ASARABACCA - ONCE FAMOUS MEDICINAL HERB: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF ASARABACCA

ASARABACCA, ASARUM EUROPAEUM LINN.

Asarabacca is a member of the Aristolochiaceae family and is native to Europe being naturalized in the British Isles. It has also been called ‘wild nard’; Pliny wrote about it as nardum rusticum or country nard. (This is not to be confused with Indian spikenard or jatamansi.) The name asarabacca comes from the Greek ασαρον and βακχάρις, (spicy) and the root was a source of perfume βακάρις although as it has a camphor smell it would seem that tastes in perfume have changed since those times. (Who would want to smell of mothballs and ginger?)The plant has a mildly peppery and ginger smell, and was also used in medicinal drinks in ancient Greece.

  Today it is mainly used in homeopathy to treat anxiety and excitability. However at one time it was widely used, especially in the Middle Ages. Hildegard of Bingen (1098 – 1179) sometimes described as the German Mother of Botany, mentions it in her two medical books (“Physica” and “Causea et Curae”), which she wrote between 1151 and 1161, and judging by the number of copies of these manuscripts still in existence, they were widely read.

She recommended asarabacca to be used in a bathing regime for skin eruptions due to lust or (sexual) incontinence with agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria, hyssop Hyssopus officinalis, asarum Asarum europaeum and menstrual blood added to a bath.

  The Physicians of Myddfai used it in combination with other herbs for pneumonia: -

    “There are three kinds of lung disease; — simple pneumonia, white pneumonia (bronchitis) and black  pneumonia, (phthysis) which is marked by pain below the mamma, under the armpit, and in the top of the

shoulders, with (hectic) redness of the cheeks. And thus are they treated. Let (the patient) take, for three successive days, of the following herbs; hemlock, agrimony, herb Robert, and asarabacca, then let him

undergo a three day's course of aperients. When the disease is thus removed from the bronchial tubes, an emetic should be given him (daily) to the end of nine days.”

 Actually asarabacca is a purgative and a fairly violent one at that, and as it contains toxins, should not be used. The information here is for interest’s sake only. It has also been used for bronchitis, but gained a lot of attention as it was used in snuff to provoke sneezing and to clear the nasal passages. It has been used for silicosis and as an expectorant as well as to promote sweating during fevers.

  The British herbalist Culpeper writing in the 17^th century says that it is a purgative and if boiled in whey will remove “obstructions of the liver and spleen,” and suggested that it was good for jaundice and other liver complaints. If steeped in urine he believed it was good for fever and said that its volatile oil obtained from the roots when mixed with laudanum (opium) was an antidote to snake bites. 

He also wrote that the “leaves and root being boiled in lye and the head often washed therewith whilst it is warm, comforteth the head and brain that is ill affected by taking a cold and helpeth the memory.”

  The American cousin of asarabacca is Asarum canadensis which is known as wild ginger. It has different properties to the European plant, so don’t confuse it. The European asarabacca is a small plant rather like the Lesser celandine in height, but it has browny-purple flowers, which remind me of the Water Avens, (Geum rivale) which is also known as Indian Chocolate. It is a protected species in Europe and lives in shady woodlands, although now it is a popular garden ornamental planted because its kidney-shaped evergreen leaves make good ground cover. It has one single drooping flower on its stems, and this blooms in May. Later come the red berries and the seed capsules, which contain numerous boat-shaped seeds.

   In traditional medicine systems in Europe and other parts of the world this little plant has been used as a remedy for asthma, angina, coughs, migraines, dehydration and to induce vomiting, as well as the ailments already mentioned above.

  It contains toxins which are neutralized by the drying process, although β-asarone, one of its constituents is thought to be carcinogenic. The volatile oil from the roots is made up of 50% of toxic phenyl-propane asarone with mono and sesquiterpenoids. The old herbalists were aware of the dangers in plants and warned of them as well as extolling a plant’s virtues.

  This plant has gone out of fashion in herbal remedies, perhaps because there are so many others we know are safer to use, and because it is an endangered species.

BLACK COHOSH - A WOMAN'S HERB: USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLACK COHOSH

BLACK COHOSH, ACTEAE RACEMOSA / CIMICIFUGA RACEMOSA

Black Cohosh is native to North America and was used by Native Americans who used the plant for gynaecological problems, kidney problems, malaria, sore throats and to induce lactation in breast-feeding mothers, for colds, coughs, hives and backache. In the 19^th century it was a common home remedy in the US for rheumatism, fever, to promote menstruation and as a diuretic. It fell out of use with the advent of pharmaceuticals.

  It has a number of other names which refer to its properties or alleged properties, some of theses being black snakeroot, rattle root, rattle top and rattle wood, all referring to the belief that a tincture of the roots is an antidote for rattlesnake venom. Its other names are bugbane and bugwort as insects tend not to go near it; it is a natural insect repellent.

  It has been used in Europe for 40 years and is approved by the German Commission E for premenstrual discomfort, painful menstruation and to treat menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes/flashes. However some doubt has been cast on this use, as clinical trials of Black Cohosh have rarely been conducted for more than a six month period. The parts used in herbal remedies are the roots and rhizomes.

  Scientific studies are still underway on Black Cohosh and as it contains plant-based estrogens, it is believed that these may inhibit bone loss which leads to osteoporosis. It is possible that it may help reduce inflammation, especially that which is associated with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; preparations for these complaints typically do not use Black Cohosh alone. It is usually combined with willow bark, sarsaparilla (Smilax), poplar bark (Populus tremuloides), and guaiacum (Guaiacum officinale) resin. This combination is said to relieve inflammation but there is not enough evidence to show that Black Cohosh can do this on its own.

  It is a tall flowering plant that grows in shady woods in the eastern regions of the North American continent. It is a member of the Ranunculaceae, or buttercup family of plants so is also related to the Lesser celandine. The fresh or dried stems and / or roots of the plant can be used in infusions, (tisanes); 1 ounce of fresh root and stems, chopped, to 1 pint of boiling water steeped for 15 minutes before straining and drinking.

  People with liver complaints are advised not to take Black Cohosh preparations, as it has very occasionally caused some problems. However these were very few in number but pregnant and lactating mothers are also advised not to use it as well as women with a hormone-related condition such as breast cancer. Most of the reported side effects of Black Cohosh are minor however.

WEST HIMALAYAN FIR - HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES

WEST HIMALAYAN FIR, ABIES PINDROW ROYLE

The Himalayan firs, both Abies pindrow Royle, also known as Abies webbiana pindrow, the West Himalayan fir and the East Himalayan fir, Abies spectabilis can hybridize, which is both good and bad for their survival.  These are members of the Pinaceae family of plants so they are related to the chilgoza producing pine and the European pine which produces pignoli or the smaller pine nuts used in the cuisine of the Mediterranean regions. Theses firs are under threat because of unsustainable harvesting practices, as they are used by local people for fuel. In Pakistan where the logs and branches of this tree are used for cooking, hakims, (traditional medicine practitioners) say that it will cure bronchial problems and respiratory ones.

  The West Himalayan fir is a slow-growing tree and likes shade, but doesn’t thrive in frosty conditions. Locals chop down rhododendrons for cooking and forage food for their livestock and this is often left on the forest floor. New trees fail to sprout because of this litter. Young trees are used for poles, and the older ones are felled for timber and fuel. The wood is light and not very durable, but is made into furniture and construction to make door and window frames.

   Unlike the Himalayan yew, Taxus wallichiana the trees are not under threat because of their medicinal qualities as the leaves of the tree are used primarily and not the bark and wood, which in the Himalayan yew is the source of an anti-cancer drug, taxol. Scientists and agriculturalists have been warning for more than a decade that these firs are threatened because of unsustainable forestry management and this seems not to have been addressed, their numbers are still in decline.

   In Ayurvedic medicine the leaves are used for heart problems, and the leaves are used for various purposes. A tincture or decoction of the leaves is used for asthma chronic bronchitis and lung infections, while the powdered leaves are used with the juice of Adhatoda vasica for coughs and colds. The juice from the leaves is added to mother’s milk or water and given to infants with a fever. For this 5 to 10 drops of juice are added to the liquid to be used.

   Clinical trials have found that extracts of the leaves of the West Himalayan fir are in many ways consistent with their uses in traditional medicine. They have anti-inflammatory properties and anti-depressant activity, with some sedative actions. They protect from ulcers, perhaps because of the steroids contained in them, but have yet to show antibacterial properties in the lab in vitro. They have some effect on insulin secretion and may have the potential for anti diabetic drugs. It is thought that the flavonoids and triterpenoids present may help to protect the lungs. They also have some pain-killing properties. A new alkaloid has been isolated from the leaves to and investigations are still underway to discover how the extracts can be used to benefit our health.

NUT GRASS: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF NUT GRASS

NUT GRASS, PURPLE NUT SEDGE, COCO GRASS, CYPERUS ROTUNDUS

Nut grass is a common weed in the Indian subcontinent and is found throughout the world. Its seeds are edible and can be used in extremis, but the rhizome is particularly valued for its oil and this is used in the perfume industry. The grass is a member of the sedge family or the Cyperaceae family of plants so is a close relative of Cyperus esculentus, the tiger nut or chufa. Nut grass has been used to cure a number of ailments in traditional medicine systems around the world. In Pakistan it is used for stomach problems, as a diuretic and stimulant as well as to improve the functioning of the nervous system.

   In other systems it has been used to assist in menstrual problems, to reduce the temperatures in fevers and to promote sweating, and has a number of other uses as well as being an alleged aphrodisiac. It can regulate blood pressure and clinical trials have shown that extracts of the plant have anti-microbial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. It may also have sedative and hypnotic effects as well as being a muscle relaxant.

  It contains camphene so is rather like the camphor tree in its smell, and it is used as an insect repellent in clothes, but as I’ve mentioned before, sandalwood and patchouli are much better smelling than camphor based smells.

   A decoction of the rhizomes and roots is used in Ayurvedic medicine as an antidote to poison, while a paste of the rhizome can be applied to the breasts of a mother to promote the milk flow. Incidentally in folk medicine the same paste is used to increase the size of breasts. The roots and rhizomes are used to improve memory and the cognitive processes, and to “harmonize” the functions of the liver, spleen and pancreas.

  The above ground part of the plant is used to get rid of internal worms, and as an astringent to heal wounds, and this is the part believed to have aphrodisiac properties. It is used to treat rheumatism and fungal infections. It is used to cure indigestion, coughs, bronchitis, to stop vomiting and to quench thirst, and has many other uses.

   Here is a remedy for headaches: - pulverize the rhizome to a paste and plaster this on your forehead for almost instant relief (it is claimed). The same paste applied to irritated skin will also stop itching.

  A powder from the rhizome is used for epilepsy and psychosis as well as menstrual problems.

  In China the plant is used to treat cervical cancer. You will also see Cyperus rotundus in skin whitening creams and women are told specifically to look for this ingredient on the labels of such creams.

  The plant contains limonene, camphene, the minerals magnesium and manganese along with flavonoids, tannins, polyphenols and saponins. Clinical trials have at least borne out some of the traditional uses of this plant, and perhaps more will be verified as clinical trials progress.