Goodbye, Sebastian.

Please lift a prayer for a our sweet and tenderhearted DIL, Elora. Her dog, Sebastian, died last night. :-( It looks like he ate something toxic. 

Magnolia Medicine

 

 

   

  

Magnolia virginina aka Sweet Bay Magnolia was widely used as medicine among Native Americans and early Americans. It is still used for various ailments today. You can find it for sale on the internet. Magnolia spp grows all around the world.

Tommie Bass, the now deceased highly sought-after Alabama herbalist, said more people came to him for Magnolia spp to treat arthritis, joint pain, and gout than any other plant. He said it did not work for everyone, but it did work for many. In fact, medical doctors in the early 1800s considered it a very effective treatment for rheumatism and arthritis.

The bark contains two polyphenols: magnolol and honokiol. Magnolol is an antihistamine. By reducing the histamine release, magnolol can help alleviate symptoms associated with allergies, such as inflammation, itching, and swelling. Magnolol supports the body's natural production of adrenal steroids which gives it antispasmodic effects. Honokiol is a muscle relaxer that appears to be five times more effective at relieving anxiety than some Rx medications. That's impressive!

Magnolol and honokiol relax bronchial muscles, making it easier to expel mucus, thus contributing to its expectorant properties. These help reduce inflammation in the respiratory tract, assisting with conditions like asthma or bronchitis. Magnolol and essential oils in Magnolia virginiana help stimulate the respiratory system to expel mucus. The alkaloids in the tree work as bronchodilators to ease breathing. These things can make it a good option for respiratory ailments.

The leaves are used as a vulnery meaning it helps heal wounds. The antimicrobial properties promote healing and prevent infection. The leaves were used as a poultice.

The Native Americans used the largest leaves of Magnolia to wrap their food. They also used the leaves as a spice to flavor their foods like gravies. The Rappahannock used it as a mild stimulant. The bark is a chief food for beavers, so it was also known as the Beaver Tree. In Japan, they use the leaves as a dish to grill foods on.

In China, Magnolia obovata, is used in over 200 patent medicines. One paper I read said many of the Chinese in America buy Magnolia bark and extracts available because they know how valuable the tree is for medicine. While you can use different species of Magnolia, the chemical compounds may vary by species.

Thoughts on Boneset

"I am a 30+ year medicinal herbalist. The presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) can be of concern in long-term applications. Late Boneset may be considered a safer option for extended use due to lower levels of these alkaloids. I personally use Hyssop Leafed Boneset (Eupatorium hyssopifolium) and Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum) to treat Chronic EBV/viral symptoms for a week at a time. Both are too bitter to drink as a tea (although I have done so) so I tincture mine. All of the bonesets can be used similarly per the scientific and traditional use research I have done. Tip for anyone who cares: It is very helpful to seek out and compare the chemical profiles of plants in the same genus when researching species to see if they can be used similarly. I am not a medical doctor, so I encourage each of you to do your own research and be your own health-care provider. Happy herbaling and God bless!" -Mama Asbell

Off Roading Fun with Brandon

Brandon invited Clint, Emily, Hannah, and me to stay in his very nice and large suite in Aurora, NC. We were there Thursday until Sunday. We toured the countryside, did some shopping, and enjoyed some off-roading in the Croatan National Forest. Somewhere along the way home, we met Walter aka the name for the Big Foot statue. Emily and Hannah enjoyed having their picture taken with him.

Lady's Thumb, Jesusplant, Knotweed Food and Medicine

Lady's Thumb aka Redshank aka Jesusplant aka Knotweed

Persicaria maculos (Buckwheat family)

As the plant ages, there is a dark spot in the middle of the leaves that looks like the plant was bruised. This is why it is called Lady's Thumb.

This is a nutritious wild edible and it is medicinal. It was brought by Europeans to the US, but the Native American tribes soon put it to work for them. You can find it all over the United States. It is high in vitamins A, B2, C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, and selenium.

As an edible, use it like you would spinach or kale. You can consume it raw, like in a salad, or use it in soups, stews, stirfrys, in with other herbs as a green powder, etc.

It is a vulnery (heals wounds),anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, astringent, cholagogue (increases bile), diuretic, hemostatic (stops bleeding), and anthelmintic (rids parasites). It shows antiviral properties for RSV, EBV, and several other viruses.

Anti-inflammatory herbs, like Lady's Thumb, are usually good for bug bites, insect stings, burns, etc. A poultice of lady's thumb left in place a couple of hours can reduce arthritis inflammation by half. It works by interrupting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. A tincture of this may be a good choice for those who suffer from arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

You can use it externally as a poultice or in a salve and also use it internally as a tea, decoction, capsule, or tincture.

Lady's Shank can treat urinary and digestive tract disorders, women's and men's reproductive health, fevers, headaches, diabetes, respiratory health, and eye health. It has also been used to treat Lyme's Disease.

You can make a tea combined with other herbs that repel insects and use it as a natural insect repellent spray.

This is just a tiny bit of my handwritten notes on Lady's Thumb. There is more to learn about this wonderful and useful plant.

While Lady's Thumb has been a part of American medicine since it was brought here, there have not been many studies done on it.

It has been used for a very long time for food and medicine and is generally considered safe. I could not find any hard contraindications (an existing condition that makes something unsafe). However, there are some POTENTIAL contraindications: allergies to the buckwheat family, pregnancy and breastfeeding, blood disorders (it has mild blood thinning properties), and kidney disorders (due to oxalates).

Always learn the contraindications of anything you use (even OTC and RX - doctors can and do miss things) and always start with small amounts internally. For topical medications, always do a skin patch test first. These are good standard medical practices with anything new even RX and OTC meds. Use my posts as a starting place to do your own research.