WHAT IS AMALAKI HERB? INDIAN GOOSEBERRY OR AMLA: MEDICINAL BENEFITS OF AMALAKI: AMALAKI RECIPES

AMALAKI, AMLA, INDIAN GOOSEBERRY, (EMBLICA OFFICINALIS)

The Amalaki, Amla, or Indian gooseberry is related to the commonly known European types of gooseberry but it is not the same, nor does it have the same properties. For one thing the Indian gooseberry grows on trees while the European gooseberry grows on bushes. The Indian one has big stones in it whereas the other gooseberry has small seeds all through it. When the Western world discovered this Indian Gooseberry in recent years, with the boom in sales of dietary supplements and alternative and complementary medicines this fruit was hailed as the “new superfruit” which just goes to show how “western-centric” journalists in the West are.  The Indian gooseberry was mentioned in the Rig Veda, a materia medica that was written somewhere around 3000 BC. How can they describe it as a “new” superfruit?

Amalaki Tree

    There are two types of Indian gooseberry, the Vanya which is small hard and fibrous and grows wild in forests in the Indian subcontinent, and the Gramya, which is softer, juicier and more succulent than the forest Vanya type. Tibetan and Indian herbalists have long used this Indian gooseberry for its antioxidant properties. This gooseberry also contains polyphenols, tannins and bioflavonoids as well as essential amino acids and phytonutrients. The gallic acid it contains is a very powerful antioxidant and it also has a high vitamin C content, making it one of the best fruits for boosting the immune and digestive systems.

   It has been used throughout the centuries as an aphrodisiac and a cure for impotence as the well told story of the sage Muni Chyawan illustrates. The sage restored his youthful sexual vigour with this fruit some time in the 7^th century, so if it was good enough for him, men thought, it was good enough for them.

   In Ayurvedic medicine it is used to restore a jaded appetite, and to strengthen the functions of the pancreas of diabetics and stimulate the production of insulin. It is a scared plant because of its healing properties, and it can help rejuvenate the elderly, combating inflammation caused by arthritis, and acting as a tonic in general and for those who are recovering from an illness in particular. It helps to purify the blood, and is given to people with hepatitis, as it helps the liver function normally. It is also good for the spleen and for those who suffer from gout, osteoporosis, and asthma and has been used to treat a plethora of other diseases too.

  Recent trials have found that it is very beneficial in the treatment of diabetes which supports its use in traditional medicine in Asia.

   To treat asthma herbalists recommend taking 5 grams of amla fruit with honey every morning. To prevent hair loss you should eat 6 amla fruit or boil them in a cup of milk then remove the large seeds and mash to a pulp in the milk. You should then apply this paste to your hair roots and leave it on for 20 minutes before washing your hair. Drink fresh juice from the Indian gooseberry every day to purify the blood and prevent skin problems such as acne. If there is no fresh juice, then you can use 2 grams of amla powder mixed with ghee and honey and eaten.

   If you have lost your appetite then you should try this remedy: - 1 part cloves, 1 part nutmeg, 1 part fresh green chilli pepper chopped finely,3 parts amla and 8 parts ginger root ground to a powder. You need to add gur or jaggery to taste and eat 2 or 3 teaspoons before each meal.

  You can make a preserve of amla by cutting the fruit into small pieces, covering them with lemon juice and rock salt and storing in an airtight glass jar in a cool dark place. This is good for indigestion. You can use the bark and leaves in a decoction for mouth ulcers. Put the bark and leaves in water and boil until the water has reduced by half; leave to cool then strain and use as a gargle for sore throats and mouth ulcers. You can also drink this hot as a tisane and it will help with any stomach problems you might have, but only take half a cup at first, with honey, to see how it reacts on you. It is a purifier, so may have a laxative effect.

   I am told that if you take 1 teaspoon of amla powder with 2 teaspoons of jaggery for a month, it will reduce the aches and pains of rheumatism.

   These Indian gooseberries certainly have Taste and work as a Treat(ment) too.

WHAT IS BER FRUIT? JUJUBE BERRY: MEDICINAL BENEFITS OF BER OR JUJUBE BERRY

BER, JUJUBE, ZIZYPHUS VULGARIS

Ber is the Urdu name for the fruit of the tree Zizyphus vulgaris, or mauritania or sativa and is called the jujube berry in English. It is also known as the Indian jujube or Chinese date. It has a brownish skin when ripe and smells a little like hops, with an astringent taste. These trees are believed to be native to Syria, but there is some evidence that they are also native to the Indian subcontinent.

    In Pakistan the fruit can be found in the month of December, and it is sold then fresh, but can also be dried. In Europe the fruit was made into a cough medicine and tisane for medicinal reasons in times past. 

     In India the tree is sacred to Shiva and is known as “the tree which removes sorrow”, perhaps because of its sedative properties. It was depicted in the Ramayana so has been known for centuries in the subcontinent and was not a recently introduced species.

    In Pakistan there are metaphorical uses for ber as they say that if you have a quarrel with a relative or close friend you should go and talk it over as a relationship is not like ber.  If you leave the person you quarreled with alone for some time the rift will widen between you. If ber fall to the ground they are not damaged but the fruit gets better, and if you smooth things over after a quarrel the relationship will get better like the ber.

   It is also said that if there are marriageable daughters in a house then suitors will come just as surely as if there were a ber tree and stones will come as the children try to knock the fruit off the tree.

     The fruit has been used in traditional medicine as an emollient, expectorant, coolant, anodyne and tonic and has been used as an antidote for aconite poisoning. It is given to relieve abdominal pains during pregnancy and can be applied to wounds when used in a poultice.

  The leaves can be used as a laxative and for throat problems as a decoction and the same liquid can also be used for skin problems. The roots have wound healing properties too.

   Medical researchers have found a “new” flavonoid in ber called zivulgarin and trials are underway to discover how it might benefit us. Oleamide found in an extract of Zizyphus jujube has been found to help fight Alzheimer’s disease, and help the cognitive processes.

   Wood from the trees is used by villagers to make agricultural implements as it is hard and durable, while the leaves are used as fodder for sheep and goats, so all parts of the tree are useful and well utilized.

    It has been found that there is saponins in he leaves and vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid in the fruit, as well as the B-complex vitamins, thiamin, riboflavin and pectin. It has immunostimulant, antioxidant and wound healing properties, and pectin is known to be useful in cases of diarrhoea. The fruit also helps lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Some of the triterpenoic acids isolated from the fruit are also believed to be useful in fighting cancer and HIV.

   Personally I don’t like these fruits, but as they are so good for us, I might try one or two again.

WHAT IS COCCINIA INDICA? KHOCHOPER HERB: HOW TO USE IN MEDICINE

COCCINIA INDICA, KHOCHOPER, BIMBI, IVY GOURD

This plant is a creeper which is in the pumpkin family. It grows wild in the Indian subcontinent and may be found in forests and fields. Hakims or herbalists would try to persuade children to bring them from the forest but the fruit are so tasty that hardly any got back to the elderly hakims. They taste like a honey melon, but sometimes they are sour and not so good to eat raw. They come in different shapes and sizes too some looking like gherkins, others may be round like tiny water melons. The flowers have red sheaths, but are white and rather like those of convolvulus. If you eat the fruit raw it will get rid of mouth ulcers and eating two fruit a day, raw will help diabetes sufferers and improve dry skin.

   The fruit can regulate hypoglycaemia and so can other parts of the plant, but the fruit has the most potent properties. It has been sown that the plant extracts can be useful in treating diabetes and trials are still continuing in humans. It has been used in traditional medicine in the India subcontinent for centuries, without people suffering from ill effects, so is considered safe. Other plants used in the treatment of diabetes and which are undergoing clinical tests are karella (bitter melon) and fenugreek (methi).

  The fruit contain riboflavin, thiamin, linoleic, oleic and palmitic acids and has strong antioxidant properties. The plant is a diaphoretic (induces sweating) so is good for fevers, and is also a diuretic and stimulant. The leaves and stem have antispasmodic and expectorant properties, and the juice from the roots is used for urinary tract infections.

   Juice is extracted from the leaves and can be used for skin problems such as rashes or any other skin problem; one cup of juice may be mixed with 1 teaspoon of butter and applied to affected areas. The juice from the leaves may also be used internally for diarrhoea, in such cases, mix two teaspoons of juice with a cup of natural yoghurt and take two or three times a day. If you are in need of a diuretic, boil 2 teaspoons of chopped roots in a cup of water until the water is reduced to half. Drink this warm.

   You can boil 1 cup of leaves, dry them and then grind them to a fine powder and store in a jar in a cool place until you need to use it. If you have burning eyes, a skin infections or need to cool your body, take a teaspoon of the powder in hot water three times a day.

   This weed has many medical uses and the fruit tastes good too.

OAK TREE, ACORNS, OAK APPLES IN HISTORY AND MEDICINAL USES: OAK TREE BARK DECOCTION

OAK TREES, ACORNS AND OAK APPLES

There are two main genuses of oak tree, the Cyclobalanopsis and the Quercus. The Cyclobalanopsis variety grows in eastern and South East Asia and is an evergreen, whereas the Quercus are the deciduous trees which grow in Europe and North America.

This article deals with the Common oak, Quercus robur, found in the British Isles. The name Quercus comes from “quer” meaning beautiful and “cuoz” meaning tree and the drus in Celtic means tree and more specifically the oak, thus giving rise to the word druid.

mistletoe

   The fruit of the oak tree, the acorn, was used as food when we were hunter-gatherers, although they are now more commonly fed to pigs. The oak tree has special significance in Britain, and was a tree that was sacred to the Druids, those Celts who inhabited what is now Brittany, France, Wales and Cornwall in Britain and other places in Europe. The Druids were the priestly caste who revered the oak as the King of Trees, all of which had their own special significance. Druids believed that mistletoe which grows on these stately trees was a gift from the gods, and used it as well as all parts of the tree in medicine. They worshipped in sacred groves, and groves of oak were the most highly venerated. “Druid” means “knowing the oak tree” and the parasitical plant, mistletoe was known as the “universal healer.” The oak was also thought to be a gateway to other realms and so was important in the shamanic ceremonies or the Druids.

    Oak leaves were a status symbol of the Celts, Romans and ancient Greeks and chaplets of oak leaves could only be worn by those deserving such a high honour. The oak symbolizes strength, fertility wealth and good fortune, and pieces of oak bark are still carried as amulets in parts of Brittany.

     There are many phrases in English that show the power of the oak, for example, “hearts of oak”, attributed both to the Welsh warriors and the English. Thomas Hardy, writing in the late 19^th and early 20^th century gave his morally strong hero in “Far from the Madding Crowd” the name Gabriel Oak.

    In England there are famous oaks, the Gospel oaks which were outside city walls and under the shade of which preachers read psalms and told moral stories from the gospels to parishioners. These were thought to be safe resting places for weary travellers as it was believed that they would be safe from evil under the shelter of these trees. The poet Robert Herrick (1591-1674) wrote these lines: -

          “Dearest, bury me

           Under that holy oke, or Gospel tree”.

 There is also the Royal Oak in which legend has it that Bonnie Prince Charlie (King Charles II of England) hid after his defeat by Cromwell’s Roundheads after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Many pubs in England were called “The Royal Oak” because of this legend.

evergreen Cyclobalanopsis

   There is also an old rhyme which predicts the weather in spring: -

           “If the Oak’s before the Ash,

            Then you’ll only get a splash;

            If the Ash before the oak,

            Then you’ll get a soak.”

In other words if the oak grows new leaves before the ash tree does, it won’t be a very wet spring, but the opposite will be true if the ash starts to grow new leaves before the oak tree does.

One superstition about the oak tree is that if someone cuts one or damages the tree in any way, their first born son will die young.

     May 29^th is Oak Apple Day in England, called “shikshak” day in Hampshire in southern England. Oak apples are the larvae of the cynip insect and these have astringent qualities due to the gallo-tannic acid they contain. A decoction made from these or from the bark of the oak tree is said to stop internal bleeding. The powdered oak apples used to be mixed with benzoated lard and applied to bleeding gums and piles as well as being employed to stop nosebleeds.

oak "apple"

    The bark of the oak tree can be used in a decoction for various ailments including prolapse of the lower bowel. You can make the decoction with 1 ounce of bark to 2 pints of water. Boil these together until the liquid is reduced by half. The water can be used as an effective gargle for sore throats, applied to bleeding gums or haemorrhoids (piles). Powdered bark can be used as snuff and this was used in the early stages of consumption to cure it. It is supposed to be good for respiratory ailments. The decoction of the bark is a tonic, astringent and antiseptic, so can be applied to cuts and wounds. It has also been used with chamomile flowers as a substitute for quinine for fever. The leaves from the oak tree have been applied to fresh wounds to staunch the bleeding.

    The fruit of the oak tree, the acorn, has been used as a coffee substitute in the past, and you can eat these as long as the tannic acid they contain is leached from them. This is easy, if time-consuming, but you can keep the water and use it for a variety of ailments, including as a skin wash for rashes or irritated skin, as a drink to stop diarrhoea and dysentery, and to put on fresh wounds as it has antiviral and antiseptic properties.

    Boil the acorns in water and after 10 minutes, strain the acorns and put them in another pan of boiling water. You need to do this twice more to be sure there is no tannic acid remaining. Store the water in the fridge and if it grows mould just reboil it to get rid of the mould and continue to store it for medicinal use.

     Now that the acorns are tannin free you can easily peel them and dry or roast them. Roasted acorns make good tisanes or coffee if you add chicory. You can grind the acorns into flour and use it for bread or to thicken sauces. Alternatively you can toast the kernels and cover them with honey for a tasty snack, or make them into a simple homely porridge in the winter months.

    You can even use the water from this process to make a dye, but will have to use a mordant if you want a permanent colour. If you have your own animals you can use the water in the tanning of the skin to make it soft and flexible.

ancient Jurupa oak

   The oak tree is loved by truffle-hunting pigs in Piedmont Italy and the Perigord region of France, as the ultimate fungal delicacy, the black truffle, can be found under oak trees.

    The oak tree has been around for thousands of years as was verified when scientists discovered that the Jurupa oak in California, has been in existence for at least 13,000 years making it much older than the ancient pyramids of Egypt. They believe that it regenerates itself as what looks like a grove of trees has been genetically tested to reveal that it is, in fact one single tree. It is the oldest living organism on the planet that has been discovered so far, and was recognized as such only in 2009.

WHAT IS ALBIZIA LEBBECK? SIRIS TREE OR RATTLE POD OR WOMEN'S TONGUE: MEDICINAL USES OF ALBIZIA LEBBECK

ALBIZIA LEBBECK, SIRIS TREE, RATTLE POD, WOMEN’S TONGUE

Albizia lebbeck or the Siris tree grows profusely in the Punjab province of Pakistan and I have been particularly impressed with its leaves, flowers, and later the seed pods. Locally it is known as the Sharee trees and is used in traditional medicine in the subcontinent. There are a lot of these trees growing in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, and they are very eye-catching when they have their huge ripe pods hanging from the foliage.

    The flowers, fruit, bark, leaves and roots are all used in medicine. The seeds contain crude protein, calcium, phosphorous, iron, niacin and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and most of the essential amino acids. There are saponins in the seeds, but no harmful effects have been reported when the seeds have been eaten, as long as they are eaten in moderation; too many will induce vomiting.

    A paste of the leaves is used to treat skin problems and to improve skin texture, making it smoother. Paste preparations from parts of the plant are applied to insect stings, wounds and bites, and it is also said to be good to promote healthy gums and teeth. It is used to treat inflammation too, and a powder from the different parts of the tree is said to purify the blood and be good for the respiratory system, and to treat allergies. The ethanol extract of the pod is effective against some forms of cancer. Parts of the tree are also used to treat eye problems, impotence and as a diuretic. However it is also thought that the seeds can cause infertility.

   Saponins from the tree are used to make soap and the tannin from the bark is used in the tanning process. Bees love the nectar from the flowers, and the tree itself is a host to lac insects which leave a residue on the tree which can be collected and used in the paint and varnish industry. In this it is similar to the banyan tree.

   Modern medical trials have shown that Albizia lebbeck has “remarkable anti-inflammatory activity supporting the folkloric usage of this plant to treat various inflammatory diseases” (Babu N.P. et al).

   This tree is native to the Indian subcontinent, the Andaman Islands and Myanmar, and various other trees of the Albizia family also grow in other parts of the world, The Albizia chinensis tree grows in these areas and in other countries. In rainforests it can grow to heights of 100 feet, and it usually has seed pods which are 8 to 12 inches long. When the wind blows the seeds rattle in the dry pods, and this has given rise to the name, Rattle pod tree.

HOW TO MAKE SPICY SCRAMBLED EGGS: EASY AND TASTY RECIPE

SPICY SCRAMBLED EGGS

Ingredients

6 eggs

½ cup milk

½ cup grated cheese

2 onions, finely chopped

6 green chillies, finely chopped

2 tsps ginger paste

2 tsps garlic paste

1 tomato, grated

1 cucumber (5-6 inches long), grated

1 potato, thinly sliced

½ handful of fresh mint leaves, shredded

½ handful fresh coriander leaves, shredded

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp ajwain or thyme

½ tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp chilli powder

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1½ cups oil

Method 

Beat the eggs in a bowl and mix with the milk, spices, cheese, herbs, chillies, grated tomato and salt.

Heat the oil in a pan, and fry the potato slices until they are brown. Add the garlic and ginger paste and fry for 1 min. Now put the onion and cucumber in the pan and cook for 4 mins stirring well.

Add the contents of the bowl to the pan; stir well so that the mixture does not stick to the pan and burn.

When it gets thicker, turn down the heat to very low, cover and cook for 10 mins.

Remove the lid and cook until the mixture is the right consistency.

Remove from the heat and serve.

This is my own simple dish that everyone who has tasted it has enjoyed.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

YELLOW SAGE, SPANISH FLAG, LANTANA CAMARA: BENEFITS OF YELLOW SAGE AND USES

SPANISH FLAG, YELLOW SAGE, LANTANA CAMARA

Lantana camara is native to parts of Africa, the West Indies and Central and South America. It has been grown for its ornamental value and has escaped into the wild, so that now it is an invasive species in many countries including Australia, and some in East Africa. There are many different varieties and some of the berries in different countries are highly toxic, for example children have died from ingesting them in Canada. However a recent study (published in November 2010) states that the berries “are not associated with significant toxicity, either ripe or unripe”. Certainly adults in Pakistan tell stories about loving to eat them when they were children. They look and smell a little like blackcurrants, or juniper berries. However, they should be treated with caution.

   Animals which eat too much of the plant can be poisoned and die within 3 to 5 days, and this is thought to be due to the lantadene in the plant which is a polycyclic triterpenoid.

   In Pakistan they grow profusely on waste ground and in other countries they take over complete habitats and destroy other vegetation. They are shrubs and can grow up to 6 feet tall although they are normally around 3-4 feet.

   Although they are weed, they have many uses, as the stems can be made into pulp for paper-making which is a suitable quality for writing and printing, but it is not yet commercially viable to harvest the stems. Similarly the roots yield a latex which could possibly be used to manufacture rubber, but again, this has to be studied to see if it is financially viable.

   In India and Pakistan they are used in folk medicine with the extracts from the plant being used for cancer, chickenpox, measles, asthma, ulcers, swellings, eczema, tumours, high blood pressure, bilious fever, catarrhal infections, tetanus, rheumatism, malaria, dysentery and diarrhoea. The roots are used in a decoction for colds, coughs and flu and gonorrhea. The pounded leaves are used in poultices for swellings and skin problems.

 The leaves have antiseptic properties and can be placed on wounds. The essential oil has triterpenes, such as lantic acid which can kill E.coli and Bacillus cereus, as it has potent antimicrobial qualities. The leaf extract is also fungicidal, nermaticidal and insecticidal, so may be a natural way to kill pests and keep them away from crops. The oil also contains verbasocide which is antimicrobial and has immunosuppressive and anti-tumour properties.

   The twigs and stems are used in still-developing countries as fuel for cooking, and the flowers attract butterflies and moths as they are a good source of nectar for them.

    The best advice is not to ingest any part of this plant, although it probably won’t do you any harm, although this may depend on where you live and the variety of Lantana camara.