BLACK COHOSH - A WOMAN'S HERB: USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLACK COHOSH

BLACK COHOSH, ACTEAE RACEMOSA / CIMICIFUGA RACEMOSA

Black Cohosh is native to North America and was used by Native Americans who used the plant for gynaecological problems, kidney problems, malaria, sore throats and to induce lactation in breast-feeding mothers, for colds, coughs, hives and backache. In the 19^th century it was a common home remedy in the US for rheumatism, fever, to promote menstruation and as a diuretic. It fell out of use with the advent of pharmaceuticals.

  It has a number of other names which refer to its properties or alleged properties, some of theses being black snakeroot, rattle root, rattle top and rattle wood, all referring to the belief that a tincture of the roots is an antidote for rattlesnake venom. Its other names are bugbane and bugwort as insects tend not to go near it; it is a natural insect repellent.

  It has been used in Europe for 40 years and is approved by the German Commission E for premenstrual discomfort, painful menstruation and to treat menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes/flashes. However some doubt has been cast on this use, as clinical trials of Black Cohosh have rarely been conducted for more than a six month period. The parts used in herbal remedies are the roots and rhizomes.

  Scientific studies are still underway on Black Cohosh and as it contains plant-based estrogens, it is believed that these may inhibit bone loss which leads to osteoporosis. It is possible that it may help reduce inflammation, especially that which is associated with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; preparations for these complaints typically do not use Black Cohosh alone. It is usually combined with willow bark, sarsaparilla (Smilax), poplar bark (Populus tremuloides), and guaiacum (Guaiacum officinale) resin. This combination is said to relieve inflammation but there is not enough evidence to show that Black Cohosh can do this on its own.

  It is a tall flowering plant that grows in shady woods in the eastern regions of the North American continent. It is a member of the Ranunculaceae, or buttercup family of plants so is also related to the Lesser celandine. The fresh or dried stems and / or roots of the plant can be used in infusions, (tisanes); 1 ounce of fresh root and stems, chopped, to 1 pint of boiling water steeped for 15 minutes before straining and drinking.

  People with liver complaints are advised not to take Black Cohosh preparations, as it has very occasionally caused some problems. However these were very few in number but pregnant and lactating mothers are also advised not to use it as well as women with a hormone-related condition such as breast cancer. Most of the reported side effects of Black Cohosh are minor however.

WEST HIMALAYAN FIR - HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES

WEST HIMALAYAN FIR, ABIES PINDROW ROYLE

The Himalayan firs, both Abies pindrow Royle, also known as Abies webbiana pindrow, the West Himalayan fir and the East Himalayan fir, Abies spectabilis can hybridize, which is both good and bad for their survival.  These are members of the Pinaceae family of plants so they are related to the chilgoza producing pine and the European pine which produces pignoli or the smaller pine nuts used in the cuisine of the Mediterranean regions. Theses firs are under threat because of unsustainable harvesting practices, as they are used by local people for fuel. In Pakistan where the logs and branches of this tree are used for cooking, hakims, (traditional medicine practitioners) say that it will cure bronchial problems and respiratory ones.

  The West Himalayan fir is a slow-growing tree and likes shade, but doesn’t thrive in frosty conditions. Locals chop down rhododendrons for cooking and forage food for their livestock and this is often left on the forest floor. New trees fail to sprout because of this litter. Young trees are used for poles, and the older ones are felled for timber and fuel. The wood is light and not very durable, but is made into furniture and construction to make door and window frames.

   Unlike the Himalayan yew, Taxus wallichiana the trees are not under threat because of their medicinal qualities as the leaves of the tree are used primarily and not the bark and wood, which in the Himalayan yew is the source of an anti-cancer drug, taxol. Scientists and agriculturalists have been warning for more than a decade that these firs are threatened because of unsustainable forestry management and this seems not to have been addressed, their numbers are still in decline.

   In Ayurvedic medicine the leaves are used for heart problems, and the leaves are used for various purposes. A tincture or decoction of the leaves is used for asthma chronic bronchitis and lung infections, while the powdered leaves are used with the juice of Adhatoda vasica for coughs and colds. The juice from the leaves is added to mother’s milk or water and given to infants with a fever. For this 5 to 10 drops of juice are added to the liquid to be used.

   Clinical trials have found that extracts of the leaves of the West Himalayan fir are in many ways consistent with their uses in traditional medicine. They have anti-inflammatory properties and anti-depressant activity, with some sedative actions. They protect from ulcers, perhaps because of the steroids contained in them, but have yet to show antibacterial properties in the lab in vitro. They have some effect on insulin secretion and may have the potential for anti diabetic drugs. It is thought that the flavonoids and triterpenoids present may help to protect the lungs. They also have some pain-killing properties. A new alkaloid has been isolated from the leaves to and investigations are still underway to discover how the extracts can be used to benefit our health.

NUT GRASS: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF NUT GRASS

NUT GRASS, PURPLE NUT SEDGE, COCO GRASS, CYPERUS ROTUNDUS

Nut grass is a common weed in the Indian subcontinent and is found throughout the world. Its seeds are edible and can be used in extremis, but the rhizome is particularly valued for its oil and this is used in the perfume industry. The grass is a member of the sedge family or the Cyperaceae family of plants so is a close relative of Cyperus esculentus, the tiger nut or chufa. Nut grass has been used to cure a number of ailments in traditional medicine systems around the world. In Pakistan it is used for stomach problems, as a diuretic and stimulant as well as to improve the functioning of the nervous system.

   In other systems it has been used to assist in menstrual problems, to reduce the temperatures in fevers and to promote sweating, and has a number of other uses as well as being an alleged aphrodisiac. It can regulate blood pressure and clinical trials have shown that extracts of the plant have anti-microbial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. It may also have sedative and hypnotic effects as well as being a muscle relaxant.

  It contains camphene so is rather like the camphor tree in its smell, and it is used as an insect repellent in clothes, but as I’ve mentioned before, sandalwood and patchouli are much better smelling than camphor based smells.

   A decoction of the rhizomes and roots is used in Ayurvedic medicine as an antidote to poison, while a paste of the rhizome can be applied to the breasts of a mother to promote the milk flow. Incidentally in folk medicine the same paste is used to increase the size of breasts. The roots and rhizomes are used to improve memory and the cognitive processes, and to “harmonize” the functions of the liver, spleen and pancreas.

  The above ground part of the plant is used to get rid of internal worms, and as an astringent to heal wounds, and this is the part believed to have aphrodisiac properties. It is used to treat rheumatism and fungal infections. It is used to cure indigestion, coughs, bronchitis, to stop vomiting and to quench thirst, and has many other uses.

   Here is a remedy for headaches: - pulverize the rhizome to a paste and plaster this on your forehead for almost instant relief (it is claimed). The same paste applied to irritated skin will also stop itching.

  A powder from the rhizome is used for epilepsy and psychosis as well as menstrual problems.

  In China the plant is used to treat cervical cancer. You will also see Cyperus rotundus in skin whitening creams and women are told specifically to look for this ingredient on the labels of such creams.

  The plant contains limonene, camphene, the minerals magnesium and manganese along with flavonoids, tannins, polyphenols and saponins. Clinical trials have at least borne out some of the traditional uses of this plant, and perhaps more will be verified as clinical trials progress.

MONKEY PUZZLE TREE - A LIVING FOSSIL: INFORMATION AND USES OF MONKEY PUZZLE TREE

THE MONKEY PUZZLE TREE, ARAUCARIA ARAUCANA

The Monkey Puzzle tree is an evergreen, native to Southern Chile and South West Argentina where it was prized for its timber. However it is now a protected endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Logging caused the destruction of this tree which has been called “a living fossil”. It has been around for 250 million years or so and is very distinctive. It has sharp needle like leaves which were described as being like “hypodermic syringes” by locals in West Cross, Swansea Wales UK who believed that a 150 year old tree should be felled as it was dangerous for children; probably a case of health and safety concerns gone mad.

  These trees can live for 1,200 years and are resilient to dangers from volcanoes, landslides, winds and wild fires in their native habitat. It is thought that they developed their sharp leaves in order to deter grazing dinosaurs, as they have been around since the Mesozoic Age. The leaves are scale-like and the trunk is scaly and ridged with diamond patterns, which make it resemble the outer hard casing of a pineapple. If you make an incision in the trunk a resin will freely exude which is used to heal wounds and ulcers by the indigenous people in its natural habitat.

  The Pehuenche people revere this tree and it is decorated during their two-day long harvest festival and stands in the altar while the potent prayers are said for the bounty of the earth to continue. The timber from the tree was used for carpentry and joinery and is a pale yellow which can be highly polished. Unscrupulous logging concerns almost eradicated this tree in its native habitat until the indigenous peoples made a stand to protect it.

  There are many of these trees planted in Britain and these were mainly planted during the Victorian era. It grows to amazing heights in its native habitat, reaching heights of 160 feet and having a spread of around 50 feet. The trunk can have a girth of around 1.5 metres, and it is sometimes associated with bad luck.

  The trees are believed to have found their way to Britain with Archibald Menzies a plant collector and naval surgeon who sailed with Captain George Vancouver on his circumnavigation of the globe between 1791 and 1795, in Captain James Cook’s former ship, the Discovery. The story goes that he had been invited to dinner by the then governor of Chile when he was served the pine nuts from this tree for dessert. Instead of eating them he took them back to his ship and planted them. He took 5 saplings back to Britain with him and these were supposed to have been the first planted in the UK. They taste a lot like pine nuts and look like chilgoza. The cones when they mature can contain 200 seeds, and these begin to grow when the tree is 25 years old. They take 2 or 3 years to ripen however.

  It is said that the tree got the name Monkey Puzzle tree when a visitor who went to view a tree planted by Sir Joseph Banks, the unofficial director of Kew Gardens, in the latter part of the 18^th century and commented that it would “puzzle any monkey to climb.” In fact, of course, there were no monkeys in the tree’s native habitat. .

  I remember a Monkey puzzle tree in the grounds of a chapel in the small town where I grew up and was always fascinated by it. It was so huge to me and I could watch the birds look for nuts below the tree. They didn’t seem perturbed by the needles. It was a dark, shady tree and crows made their nests in it, which is why it might be associated with bad luck in some places, I assume. Incidentally, Araucaria was also the name of my favourite cryptic crossword puzzle setter in the UK's The Guardian newspaper

  It is a member of the Araucariaceae family and it is said that Whitby jet, prized by the Victorians for jewellery making was formed by a long extinct tree of this family in the same way as we believe amber was formed by a member of the same family.

  These trees are also called Chilean pines and other Latin synonyms for them are Araucaria imbriata and Pinus araucaria. You can’t miss them as they have a loose pyramid shape and really are “living fossils.”