WHAT IS AMAR BAEL? DODDER: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND HISTORICAL USES OF DODDER

DODDER, SOME OF THE CUSCUTA SPECIES

Dodder grows just about everywhere and was formerly placed in the Convolvulaceae family of plants, although now it is more often than not grouped in a species of its own, Cuscuta with a sub-group of grammica. You will probably have seen it as it tends to smother other vegetation, as it is a parasite. It has no leaves as such, just vine-like tendrils and stems which take nourishment from the host plant, which is whatever is nearest for it to climb on and cling to when its seeds germinate. It begins life with roots, but when it is firmly clinging to a host plant these die and it is solely nourished by the host. There are more than 150 species of dodder worldwide, and they come in a range of colours from white through to rust-orange, some tinged with red and purple. In Urdu it is called amar bael meaning the vine that lives forever, or everlasting vine.

In the UK alone there are several species among them the Lesser Dodder, Cuscuta epithymium, which was once used as a herbal remedy, and is the most common of the British dodders, preferring to live on gorse. It hides its host more or less completely with its red thread-like stems. The waxy flowers are pink-white and after it flowers, it dies back in winter having released its seeds which will germinate in the following spring.

  The 17^th century herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper favoured the dodder that grew on thyme, because, he thought it took on the properties of the plant on which it grows. He says “…We confess Thyme is of the hottest herb it usually grows upon and therefore that which grows on thyme is hotter than that which grows upon a colder herb, for it draws nourishment from what it grows upon…”

He believed that it helped diseases of the “head and brain” such as “trembling of the heart, faintings and swoonings.” Along with herbalists from other countries including the Chinese herbalists and those from the Indian subcontinent (Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. synonym Cassytha filiforma Linn) he believed that it was also good for the spleen, kidneys and liver. It is a diuretic which is quite potent and an infusion was made of the stems of dodder. These are used in Western medicine, whereas the seeds are more commonly used in Eastern medicine, especially as an aphrodisiac with Cnidium seeds which were believed to cure impotency and other erectile dysfunctions such as premature ejaculation. It is used especially to cure jaundice in these traditional systems of medicine.

  Culpeper states that the dodder which grew on nettles took on their properties and was an excellent diuretic and cured any complaint of the urinary tract. An infusion is made from the whole plant in the usual way for a tisane, with 1 -2 ounces of fresh dodder to one pint of boiling water, which you should allow to steep for 10-15 minutes, to use as a purgative like senna and jamalgota. As it tastes bitter it is best used as a decoction, and boiled with ginger root and allspice to disguise the taste of the dodder.

  The Greater or Common Dodder (Cuscuta europaea) prefers to grow on nettles and thistles, and this one has red or yellow curling stems and has pale orange flowers. There is also Flax Dodder (Cuscuta epilinum), Cuscuta trifolii, which is clover dodder, and Cuscuta Hassiaca which prefers Lucerne to be its host. The plant seems to contain a little chlorophyll in its flower buds, fruits and stems, but doesn’t need it to survive as plants generally do. The dodder fruit has papery walls with 1 – 4 brown or black seeds inside it.

  Japanese dodder is used for a number of different ailments such as for vaginal discharge, diarrhoea, constipation and impotence, for the liver and a general health tonic. For these ailments a decoction is made from the seeds.

   In the Indian subcontinent Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. is used for jaundice as a mild laxative, to boost the immune system, for muscle pains and coughs. It also has useful antioxidant properties. In Chinese medicine Cuscuta chiniensis is used for all kinds of ailments including fever, headaches, oedema, skin problems and paralysis. The seeds are the parts used but they should not be taken over a prolonged period and it is thought that you can overdose on them, so best avoided!

  Very little research has been done into dodder’s possible medicinal properties, although what has been carried out suggests that it can help the liver.

  Dodder has been popular in Arabian medicine for centuries and here is one old remedy (for interest’s sake only).

 "It is for elephantiasis, mange, dandruff, and exfoliation of the skin. It disperses phlegmatic and atrabilious humors, purifies the body, clarifies the complexion, is useful for a red face, pimples, and leprosy.

"One takes ten dirhams each of Indian and Kabul myrobalan* without the stones, five dirhams each of common polypody, Cretan cuscutus, Meccan senna, lavender, and Syrian borage, twelve dirhams each of dry, red raisins without the pips, three dirhams each of seed of endive (meaning chicory the herb rather than the endive vegetable), pulverized seed of fumitory, and stripped licorice root, a dirham of cuscuta seed, a mithqâl of roses without stems and a dirham of fennel seeds. It is all cooked in 400 dirhams of pure water until it is reduced to a quarter. It is sieved. Then there is macerated in it seven dirhams each of cassia and manna. It is filtered again and on it is thrown a dirham of sieved agaric, a quarter of a dirham of salt, and a spoonful of almond oil, and ten dirhams of sugar. It may be used.”

* myrobalan is a cherry plum and can also refer to hareer or Terminalia chebula.

CHINESE LANTERN PLANT - NOT JUST FOR DECORATION: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF CHINESE LANTERN PLANT

CHINESE LANTERN PLANT, PHYSALIS ALKEKENGI

This plant is aptly named as the calyx which surrounds the small cherry-like fruit looks like a decorative Chinese lantern. It is closely related to the Cape gooseberry and Tomatillo and in the same Solanaceae (nightshade) family as the potato, aubergine, and the Nipple fruit. You usually see it in November as it makes its presence felt in early November, and is used in floral decorations. Most people think that this is all it is useful for, but of course they are wrong. It is also called the winter cherry, but should not be confused with Ashwagandha, and the bladder cherry.

  The plant was first found in Japan, and was adopted into the Chinese medicine system as it has some amazing medical properties. If you want to grow one, it seems that they are relatively easy to grow and prefer to have lily-of-the-valley as companions. Historically they have been used to reduce fevers, help stop coughs, as an expectorant, as a diuretic for gout sufferers and to disperse stones and gravel in the kidneys. They also have anti-inflammatory properties and in Iran they were used to induce labour. The juice from the berries or fruit has diuretic properties, but the whole plant above ground can be used. In traditional medicine in Iran they have been used for centuries to stop constipation, to ease the pain of arthritis and rheumatism, and to inhibit female fertility.

   Modern research has shown that extracts from the plant have antioxidant activities as well as anti-microbial and antifungal ones. In rats they proved to have anti-fertility effects probably because they inhibit the egg from attaching itself to the womb, although this is not conclusive. The husks are a source of zeoxanthin (sadly lacking in Western diets generally) as does cayenne pepper, sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) paprika and dried wolfberries. This helps to prevent the onset of age-related loss of vision, as does lutein. The fruit contains twice as much vitamin C as lemons do.

  So next time you see one of these decorative plants, you will be aware of the medicinal value they have – they are not just easy on the eye.

WHAT IS SALAJEET OR SHILAJIT? ASPHALTUM OR MINERAL PITCH - ELIXIR OF LIFE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF SALAJEET

SALAJEET, SHILAJIT, MINERAL PITCH, ASPHALTUM

Salajeet is the Urdu name for this mineral pitch and shilajit is the name in Hindi. It is the concentrated plant matter from prehistoric plants that were trapped in mountain ranges when tectonic plates collided to give birth to the mountains. (In the same way a s an ancient sea was trapped when the Himalayas formed, which is why we get Himalayan sea salt.) In the Himalayas this tar-like substance oozes from the rocks during spring and summer and local people gather it for medicinal use. It is fed to Pathan children in milk to make them strong and healthy, and the mountain people and hakims swear by it for all ills. It contains so many minerals that it is good for bone, muscle and tissue growth, and one man we know, who is a local book seller, says that his hand was beginning to get crooked and hook-like, so he took salajeet which he gathered himself as he didn’t trust anyone else to give him the unadulterated stuff, for 15 days and now is hand is back to normal.

Black Salajeet

  An Englishman found it in the 1870s in the Himalayas and noticed that the monkeys that fed on it were not bald at 10 years of age as were their relatives in the plains. He attributed this to the sticky black substance they ate and this is how the West first heard of salajeet, which has been used in medicine in the Indian subcontinent since before 6 BC when the first extant medical texts were written.

   Shilajit means “rock-like” and this attests to its virtues of making the body as firm as a rock and able to slow the ageing process and withstand the ravages of time on the body. In the Charak Samhita which is one of the earliest medical texts on internal medicine still in existence, and used by Ayurvedic practitioners even today, there is a reference to shilajit which says that without it there can be no cure for any illness, although it can be mixed with other natural substances to effect a cure.

  In Ayurvedic medicine it is used for numerous ailments including chronic bronchitis, digestive disorders, kidney and bladder problems, nervous diseases, anaemia, fractured bones and arthritis. It is also used in the treatment of diabetes, for insulin resistance, for liver problems such as jaundice and to rid the body of internal parasites. It is, according to the ancient medical treatises, the “conqueror of mountains and destroyer of weakness” and is known as the Indian Viagra as it is said to rejuvenate a man’s sexual prowess and stop erectile dysfunctions and cure impotency.

  Some traditional healers purify it before using it by putting it in cow’s milk and dissolving it, then straining it through muslin several times to get rid of impurities. It is then dried in the milk in the sun. When you use it you have to drink a lot of cow’s milk, they say.

  It is black-brown and varies in consistency, and probably in the minerals it contains, depending on where it comes from. Its effectiveness is also said to depend on its place of origin. It is said that it is not only found in the Himalayas but also in the Urals, Caucasus Mountains, Tien-Shan, Pamir, the Northern Pollack range in Australia and in the Hindu Kush.

  Paul Flechsig of the Department of Neurochemistry in the Institute of Brain Research at Leipzig University found in his study that mineral pitch enhanced cognition and memory in Alzheimer’s sufferers.

  It is said to have the abilities to reduce stress induced ulcers in vivo in the lab, and to help the body’s cells grow and become rejuvenated, thus slowing the aging process, which is why some call it the elixir of life. It may regulate blood pressure without significantly changing the heart rate, and speeds up the regeneration of muscles, nerves and bones. It has analgesic (pain-killing) and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as antiseptic ones (because it is thought of the benzoic acid it contains). It may also help the liver and cure anaemia.

  It contains the minerals aluminium, antimony, calcium, cobalt, copper, iron, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorous, silica, sodium, zinc and the lippuric, benzoic, fulvic, chebulic and tannic acids, plus resins, gums, albuminoids and glycosides. Several of its constituents rarely occur in a natural form.

  However, before you rush out to buy capsules etc which are said to contain mineral pitch or asphaltum as it is known in Latin, remember the book seller who didn’t trust anyone else to sell him the real thing. Also, if you suffer from gout you should not take mineral pitch as it produces uric acid in the body.

CAPE GOOSEBERRY - INFORMATION, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS: CAPE GOOSEBERRIES DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE RECIPE

CAPE GOOSEBERRY, GOLDEN BERRY, PHYSALIS PERUVIANA L. OR PHYSALIS EDULIS SIMS

The Cape Gooseberry, looks a little like a tomatillo, to which it is closely related and has the same kind of husk around its fruit. It is a member of the Solanaceae or Nightshade family of plants and so is related to the more common potato, tomato, aubergine and the rather unusual Nipple fruit. As the name peruviana suggests it is native to South America, although it seems not to be clear where it actually originated with best guesses being Chile and Peru, or perhaps Brazil. It also grows wild in the Andes in Venezuela.

   It is a cherry-sized berry that is around 1.5 to 2.5 centimetres in diameter, with yellow flesh which is loosely (more loosely than a tomatillo) enclosed in a papery husk, another of Nature’s pre-packaged foods. These fruits are actually berries as they contain seeds, and they can be orange or golden yellow. It tastes like a gooseberry, perhaps more like an Indian gooseberry (Amla) than the European one. They can be used in salads with tender young greens, such as watercress, spinach, or lettuce, with a vinaigrette dressing (olive oil and white wine vinegar with tarragon or oregano perhaps). You can add them to your breakfast muesli or other cereal, and below is a recipe for a dessert made with them. They can be put in pies, used to make jams and sauces, and are usually displayed in supermarkets with other berry fruits such as raspberries, strawberries or blackberries or with grapes and pomegranates. You can add them to fruit salads, or have them with ice cream, pickle them, and you’ll find the husk helpful if you want to coat them in icing sugar. In Colombia they are stewed with honey and used as a dessert. The ripe fruit are rich in pectin and vitamin P as well as containing some B-complex vitamins, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and some vitamin A precursors as well as Beta-carotene. They are rich in phosphorous, and also contain the minerals calcium, iron and copper. Unripe fruits are toxic and shouldn’t be eaten.

  The plants were taken to Africa and planted in the Cape of Good Hope in the 19^th century and then they went from there to Australia which is why and where it got the English name. In fact it has naturalized in New South Wales, where the early settlers had little choice of fresh fruit at first, so they were glad of the advent of the Cape gooseberry. It is also naturalized in the Philippines and was once extensively cultivated on Hawaii. In fact it is said that it will grow wherever the tomato can flourish, so it grows in many countries around the world.

  The husk contains a minor steroidal constituent, physalolactone C which is a blood purifier. The fruit possesses strong antioxidant properties and has been used in the past to treat cancer, malaria, asthma, hepatitis, dermatitis and rheumatism. In Colombia, in traditional medicine, the leaves are made into a decoction which is used for asthma and as a diuretic. In South Africa a poultice is made with heated leaves and applied to inflamed areas. The Zulus use an infusion of the leaves for children with stomach complaints.

 

CAPE GOOSEBERRIES DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE

Ingredients

Cape gooseberries, fresh or canned

Bar of chocolate (white, dark or milk depending on taste)

Method

Melt the chocolate carefully so that it doesn’t burn in a non-stick pan.

Remove from the heat when the chocolate is melted and dip each Cape gooseberry in it.

Chill and serve alone or with ice cream or whipped cream.

This has Taste and is a Treat.