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To plan our landscaping. We like to include both culinary herbs and medicinal herbs in our yard. My state took pseudoephedrine off the market because the tweekers were cooking meth out of it. Ephedrine contains both the D- and L- chiralities, and that wrecks their yield. Ephedrine is still available, but it's fierce stuff. Start with the lower dose, and avoid it if you have high blood pressure.
Interestingly, herbalists report that the unpleasant side effects disappear if you use the whole plant. Sadly, the plant is butt ugly.
I've started planting some medicinal plants on my new place, but there's a lot of wild stuff it's easier to go collect than try to grow or transplant.
Stinging Nettles are one of my favorites. The young leaves are very high in plant protein, taste far better than spinach. The seeds, leaves and roots all have medicinal qualities in teas, tinctures and poltices.
The tea from the leaves is the best cure for gout I've found, and actually tastes good.
There is research using the sting from the plant to promote release of natural endorphins to relieve arthritis pain.
Good cordage can be made from the fibers of the adult plant.
Yucca blossoms and young seed pods are good eating in season. The roots can be eaten too, but I'm not fond of the flavor. The juice makes a pretty good soap, and the leaves make good cordage too.
Mullen or Indian Tobacco for respiratory issues, the oil for ear aches, the leaves while green make good toilet paper.
I can go harvest all this and a lot more wild.
I do grow things like sage, rosemary, basil and a bunch more kitchen herbs that don't grow wild here, but still have medicinal properties.
I am going to try and grow some elderberry. It does grow here but hard to find. It's worth the effort to try to cultivate because of the myriad of medicinal uses for it.
Plus the berries make some kick ass wine.
To plan our landscaping. We like to include both culinary herbs and medicinal herbs in our yard. My state took pseudoephedrine off the market because the tweekers were cooking meth out of it. Ephedrine contains both the D- and L- chiralities, and that wrecks their yield. Ephedrine is still available, but it's fierce stuff. Start with the lower dose, and avoid it if you have high blood pressure.
Interestingly, herbalists report that the unpleasant side effects disappear if you use the whole plant. Sadly, the plant is butt ugly.
Does anybody else raise their own pharmacy?
Yes.
I take it that you are looking at ephedra? You wouldn't be able to grow it in Oregon anyway. If it did survive, it wouldn't have efficacy. Have you considered Sida cordifolia aka country mallow? It's not very attractive either but the stems and roots contain ephedrine, and there are other plants. I would choose the one best suited for my soil and climate. A plant won't have the best efficacy if not grown in its native conditions.
For plants that can't be grown where I am, we buy them from reputable sources, preferably from areas where they are native. Usually dried plants and sometimes extracts. If ephedra is the one you want, I would look for a supplier in the southwest.
I wouldn't rely on monotherapy. Look for other plants to use in combination for a more comprehensive treatment. Most importantly, try to determine the cause of the ailment and remedy that rather than just suppressing symptoms.
Yes, sometimes whole plants are better because plants contain compounds to prevent side effects that are common with synthetic modern medicines. For example, aspirin is the synthetic derivative of salicylic acid from the meadowsweet plant. Aspirin can cause ulcers but the plant has compounds that prevent ulcers. Nature is perfect in that way. However, only the aerial parts of this plant and many others are used for medicine.
If by culinary herbs you mean thyme, oregano, garlic, basil, bay, rosemary, parsley, peppermint, sage, etc., these are medicinal herbs too. If your book doesn't cover medicinal uses for them, I think you would benefit from getting more books.
I take it that you are looking at ephedra? You wouldn't be able to grow it in Oregon anyway. If it did survive, it wouldn't have efficacy. Have you considered Sida cordifolia aka country mallow? It's not very attractive either but the stems and roots contain ephedrine, and there are other plants. I would choose the one best suited for my soil and climate. A plant won't have the best efficacy if not grown in its native conditions.
For plants that can't be grown where I am, we buy them from reputable sources, preferably from areas where they are native. Usually dried plants and sometimes extracts. If ephedra is the one you want, I would look for a supplier in the southwest.
I wouldn't rely on monotherapy. Look for other plants to use in combination for a more comprehensive treatment. Most importantly, try to determine the cause of the ailment and remedy that rather than just suppressing symptoms.
Yes, sometimes whole plants are better because plants contain compounds to prevent side effects that are common with synthetic modern medicines. For example, aspirin is the synthetic derivative of salicylic acid from the meadowsweet plant. Aspirin can cause ulcers but the plant has compounds that prevent ulcers. Nature is perfect in that way. However, only the aerial parts of this plant and many others are used for medicine.
If by culinary herbs you mean thyme, oregano, garlic, basil, bay, rosemary, parsley, peppermint, sage, etc., these are medicinal herbs too. If your book doesn't cover medicinal uses for them, I think you would benefit from getting more books.
I take it you are not familiar with Oregon's climate? Ephedra sinica grows fine here, and the plant potency comes up nicely during our summer drought. Well drained soil and full sunlight is all it needs.
Most of the medicinal properties of culinary herbs are just fairy tales. A few, like peppermint and ginger are useful. Most of them we grow for flavor. If you buy herbal books, most of them are crap. If plants aren't known precursors to modern medicines or have a good flavor, don't bother.
What herbs do you actually grow? Do you have cold frames or a greenhouse?
I am going to try and grow some elderberry. It does grow here but hard to find. It's worth the effort to try to cultivate because of the myriad of medicinal uses for it.
Plus the berries make some kick ass wine.
The European black elderberry is a glorious shrub in the spring and summer, and it has clinically tested antiviral properties. Highly recommended.
I take it you are not familiar with Oregon's climate? Ephedra sinica grows fine here, and the plant potency comes up nicely during our summer drought. Well drained soil and full sunlight is all it needs.
I'm skeptical that it has the quality for medicinal purposes, but great if it does.
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Most of the medicinal properties of culinary herbs are just fairy tales.
You couldn't be more wrong about this, but that is a common myth in the US.
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If you buy herbal books, most of them are crap.
Many are absolute crap. Some like the one you are using are ok for beginners, depending on the reader. They have just enough information for a stupid man to be a danger to himself, and for a smart man to realize how little he learned.
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What herbs do you actually grow? Do you have cold frames or a greenhouse?
I have 23 acres devoted to just wild edible and medicinal plants native to our area. My wife has just over 3 acres of non-native herbs. She's the expert having formally studied and taught; I've only been seriously studying for 1.5 years. She makes tinctures, extracts, ointments, etc. I can make tea. As I said, we buy a few that we like to use because they don't grow well enough here to achieve the quality required for medicinal purposes.
Likewise, my wife is far more conversant with medicinal plants then I am. I did travel down to the shore to get her some Rosa rugosa plants, renowned for vitamin C content, and she now has a thriving hedge which she divides to give plants to her friends.
We have 3 medium sized hoophouses, and we grow the elderberries from cuttings given to her from local friends. Garlic is something I love, and I grow a large patch of it every year.
I think my wife's herb garden (which takes up all of one hoophouse) has some interesting stuff in it. I believe she also grows ginger. I have been looking to add goji berries, but have not found a source yet. The only thing I'm really into right now is learning to produce my own silver solution. The premade stuff is getting expensive!
Likewise, my wife is far more conversant with medicinal plants then I am. I did travel down to the shore to get her some Rosa rugosa plants, renowned for vitamin C content, and she now has a thriving hedge which she divides to give plants to her friends.
We have 3 medium sized hoophouses, and we grow the elderberries from cuttings given to her from local friends. Garlic is something I love, and I grow a large patch of it every year.
I think my wife's herb garden (which takes up all of one hoophouse) has some interesting stuff in it. I believe she also grows ginger. I have been looking to add goji berries, but have not found a source yet. The only thing I'm really into right now is learning to produce my own silver solution. The premade stuff is getting expensive!
Wild roses are considered a weed here by many, but aside from the rose hips which are very high in vitamin c, ( just don't eat the seeds as they can irritate the digestive tract), plucking and drying the petals make a fantasticly scented tea in the middle of winter.
The canes make decent arrow shafts. The bark can be dried and smoked if you need it.
The bark and roots was used to treat diarrhea and stomach upset. Root decoctions have been used to reduce swelling, and can be gargled to treat sore throat and tonsillitis.
A plant contains on the order of 10^4 different biochemical end products, and each has 5+/- intermediate-step, related chemicals involved in its synthesis, so we're talking on the order of 10^5 different chemicals in that dried plant you're ingesting.
The reason some of the side effects (and effects) go away when using the whole plant is because those closely related step products can competitively inhibit the effects of the final product that you think is working.
Why is it that many of the same people who reject processed food with a half dozen "additives" also seem to be the ones who will take herbs & spices for questionable medicinal effects when they contain 100,000 impurities?
In regards Echinacea in particular, it does make a bit of ephedrine, an adrenergic chemical, (ie- it mimics adrenalin). While that can reduce sinus congestion, it also elevates your HR & BP-- possibly a problem if you have heart problems, and it's said to "stimulate the immune system." Maybe a better way of stating that is to say it "irritates the immune system."...All those symptoms you don't like when you have a cold are due to your immune reaction to the virus, not from the virus itself.
In regards rose hips & Vit c-- a potato has half the C we require each day and a sweet pepper has 2x the vit C RDA.
But if it makes you feel better, that's the goal. Who cares why it works?
Rose hips came in handy to provide an excellent vitamin C source for the British population during WWII blockades. Foraging became a necessity for survival during that time.
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Originally Posted by guidoLaMoto
Why is it that many of the same people who reject processed food with a half dozen "additives" also seem to be the ones who will take herbs & spices for questionable medicinal effects when they contain 100,000 impurities?
A single plant contains thousands of things that humans haven't identified. Nature is better at this than humans are. Natural foods and natural nutritional remedies have kept me healthy whereas man-made products did not.
If you were referring to ephedra, I wouldn't mess with it personally and I don't know of anyone who still recommends it. It's best not to go by something you read in a book that was published in 1995. Keep up to date on new findings. Besides, ephedra doesn't address anything that can't be addressed by a number of other natural remedies.
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