JOINTFIR OR MORMON TEA PLANT: PROBABLY DOES NOT CONTAIN EPHEDRINE: HEALTH BENEFITS OF MORMON'S TEA

MORMON TEA PLANT, JOINTFIR, EPHEDRA NEVADENSIS 

The evergreen shrub known as Jointfir, or Mormon Tea plant is native to the south-western US. As the Mormons are not allowed to drink coffee because it is a stimulant (containing, as it does, caffeine) the twigs of this plant are used to make a tisane or tea, hence the name. The plant does not have leaves as such but has spiky green twigs, which resemble a fir tree’s needles (for example those of the European silver fir).

  The flowers are reminiscent of those of the Greek mountain tea plant, and these bloom in April through to the end of June. The fruit is a smooth brown nutlet which can be cooked although it tastes bitter, and it may be roasted and ground to make flour for using in making bread.

  This plant is in the Ephedraceae family, making it a close relative of the Sea grape, Ephedra distachya. Because it is in the Ephedra genus, it was supposed that it has the same properties as other plants in that genus; but it seems that this is not the case. This plant contains no, or very few, Ephedra alkaloids, according to the European Food Standards Agency’s (EFSA) report of 2009. That being the case, most of what has been written about the plants’ psychoactive properties online is probably not true.

  Mormon tea is made by taking the twigs of the plant and infusing them to make a tea or tisane. Both the fresh and dried twigs can be used, and for drying purposes the green twigs can be harvested at any time of the year.

  Traditionally the tea was made by Native Americans who used it medicinally as a blood purifier, diuretic and to lower the temperature of the body during fevers. It was also used as a general tonic and for kidney, urinary-genital problems and STDs.

  The plant does not contain ephedrine, or at least, not much, so all the literature regarding this compound does not apply to this particular member of the Ephedra genus.            

  The fruit from the plant can be eaten raw, although it is a little bland, but sweet, and the twigs can be chewed to treat the symptoms of asthma, but not the root cause. It makes respiratory problems easier, but does not cure them.

  There are rarely any side effects if you drink Mormon tea in moderation, although you may experience some if it is drunk to excess.

  The plant does contain the compounds, kynusenates, which have antimicrobial properties, and it is a very effective diuretic and because of this property, it can contribute to weight loss.

MOLE PLANT, CAPER SPURGE - NOT RECOMMENDED FOR MEDICINAL USE: HISTORY OF HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF MOLE PLANT

MOLE PLANT, CAPER SPURGE, EUPHORBIA LATHYRIS 

The mole plant is so named because it was believed that it deterred moles and other creatures from making a mess of a garden. For the same reason it is called gopher plant in North America. It is a member of the spurge or Euphorbiaceae family which make it s close relative of petty spurge, poinsettia, the Candlenut tree, jamalgota (Croton tiglium), the castor bean plant, yucca, and both French and Dog’s mercury.

  The whole plant is toxic and should be treated with caution. Despite this it has been use in traditional medicine systems in the past. The name ‘spurge’ comes from the Middle English and Old French, ‘espurge’ which means to purge, thus showing what these spurge family plants were traditionally used for in terms of medicine. The mole plant is native to Europe and possibly to Britain, although it may have been a garden escapee there and become naturalized.                                                                                                       

   French people living in rural locations were said to take 12–15 seeds as a purgative, perhaps similar in action and toxicity to castor oil or perhaps even to jamalgota. However one seed is sufficient as a mild laxative. The root is also used as a purgative and emetic (to produce vomiting and so cleanse the system). The leaves and sap or latex from the plant, are vesicant, and have been used by beggars so that they produce blisters and weeping sores which meant that they aroused more sympathy and so got more money. The latex was used in folk medicine for cancers and to remove corns and warts.  It is also said to have antiseptic and diuretic properties. In the past the mole plant was used for diarrhea, gangrene, melanoma, skin ailments, sores, and sore throats. The seeds are used in homeopathy for erysipelas, paralysis, and rheumatism. The seed oil is applied to burns, however this is not recommended.

  The seed is also said to have the ability to kill parasites. The fresh seeds have been used to treat cancerous tumours and leukaemia, and the oil is antiseptic.

  The plant is in flower between May and June and the seeds ripen in July and August. The seeds need to be steeped in salted water for days before using and then pickled in vinegar to be used as a caper substitute, however given their toxicity it is not recommended that they are used.

  The Nobel Laureate, Melvin Calvin believed that the oil from this plant could be used as fuel and used in refineries without too many problems. He first stated this in 1976, but the plant has not been used for fuel yet.                                    

  The latex from the plant has reportedly been used as a depilatory, but given the irritancy caused by this latex it is not advisable to put it on the skin.

  This is a plant that should not be used medicinally, or for food; this post is for information only.

DYER'S BROOM, DYER'S GREENWOOD - POSSIBLE CANCER GROWTH INHIBITOR: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF DYER'S BROOM

DYER’S BROOM, DYER’S GREENWOOD, GENISTA TINCTORIA

Dyer’s broom is native to Britain, Europe, and the Mediterranean region and West Asia. It may be native to the north eastern USA, but is probably an escapee, as it was grown as an ornamental. It grows to around two feet tall with a spread of more than three feet. It has narrow pointed leaves and yellow flowers which bloom between June and September. The seeds ripen between August and October. The plant is pollinated by insects and spring open rather explosively when an insect touches them.

   The plant is closely related to broom, and is a member of the Fabaceae or Leguminosea family, the pea or bean family of plants. This means that it is related to the pongam tree, the cancer bush (Sutherlandia frutescans) the lead tree or ipil-ipil, the Indian Coral tree, the Monkey Pod tree, the tree from which we get Gum Tragacanth or gond katira, jhand the mesquite tree, dhak or Flame of the Forest tree, the Pacific teak tree, the ashoka tree (Saraca indica), European laburnum, the Burmese rosewood tree, lupins, indigo, field restharrow, carob, melilot or sweet clover, milk vetch, the hyacinth bean, alfalfa, the butterfly pea,  chickpeas, borlotti beans and lentils just to name a few of its relatives. 

  All parts of the plant produce a yellow dye, but the flowering tops produce the best golden yellow one. This was traditionally used to dye woollen cloth and when mixed with woad can produce a green dye, and has been used for dye since ancient times, with both the Romans and Greeks using it.

  In 1708 Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656-1708) a French botanist, described its use on what is now the Greek island of Samos in the Dodecanese. He had been sent on an exploratory expedition to the Levant by the King of France, Louis XIV.

  However the plant was also used for medicine and in the 14^th century was, like broom, included in the ointment “unguentum geniste”. It was recommended for “alle could goutes” and the seeds and flowering tops have diuretic properties as well as being able to provoke vomiting to cleanse the system. They are also fairly strong laxatives, although not as strong as jamalgota (Croton tiglium).

  A decoction of the plant used for gout and rheumatism, while the seeds was ground and made into a plaster for broken limbs. In the Ukraine it was traditionally used to treat mad dog bites or rabies, but there is no scientific evidence to support the use, and neither is there evidence that it worked.                                              

  What is certain is that the plant is a good nitrogen-fixer so it can help the soil stay or become more fertile. The leaves are edible and can be used in soups and stews, as a vegetable, while it is said that the seeds can be roasted then ground to make a coffee substitute. The young flower buds can be pickled and used as a capers substitute too. The strong fibre from the stems can be made into coarse cloth or made into ropes.

  Care should be taken with the use of Dyer’s broom as it constricts the blood vessels and so increases blood pressure. It should be avoided by those with high blood pressure. It is best to harvest the plant when the flowers are about to bloom and dry it for later use.

  A tisane (infusion) of the flowering tops or the whole aerial parts of the plant can be a useful diaphoretic, promoting sweat in fevers, and it is also said to be a stimulant.

  Nicholas Culpeper, the English herbalist, writing his Herbal in the 17^th century has this to say about dyer’s greenwood or Dyer’s broom: -

“Government and virtues. Matthiolus says, That the root hereof cures tough phlegm, digests raw phlegm, thins gross humours, dissolves hard tumours, and opens obstructions. Some do highly commend it against the biting of venomous creatures, to be taken inwardly and applied outwardly to the hurt place; as also for the plague or pestilence. The people in some counties of this land, do use to bruise the herb, and lay it to cuts or wounds in the hands or legs, to heal them. “

  Interestingly the plant contains genisten which was first isolated from Dyer’s broom in 1899. This blocks the formation of new blood vessels and may block the uncontrolled cell growth associated with cancers, according to some scientists. It has been seen to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer, so perhaps this is a plant to watch in the future.

IRONWORT- MOUNTAIN TEA PLANT: SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE TRADITIONAL USES OF IRONWORT : MOUNTAIN TISANE RECIPE

IRONWORT, MOUNTAIN TEA, SIDERITIS SYRIACA 

If you have ever had a cold or flu in Greece, and have Greek friends, then you will know all about Greek mountain tea, which comes from this plant. It is called “malotira”  (better) in Crete, and is served in small cups or glasses in Turkey, with sugar or honey and  lemon to flavour it. Sideritis plants grow throughout the Balkan region and can be found in temperate Asia and Central Europe, but Sideritis syriaca comes fro the Mediterranean region as the name syriaca, from Syria might suggest.

  The genus name Sideritis means he who has iron, which is a reference to those who had been wounded in ballet by iron weapons. The plants were used as a wound healer although other suggest that the plant got its name because the flowers or sepals, look rather like spear tips.

  This mountain tea plant is in the mint family, the Lamiaceae or Labiatae family which means it has a whole host of relatives, which include, 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, the small-flowered chaste tree, sage, ground ivy, Jupiter’s sage, wall germander, horsemint, Fragrant premna and hyssop.

  The plant can grow to heights of more than a foot, and is best gathered in July when it is in full bloom and then dried for later use. In Greece, you can buy it in street markets in bundles, or in supermarkets in jars.

  The essential oil has anti-microbial, antibacterial and antifungal properties and can be used for such ailments as candida in the same way as you would use Australian tea tree oil.

  In clinical trials this plant has been found to have antioxidant properties and to prevent and / or inhibit the growth of cancerous tumours. It also has anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions as indicated in “Preliminary evaluation on anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Sideritis syriaca L. herbal extracts.” Menghini L, et al. 2005 Summer; Vol.8 (2):pp. 227-31. Journal of Medicinal Food. They conclude: -                                                                                          

 “The data from this preliminary study reveal interesting pharmacological properties of S. syriaca L. herbal extracts related to the marked analgesic activity and the absence of gastric ulcerogenic activity. The same is for anti-inflammatory activity, but in this case it seems to be related only to the apolar fraction.”

  In Turkey the tisane is used for coughs and as a diuretic to rid the body of excess fluid.

  So far the plant has only attracted researchers from the areas in which it grows naturally, although the tea is sold in Germany as “Bergtee” and is becoming ever more popular. I can vouch for the fact that it helps in colds and flu and scientists say that it can do this because it has immune system boosting properties. It tastes fine, so is good to try if you have a cold, cough or flu.

                  

MOUNTAIN TEA RECIPE                                                                      

Take some sprigs of the dried herb (about 3 per cup) and pour boiling water over them.

Leaves for 10 minutes and add honey (or sugar) and a slice of lemon, or squeeze fresh lemon juice into the cup.

This has Taste and is a Treat(ment).