TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS/ PUNCTURE VINE/ LAND CALTROPS: AN AMAZING MEDICAL WEED

TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS, PUNCTURE VINE, LAND CALTROPS

Tribulus terrestris is known by a number of names and is an annoying weed, a shrub that is usually low lying and spreads as ground cover. It is native to southern Europe, Asia and grows in Australia and the US. It contains a substance called Protodioscin and clinical studies have shown that it increases male and female libido and improves sperm count and allegedly cures impotence and erectile dysfunctions. When you read the medical literature this sounds amazing, until you read further, and the studies that claim it is an aphrodisiac and a libido booster have been carried out by those connected to the drug companies which manufacture capsules and pills made with puncture vine extract.

However it has been used for centuries in India and China to cure impotence and erectile dysfunctions and to boost libido in both males and females. It has been suggested that it can help in cases of PMT/PMS and in the female menopause. It has also been used to increase sperm count and boost fertility in both males and females.

In India it is used as a uro-genital tonic and it is said to help cure cystitis, get rid of kidney stones. On the subcontinent it is used to staunch the flow of blood from a wound, strengthen the kidneys, and treat gout and impotence. It’s also a mild diuretic and apparently good for the prostate gland.

In the mid-1990s it hit the headlines when Eastern European athletes said they had taken it to help their performance. The leaves contain steroidal saponins, and these increase the male hormone, testosterone in the body. Whether or not it actually does work as a steroid or testosterone booster has not been proved in Western clinical trials, although studies undertaken by drug companies show that it does indeed boost testosterone and helps build muscles (including of course the penis).

You can’t eat it, but spare a thought for the weed the next time the burrs get in your dog or cat’s paws. It might be good for something after all!

WHAT IS CHAKOTARA? POMELO, SHADDOCK, CITRUS GRANDIS/MAXIMA: CHAKOTARA FRUIT SALAD RECIPE

CHAKOTARA, POMELO, SHADDOCK, CITRUS GRANDIS/MAXIMA

Chakotara is the Urdu names for the pomelo or shaddock, it might also be known as The Forbidden Fruit according to some writers. The botany world seems undecided about the Latin name for this fruit, but it’s either Citrus Maxima or Citrus grandis. It is called shaddock after a captain of the same name who took the seeds from Malaysia to the West Indies in the 17th century where it now flourishes.

Pomelo is believed to be the ancestor of the grapefruit, and it is like a grapefruit, except that it’s sweeter. Its flesh ranges from a pale yellow to a ruby red and when I first had it I was surprised to find red flesh in a yellowy-green skin. Apparently it is known for its thick skin, and the fact that one fruit can grow to 10 kg in weight, and be up to 30cms in diameter. That is why it’s called Citrus maxima and grandis, because it’s the biggest of all the citrus fruits.

The seeds of the fruit are made into grapefruit oil which is antimicrobial and antioxidant in nature. The oil can be used for cleaning purposes and will remove fungus and clean kitchen surfaces well. It can also be used safely on pets with skin problems and will eradicate fleas etc. It can also be used as an insecticide for garden plants quite safely.

In North Vietnam the flowers are gathered and used in perfume and a decoction of the leaves, flowers and rind is used in the Philippines and South East Asia as a sedative and to help in cases of epilepsy and convulsive coughing.

In Pakistan and India it is used to relieve coughs, fevers and stomach disorders, as the juice is a mild laxative which will cure constipation problems. It is alkaline in nature and so is useful in the digestive system as it rids it of unnecessary acids without getting rid of the bacteria we need in our guts. It is also used in genitor-urinary disorders, so may help cystitis sufferers. The crushed leaves are sometimes added to bath water for their aroma.

The oil from the seeds can also help wounds heal and scars will virtually disappear if it is used on them.

Along with pineapple juice the juice of sweet lemons and sweet oranges, it can help in arthritis by dissolving deposits around the joints.

Like all citrus fruits it has lots of vitamin C which helps the body produce collagen, a substance which is present in the connective skin tissues of the body. This is believed to prevent skin ageing and can help smooth wrinkles. It also has a high calcium content and calcium is necessary for healthy bones. It has an antioxidising effect on the eye lens and this helps stop cataracts forming.

A high Vitamin C content in a nutrient–rich diet is able to improve cognition functions in the elderly too. Perhaps best of all, citrus fruits are “happy” fruits as they are high in folate, which is important to the production of serotonin, which gives rise to a better mood and frame of mind. So with this in mind, try our Citrus Fruit Salad.





CITRUS FRUIT SALAD

Ingredients

1 pomelo, peeled and cut into segments, flesh only

1 sweet orange, peeled and cut into segments, flesh only

1 grapefruit, peeled and cut into segments, flesh only

1 head of lettuce, shredded

½ bunch spring onions finely chopped

1 small cucumber, peeled and finely sliced

1 handful of borage leaves, torn or lavender flowers, fresh

1 small pot natural yoghurt



Method

Put lettuce into a serving bowl and arrange the fruit, cucumber and spring onions over it.

Mix the borage leaves or lavender flowers in the yoghurt and pour over the salad.

Put in fridge for ½ hour and serve chilled.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WHAT IS ASHWAGANDHA? WINTER CHERRY ( INDIAN), WITHANIA SOMNIFERUM

ASHWAGANDHA, (INDIAN) WINTER CHERRY, WITHANIA SOMNIFERUM


Ashwagandha or Indian Winter Cherry or simply Winter cherry is also known by the name Indian Ginseng. Its Latin name is Withania somniferum. It’s a shrub which grows prolifically in Pakistan and India to a height of 170 cms. To the ancient Arabs it was a narcotic, health tonic and the root is used as an aphrodisiac, rather similar to that other root, safed musli but it has many more health benefits, rather like Brahmi.

Withania somniferum has yellow flowers and a red fruit which is berry-like in size and shape. It is an amazing plant which may in the future be used as an anti carcinogenic as it has shown able to restrict the growth of cancer cells in animals and cell cultures.

The Japanese have a patent application on it as a skin ointment and also use it to promote fertility. In the US the New England Deaconess Hospital has a patent for using it for the treatment of arthritis, which is one of the traditional uses of this shrub. It is an adaptogen and helps with stress related diseases.

The root is mainly used in traditional medicine on the subcontinent, and the berries can be substituted for rennet in making cheese. The leaves can be bruised, crushed and smeared onto arthritic joints as they are in Ethiopia. In Pakistan the cortex of the root is ground into a powder and mixed with water then kneaded into a paste which is smeared onto wounds to disinfect them and to promote rapid healing. In Africa the root is given as a sedative to children and to soothe teething pains. The ancient Assyrians used to burn the root and channel the smoke onto a painful tooth to cure the pain of toothache. In Yemen it is still used for this purpose.

A paste can be made from the ground leaves; they are ground to a pulp and sometimes the berries are also added to this to treat swelling, rheumatism and external inflammation. In India the leaves are smoked to soothe coughs and asthma.

However its primary use in folk medicine is as an aphrodisiac and it has been used as a love potion too for centuries. Folk healers still prepare love potions from the root of Ashwagandha.

The name Ashwagandha means ‘sweat of a horse’ and it is thought that this refers to the strength and sexual vigour of the horse. It is used to cure impotency, fatigue and waning memory, and it is now known that it boosts the immune system, relieves various types of stress, revitalizes muscles, and bones, and is good for a restful sleep, diabetes, general debility, and a stimulant. It also helps restore neurotransmitters and so is used for mental disorders associated with aging.

Winter Cherry helps support the reproductive systems and adrenals and is a diuretic. It can cure gastric ulcers according to recent medical research, and can help to stop a fever.

Apart from boosting the male semen count and helping with erectile dysfunctions, it also stabilizes the foetus and later boosts a nursing mother’s supply of breast milk.

The recommended dose is 3-5 grams of powder from the root taken daily in milk. Twice a day is more than sufficient for male sexual disorders and results are seen after a week in most cases, although it may take longer to work in some cases.

Like Gotu Kola and Brahmi this is another wonder herb, and an aphrodisiac that has been working for many centuries.

ROCKET or ARUGULA or ERUCA SATIVA: ROCKET SALAD WITH PARMESAN CHEESE RECIPE:TARA MERA OIL

ROCKET, ARUGULA, ERUCA SATIVA

Rocket or Arugula in American English is known as a salad vegetable which can be used as a substitute for lettuce. It has a nutty flavour, if you use young leaves, and they are good with a dressing of walnut oil. If the older mature leaves are used, they have a slightly bitter flavour and go well with a traditional vinaigrette dressing (white wine vinegar, olive oil and a mixture of herbs or just the herb of your choice). Rocket is usually used in Caesar Salads, and is great with all kinds of cheeses especially goats' cheese and gorgonzola. You can also steam rocket like spinach and use as a vegetable with others. The Italians love rocket and put it in meat sauces and with meats. A simple recipe is to spread rocket leaves with cream cheese and slivers of smoked salmon, roll them up and serve on a bed of rocket leaves. Its seeds can be used in cookery as a substitute for mustard seeds.

flower of rocket

It is native to the Mediterranean area and Central Europe and is naturalized in the US. The name ‘eruca’ is Latin for cabbage and it is related to the Brassica family.

The Romans used rocket mixed with other herbs they considered had aphrodisiacal qualities, such as lavender and dill, and put them in special sauces. They served the leaves as a salad with chicory and lettuce. It was believed that rocket increased sexual potency. The ancient Egyptians would give it to bridegrooms on their wedding night. The seeds and their oil have been used as an aphrodisiac at least since the first century AD.


Rocket is a great source of iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, beta-carotene, sodium, dietary fibre and vitamins A, B, C and E. Modern medical research has shown that the constituents of Eruca sativa can cure gastric ulcers, and this is one of the many complaints it has been treating for millennia in the subcontinent. It is also known to reduce the secretion of stomach acids and it also mediates the activity of hormones. The volatile oil distilled from the seeds contains nitrogen and sulphur. It has anti microbial properties and is an antiscorbutic. A strong dose of the oil will induce vomiting.

In traditional medicine on the Indian subcontinent is used to cure erectile dysfunctions and is said to decrease stress, so is given to women too to increase their libido. It is also believed to help in the treatment of liver disorders and diabetes. It can also stop a cough apparently. It is a diuretic, and also a laxative, so don’t take too much oil! A teaspoon or two a day won’t hurt though.

In Pakistan and India the oil known as Tara Mera and used to kill head lice, and mixed with water is massaged into the scalp to get rid of dandruff, to strengthen the hair and to prevent hair loss. It is suggested that as well as using the oil externally you should take a teaspoon a day to help with hair problems and as a general tonic. You can use it as a salad dressing too, as it stimulates the digestive system.

The flower is white or purple, and is a symbol of deceit in the Language of Flowers because it has no scent by day, but at night gives off a perfume. The ancients called it the Vesper flower or Hesperis.





ROCKET SALAD WITH PARMESAN CHEESE

Ingredients

1 bunch of well-washed rocket, torn

1 tbsp capers

200 gr Parmesan, thinly sliced

300 gr tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 cucumber, roughly chopped
green and black olives, or stuffed green olives with pimento
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and toss well before serving

This has Taste and is a Treat.