PARAGUAYAN HOLLY TREE, PRODUCER OF YERBA MATE: HISTORY AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF YERBA MATE

PARAGUAYAN HOLLY TREE, YERBA MATE ILEX PARAGUARIENSIS

Yerba maté is a popular drink all around the world these days, and it comes from an evergreen tree that is closely related to the British (or European) holly tree Ilex aquifolium. Like this holly the Paraguayan or South American one starts like as a shrub, but can grow up to 18metres tall. In the wild it grows with Araucaria species, which include the Monkey Puzzle tree. However it is classed as near threatened in the IUCN red list.

  A Spanish explorer, Juan de Solis, who is famous for exploring the La Plata River, stated that the Guarani Indians made a drink which “produced exhilaration and relief from fatigue” in his expedition in the 16^th century. Other Spaniards liked the drink too and the Jesuits started the first cultivation of wild plants of Ilex paraguariensis. By 1670 they had maté plantations. When the Jesuits were expelled from the Spanish lands in South America in 1767, Ilex paraguariensis stopped being extensively cultivated.                                             

  Today there are plantations but the years of harvesting the leaves from the trees and young shrubs had already taken its toll on the plants. The tea made from the leaves has been also called Jesuits’ tea and Paraguayan tea.

  Other Ilex species leaves are sometimes added to yerba maté and this accounts for the different tastes and properties of the tea drunk. Although yerba maté is now believed to have many health benefits, it has been found that heavy drinkers of the beverage have an increased risk of developing upper aerodigestive cancers, particularly oropharyngeal cancer. Despite this people still drink it copiously.

  Traditionally the beverage was drunk from gourds, particularly those of Langenaria vulgaris which in Quechua are called mathi- which is how we get the name maté, with yerba meaning herb. The leaves and twigs are dried and heated, and packed into the gourd, and then boiling water is poured over the leaves and they are allowed to infuse. Today yerba maté is brewed in gourd-shaped bowls and drunk through a metal ‘straw' with holes in the bottom of it which act as a strainer so you don’t get the leaves in your mouth. There are yerba maté bars throughout South America, just as there are coffee bars in Europe and North America.

  Despite its popularity around the world, there is not as much research on yerba maté as there is on coffee and green tea. However it seems that it can help manage obesity and lowers LDL-cholesterol. It has mild laxative properties and is also a diaphoretic so promotes sweating just as tea does. It is also a diuretic, so can help people who need to get rid of excess water because of other ailments.

  Yerba maté contains caffeine so it is a stimulant and the old Spaniards were right, it does dispel fatigue and stimulates the central nervous system. It is also a nutritious drink containing vitamins A, C, E and the B-complex vitamins B1 niacin, B2 riboflavin and B3 niacin as well as B5. As for minerals it contains aluminium, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, potassium and zinc along with 18 amino acids.

  The drink is said to enhance the memory functions and delay the aging process. It also stimulates digestion, and provides mild pain relief. A poultice of the leaves is used for anthrax ulcers, and is probably effective due to the tannin content of the leaves and their astringent properties.

 In Germany yerba maté has been approved for relief of mental and physical fatigue, and in France for weakness, or lack of energy. It is in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia of 1996 for the relief of headaches, and fatigue as well as for weight loss. In one of the traditional systems of medicine of the Indian subcontinent, Ayurveda, yerba maté is prescribed for headaches, nervous depression, fatigue and the pains of rheumatism.

  Research is still continuing on yerba maté to discover what health benefits it actually has.

 

CREOSOTE BUSH IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR INTERNAL USE AS MEDICINE: HISTORY AND POSSIBLE FUTURE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CREOSOTE BUSH

CREOSOTE BUSH OR CHAPARRAL, LARREA TRIDENTATA   

The creosote bush is so named because after a rainfall it smells like a wooden telegraph pole that has been treated with pitch. However commercial creosote does not come from this plant. It is native to the arid areas of the US and Mexico and has its homes in deserts and canyons. It is a member of the Zygophyllaceae family, so is a relative of Guaiacum officinale from which we get lignum vitae, puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris) and Syrian rue, among other plants.                                                

  Like the Jurupa oak it can boast of being one of the oldest living organisms on the planet as one clone range of plants in the Mohave Desert, has been dated to around 11,700 tears old. The plant splits its crown when it is between thirty and ninety years old and produces clones of itself, and all the plants have come from just one seed.

  It was much used by Native Americans as a medicinal plant, but it also useful as it can absorb chromium from the soil it grows in. However nothing can grow near it as it is very competitive in terms of the water it needs. Plants growing under it can only survive for a limited time due to the highly toxic substances it produces at root level.

  The plant can cause contact dermatitis and is thought to be toxic to the liver, and for this reason its internal use has been banned by the US Food and Drug Administration. However it contains Norhydroguaiacetic larreic acid (NDGA) which, before synthetic antioxidative materials were produced, was added to processed meats to prolong their shelf-life.

  NDGA is currently being researched to discover its potential in treating HIV/AIDS and cancers, among other diseases. It is a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory agent, anti-tumour and anti-microbial.

  The plant possesses antiviral properties and is successful in treating herpes, and is anti-inflammatory, helping with rheumatism and arthritis and other inflammations.                                       

  The Native Americans used it for a number of diseases, including colds, as an expectorant in chest complaints, for cancer, toothache (they dripped the hot resin from the young twigs onto the tooth or place where the tooth ached) and a paste made from the leaves was used to heal wounds, lesions and bruises.

  A decoction of the leaves was given for diarrhoea and stomach problems. To allay thirst, the twigs may be chewed, if you are in the heat of the desert. The resin from the leaves and twigs is helpful in that it can prevent other fats or oils from turning rancid, or it can at least delay that process. It can also be used as a massage oil (if you like the smell), and can also provide some protection from the sun’s harmful rays.

  The flower buds can be pickled in vinegar and used as a substitute for capers. The plant can also be used for animal fodder, and is used to make roofing material for adobe dwellings. The twigs and leaves were washed and sun-dried to make a tisane, but the internal use of the plant is not to be recommended.

CASSABANANA OR MUSK MELON: HISTORY OF USES AND POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF CASSABANANA

CASSABANANA, SICANA ODORIFERA NAUD.

The cassabanana is a rather strange-looking fruit which, when black or dark purple looks like a huge aubergine, although they are not related. Nor, as the name might suggest is this fruit in any way related to the banana. In fact it is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, so is a relative of the kiwano or horned melon, honey melons, watermelons, butternut squash, bottle gourds, the ash gourd or petha, cucumbers, courgettes, and marrows to name just a few of its relations. It is the only plant in the Sicana genus, although sometimes it is known by its botanical synonym, Cucurbita odorifera Vell.

  It grows on a vine like other melons, although it needs strong support as the fruit is hefty. (It reminds me of that of the sausage tree, Kigelia africana) The fruit is also called the musk melon, because of its aroma. It is grown as an ornamental as well as for its fruit.

  It is believed to have originated in Brazil and spread throughout South America and tropical North America from there. There is archaeological evidence to show that it was being cultivated in Ecuador before the arrivals of the Spanish conquistadores. It was first documented by Europeans in 1658, as being cultivated and a popular fruit in Peru.

  Interestingly, it is used in Northern Peru to protect against jealousy. The remedy is to take the plant material (perhaps the whole plant) and sleep with it for seven days and nights, being sure to wash it every morning. After the stipulated period of time it needs to be disposed of in a “far away” place where it can’t be found by others. (“Healing the body and soul: Traditional remedies for “magical” ailments, nervous system and psychosomatic disorders in Northern Peru” Rainer W. Bussman et al. September 2010, African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Vol. 4 (9), pp 580-623.)                                                                       

  The fruit is eaten raw and is cooling and refreshing during the hot months of the year. It is also used to make jams and preserves. The immature fruit is used as a vegetable and added to soups and stews.

  The fruit is nutritious, containing the minerals calcium, phosphorous and iron, along with carotene (which explains the colour of its flesh), and the B-complex vitamins, B1 thiamin, B2 riboflavin and B3 niacin, as well as vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid.

  It is believed to be a moth repellent and kept with linen and clothes rather as we used to hang lavender in wardrobes, for its long-lasting aroma. During Holy Week (Easter) the fruit can be found decorating church altars too.

  In some countries it is used for sore throats, seeds are strung into necklaces and at the same time, the fruit is sliced and steeped in sugared water overnight, so that it begins to ferment, and then the water is sipped frequently to get rid of the sore throat, and the fruit that has been steeped in the sugared water may also be eaten.

  In Brazil an infusion of the seeds is used for fevers, as a laxative to get rid of intestinal worms, and as a purgative. The leaves are used for STDs for uterine haemorrhages and other complaints.                                                     

  In Yucatan, a decoction of the leaves and flowers is used as a laxative, for worms and as an emmenagogue, although the dose is small as these parts of the plant contain hydrocyanic acid.

  There are anthocyanins and flavonols in the rind of the cassabanana which means it has antioxidant actions (Jaramilla K. et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2011 Vol. 59 (3) pp975-83 “Identification of antioxidative flavonols and anthocyanins in Sicana odorifera fruit peel”)

  Anthocyanin-rich fruit are currently being investigated for their potential cancer-inhibiting properties, so perhaps this fruit has a lot more to offer us than simply being a cooling fruit to eat in summer.

LAMB'S EARS OR WOOLLY BETONY: HEALTH BENEFITS AND POSSIBILITIES FOR FUTURE TREATMENTS

LAMB’S EARS, WOOLLY BETONY, STACHYS BYZANTINA 

As a member of the Stachys genus (there are between two and three hundred species in this genus) Lambs’ ears or woolly betony is related to wood betony (Stachys officinalis).A synonym for this genus is Stachys lantana.

It gets both names because of the silky grey or white hairs that cover the aerial parts of the plant. It is a member of the Lamiaceae or Labiatae family or mint family, making it a relative of to 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 along with many other plants.                              

  In the past its leaves were used as a bandage to staunch the flow of blood from a cut and it is reportedly good to stop the pain of a bee sting. Other betony plants were used much more extensively than this one it would seem, as it has been cultivated in temperate parts of the world for centuries. It has more importance in the traditional systems of medicine in the countries to which it is native, no doubt, and those are Turkey, Armenia and Iran.

  It flowers in June through to September, and has white or pink or mauve flowers. It is an evergreen although it might die back if the winter is a particularly cold one.

  It has been discovered that the aerial parts of lamb’s ears have antioxidant, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, so this supports its use as a wound healer. Phenolic compounds have been found in it along with tannins and flavonoids. Its essential oil is rich in sesquiterpenes for example a-capaene and spathulenol, both of which are used in the perfume industry, and beta-carophyllene which is also a component of clove oil. This last substance is a dietary cannabinoid and the first to be approved by the US food and Drug Administration (USFDA) as a food additive. It seems to have a local anaesthetic action and is anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and according to some studies has anti-cancer properties.                         

  Spathulenol may have immunomodulatory effects, but more research need to be carried out on Lamb’s Ears so that scientists can ascertain what health benefits this plant has to offer us.

CANCER BUSH - ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE, BUT MORE RESEARCH NEEDED: HEALTH BENEFITS AND TRADITIONAL USES OF CANCER BUSH

CANCER BUSH, SUTHERLANDIA FRUTESCENS

The cancer bush is indigenous to South Africa and has been use for centuries in traditional systems of medicines, of the native peoples and the European colonists and their descendants. It is also grown around the world as an ornamental, and looks a little like the firecracker plant.

  It is a member of the Leguminoseae or Fabaceae family and so is related to the pongam tree, 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, amaltas, the Indian laburnum, the Burmese rosewood tree, lupins, indigo, field restharrow, carob, melilot or sweet clover, milk vetch, the hyacinth bean, alfalfa, the butterfly pea, peas, green beans, chickpeas, borlotti beans and lentils just to name a few of its relatives. Now it is in the Papilionidaceae family. There are five species of Sutherlandia that we currently know of, all native to South Africa.                                                                           

  The name Sutherlandia honours the Scottish botanist, James Sutherland (c.1639-1719) who was the first superintendent of the Edinburgh Botanic Garden. The Latin frutescens means ‘bushy’, describing this shrub which grows to just over a metre high and can be erect or creeping. The plant has bladder shaped pods in which the black seeds make a rattling sound when ripe. They float and children play with them like toy ducks.

  The plant has been used to treat a vast array of diseases, ranging from the common cold to cancer, T.B. and HIV/AIDS. Traditionally it has been used in decoctions to wash wounds, and as an eyewash as well as to reduce the high temperatures of fevers. The early colonists from Europe used it for chicken pox, stomach problems and internal cancers. It is considered to be good for “female complaints’ both for the menopause and for menstruation. It is said to be good to treat peptic ulcers, for liver problems, diarrhoea and dysentery, varicose veins, appetite and digestion, diabetes, stress, as a blood purifier and to boost the immune system.                                                            

  It is considered an adaptogen as are Eleuthero, American ginseng and rose root, which means that over a period of time it will bring about changes in the body and enable it to better deal with emotional, mental and physical stress. It is believed to strengthen the whole body and act as a general tonic, especially boosting the actions of the immune system, thus enabling it to better deal with infection.

  There is much anecdotal evidence to suggest that it improves a cancer, HIV/AIDS and T.B patient’s quality of life, as it appears to halt the wasting process which accompanies these diseases. However research is still underway to identify precisely how and why the plant works in the way it would seem to.

  The cancer bush contains tannins, cardiac glycosides, amino acids, saponins or anthraquinones, and gamma aminobytric acid (GABA) has been isolated from the leaves, which is probably responsible for its stress-relieving and mood enhancing abilities. It also contains L-carnavanine which has antiviral, antifungal and anti-cancer properties. It also contains pinitol which has a positive effect on diabetes, and this substance may be responsible at least in part for the halting of the wasting process mentioned above. Research is ongoing into the novel triterpenoid glycosides which have also been isolated from the plant.

  It has anti-inflammatory properties and is immunomodulatory and the phenolic compounds it contains are probably responsible for its antioxidant properties. (Fernandes A, Cromarty D, Albrecht C, Jansen van Rensburg C. “The antioxidant potential of Sutherlandia frutescens” Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2004; Vol. 95: pp1-5.)

  The San people call this plant “insisa” which means ‘one that dispels darkness’ which probably refers to its anti-depressant and mood enhancing properties. The Tswana people have been using this plant to treat gonorrhea and syphilis for centuries but there is no evidence that this works.

  Clearly this is another plant which warrants further research if we are to utilize its apparent health benefits.

ROUND-LEAVED WINTERGREEN: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF FALSE WINTERGREEN

ROUND-LEAVED WINTERGREEN, PYROLA ROTUNDIFOLIA    

This wintergreen is native to Europe, including Britain, North and West Asia and north-eastern North America. In Britain it was known as False or British wintergreen, as opposed to Gaultheria procumbens, the North American wintergreen. They were both at one time in the Ericaceae family of plants although both have now been moved to their own respective families, with the round-leaved wintergreen being in the Pyrolaceae family. Formerly both plants were thought to be closely related to cranberries, blueberries, bilberries, the strawberry tree and the Greek strawberry tree.

  The botanical name for the plant means little pear, Pyrola and rotundifolia, round leaves. It was believed that the plant has leaves resembling those of the pear tree. Synonyms for the botanical name of this plant include Pyrola americana Sweet, Pyrola obovata and Pyrola rotundifolia L. var. americana (Sweet) Fernald.                                                                                                      

  This plant likes to grow in wet places and will thrive in beech forests, and bogs, as well as other moist woodlands. It grows to heights of about a foot with a similar spread. It flowers between June and September, depending on the climate of the country in which it grows, and the leaves first appear in mid-January. They are harvested in mid-summer as they are the parts used medicinally. They can be dried and stored for later use or used fresh.

  The leaves have astringent, antiseptic, anti-rheumatic, anti-spasmodic, cardiotonic, diuretic, sedative, contraceptive and tonic properties. Native Americans used a whole plant decoction for an eyewash and to staunch external bleeding, for skin problems and sores. An infusion of the leaves was used as a gargle for sore throats and oral problems. An infusion, or tisane, from the root was used for back problems, muscle pains and rheumatism. The tisane was also drunk before hunting as it was thought to bring good luck.

  Internally the decoction of the leaves was used to treat epilepsy and nervous disorders and the astringent qualities of the leaves made it good for treating diarrhoea; and infusion of 5 grams of the leaves was made with a cup of boiling water for this purpose, which could be drunk 5 times a day to cure the problem.     

  The plant contains arbutin which has diuretic and antibacterial actions, so scientific fact supports some of the traditional uses of the plant. In one study on animals a combination of milk vetch (Astragalus membranaceae) and the round-leaves wintergreen prevented damage to the kidneys and “the cochlear nerves and hair cells of the inner ear caused by the antibiotic gentamicin, commonly prescribed for pneumonia and sepsis” (from the Scholars Research Library, Archives of Applied Science Research, 2009, Vol. 1 (2) “Herbal drug toxicity and safety evaluation of traditional medicines” by Debjit Bhowmik et al.) Other research done on this plant has been reported in Mandarin.

  Nicholas Culpeper, the English herbalsit, writing in the 17^th century had this to say about the medicinal properties of this wintergreen: -

“Government and virtues. Winter-green is under the dominion of Saturn, and is a singularly good wound herb, and an especial remedy for healing green wounds speedily, the green leaves being bruised and applied, or the juice of them. A salve made of the green herb stamped, or the juice boiled with hog's lard, or with salad oil and wax, and some turpentine added to it, is a sovereign salve, and highly extolled by the Germans, who use it to heal all manner of wounds and sores. The herb boiled in wine and water, and given to drink to them that have any inward ulcers in their kidneys, or neck of the bladder, doth wonderfully help them. It stays all fluxes, as the lask, bloody fluxes, women's courses, and bleeding of wounds, and takes away any inflammations rising upon pains of the heart; it is no less helpful for foul ulcers hard to be cured; as also for cankers or fistulas. The distilled water of the herb effectually performs the same things.”

  Perhaps there is more research needed so that we can have a better understanding of how it might benefit us in the future.

WHITE BUTTERFLY GINGER - NOT A CULINARY ROOT: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF WHITE BUTTERFLY GINGER

WHITE GINGER, WHITE BUTTERFLY GINGER, HEDYCHIUM CORONARIUM 

White ginger is not a true ginger, although it is in the same family, Zingiberaceae, as the ginger we use for cooking. As it is in this family it is also related to cardamoms, fingerroot or Chinese ginger, turmeric and white turmeric or zedoary, and galangal (Alpinia galanga), among others. This is native to the Himalayan region, but they are now spread throughout the Pacific islands and other tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world.

  The flower and young buds are edible and can be used as a flavouring but their potent smell in the evening shows that their value is in the essential oil obtained from these blooms. The flowers are woven into leis in Hawaii and used in garlands elsewhere in the world too. They are the national flowers of Cuba, although they are not indigenous to the island. They were introduced, but have taken hold in some areas of the island and grow wild now. They were introduced during the Spanish colonial times. There they are called “Mariposa blanca” or white butterfly flower, which describes the blooms admirably well.                       

  The essential oil of the flowers is used for high quality perfumes and in soaps and other toiletries. The root contains a volatile oil which is used in medicine. The root is not used in cooking, but has been eaten in times of famine.

  The seeds of this plant are aromatic and used to get rid of flatulence and to help the stomach’s actions. The root is used to get rid of worms, as a stimulant and tonic and for the pains of rheumatism. The ground rhizome is used for fevers.

  The plants stems contain cellulose and so are useful in the paper-making process. In fact all parts of this plant have their uses for us.

  It was first taken to Brazil by African slaves who used the leaves to sleep on. Now it is considered an invasive weed in that country. It is also invasive in Hawaii and a noxious weed in South Africa and Queensland, Australia. In some countries it is a threat to banana and cocoa plantations.                                                                                                                     

  It is used in the Ayurvedic medicine system of the Indian subcontinent as a stimulant, tonic and to help treat rheumatism. A decoction of the rhizome is used as a gargle for sore throats and tonsillitis, and chewed for the same purposes. The roots and leaves are also used for nasal polyps, and fevers.

  The stem can be chewed, and the resulting mash is plastered onto cuts and swellings. In Chinese medicine the plant is used for headaches, inflammation and rheumatism. A boiled poultice of the leaves is placed on sore or stiff joints too in some countries.

   In a part of India the rhizome is used to treat diabetes and research is being carried out to see if this traditional use can be supported by scientific evidence: The Journal of Ethnopharmacology 1995 Vol. 47 (5) pp149-58, “Medical ethnobotany of Siddis of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, India”; Bhandary M. J. et al.

  One study has discovered that the essential oil from the fresh and dried rhizomes has antifungal and antimicrobial activities, with  that of fresh oil being superior in its actions. “Antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of essential oil from Hedychium coronarium” by Beena Joy et al. in  Phytotherapy Research, Vol. 21 (5), pp. 439 – 443.                                                         

  It also exhibits analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties and actions; “Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Hedychium coronarium Koen. Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Zingiberaceae Plants in Taiwan” in Plant Foods for Human Nutrition.

 Other research studies have found that the plants have antibacterial and cytotoxic activities, “Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Activities of Hedychium coronarium J. Koenig “ by M Abdul Aziz et al. Research Journal of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, 5(6): 969-972, 2009. The cytotoxic actions were also borne out in “Two new cytotoxic labdane diterpenes from the rhizomes of Hedychium coronarium.” In Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, ISSN: 1464-3405, pp. 7544-8.

  It also has potent antioxidant properties, “Antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibition properties of leaves and rhizomes of ginger species” E W C Chan et al. in Food Chemistry Vol.109 (2008) 477–483. Its leaves possess, according to this study, the highest phenolic content and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in comparison with the leaves of 26 other species of ginger.

  The essential oil from the flowers  has also been found to have anti-inflammatory actions; ”Anti-inflammation activity and chemical composition of flower essential oil from Hedychium coronarium”  by Y Lu, C X Zhong et al in African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 8 (20), pp. 5373-5377, 19 October, 2009.

  Clearly more research need to be done if we are to get the maximum health benefits from what is in some countries an invasive or noxious weed.