VIPER'S BUGLOSS - MOOD ENHANCER: BENEFITS AND USES OF VIPER'S BUGLOSS

VIPER’S BUGLOSS, ECHIUM VULGARE

Viper’s bugloss is closely related to the common bugloss and the alkanets, and to borage as it is a member of the Boraginaceae family of plants. It has similar properties to borage and is used as a mood enhancer in some countries such as Iran. It can grow to heights or between 2 and 3 feet and like wallflowers, often grows on old walls. It is native to Europe including the British Isles. Scandinavia and western Asia. The name bugloss comes from the ancient Greek and means ‘ox’s tongue’ and it is so named, we think, because of the roughness and shape of its leaves. Its stems and leaves sometimes have red spots on their stems and leaves, and although the flowers are normally violet-blue, white ones are possible, but rare. Nicholas Culpeper says that they grew in Sussex in Lewes around a castle but that was in the 17^th century. The roots of the plant go deep into the soil and these are believed to be diuretic and to promote sweating in fevers, so reducing the body temperature. There are seeds, which are said to resemble vipers’ heads, and so they were used to treat bites of serpents, and as the only indigenous British snake is the viper or adder, this is how the plant got its name. The old herbalists believed that a decoction of the seeds, preferably in wine, banished melancholy and lifted the mood.

  This is what John Gerard, writing in his Herball in the 16^th century has to say about the plant:-

  “The physitions use the leaves, floures and rootes and put them into all kindes of medecines indifferently, which are of force and vertue to drive away sorrow and pensiveness of the minde, and to comfort and strengthen the heart.”

  It was Culpeper, writing a century later who mentions this property of the seeds, as well as waxing lyrical about the plant’s other properties.

   “It is a most gallant herb of the Sun; it is a pity it is no more in use than it is. It is an especial remedy against the biting of the Viper, and all other venomous beasts, or serpents; as also against poison, or poisonous herbs. Dioscorides and others say, That whosoever shall take of the herb or root before they be bitten, shall not be hurt by the poison of any serpent. The root or seed is thought to be most effectual to comfort the heart, and expel sadness, or causeless melancholy; it tempers the blood, and allays hot fits of agues. The seed drank in wine, procures abundance of milk in women's breasts. The same also being taken, eases the pains in the loins, back, and kidneys. The distilled water of the herb when it is in flower, or its chief strength, is excellent to be applied either inwardly or outwardly, for all the griefs aforesaid. There is a syrup made hereof very effectual for the comforting the heart, and expelling sadness and melancholy.”

  The leaves from low on the ground near the roots are he ones to be harvested, and can be dried for later use. They can be made into a tisane and this is diuretic and diaphoretic (promoting sweat). It is said that this will relieve a headache, and the pain caused by inflammation as well as soothing the nerves. You use 1 ounce of the dried leaves to 1 pint of boiling water and leave to infuse for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain and drink in small cupfuls when needed. However there are a few reports of the leaves being toxic, and if you collect them, wear gloves just in case of an allergic reaction.

  John Parkinson (1567-1650), apothecary to James I of England and James VI of Scotland, writes,

   “…the water distilled in glasses of the roots or the root itself taken is good against the passions and tremblings of the heart as also against swoonings, sadness and melancholy.”

  One study published in the Iranian Journal of Basic Medicine Vol 10 (3); autumn 2007 pp 189-196. “Evaluation of the Antidepressant Effects of the Aerial Parts of Echium vulgare in Mice,” Seyed Adel Moallem, H.Hosseinzodleh and Fatemah Ghancheh.

concludes that the extracts of the Viper’s Bugloss have “significant antidepressant effects” and end by saying “this herb might be considered a useful drug in the management of depression.”

  Interestingly it has been thought that viper’s bugloss is an aphrodisiac and perhaps it does actually lower inhibitions while enhancing the mood. In Iran it has been used for centuries to stimulate the mood and as an aphrodisiac.

  The leaves and flowering tops are used in infusions and decoctions for coughs and other respiratory problems and are also used to soften the skin and relieve inflammation and redness. In poultices the fresh leaves and flowers are apparently useful for getting rid of boils and hard skin. The tisane can be used on wounds to speed healing and it has been found that the roots contain allantoin which is known to be a wound healer, so a poultice of decoction of the roots may be good for wounds.

  Like borage this cheerful-looking plant has many benefits for our health, both physical and mental.

FIELD BINDWEED - ONE OF THE WORST WEEDS, BUT WITH MEDICINAL BENEFITS

FIELD BINDWEED, CONVOLVULUS ARVENSIS

Field bindweed was a common plant where I grew up in South Wales, but we simply called it “convolvulus.” It has pretty white trumpet-shaped flowers  which are rather like those of Coccinia indica or Khochoper , the ivy gourd, and the orange ones of the Trumpet Vine), but my grandfather told me they were called snake flowers and I wasn’t to pick them because snakes might live in the canopies they created with their twining vines. My daughter was fascinated by these flowers too, but could never remember the name for them. We always thought they were a British native plant, but it seems that they originated in the warmer Mediterranean climes.

  These members of the Convolvulaceae also grow in the Indian subcontinent, and in the Khyber-Pakhtoonkwa province of Pakistan they roots of Field bindweed are used as a rinse after washing hair in order to get rid of dandruff.

  The name convolvulus comes from the Latin “convolvere” meaning to twine and arvensis means of the field or cultivated land. The stems of this plant can grow to around two metres long and they can twine in a total revolution in less than 2 hours, making them a very rapid-growing plant. The roots burrow deep into the soil too, making it a difficult plant to eradicate. In the US it is classed as an invasive species in all states except Alaska, where it is probably too cold for it to proliferate. It was actually introduced in to North America in the early 18^th century as an ornamental and probably for its medicinal properties too. Some theorize that it got to North America as an adulterant in seeds, but whatever the case, the Native Americans soon realized its medicinal potential and used it to reduce excessive menstrual flow and for spider bites. For these problems they used a tisane of the leaves, which are apparently edible and used like spinach in parts of Turkey, where they are also used as a flavouring for some dishes. The flowers are made into a tisane which is used internally as a laxative and for fevers, to promote sweating and so reduce the temperature, and externally to put on wounds. The juice of the root is also used for fevers, and the Arabs used the roots and leaves to stop haemorrhages.

  In Europe there are various superstitions about this plant, one is my grandfather’s that vipers make their nests under it, and in other parts of Britain it is said that if a young woman picks the flowers of the Field bindweed, the object of her affections will die. Another superstition is that if you pick the flowers there will be a thunder storm, and it is called the “thunder flower” for this reason.

  Dioscorides in the 1^st century AD believed that this plant could stop internal bleeding and help in the healing of wounds.

  One study exists: Meng, X. L. et al. December 2002, “Effects of a high molecular mass Convolvulus arvensis on tumour growth and angiosperm” P.R. Health Science Journal, Vol. 21 (4) pp 323-328. However the results are inconclusive as the extracts of the plant did not kill cancer cells in an in vitro culture, but, according to the researchers, “inhibited tumour growth in mice” by approximately 70 %.

  The whole plant produces a green dye, and the stems can be used to tie up other plants, such as tomatoes, but they are not durable.

  This plant was once used for medicine, but these uses seem to have been forgotten as it is now viewed as a menace, especially in field with crops.

WALLFLOWERS - NATIVE OF MED: HISTORY AND USES OF WALLFLOWERS

WALLFLOWERS ERYSIMUM CHEIRI

Wallflowers are native to southern Europe and Greece, and are sometimes called Aegean wallflowers and gillyflowers, although the latter name also refers to pinks which are closely related to carnations and not at all related to wallflowers which are in the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae family. Wallflowers are related to cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, broccoli, mustard, horseradish and turnips. It usually flowers between April and June when it attracts a lot of insects and bees. As the name suggests it grows well on walls and cliffs and can grow to 2½ feet high.

  The original wallflower was named Cheiranthus cheiri by Linnaeus (cheiros meaning hand and anthos flower in Greek). However it has undergone a botanical name change and is now Erysimum cheiri. It was held in people’s hands during festivals in the ancient world and this may be why it got its original name.

  The wallflower is poisonous in large amounts but has been used as a wound herb for Roman soldiers in battles, and a tincture of the whole plant was once used to dull the pain of cutting wisdom teeth. Formerly it was used as a diuretic, and to bring on a woman’s period if it were late. It has also been used to treat impotence and paralysis, and this might be because it contains cheiranthin which has a stronger action on a weak heart then digitalis which comes from the foxglove (Digitalis purpurea); because of its effects on the heart it is not wise to use wallflowers for any medicinal purpose at home.

Wallflowers wild

  In the past wallflowers have been used to treat rheumatism, spasms, nervous problems and as a purgative, while its distilled oil has been used in perfumes. The oil can smell unpleasant if not distilled.

  In the Middle Ages, these plants were grown in monastery gardens, having been introduced into the British Isles at sometime during the Norman Conquest (after 1066). Their leaves were crushed and applied to wounds to heal them, used as an antiseptic dressing. The seeds apparently have expectorant properties as well as an oil which seems not to have been used very much in medicine in the past.

  Nicholas Culpeper the 17^th century English herbalist says that Galen (c.130-200 AD) believed that the yellow wallflowers had the best medicinal value, and continued by saying that a wallflower: -

  “..cleanses blood and fretteth the liver and reins (kidneys) from obstruction, provokes  women’s courses, expels…the dead child; helps the hardness and pain of the mother, and of spleen also; stays inflammation and …comforts and strengthens any weak part, or out of joint, helps to cleanse the eyes from mistiness and films upon them and to cleanse the filthy ulcers in the mouth or any other part, and is a singular remedy for the gout and all aches and pains in the joints and sinews. A conserve made of the flowers is used for a remedy both for the apoplexy and the palsy.”

  Young women who were not asked to dance at balls in the past were known as wallflowers, perhaps because they stayed close to the walls so as to be less noticeable. The wallflower is a symbol of misfortune in love, perhaps due to this 14^th century Scottish legend made famous in the poetry of the Robert Herrick (1591-1674). The legend has it that Elizabeth, the daughter of the Earl of March promised to marry a man from a clan which were enemies of hers. She was confined to a castle but the young man entered dressed as a wandering minstrel or troubadour. They organized an escape plan and she was to climb out of a castle window using a rope made of silk. This is a part of the poem: -

   “Up she got upon a wall

     Attempted down to slide withal;

     But the silken twist untied,

     She fell, and bruised, she died.

     Love in pity to the deed

     And her loving, luckless speed,

     Twined her to this plant we call

     Now the Flower of the Wall.”

  I have always liked wallflowers, especially the brown-orange ones which grew in my grandmothers’ gardens. My paternal grandmother probably used them in some medicinal concoction or made the flowers into a conserve. However I only remember playing in them and loving their fragrance. 

SWEET ORANGES - EVEN THE FLOWERS ARE GOOD FOR YOU: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF SWEET ORANGES: ORANGE SAUCE RECIPE

SWEET ORANGES, MALTA IN URDU, CITRUS AURANTIUM var. DULCIS

Sweet oranges are the ones we eat raw, such as Jaffa oranges, rather than Seville or bitter oranges which are used for marmalades. They are members of the Rutaceae family of plants and so related to the grapefruit, lemon, pomelo, kinnow or mandarin, Persian lime, etc. They originated in Asia and spread through to the Indian subcontinent and from there into the Middle East. Arab traders or the Moors took them to Spain where they have been cultivated for centuries.

  Christopher Columbus is believed to have taken seeds from the orange to the Caribbean islands, in the 15^th century, and Spanish explorers took them to Florida in the 16^th century.

 Oranges were expensive in Europe prior to the 20^th century and were eaten on special holidays such as Christmas. Traditionally children got an orange tucked into the toe part of the stocking they hung up for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. They have been used as pomanders, and stuck with cloves and were used in this way during the Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci painted the “Last Supper” and featured an orange or two, but at the time of Christ oranges were unknown in the Middle East, so this is an anachronism.

   The peel from a sweet orange can be used fresh when grated and is especially good in carrot cakes, or it may be dried and added to pot pourris along with some cinnamon and cloves, and orange in red wine along with spices makes a good mulled winter wine.

   The word orange comes from the Sanskrit nagarang by way of Arabic naranj; in Portuguese it is laranjas, and naranga in Spanish, while in Greek it is portokali (from Portugal), demonstrating how oranges spread through to Greece from the Portuguese explorers and traders.

  The orange has more than the daily recommended amount of vitamin C in it, and the fresh orange is a good source of dietary fibre, eaten with the pith and skin of the segments. In fact the flavanone herperidin, which is believed to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and have anti-inflammatory properties, is present in this white pith and the peel of the orange. If you juice an orange you lose some of its health benefits.

  Oranges and other citrus fruit can reduce the severity of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, asthma and other inflammatory ailments. Eating an orange is actually better than taking a vitamin C supplement. The folate present in all citrus fruit lowers the risk of cardio-vascular diseases according to the WHO’s report “Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases.” The carotenoids in oranges offer protection for the heart, and of course oranges contain beta-carotene, hence their colour. The vitamins and minerals in oranges have potent antioxidant properties and are it is thought that oranges and other citrus fruits can help protect against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases, cognitive impairment associated with the aging process, macular degeneration, diabetes, gallstones, and a number of other serious diseases. They potentially have anti-cancer properties as well as anti-tumour ones. Oranges’ phytonutrients, flavonoids and polyphenols are still being investigated by researchers.

  Apart from large amounts of vitamin C, oranges have vitamin A, E and K along with the minerals calcium, iron, copper, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, selenium and zinc. They also contain some of the B-complex vitamins and 17 amino acids. Oranges also contain a little Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids.

  The leaves and flowers dried or fresh, can be made into a decoction and used for flatulence, stomach disorders, and this is used as an anti-spasmodic an a cardiac sedative. Orange Flower water also has antispasmodic properties.  The limonene content in oranges means that house flies and fleas can be eliminated, and its insecticide properties are being investigated. Orange Flower water is the liquid left after the oil of the flowers has undergone a distillation process. The oil is used in the perfume industry as “Neroli petulae” which is not as expensive as the essential oil “Neroli”, which used to be the main ingredient of Eau de Cologne, which is not really popular any more. Orange oil is used in soaps and in candle-making too.

  In traditional medicine systems, the leaves from the sweet orange tree have been used in infusions and decoctions for skin problems such as acne, and a tisane is given as an expectorant.

 However if you have an orange every day you will be able to combat colds and flu as the vitamins and minerals will boost your immune system so that it can ward off these winter ailments. You will feel better for this healthy addition to your diet.

  The orange sauce recipe will go well with roast duck, kebabs and rice and other savoury dishes. You do not need to add sugar. To zest an orange use a sharp knife and avoid the white pith. Use a zester if you have one - a small knife-like kitchen tool with holes at the end that works a little like a grater.

ORANGE SAUCE

Duck with orange sauce

Ingredients

Juice of 2 oranges,

Zest of 1 orange

¼ pint (100ml) chicken stock

10 black peppercorns, lightly crushed

Method

Put all the ingredients together in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.

This has Taste and is a Treat.