Woodsorrel

A friend who runs Seattle Native Plants Nursery bestowed a woodsorrel plant at our recent community potluck. I transplanted this into a pot with garlic, though I am not sure how much they are enjoying each other. A fun experiment I suppose.

Oxalis is a wild edible with - you will not be surprised - high oxalic acid content. Other plants with a lot of oxalic acid include: chives, parsley, purslane and spinach, each which contain around a gram. Some scientific studies have explored the effect of oxalic acid intake. Overconsumption is linked to joint pain, kidney stones, and kidney failure -- due to the leaching out of calcium from the body. Toxicity may be mitigated by applying heat (steaming, etc), drinking plenty of water, or consuming such foods alongside calcium-rich foods. This is great example of natural toxicity found in a healthy food. Toxicity may not be escaped, but at least it may be moderated.

For what reason does nature provide oxalic acid? Other research suggests oxalic acid may be anti-cancer: patients diagnosed with cancer show low levels of oxalic acid in their blood. However this may only be a correlation. Perhaps other nutrients found in spinach and beet greens explain anti-cancer effects, rather than the actual oxalic acid -- for example the presence of antioxidants.

There seems to be a consensus, whether in support of oxalic acid or not, that it is unwise to avoid it. Not only do green veggies have many benefits that outweigh their natural toxins, other sources of poisons are much worse. If you are going to avoid something, perhaps avoid alcohol, caffeine or tap water. Also avoid overconsumption of technology or home appliances like microwaves.

In the meantime I am not sure what to do about "Woody". I feel weird about keeping this plant in a pot when it prefers the wild, so I will keep a close eye and make adjustments as necessary.

Bindweed Medicine

I decided each time I enter the garden I must start with a morning glory walk. Yesterday I pulled a bucket-full. Once, I heard a bit of plant wisdom: one should not pull any unidentified weed. Better to have more intimacy with one's microcosm before going through and changing things. I have a long ways to go before I can truthfully follow such guidance.

Recently I came across the book Invasive Plant Medicine by Timothy Lee Scott, who is an acupuncturist and herbalist living in Vermont. He dedicates a couple chapters to the politics of "invasives", one which is titled "The Intelligence of Plants". He discusses 24 specific plants including barberry and dandelion -- a couple of my favorites -- blackberry, english ivy and scotch broom - restoration ecologist's nightmares - and bindweed - the gardener's bane.

I am fascinated by this book's portrayal of bindweed and now I don't know what to believe! I wonder if I should experiment with medicine making or what.

Convolvulus arvensis of the Morning Glory family, came to North America in the 1730's, and was sold as an ornamental, medicinal plant. In TCM no species have ever been used. In Ayurveda, a couple species have been used as a brain tonic, tranquilizer, blood purifier, for uterine bleeding, ulcers and venereal diseases. In Western medicine, bindweed has been used for internal bleeding, fevers, as a purgative and laxative.

Contemporary pharmacology regards bindweed as a purgative, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, cholagogic (bile stimulant) and tranquilizer. Studies have demonstrated the plant's efficacy in reducing tumor growth, decreasing the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestines, reducing different types of stress, and as antimicrobial.

Beyond the human body, bindweed serves in phytoremediation! It cleanses chromium, copper and cadmium from soil. It can survive areas full of heavy metals and assists in the degradation of fuel oil - for example in the Prestige Oil Spill of 2002. Calystegin compounds found in the roots feed rhizosphere bacteria with carbon and nitrogen.

Considering the ever deepening toxicity of our planet, plants like these we will need to turn to and honor for their ability to adapt. I can only wonder at the power of all these other plants in the book, the ways they serve us without our even knowing how to identify them outdoors. Our relationship to bindweed will surely shift in the time to come. For one, I need to reconsider merely stuffing them in the yard waste bin.

Elder & Hawthorn &

This month "Beaver Moon" is in the constellation Taurus, an earth sign ruled by Venus. (There are many interpretations about what this means online.) I love that I've made a recent commitment to make medicines each time the Full Moon comes around - perhaps it will ground me into a workable structure. Tonight I am cooking up an Elderberry Hawthorn Syrup and a tincture of Echinacea root.

Elder (Sambucus) and Hawthorn (Crataegus) are both naturalized to the Pacific Northwest. You can learn to identify them and follow proper harvesting techniques to obtain nature's gifts.

Elder, from the honeysuckle family, is said to be anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer -- treating colds, flus and allergies. The berries help reduce swelling in mucous membranes, such as the sinuses, to relieve nasal congestion. [1] They act by inhibiting enzyme, neuraminidase, which viruses use to penetrate cell walls. They contain flavonoids (antioxidant) as all good, dark berries do, and high concentrations of Vitamin C. Despite being foraged by many species of birds, it's recommended that the berries are cooked. Perfect for making decoctions or syrups! I've used lozenges purchased from the market in previous years and I'm excited to make my own medicine this time.

Hawthorn (rose family) is revered as a heart medicine for humans, as well as an important food source for birds, moths and butterflies. The hawberries also contain flavonoids, one in particular, proanthocyanidin, which plays a role in dilating blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and improving circulation [2]. What if you already have low blood pressure? What if you happen to love garlic and other herbs that lower blood pressure? Last time I was at the doctors I was told, "Treasure your low blood pressure now, as it's only going to increase as you age". I'm curious how that will unfold. Anyway here I am creating a delicious, antioxidant berry syrup to help me prevent the onset of winter flu (will last a solid 2-3 months, stored in the refrigerator - all winter long).

The recipe was based off one I found from Dandelioness Herbals:

.5 oz Sambucus nigra

.5 oz Crataegus

4 c well water

3/4 c raw honey

I've also created another Echinacea tincture (good for several years):

I've always used Echinacea purpurea (daisy family) to avoid or shorten colds and flus. Yet I recently read in Matthew Wood's book The Earthwise Herbal that Echinacea may be taken to bolster the immune system in cases of putrefaction, functioning as an internal antiseptic. Which is interesting when we consider that the plant was traditionally used to relieve blood poisoning. Putrefaction results when cell metabolism becomes sluggish permitting foreign antigens to invade, causing the breakdown of tissues. In addition to exercise (!) herbal antiseptics like Echinacea (and yarrow, and lavender) can stabilize cell metabolism in order to keep viruses out. 

Echinacea's effectiveness is quite controversial despite how popular it is in natural medicine. In 2009, Echinacea aroused sales of $132 million in the U.S. [3] The herb has an interesting consumer history: In the 1800's, H.C.F. Meyer (dubbed "snake-oil salesman") marketed the herb as a panacea "cure-all". It was later introduced into Germany by physician Gerhard Madaes in the 1930s where it was popularized in Western medicine. Contemporary studies demonstrate mixed evidence: it likely combats various infections, reducing inflammation and attacking yeasts and fungi directly [4]. Yet it's effectiveness doesn't appear much better than a placebo. Still recommendations are made to avoid the plant if you are on immunosuppresants, or are a heavy caffeine taker. More carefully monitored studies need to be conducted. 

My recommendation: know your body, observe your reactions, and stay open in your experiments.      

Works Cited

[1] Ehrlich, Steven D. "Elderberry". May 7, 2013. University of Maryland Medical Center.
     November 6, 2014. <http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/elderberry>.
[2] Hudson, Tori. "Hibiscus, Hawthorn and the Heart". July 2011, Vol 3, Issue 7. Natural Medicine
     Journal. November 6, 2014. <http://naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2011-07/hibiscus-
     hawthorn-and-heart>.
[3] Novella, Stephen. "Echinacea for Cold and Flu". December 22, 2010. Science-Based Medicine.
     November 7, 2014. <http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/echinacea-for-cold-and-flu/>.
[4] "Echinacea". Medline Plus. July 7, 2014. U.S. National Library of Medicine. November 7, 2014.
     <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/981.html>.