree is sometimes applied to the temples in cases of neuralgia and a paste made from the seeds is applied to leucoderma.

  In Bangladesh parts of the tree are used for syphilis and other STDs and for cholera, piles, wounds and as a mild pain reliever or analgesic.

  Clearly more research is needed to discover the mechanisms which cause this tree to have such beneficial effects on human diseases.

  

BULRUSH, THERE ARE BETTER HERBS TO USE: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF BULRUSHES

BULRUSH, TYPHA LATIFOLIA 

The common bulrush grows in shallow water in all temperate, tropical and sub-tropical regions in the Northern hemisphere and is a native rush in Britain. It can grow to between 5 and 10 feet high, and is edible, although if it grows in polluted water, it should not be eaten as the plant soaks up the pollutants. The bulrush is also known as cattail and reedmace.

  The roots of the bulrush may be boiled and eaten as you would a potato; and if they are macerated and then boiled they will produce and edible sweet syrup. You can dry the roots and grind them to a powder which, if added to wheat flour enriches it, as the root is not only starchy but contains protein. This mixture can be used to make bread etc.

  The young shoots can be eaten raw or cooked in spring, and can be cooked and used as a substitute for asparagus; in fact they are sometimes called “Cossack’s asparagus.” They are said to taste like cucumbers. You can actually eat the shoots when they are up to 50 centimetres in length, and the base of the stem when it is mature, can be eaten too, either raw or cooked, although it is best to remove the outer layer of the stem.

  The flower spike may also be eaten before it is ripe, either raw or in a soup, and this is said to taste like sweet corn. When ripe the seeds may be eaten either raw or roasted, although they are difficult to harvest. These have a nutty taste and may also be ground to be added to flour for baking purposes. They also produce an edible oil.

  The pollen may also be eaten as it is protein-rich and can be added to flour. To gather the pollen you can shake the flower spike over a wide shallow container and then, with a fine brush, remove the remainder.

  The whole plant has been used medicinally too, the dried pollen may be used on wounds as it will remove blood clots being an anticoagulant, although when it is roasted with charcoal it becomes haemostatic, and is used for haemorrhages, painful menstruation and kidney stones, as well as uterine bleeding, cancer of the lymphatic system, abscesses and post-partum pains.

  However bulrushes should not be used during pregnancy.

  A decoction of the stems has been used for whooping cough, and the roots have diuretic properties and promote the milk flow in breast-feeding mothers. They have been used in tonics and for their refrigerant properties. Pounded to a jelly they can be used as a poultice for wounds, cuts, burns and scalds.

  The flowers have been used for stomach pains, lack of a woman’s periods, and irregular ones, as well as for cystitis. Eating the young flower heads is supposed to stop diarrhoea. The downy material from the seeds has been used to line a baby’s nappy and for wound dressings.

  In autumn the leaves were gathered for thatching material, they can also be made into paper, and rayon has been made from their pulp. The stems were used for rush lighting, and the pollen, being highly inflammable has been used to make home-made fireworks. The stems can also be woven into mats, hats, and seats for chairs.

  Despite these uses for bulrushes, Nicholas Culpeper, the 17^th century English herbalist was very scathing about all rushes, including bulrushes, which he names particularly. He wrote this about rushes:-

“The seed of the soft rushes, saith Dioscorides and Galen (toasted saith Pliny) drunk in wine and water, stayeth the lask and women’s courses, when too abundant; but it causeth head-ache; it provoketh sleep, but must be given with caution. The root boiled in water to one-third helpeth the cough.

  What I have written here concerning rushes is to satisfy my countrymen’s question: Are our rushes good for nothing? Yes, and as good to let them alone as taken. There are remedies enough without them for disease, and therefore as the old proverb is, I care not a rush for them: or rather, they will do you as much good as if one had given you a rush.”

  Clearly he didn’t like them much or think that they were efficacious in the treatment of any illnesses. Other plants were better.

YELLOW HORNED POPPY - RESEMBLES LARGE BUTTERCUP: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE YELLOW HORNED POPPY

YELLOW HORNED POPPY, GLAUCIUM FLAVUM 

The yellow horned poppy is a member of the Papavaraceae or poppy family of plants and so is related to another British wildflower, the Greater Celandine as well as to the poppies. The 16^th century herbalist John Gerard (1545-1612), describes it very well so I have reprinted his description here:

 “The yellow horned poppy hath whitish leaves very much cut or jagged, somewhat like the leaves of garden Poppie, but rougher and more hairie. The stalks be long, round, and brittle. The floures be large and yellow, consisting of foure leaves; which being past, there come long huskes or cods, crooked like an horn or cornet, wherein is conteined small black seede. The roote is great, thicke, scalie, and rough, continuing long.”

  So now you know why it is called the horned poppy- its seed pods are swollen and pointed, sometimes with horn-like pieces coming from them.

  The yellow horned poppy is a protected species under the UK’s Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, so please don’t pick this flower. It is believed to have the largest seed pod of any of Britain’s native plants. It can live for up to five years and only flowers in its second year of growth during the months of June to September. It lives on single banks close to the sea and has also been called the Sea poppy. Its botanical synonym is Glaucium luteum.

  It is psychoactive and there is one report from the Royal Society of 1698 of a man who mistook this plant for that of sea holly or eryngoes. He baked the root in a pie and ate it hot, whereupon he became a victim of its hallucinatory and cathartic actions and mistook the content of his chamber pot for gold!

  The plant contains a yellow latex in its stems, and the seeds are oil producing. The oil has been used for lighting purposes as it burns cleanly and has also been used in soap-making. It contains the alkaloids glaucine, protopine, chelidonine, chelerythrine and cordine as well as fumaric and chelidonic acids.

  Glaucine is known to be a good ingredient for cough medicine and it has also been investigated for its ability to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells in vitro. Studies are being carried out around the world to investigate these actions and those of the other alkaloids present in the yellow horned poppy further. It has been found to have antiviral and antibacterial properties and to be effective against coughs and to help with bronchial problems.

  Writing in the 17^th century, Nicholas Culpeper had this to say about the medicinal properties of the plant:-

“Virtues. Like its species, it is under the Sun in Leo; and is aperitive and cleansing, opening obstructions of the spleen and liver, and of great use in curing the jaundice and scurvy: some reckon it cordial, and a good antidote against the plague. Some quantity of it is put into aqua mirabilis. Outwardly it is used for sore eyes, to dry up the rheum, and take away specks and films, as also against tetters and ringworms, and scurfy breakings-out. The root dried and powdered, is a galsamic and sub-astringent. It is given against bloody-fluxes, and in other hæmorrhages, half a drachm for a dose.”

COMMON DUCKWEED - NOT ONLY FOR DUCKS:HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF COMMON DUCKWEED

COMMON DUCKWEED, LEMNA MINOR

The Common or lesser Duckweed is often found on garden ponds and is the bane of gardeners who don’t want to get rid of it by using chemicals. It can spread on the feet of aquatic birds and on their bills. However it does have some uses and may be a useful source of biomass and biofuel in the future. It also has some surprising health benefits.

  The ancient Welsh Physicians of Myddfai had these two remedies which include it: -

“For swelling or hardness of the stomach. Boil duckweed in goat's milk, and foment it therewith frequently…

If the bowels become so constipated that they cannot be moved, take duckweed, boiling it briskly in a pot, then cast it into a pan, and fry with a quantity of blood and butter, eating it hot.”

  William Turner (c.1508-1568) often called the “Father of English Botany” had this to say of it, calling “duckis meate” for fairly obvious reasons, I suppose.

 “Duckis meate hath a cooling nature, whereof it is good to be laid to imposthumes and gatherings of the humours that run to one place, to the wildfire and great burnings, to the gouty members both alone and also with the meal of parched barley. It glueth or bindeth, or maketh fast the bowels of young chider. Galen writeth that duckis meate is of a cold and moist temperature and in manner is both cold and moist in the second degree.”

  Nicholas Culpeper, writing in the 17^th century has this to say of it:-

“Government and virtues. Cancer claims the herb, and the Moon will be lady of it; a word is enough to a wise man. It is effectual to help inflammations, and St. Anthony's fire, as also the gout, either applied by itself, or in a poultice with barley-meal. The distilled water by some is highly esteemed against all inward inflammations and pestilent fevers: as also to help the redness of the eyes, and swelling of the scrotum, and of the breasts before they be grown too much. The fresh herb applied to the forehead, easeth the pains of the head-ach coming of heat.”

  It has been used as a poultice as the common mallow and marsh mallow are for inflammations and swellings.

  It has often been used as poultry food and may have some value to the food industry in the future, one Turkish study published in 2010 showed that common duckweed has antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-candidal properties ( Ilhami Gűlçin et al. Turkish Journal of Biology Vol.34 pp 175-188); this study also found flavonoids such as quercetin and phenolic compounds which have antioxidant properties.

 Kiosov P.A.(2001) in Comprehensive Catalogue of Medicinal Plants ( EKSMO-Press: Moscow), states that duckweed has been used as raw material for the production of analgesic and antipyretic remedies. It is also used in pellet form in homeopathic remedies for asthma.

 Duckweed has been classed in the Araceae family of plants, having formerly been in the Lemnaceae, so as such is the relative of Gloriosa superba or the Flame Lily, the Calla Lily, taro, the Elephant’s foot yam, cuckoo-pint and the sweet flag.

   

HORSEMINT USEFUL FOR BOWEL PROBLEMS: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF HORSEMINT

HORSEMINT, MENTHA LONGIFOLIA 

Horsemint is a wild mint and related to garden mint and as a member of the mint family is also related to purple, yellow and white dead nettles, marsh woundwort, the teak tree, marjoram, basil, Holy basil, oregano, savory, thyme, lavender, lemon balm, Scarlet bee balm as well as bugle, motherwort, self-heal, catnip, the chaste tree, ground ivy, Jupiter’s sage, wall germander, Fragrant premna and hyssop. It is native to Europe including Britain and Siberia. The leaves are used both as a tisane and a condiment, as well as being eaten raw in salads or cooked as a flavouring for dishes, just like garden mint.

  If you plant it near cabbage or tomato plants in your garden it will keep them free of insects pests and rats and mice hate it too which is why it was once used as a strewing herb in granaries and homes.

  The leaves and flowering tops may be used in a tisane either fresh or dried, and added to green tea, really improve its flavour. The stem, leaves and flowering tops have stimulant, antispasmodic, anti-asthmatic and carminative properties, so it is a good aid to digestion, and can cure flatulence. The leaves bear an essential oil which is a good antiseptic. It is used as a food flavouring as it has a peppermint flavour.

Nicholas Culpeper the 17^th century English herbalist had this to say of horsemint:-

“It is good for wind and colic in the stomach.... The juice, laid on warm, helps the King's evil or kernels in the throat.... The decoction or distilled water helps a stinking breath, proceeding from corruption of the teeth, and snuffed up the nose, purges the head. It helps the scurf or dandruff of the head used with vinegar.”

  The tisane has been used for headaches, stomach problems, and fevers, but it is not advisable to take it in large doses if pregnant. It is a good remedy for diarrhoea and on study has supported this use; “Calcium channel blocking activity of Mentha longifolia L. explains its medicinal use in diarrhoea and gut spasm” Shah, A. J. et al. Journal of Phytotherapy Research, 2010 Vol. 24 (9) pp. 1392-97. This study concludes that it showed “indirect evidence for its medicinal use in diarrhoea and spasm.”

  Other research studies have shown that it has antibacterial properties Rahmat Ali Khan et al.2011 African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Vol. 5 (12) pp. 1530-32 “Phytotoxic and antibacterial assays of crude methanolic extract of Mentha longifolia (Linn.)” Also in another study the apigenin derivatives (flavonoids) found in the plant were discovered to have antimutagenic properties; Ozlem Baris et al.   Journal of Food Science, Nov-Dec 2011 Vol76 (9).Yet another study published in 2011 found that horsemint does help symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and it was superior to nut grass (Cyperus rotundus) in it action.(Ahmed Salih Salib et al.) Another study published in 2009 has confirmed its antimicrobial properties and so supported its use for the treatment of mouth ulcers and other oral problems. (Firas A. Al-Bayedi)

  Scientists in the West, where the use of herbal medicine had largely fallen into disuse are lagging behind those scientists in countries where herbal medicine is still used in discovering alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs.

PARSLEY PIERT, SMALL AND EDIBLE: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF PARSLEY PIERT

PARSLEY PIERT, FIELD LADY’S MANTLE, APHANES ARVENSIS 

Parsley piert is a tiny plant that can be easily overlooked in its wild habitat, as it grows only to around four inches high. It is no relation to true parsley, but its leaves look similar. It is a close relation to Lady’s Mantle, hence the name Lady’s Field Mantle, and is a member of the Rosaceae or rose family of plants. That being so it is also related to the soft fruit, plums, peaches, apricots, loquats, sloes, quinces, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries as well as to almonds, apples, pears, the dog rose and a whole host of other plants.

  It is native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia and has been introduced to North America. It only grows to around four inches high, so you can easily overlook it. This is how Nicholas Culpeper, writing in the 17^th century describes it: -

“The root, although it be very small and thready, yet it continues many years, from which arise many leaves lying along on the ground, each standing upon a long small foot-stalk, the leaves as broad as a man's nail, very deeply dented on the edges, somewhat like a parsley-leaf, but of a very dusky green colour. The stalks are very weak and slender, about three or four fingers in length, set so full of leaves that they can hardly be seen, either having no foot-stalk at all, or but very short; the flowers are so small they can hardly be seen, and the seed as small as may be.”

  It was a popular remedy for dispersing gravel and stones in the body’s organs, and eaten as a salad green as it is a useful source of vitamin C and minerals. It gets the name parsley piert from the French, perce-pierre which means piercing stones, and this is a name for it in English too, Parsley Breakstone or Parsley Piercestone. Here is what Nicholas Culpeper wrote about it in his 17^th century herbal: -

“Government and virtues. Its operation is very prevalent to provoke urine, and to break the stone. It is a very good sallad herb. It were good the gentry would pickle it up as they pickle up Samphire for their use all the Winter. I cannot teach them how to do it; yet this I can tell them, it is a very wholesome herb. They may also keep the herb dry, or in a syrup, if they please. You may take a dram of the powder of it in white wine; it would bring away gravel from the kidneys insensibly, and without pain. It also helps the stranguary.”

  It was used with broom, pellitory-of-the-wall, juniper berries, parsley root (true parsley) for a more powerful diuretic action to remove gravel, and to soften the passage of the stones it was often combined with marsh mallow, hollyhock flowers, those of mullein, gum Arabic or slippery elm bark.

  The infusion was made with a handful of the whole herb, chopped to one pint of boiling water, steeped for 10 minutes, then strained and drunk in half a tea cupful doses three or four times a day.

  One scientific study has found that parsley piert is safe for human consumption and has “strong antioxidant activity.” (“Antioxidant and Cytotoxicity Activities of Aphanes arvensis Extracts” Journal of Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 2010, Vol. 65 (1) pp.44-49 Ismail Hamad et al.) However there have been few scientific studies carried out on this plant.

SUGAR BEET: SOURCE OF SUGAR IN COOL CLIMATES: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF SUGAR BEET

SUGAR BEETS BETA VULGARIS RAPA OR ALISSIMA

Sugar beets were known for their sweetness and were developed form the white beet in the 18^th century. Previously the white beet was Beta vulgaris maritima, so writing in the 17^th century the English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper had this to say of the original white beet:-

“The common white beet hath many great leaves next the ground, somewhat large, and of a whitish green colour; the stalk is great, strong, and ribbed, bearing great store of leaves almost to the very top of it: the flowers grow in very long tufts, small at the ends, and turning down their heads, which are small, pale greenish-yellow, burs, giving corned prickly seed. The root is great, long, and hard, and when it hath given seed, is of no use at all….

Government and Virtues. The government of these two sorts of beet are far different, the red beet being under Saturn, and the white under Jupiter; therefore take the virtues of them apart, each by itself. The white beet doth much loosen the belly, and is of a cleansing digesting quality, and provoketh urine: the juce of it openeth obstructions, both of the liver and spleen, and is good for the head-ach and swimmings therein, and turnings of the brain; and is effectual also against all venomous creatures; and applied to the temples, stayeth inflammations in the eyes; it helpeth burnings, being used without oil, and with a little alum put to it, is good for St. Anthony's fire. Beet is hot and dry, and loosens the belly by reason of its nitrosity. It is an errhine, especially the root; for the juice of it received into the nostrils occasions sneeesing; the young plants, with their roots, gently boiled and eaten with vinegar, procure an appetite, extinguish thirst, and suppress choler in the stomach. Beet among the ancients was much noticed for its insipid taste, MARTIAL reproaches it in the following distich.

Ut sapiant fatuœ faborum prandia betœ.
O quam sœpe petet vina piperque coquus?
Insipid beet may bid a tradesman dine;
But ask of thee abundant spice and wine.

The juice of this herb drawn up into the nostrils powerfully evacuates phlegmatic humours from the brain, and cures inveterate head-achs. This is counted a great secret by some. It is also good for all wheals, pushes, blisters, and blains, in the skin: the herb boiled, and laid upon chilblains, or kibes, helpeth them: the decoction thereof in water and some vinegar, healeth the itch, if bathed therewith, and cleanseth the head of dandruff, scurf and dry scabs, and doth much good for fretting and running sores, ulcers, and cankers, in the head, legs, or other parts, and is much commended against baldness and sheding of hair.”

  Now the sugar beet is grown in the Northern hemisphere while sugar cane is grown in the Southern. Molasses for human consumption are from the latter, as is brown sugar, while white beets produce molasses as a by-product in the processing of sugar and these are used in the manufacture of citric acid, vinegar yeast and antibiotics. The tops and residue of the sugar beet pulp are used for cattle feed and dog food. The tops and the residue left over from processing sugar beet have potential for biomass and biofuel.  Molasses from sugar beet production are used in the manufacture of citric acid, vinegar yeast and antibiotics.

  Sugar beets have recently been under investigation as some of the substances, possibly betanin and choline, have been found to have the ability to kill human cancer tumour cells in vitro.

   The mature sugar beet can be up to a foot long and weigh between three and five pounds; from one of this size, 5 ounces of white sugar can be produced. The sugar is sucrose.

  The tubers used to be used to treat tumours in the intestines, and a decoction of the seeds was used as a remedy for tumours of the genitals. The juice has been applied externally to ulcers and used for skin problems too.

  The sugar beet is a member of the Chenopodiaceous family or goosefoot family of plants, making it a relative of quinoa, stinking goosefoot, good King Henry, Fat Hen, and Marsh Samphire, to name but a few of its relatives.

  The leaves may be used as a substitute for spinach and may be cooked or raw, although the raw leaves leave a disagreeable after-taste in the mouth. When the root is boiled some stringy fibres remain but it is edible. It can be grated finely and added to salads too, if you like the taste. However I think it is best left to make sugar with and of course there are its medical properties which are not new, but now there is some (but not overwhelming yet) scientific evidence to support its traditional use to kill cancerous tumours.

WATER PEPPER - CULPEPER'S HOT ARSSMART: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF WATER PEPPER

WATER PEPPER, MARSHPEPPER, SMARTWEED, HOT ARSSMART, POLYGONUM HYDROPIPER

Water pepper is Culpeper’s hot arssmart and the seeds of this plant are said to taste similar to Sichuan pepper. It is another member of the Polygonaceae family along with its close relatives, Lady’s Thumb (mild arssmart), bistort, water smartweed, and also to buckwheat, sorrel, rhubarb, arrowleaf dock, common dock, red dock and yellow dock. The name water pepper comes directly from the genus name hydro meaning water and piper, pepper. Polygonum means “many jointed.”

  Water pepper is native to Europe, North Africa and North America, with a subspecies macrophyllum found in Asia. In Japan it is used in cooking; the leaves are put into soups and sauces, and the seeds made into a spicy condiment. The taste has been described as giving a biting, prickling heat and the bitter principle contained in the leaves has been identified as rutin, also found in rue, another bitter herb. The pungency probably comes from tadeol. The seeds, stems and leaves can be used cooked or raw in garnishes for salads, but they are hot, so be warned.

  Rutin is known to strengthen the capillaries, so helping to prevent bleeding.  The plant has been traditionally used in Eastern and Western folk medicine for a number of ailments including epilepsy when used with other tonics and gum myrrh, and a cold water infusion with one ounce of the herb to one pint of water mixed with plantain (isphagol) or wheat bran has been used for bowel complaints. The cold water infusion has been used to disperse gravel in the organs although it is not recommended these days for this treatment because of the oxalic acid present in some plants in the Polygonum family.

  In North America a hot decoction of water pepper was used for cholera patients, with a sheet being soaked in the decoction and then wrapped around the patient. The fomented leaves were once used in poultices for ulcers and piles. (Perhaps giving rise to the word Ars-smart!) Simmered in water or vinegar the resulting liquid was used to prevent gangrene spreading.

According to a recent Chinese study water pepper was 20^th in a list of plants which could have potential as contraceptives. Other studies have found that it has antioxidant flavonoids in its leaves, and also has anti-inflammatory properties. It is also a useful astringent and styptic, so is a good wound healer and encourages damaged tissue to heal. The plant has also been used as a diuretic, for troublesome periods, and the seeds are said to be stimulants and they also help with flatulence.

 Culpeper writing in the 17^th century has this to say about water pepper:-

“The hot Arssmart is called also water-peper, or culrage….that which is hot and biting, is under the dominion of Mars…

   It is of a cooling and drying quality and very effectual for putrified ulcers in man or beast, to kill worms and cleanse the putrified places. The juice thereof dropped in, or otherwise applied, consumeth all cold swellings, and dissolveth the congealed blood of bruises by strokes, falls, &c. A piece of the root, or some of the seeds bruised, and held to an aching-tooth, taketh away the pain. The leaves bruised and laid to the joint that hath a felon thereon taketh it away. The juice destroyeth worms in the ears, being dropped into them; if the hot Arssmart be strewed in a chamber, it will soon kill all the fleas; and the herb or juice of the cold Arssmart, put to a horse or other cattle's sores, will drive away the fly in the hottest time of summer; a good handful of the hot biting Arssmart put under a horse's saddle, will make him travel the better, although he were half tired before…

  The hot Arssmart groweth not so high or tall as the mild doth, but hath many leaves of the colour of peach leaves, very seldom or never spotted; in other particulars it is like the former, but may easily be known from it, if you but be pleased to break a leaf of it cross your tongue for the hot will make your tongue to smart, so will not the cold. If you see them both together, you may easily distinguish them, because the mild hath far broader leaves…”

   Doctor William Salmon, another 17^th century herbalist wrote this of water pepper:-

  “It is known by manifold and large experience to be a peculiar plant against gravel and stone. The Essence causes a good digestion, it is admirable against all cold and moist diseases of the brain and nerves, etc., such as falling sickness, vertigo, lethargy, apoplexy, palsy, megrim, etc., and made into a syrup with honey it is a good pectoral. The oil dissolves and discusses all cold swellings, scrofulous and scirrhous tumours, quinsies, congealed blood, pleurisies, etc.”

  It was clearly well-used in former times, and also mentioned in the first century A.D. by Dioscorides.

KIWANO OR HORNED MELON: EDIBLE, NUTRITIOUS AND HEALTH-GIVING: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF HORNED MELONS

HORNED MELON, KIWANO, CUCUMIS METULIFERUS

The horned melon is a native of southern Africa, and the World Health Organization hopes that it will become a more acceptable food for the people who are suffering from malnutrition in the still-developing world.

  The horned melon was taken to Australia and New Zealand in the 1930s and was renamed the kiwano because of its slight internal resemblance to the kiwi fruit, to which it is no relation. As a member of the Cucurbitaceae family it is related to the pumpkin, cucumbers, courgettes, butternut squash, bottle gourds, petha or ash gourd, melons, watermelons and marrows. It is possible that it was renamed kiwano so that the name would make it more appealing to consumers. The name Horned melon may have made it a flop in the market as happened to the soursop.

  The tribal peoples in its native countries only eat it roasted, although they use the boiled roots to treat gonorrhoea, and eat the boiled leaves as we would spinach. A decoction of the root is given to women after childbirth for pain relief, and the leaves are sometimes eaten mixed with maize or corn meal. The pounded roots are mixed with fat and used to cover the body in the belief that this will keep ghosts and evil spirits at bay.

  The seeds and pulp of the kiwano are very nutritious as the seeds contain Vitamin A in the form of carotenoids such as Beta-carotene, which promotes the health of the eyes, and skin as well as having free-radical scavenging properties and boosting the immune system. The seeds contain oleic and linoleic fatty acids too making them very good for blood pressure and overall health.

  The fruit is a good source of vitamin C, potassium and iron and also contains vitamins B1, B2 and B3, along with the minerals magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, calcium and sodium. The organic vitamin E found in the fruit is a good source of free-radical scavenging antioxidants, so this fruit is good for protection against cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

  If you find one in your local supermarket treat it as you would a passion fruit. You can cut the melon in half and scoop out the seeds and blend them and the pulp to make a refreshing drink, adding lime or lemon juice and honey to enhance the flavour if you want to. You could simply scoop out the flesh and pour it over natural yoghurt or ice cream, and it is said that the seeds can taste like bananas, melon, lime, or even cucumber.

  The Latin name for this fruit, metuliferus, comes from two words, metula meaning little pyramid and ferus meaning bearing; these names refer to the spiny skin or the ‘horns’ on this melon. It is ripe when the skin is bright orange, and may be stored at room temperature for best nutrition, but can also be stored in the fridge.

  Why not try it and let us know what you think?