WATER PLANTAIN: HEALTH BENEFITS OF WATER PLANTAIN

WATER PLANTAIN, ALISMA PLANTAGO-AQUATICA

Water plantain is not, as you might expect from the name one of the plantains such as Plantago major from which we get Isphagol. It is a member of the Alismaceae family. The leaves of water plantain are similar to those of plantain although the rest of the plant is markedly different. This seems not to have deterred the ancient herbalists when they named it. The subspecies which grows in China, var. orientalis has been the subject of research in China as it has long been used in their traditional system of medicine. Most of the research has supported the traditional uses. In China it is called Ze-Zie. The name Alisma is thought to come from the Celtic word, alis, which means water, while plantago-aquatica, means water plantain, so that is how it gets its English name.                                                                                                          

  The fresh leaves and roots are toxic, but the toxins disappear when heated so are fine cooked or dried. The seeds are subject to some medical confusion, at least in terms of their reported traditional uses, as they are said to aid conception and to promote sterility.

  Water plantain grows in damp ground, ditches, and on the edges of shallow ponds and other such bodies of water. They are native to Europe, including Britain, Asia and North America, and can grow to heights of just over three feet tall. It flowers between June and August, and the seeds ripen between July and September.

  The root is rich in starch and maybe eaten if well-cooked, and the leaves can be eaten if boiled very well. The leaves have antibacterial properties as well as cholesterol lowering ones, and promote sweat which is especially good in some fevers. They also have an effect of lowering blood pressure, and used externally, fresh are a counter-irritant, like nettles, to the pains of rheumatism and arthritis. They have been used to treat dysentery, kidney stones, and gravel. A fresh leaf poultice is put on swellings and bruises.

  In some countries the dried stem bases are grated and eaten for heartburn and digestive problems, washed down with plenty of water. The seed has astringent properties and is used to stop bleeding.

  The essential oil extracted from the root has antibacterial properties, reduces cholesterol leves and has also been used as a diuretic and to lower high blood pressure. The root has also been used to protect the liver and kidneys and to cure diarrhoea. It was once believed to be a cure for rabies, and was also called Mad Dog weed. However there is no clinical evidence to support this use.

  The bitter juice which can be expressed from the plant is a diuretic; the bruised leaves can cause the skin to blister. However in the US it was formerly used as an antidote to rattlesnake bites.

  Few studies have been carried out on the Alisma plantago-aquatica, or Water plantain that is common there. Perhaps this weedy plant hides more than we could have thought.

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JAPANESE MUGWORT, YOMOGI, HEALTH BENEFITS AND POSSIBLE FUTURE USES OF JAPANESE MUGWORT

YOMOGI, JAPANESE MUGWORT, ARTEMISIA PRINCEPS

Yomogi or Japanese mugwort is related to the common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) found in Europe and to a plethora of other Artemisia species which include, tarragon, (A. dracunculus), Common wormwood (A. absinthum), Sweet wormwood (A. annua), Sea wormwood (A. maritima), southernwood (A. arbrotanum) and field southernwood (A. campestris). As a member of the Asteraceae or Compositae family it is also related to the daisy, sunflower, pellitory or Roman chamomile, marigolds, bur marigolds, Mouse ear hawkweed,  purple goat’s beard (salsify), yellow goat’s beard, the Sea Aster or Sea starwort , michaelmas daisies, elecampane, the ox-eye daisy, holy thistles, costmary, tansy, feverfew, groundsel , fleabane and yarrow, just to list a few of its relatives.

 The genus name Artemisia comes from the Greek goddess Artemis (Roman equivalent of Diana) the goddess of hunting, who is said to have given these plants to Chiron the centaur to practise his healing arts.         

  The leaves and new shouts or sprouts from this plant are edible, with the blanched leaves being added to the sticky rice dumplings called mochi, which can be found in health food shops in countries other than Japan. It is used in traditional medicine in East Asia where it grows; in China, Japan and Korea. In Japan it is either taken orally or used in moxibustion which is a burning of compact bundles of the herb at acupoints on the body.

  It is used to treat inflammatory diseases and inflammation generally, and piles, circulation problems and ailment which arise from these, and is also used to treat cancers, ulcers and digestive problems.

  There have been numerous research studies done on this herb in order to discover if the traditional uses can be supported by scientific evidence. However although there are studies, these have not always been replicated, so the evidence is not totally compelling.

  It has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects, and it may have neuroprotective actions (“Neuroprotective effect of caffeoylquinic acids from Artemisia princeps Pampanini against oxidative stress-induced toxicity in PC-12 cells”, Lee S. O. et al; in the Journal of Food Science, 2011, Vol. 76 (2) pp 230-6.) The study concludes, “These results indicate that phenolics from A. princeps Pampanini alleviated the oxidative stress and enhanced the viability of PC-12 cells, suggesting that it may be applied as a dietary antineurodegenerative agent in functional foods.”

 One study has shown that it can inhibit the growth of tumours in vivo and in particular those of cervical cancer “Standardized flavonoid-rich fraction of Artemisia princeps Pampanini cv. Sajabal induces apoptosis via mitochondrial pathway in human cervical cancer HeLa cells.” Ju H. K. et al in Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2012 May 7; Vol.141 (1):pp. 460-8. Another study suggests that it may in future help in the treatment of asthma as well as being able to inhibit the growth of tumours. (Bae, E.A. et al. Journal of Microbiology, 2007, Vol. 17 (9) pp 1554-7.)

  Eupofolin has been extracted from the plant and this flavonoid has been shown to inhibit the growth of several human cancer cells. This is described by Chung, K. S. et al in the Journal of Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, 2010, Vol. 54 September pp.1318-28.

  The essential oil from the plant contains eucalyptol (found in eucalyptus trees too) and a-terpineol which can inhibit the growth of bacteria such as Candida. (“Artemisia princeps Pamp. Essential oil and its constituents eucalyptol and α-terpineol ameliorate bacterial vaginosis and vulvovaginal candidiasis in mice by inhibiting bacterial growth and NF-κB activation. Trinh H.T et al.in Planta Medica 2011 Vol. 77 (18) pp. 1996-2002.)

  It may also help, if taken in the long term, to combat obesity and diabetes according to Norio Yamamoto et al., in Food and Function issue 1 (2) pp. 45-52, “Anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects of ethanol extract of Artemisia princeps in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet”     

  The leaves have potent antioxidant actions too.

 Clearly this plant is worth taking a closer look at as it may have the potential to help us combat several diseases.

 

EUROPEAN MICHAELMAS DAISY: HISTORY OF HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE MICHAELMAS DAISY

EUROPEAN MIACHAELMAS DAISY, ASTER AMELLUS  

The European Michaelmas daisy gets its name because it blooms around the time of St. Michael’s day (Michael the archangel) which is celebrated on the 29^th September. It is also called Italian starwort and in Italian is Astro di Vergilio, or Virgil’s Aster. This is no doubt because Virgil mentions it in his Georgics written more than 2,000 years ago. This is a translation of the passage in which the asters are mentioned

“There is a useful flower                                                                     

Growing in the meadows, which the country folk

Call star-wort, not a blossom hard to find,

For its large cluster lifts itself in air                                                   

Out of one root; its central orb is gold

But it wears petals in a numerous ring

Of glossy purplish blue; ’tis often laid

In twisted garlands at some holy shrine.

Bitter its taste; the shepherds gather it

In valley-pastures where the winding streams

Of Mella flow. The roots of this, steeped well,

In hot, high-flavored wine, thou may’st set down

At the hive door in baskets heaping full.”

  From this passage we assume that it was placed on some altars to the ancient gods, perhaps because It was a late bloomer, although there are other legends associated with the aster such as the one that when Astraea a goddess fled Earth with the rest of the gods, she looked down at it and wept for the folly of mankind. Another legend says that Virgo scattered stardust on Earth and asters bloomed where it fell.

  It does indeed have a bitter, acrid taste, but the leaves of the young plant are cooked and are nutritious, containing vitamins A and C they were useful against the onset of scurvy, and they also contain some of the B-complex vitamins, particularly thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3). They are potassium rich and also contain the minerals calcium, iron and phosphorous.

These plants are native to Europe and East Asia and have been cultivated in Britain at least since 1596, as we know that they grew in John Gerard’s Holborn Physic garden then.

  Mediaeval herbalists used this plant to treat tumours, obstruction of the bowels, hysteria and epilepsy- some very diverse diseases. They actually can help with coughs, and have anti-inflammatory properties, and can help eliminate toxins from the body. They are used to treat bronchial and chest complaints and to check bleeding.

  Pliny believed that a tisane made with asters was good for snakebites and he encouraged people who suffered from sciatica to wear an amulet of these plants. The ancient Greeks burnt the leaves to get rid of evil spirits and snakes.

  Michaelmas daisies mean ‘farewell’ in the Language of Flowers. They are members of the daisy, Asteraceae or Compositae family and so are related to pellitory or Roman chamomile, marigolds, bur marigolds, purple goat’s beard (salsify), yellow goat’s beard, the Sea Aster or Sea starwort (which they closely resemble) elecampane, the ox-eye daisy, holy thistles, costmary, tansy, feverfew, groundsel , fleabane and yarrow, just to list a few of its relatives.

 

FRAGRANT WATER LILY- NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE; HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE FRAGRANT WATER LILY

FRAGRANT WATER LILY, NYMPHAEA ODORATA   

The fragrant water lily or Beaver root, is native to North and Central America, and also Cuba. Another indigenous American water lily is Nelumbo lutea the American lotus. However, this white, fragrant water lily is an invasive weed in Washington State and other parts of the U.S. but it has been used in traditional medicine by Native Americans for centuries.

   It is a member of the Nymphaceae family of plants, and lives in slow-moving streams and rivers, as well as in ponds, lakes, marshes, in ditches and canals. It comes into flower during the months of July and August, with its seeds ripening between August and October. It is grown by many people with water gardens as it has a wonderful fragrance, although the flower only opens in the morning; it closes in the afternoon.                                                                           

  Almost all parts of the fragrant water lily plant are edible; the young flower buds can be pickled or cooked in a similar way to the flower buds of the kachnar or Mountain orchid tree. The leaves may be eaten either raw or cooked and can be added to soups and stews. The root can be boiled or roasted while the ripe seeds can be cooked and eaten, or ground into flour. The young flowers are also edible and make wonderful garnishes.

  The root and leaves are the main parts of the plant used in medicine. A tisane made from the roots has been used to treat T.B. and chronic bronchial complaints, but has to be taken over a prolonged period of time, and there are some health concerns regarding the prolonged use of the root. The root has antiseptic and astringent properties, probably because of the presence of gallic and tannic acids. The tannins and gallic acid would explain why the root was used for diarrhoea, dysentery, to stop bleeding, for inflammation and gastro-intestinal problems. It was also used as a remedy for gonorrhoea and vaginal discharge.

  A hot poultice of the roots was used on swellings and tumours, as well as on inflamed skin. It is best to harvest the roots after the plant has died back, and these may be dried for later use.

  There have been a few studies conducted on this plant, as it is also used in the Ayurveda system of medicine in the Indian subcontinent. It is used traditionally there to get rid of stones in the bodily organs. One study, by Ramesh S. Deoda et al. “Antilithiatic Activity of Leaves, Bulb and Stem of Nymphaea odoratata and Dolichos lablab Beans” in the Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences, Vol. 3 (1) Jan- March 2012, concludes that the leaves and bulbs of the fragrant water lily have good antilithiatic activity.

  Another study in the International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences March 2012, Vol.4 (2) suggests that the “leaf extract possesses promising antidiabetic effects”.

  Trials have also been conducted on the use of the fragrant water lily extracts n cosmetics. Clearly more research needs to be done to discover how the plant can benefit our health.

WINTERGREEN - USED TO RELAX MUSCLES: HEALTH BENEFITS OF WINTERGREEN

WINTERGREEN, GAULTHERIA PROCUMBENS    

As I write this I can smell the distinct aroma of wintergreen oil which was a favourite of my father’s for massage. He used a gel-like substance which heated and relaxed muscles and when he was giving someone a massage, the whole house was filled with the spicy, tangy smell which hits the back of your throat in much the same way as the combination of eucalyptus and menthol (essential oil of mint) does. I also remember just one time when the person who had come for a massage didn’t get one; my father said he couldn’t do anything for him and advised him to go to a doctor. The poor man died some weeks later from cancer.                                     

  Wintergreen is also called Checkerberry and Teaberry, and is native to eastern North America. It has synonyms for its botanical name too, including Gaultheria repens, G. humilis and Brossaea procumbens; its accepted name is Gaultheria procumbens. Wintergreen is a member of the Ericaceae family of plants and so is related to bilberries, blueberries, cranberries, the strawberry tree and the Greek strawberry tree, among other plants. There is one site in Scotland where it was introduced and has taken hold. However in Britain there are other species of “wintergreen”.

   The fruit and leaves are edible and the leaves may be snacked on raw, although they are bland, but pleasant to eat. The leaves may be used fresh or dried in a tisane, to get rid of the discomfort caused by flatulence.

  The essential oil distilled from the plant is toxic in large doses, so care should be taken if it is used. It may cause dermatitis too and you shouldn’t use it if you are allergic to aspirin, as the plant is a source of methyl salicylate which is closely related to the substance which gives aspirin its anti-inflammatory properties. It is used to flavour toothpaste, mouthwashes and chewing gum among other items.

    The red berries are also edible, although these have that flavour that I attempted to describe in the first paragraph, it has been described as like a spicy medicinal taste, but people make pies and jams with it, so perhaps it isn’t as bad as all that! The bell-shaped white flowers of wintergreen remind me of single lily-of-the valley flowers.                                                                                                          

  This wintergreen is an evergreen shrub which grows to heights of around eight inches but which creeps (hence the species’ name procumbens) along the ground, providing excellent ground cover. The berries are said to be best for eating after a frost, and the fruit, if the birds don’t eat it, or browsing deer, will remain on the plant all winter.
 Native Americans used the leaves to help their respiration and as a stimulant while hunting or carrying heavy loads. The leaves and oil were used to promote women’s menstrual flow and as an analgesic. As the plant has anti-inflammatory properties it was also used to ease the pains of neuralgia, sciatica, rheumatism and other inflammatory health problems. 

WALL RUE - LITTLE USED FERN NOW: HISTORY OF HEALTH BENEFITS OF WALL RUE

WALL RUE, WHITE MAIDENHAIR FERN, ASPLENIUM RUTA-MURARIA 

Wall rue is native to Europe and Britain and Ireland, eastern North America and parts of Asia, and is a fern which you can find in crevices on walls, as you can the true maidenhair and adder’s tongue. As a fern it is distantly related to adder’s tongue, common polypody, hart's tongue, bracken, common club moss, horsetail, moonwort, and all other ferns. It grows to around two or three inches high, and resembles maidenhair.

  Like most ferns it has no flowers, but the spores can be seen on the underside of the leaves or fronds, being brown and then black when mature.                                                                      

  It is similar in colour to garden rue, which is perhaps why it gets its name. It was a specific for rickets in traditional medicine in Britain, and was especially used for coughs in children and also for children’s ruptures.

  In some parts of Europe it was infused in milk to treat epilepsy, and a decoction of the fronds was given for kidney complaints. It was also used to staunch bleeding from minor wounds, as it has a fairly high tannin content.

  Distilled water made from the fronds has been used as eye lotion for a variety of eye problems.

  The fronds may be harvested in late spring and dried for later use, although it may not be possible to do this if the plant is listed as endangered or protected in your country.

  The English herbalsit, Nicholas Culpeper, writing in the 17t century linked wall rue closely with maidenhair fern, and had this to say about the properties of each.

 “The decoction of the herb Maiden-Hair being drank, helps those that are troubled with the cough, shortness of breath, the yellow jaundice, diseases of the spleen, stopping of urine, and helps exceedingly to break the stone in the kidneys, (in all which diseases the Wall Rue is also very effectual). It provokes women's courses, and stays both bleedings and fluxes of the stomach and belly, especially when the herb is dry; for being green, it loosens the belly, and voids choler and phlegm from the stomach and liver; it cleanses the lungs, and by rectifying the blood, causes a good colour to the whole body. The herb boiled in oil of Camomile, dissolves knots, allays swellings, and dries up moist ulcers. The lye made thereof is singularly good to cleanse the head from scurf, and from dry and running sores, stays the falling or shedding of the hair, and causes it to grow thick, fair, and well coloured; for which purpose some boil it in wine, putting some Smallage seed thereto, and afterwards some oil. The Wall Rue is as effectual as Maiden-Hair, in all diseases of the head, or falling and recovering of the hair again, and generally for all the aforementioned diseases. And besides, the powder of it taken in drink for forty days together, helps the burstings in children.”

SEA ASTERS - CULPEPER'S SEA STAR WORT: HISTORY OF USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS WITH RECIPE FOR SEA ASTERS AND SCALLOPS

SEA ASTER, ASTER TRIPOLIUM

The sea aster was known to Nicholas Culpeper the English herbalist of the 17^th century as the Sea Star-wort. However in the previous century, John Gerard had called it tripolium, and had this to say about it:-

  “It was reported by men of great fame and learning that it doth change the colour of his flowers thrice a day.”

  It doesn’t, but it comes in a range of colours from white to lilac to a deep lilac and blue. The three great men-“tri-polis” (three citizens) were probably Hippocrates, Galen and Dioscorides, whom John Gerard relied heavily upon for his remedies.

  He also said that it grew in the Isle of Wight, (a small island off the south coast of Britain) and Battersea, near the Thames in London, although it doesn’t now.                                        

  The plant looks like a Michaelmas daisy, but it isn’t as that one blooms in September and the sea aster blooms from June through to October, depending upon where it grows. It is a member of the daisy or Asteraceae or Compositae family of plants so has many relatives such as pellitory or Roman chamomile, marigolds, purple goat’s beard (salsify), yellow goat’s beard, elecampane, the ox-eye daisy, holy thistles, costmary, tansy, feverfew, groundsel, fleabane and yarrow, to name but a few.

   Aster means star, and it gets this name from the appearance of its flowers. There are several legends about asters, one being that Astraea, a goddess associated with the constellation of Virgo, left the Earth and looking down at it, wept sorrowful tears for it, which became asters. Another legend says that the goddess Virgo scattered stardust on the Earth and this turned into asters.

  The leaves and stems of this plant are edible and may be substituted for marsh samphire. It is sometimes sold in fishmongers in Britain. They can be pickled or used as a vegetable as in the recipe below.                                          

  The sea aster is a native of northern Europe, including Britain and Ireland, and may also be found in North Africa and lake shores of Central Asia. It lives on rocky cliffs in crevices and in salt marshes.

  Today is it used as a wash for the eyes and is said to be good for the sight. However this is what Nicholas Culpeper has to say about this plant which he called Sea Star wort; according to him it was an aphrodisiac and useful for a variety of complaints.

 “Government and virtues. This is …under the dominion of Mercury. The leaves are accounted cooling, and good for burns, scalds, and inflammations, in any part. The seed is narcotic and soporiferous, and rarely used. A slight tincture or infusion of the plant promotes perspiration, and is good in feverish complaints. The juice boiled into a syrup with honey, is excellent in asthmatic complaints, and other disorders of the lungs; and outwardly applied is a cure for the itch, and other cutaneous disorders. A strong decoction given as a *glyster, with the addition of a little oil, eases those colicky pains which arise from the stone and gravel; on infusion of the leaves drank constantly in the manner of tea, is a strengthener, and provocative to #venery, and is supposed to be a cure for barrenness.”

*enema, #lust

SEA ASTER AND SCALLOPS

Ingredients                                                                    

4 oz/ 200 gr. smoked salmon, shredded

3 oz butter

8 scallops, cleaned, corals removed from the white meat and the latter thinly sliced.

5 fl oz /150ml white wine

7 fl oz double (thick) cream

200 gr sea aster leaves and tender stems, or marsh samphire

Method

Melt half the butter in a hot frying pan and add the thin slices of white scallop meat. Fry for one minute and be careful not to overcook it as, like squid and octopus, scallops are tough and rubbery if overcooked.

Remove from the pan and reserve.

In the same frying pan add the sea aster and fry for two to three minutes, tossing frequently.

Melt the remaining half of the butter in a clean frying pan over a medium heat and add the scallop corals and fry for 1 minute.

Add the white wine, and bring to simmering point. Simmer until the liquid has been reduced by half.

Add the cream and bring back to a simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and transfer to a blender.

Blend the coral mixture until smooth. Then pour this into the pan containing the sea aster, add scallop meat and smoked salmon slivers and gently heat through, so that the cream doesn’t boil.

Serve with pasta of your choice.

This has Taste and is a Treat.