BUGLE - SELF-HEAL SUBSTITUTE: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF BUGLE

BUGLE, AJUGA REPTANS

Bugle is closely related to Self-Heal, (Prunella vulgaris), and has similar healing properties. They are both used for healing wounds and are both in the mint or Labiatae or Lamiaceae family of plants. Bugle flowers between April and the end of June and is indigenous to Europe, including the British Isles, North Africa and parts of Asia. Having been brought from Europe to America by the early European colonists, it is now naturalized there. Its natural habitat is damp woodlands and mountains, and if you want to harvest it, the best time is when it is in full bloom.

  The old herbalists had a very high opinion of bugle and held it in as much esteem as Self-Heal, with John Gerard, the 16^th century herbalist having this to say about it:-

   “There is not a better Wound herb in the world than that of Self-Heal…for this very herbe, without the mixture of any other ingredient, being onely bruised and wrought with the point of a knife… will be brought into the form of a salve, which will heal any green wounde…The decoction of Prunell made with wine and water doth join together and make whole and sound all wounds, both inward and outward, even as Bugle doth. To be short, it serveth for the same that the Bugle serveth and in the world there are not two better wound herbs as hath been often proved.”

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

   '…if the virtues of it make you fall in love with it (as they will if you be wise) keep a syrup of it to take inwardly, and an ointment and plaster of it to use outwardly, always by you. The decoction of the leaves and flowers in wine dissolveth the congealed blood in those that are bruised inwardly by a fall or otherwise and is very effectual for any inward wounds, thrusts or stabs in the body or bowels; and is an especial help in wound drinks and for those that are liver-grown, as they call it. It is wonderful in curing all ulcers and sores, gangrenes and fistulas, if the leaves, bruised and applied or their juice be used to wash and bathe the place and the same made into lotion and some honey and gum added, cureth the worse sores. Being also taken inwardly or outwardly applied, it helpeth those that have broken any bone or have any member out of joint. An ointment made with the leaves of Bugle, Scabious and Sanicle bruised and boiled in hog's lard until the herbs be dry and then strained into a pot for such occasions as shall require, it is so efficacious for all sorts of hurts in the body that none should be without it.'

(Sanicle mentioned above is Sanicula Europea (LINN).)

  Bugle has been used in traditional medicine for coughs, the treatment of tuberculosis, a heart tonic, and to help wean babies from their mother’s breast milk by reducing the flow of milk. In some countries it has been used in intermittent fevers such as malaria, as a diuretic and to relieve nausea and bilious attacks. It has been used to combat hallucinations caused by excessive ingestion of alcohol as it reportedly has mildly narcotic sedative effects.

  It contains flavonoids, glycosides, volatile oil and tannins and several other substances including a phenylpropanoid, teupoliside which has been investigated by a team led by Dr. Salvatore Cuzzocrea of the University of Messina. In 2009 in the Journal of Biochemical Pharmacology it was reported that teupoliside has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and tissue repairing properties, and could be of help in inflammatory bowel disease. It also contains the glycoside harpagide which is found in Devil’s Claw (Harpogophytum procumbens).

  A tisane can be made with 1 ounce of the dried (whole) herb to one pint of boiling water, steeped for 15 minutes before straining. This is for internal haemorrhaging and to stop the coughing up of blood, traditionally. It is supposed to be a hangover cure too, but the herb lowers the pulse rate and has similar properties to digitalis which is extracted from foxglove.

  Bugle has been substituted for Self-Heal in traditional medicine, but very little research has been conducted on this herb. The traditional uses for it have not been verified or refuted by clinical trials.

SEA BUCKTHORN - ENJOYED BY PEGASUS : HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF SEA BUCKTHORN

SEA BUCKTHORN, HIPPOPHAE RHAMNOIDES

As its name suggests sea buckthorn likes to live in coastal regions and is native to Europe, including the British Isles, and Asia through to the Himalayas and Japan. It has been used in traditional Tibetan and Chinese medicine for centuries, although the Chinese variety is not this one.

  In Greek legends it is said that the winged horse Pegasus liked to feed on sea buckthorn berries and these gave him power to fly. Ancient Greeks fed their racehorses on sea buckthorn berries to keep their coats sleek and the horses healthy. The botanical name for sea buckthorn means “shiny horse” and it is thought that this might refer to the underside of the leaves of the sea buckthorn tree.

  These trees can grow to heights of 20 feet and have spreads of up to 8 feet (2.5 metres) and are found on sand dunes and cliffs in Britain. They are members of the Elaeagnaceae family and are not related to the buckthorn. The orange berries of this tree are very astringent, but taste much better when they have been bletted (when they have been subject to frost). The branches and leaves contain different bio-active substances and oil to those of the berries, and this is curious, and currently the subject of research. There is a new Omega-7 fatty acid which has been found in the sea buckthorn. The berries are a very rich source of vitamins A and C and also contain vitamins E, some of the B-complex ones vitamin K and P. Their flavonoids are also the subject of research, as for minerals they contain boron, silica, phosphorous manganese, iron and calcium, among others.

  The berries therefore have antioxidant properties and are good for the vision (as are bilberries and blueberries) and are said to help with male problems such as premature ejaculation and impotence. They may also protect the liver, and lower blood cholesterol levels, as well as having anti-inflammatory properties.

 The twigs and leaves are used in decoctions for the skin and the berries are said to protect the skin from ageing - so you can make a face mask from the pulverized berries and leave it on for 20 minutes before rinsing off with tepid water. The oil obtained from the berries can be applied directly to the skin for any irritation or problems such as sores or eczema, and to the gums for oral health problems.

  Their medicinal value was known to Dioscorides writing in the first century AD as well as to Theophrastus, writing several centuries earlier. The berries were made into decoctions or infusions and used externally for skin problems and internally they were used for digestion problems. They have a bitter taste but can be juiced and added to sweeter fruit juices, such as orange or peach juice, or perhaps grape or strawberry juice. They can be made into compotes or conserves, pies, jams and jellies, and are tasty when combined with blackberries and apples.

  The berries were used for the foods of Russian cosmonauts to prevent “cosmic radiation” sickness. The Chinese athletes in the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 used sea buckthorn berries in their team’s energy drink. The berries are used in cosmetics, in creams and toothpastes, and would very likely make good moisturizers.

  Sea buckthorn is also a soil nitrogen fixer and can help prevent soil erosion. It can be introduced as a pioneer species to devastated woodland area and is useful for its wood and charcoal as well as its hard, durable wood which can be used in carpentry and turning.

  Research is still ongoing into the properties of this plant, but hopefully in the near future it will be of immense benefit to us.

MARSH SAMPHIRE - SALTY SUCCULENT: HEALTH BENEFITS, USES AND HOW TO COOK MARSH SAMPHIRE

MARSH SAMPHIRE, SALICORNIA EUROPAEA

Marsh samphire abounds along the Welsh coastline and Welsh lambs fed on this plant are highly sought-after and sold by “high-class” butchers. In previous times fish and chip shops offered special customers marsh samphire to go with their fish, and not surprisingly it goes well with this. Marsh samphire grows on muddy sea flats and coastal areas and in estuaries and small creek beds. It is indigenous to northern Europe including the British Isles and to North America.

  In the past it was known as glasswort and glasswede. The latter is the name given to it by the 16^th century herbalist William Turner who described the plant but then had to name it. Nicholas Culpeper, writing his Complete Herbal in the following century calls it Saltwort too and says:- “All sorts of saltwort, or glasswort, are under the dominion of Mars, and are of a cleansing quality, without any great or manifest heat; the powder of any of them, or the juice, which is much better, taken in drink, purges downwards phlegmatic, waterish,

 melancholy, and adust humours, and is therefore very effectual for the dropsy, to

 provoke urine, and expel the dead child. It opens stoppings of the liver and spleen, and wastes the hardness thereof; but it must be used with discretion, as a great quantity is hurtful and dangerous.”

He continues to comment on the ashes, which, when mixed with sand produced glass, hence the name glasswort or glasswede for the plant.

“The ashes are very sharp and biting, like a caustic, and the lye that is made thereof is so strong that it will fetch off the skin from the hands, or any part of the body; but ay be mixed with other more moderate medicines, to take any scabs, leprosy, and to cleanse the skin.”

 Sir Thomas More, who wrote during the Renaissance, listed the useful native plants that would improve “many a poor knave's pottage” if he were skilled in their properties, says that “Glasswort might afford him a pickle for his mouthful of salt meat.”

 John Parkinson, (1567-1650) relates a theory in connection with Glasswort in his days:

“If the soap that is made of the lye of the ashes be spread upon a piece of thicke coarse brown paper cut into the forme of their shoe sole that are casually taken speechless and bound to the soles of their feete, it will bring again the speech and that within a little time after the applying thereof if there be any hope of being restored while they live: this hath been tried to be effectuall upon diverse persons.”

 So apart from being recognized by gourmets, in the past this modest plant, which looks a little like a sea coral, and on its first appearance like asparagus, has been used medicinally. It grows between June and September, but if you harvest it, please don’t uproot the whole plant, just snip off the tops and leaves the roots so that it can grow the folloing year. It is a protected species in the UK, so it is illegal to uproot it.

 Like other sea plants such as laver bread, it is rich in iodine and is full of phytochemicals that protect the liver, heart and cellular DNA. It is also rich in vitamins A, C, and some B-complex ones, and the minerals, iron, calcium and magnesium phosphorus, calcium, silica, zinc, manganese and vitamin D. Because of this nutritional value it was used by sailors on long ocean voyages to combat scurvy. We now know that it also has a good balance of amino acids and the levels of linoleic acid in the plant are similar to those found in safflower oil. Its flavonoids include quercetin and isorhamnetin as well as certain glycosides which may have anti-cancer effects, but studies are still in an early stage. It is a healthy plant to eat although it does contain sodium, but 100gr of marsh samphire contain 100 calories and no cholesterol.

  Despite the name marsh samphire is not related to rock samphire (pronounced ‘samfire’) as it is a member of the goosefoot family as is stinking goosefoot and fat hen or Chenopodium album. There are several types of Marsh samphire (pronounced ‘samfur’) in Britain and Salicornia bigelovii which grows around the coasts of the Americas has been the subject of a trial in Saudi Arabia as the marsh samphire is so rich in oil and after extracting the oil from the plant the resulting ‘cake’ can be used as livestock feed (Arthur Clark, Nov-Dec 1994, in Saudi Aramco World magazine). There are high hopes in Saudi Arabia that the plant can be a commercial success and the basis for new cities around the Saudi coastal desert areas.

  You can cook marsh samphire easily once it has been thoroughly cleaned and washed then rinsed to remove any grit or sand that clings to it. It looks a little like chong (Caralluma fimbriata), but it is a succulent without any spines. You can eat the young shoots raw, but the saponins make the plant a little bitter so it is best to cook them for about eight minutes in boiling salted water. Try this recipe and add the marsh samphire to a creamy pasta dish with smoked salmon for a delicious dish.

BOILED MARSH SAMPHIRE

Ingredients

200 gr marsh samphire, cleaned and washed as above and in 3 inch pieces

freshly ground black pepper

tsp butter

olive oil

lemon wedges to serve

Method

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and drop the marsh samphire in.

Cook for about 4 minutes for a crunchy texture, longer if you need to.

Drain, and toss in olive oil and the butter.

Serve with grilled fish and garnish with lemon wedges or pieces.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

 

HOPS FOR BEER - HERBS FOR ALE: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF HOPS HERB

HOPS, HUMULUS LUPULUS

Today hops are synonymous with the brewing of beer, but that has not always been the case. They are members of the Cannabinaceae family and so are distant relatives of Cannabis sativa, and also of stinging nettles. Wild hops are indigenous to Europe, including mainland Britain, although there is some debate as to where they originated, with some claiming they spread from Asia. The hop gardens in Kent were the biggest in Britain, although hops were also grown in Hampshire, Sussex and Surrey in southern England and in Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

   The Romans grew hops in gardens according to Pliny (61-113 AD) and their young shoots were eaten as a vegetable in the same way that we eat asparagus. This practice continued into the 20^th century in Britain when they were cooked and chopped, then covered with butter or cream, salt and black pepper.

   Hops can grow to around 18 feet and the poles in hop gardens in England were made from Spanish chestnut trees or ash. The name lupulus comes from the Latin lupus for wolf and is said to have been given to the hop plant because the vine strangles any plants it climbs around just as the Romans thought a wolf killed a sheep by embracing it.

   The Dutch used hops to brew beer in the 14^th century but the Britons were still brewing ale flavoured with traditional herbs such as chamomile, yarrow, meadowsweet, agrimony, betony and dandelion as well as malt from rye. Ale was an Anglo-Saxon drink and its brewing traditions were firmly upheld in the reign of Henry VIII when parliament described the hop as a “wicked weed that would spoil the taste of the drink and endanger the people.” As with other new things from continental Europe and the New World (the tomato and potato for example) the hop, although indigenous to Britain was looked upon as the work of the devil. It was thought to bring on melancholic thoughts and perhaps lead to suicide. Henry Vii in 1524 forbade the addition of both hops and sulphur in ale. However in the reign of Edward VI in 1536 the hop was described as “notable, healthy and temperate”- so it is quite surprising how things changed over a short period of time.

  The craft guild of brewers making beer with hops was established in Britain in 1493, separating itself from the older guild of ale makers. The Abbess Hildegarde of St. Ruprechtsberg wrote “If one intends to make beer from oats, it is prepared with hops.”  She would have known as beer and ale were brewed by members of monastic orders and hops were grown in monastery gardens in Europe.

  One of the detractors of the new-fangled hop was John Evelyn who wrote in his Pomona of 1670,

 “Hops transmuted our wholesome ale into beer, which doubtless much alters its constitution. This one ingredient, by some suspected not unworthily, preserves the drink indeed, but repays the pleasure in tormenting diseases and a shorter life.”

  The hop vine has been used to make paper and a coarse cloth, and more recently it has been suggested that it would make good pulp or biomass as do flax shives, soybean and cotton stalks. The volatile oil from hops is used in the food industry in baked products as well as in sweets, frozen desserts, mineral water and also in the tobacco and the perfume industries. The stems are used to make filler material for corrugated paper and board products. Like flax, the hop vine has a high lignan content.

  Traditionally hops have been used against insomnia and still are used to fill sleep pillows. They have a sedative action and calm hysteria and anxiety, especially when combined in a tisane with valerian and lemon balm, two other herbs with sedative properties. Half an ounce of hops to one pint of water are the usual measurements for a tisane which should be drunk for anxiety and nervous disorders, or to ease indigestion, or even, traditionally, for heart problems jaundice other liver and stomach problems. It has also been used for urinary tract problems such as cystitis and delirium tremens. Used externally it can reduce bruising and poultices of hops can reduce inflammatory swellings, although I think mallow is better for this. Hops allay pain only for a short time, being classed as anodyne rather than analgesic. A pillow stuffed with warm hops can be useful for neuralgia pains, earache and toothache. The Delaware tribe of Amerindians used sachets of hops for similar purposes. It was thought that the hop juice cleaned the blood and could remove the calculus from the joints thus easing arthritic and rheumatic pains. The infusion sometimes has poppy heads and/or chamomile added to it.

  In China and alcohol extract of hops is used for a number of diseases in their traditional medicine system, such as for leprosy, pulmonary tuberculosis and amoebic dysentery.

  In European medicine systems the hop flowers have been used in decoctions to soften a hardened uterus and to reduce swellings, while the dried hops have been used in poultices for painful tumours. Some believe that they are an aphrodisiac like cannabis.

   It is thought that the antimicrobial actions of hops are because of lupulene and humulone which are bitter acids. In Germany hops are added to sausages to preserve them from bacteria.

  In in vitro experiments it was found that xanthohumol, a constituent of hops, exerted some cancer cell killing activity, but research is still in its early stages.

  It could be that this “wicked weed” has some very beneficial properties for our future health.