Page 240 - Lost Book Remedies
P. 240

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

        It is usually consumed raw, but is also used for jams
        and chutneys.

        Medicinal  Use:  Hardy  kiwi  fruit  contains  many
        beneficial vitamins and antioxidants that protect the
        body from disease. Unless otherwise noted, eating the
        fruit provides the beneficial effects.
        Cancer: These kiwi fruits provide protection against
        and treatment for cancer. They are particularly effec-
        tive for treating cancers of the stomach, intestines, co-
        lon, and breast. Eat a serving of kiwi fruit daily. Eating
        too many may cause a laxative effect.

        Constipation: Kiwi has a laxative effect when eaten      Hardy kiwi, Björn Appel, CC by SA 3.0
        in excess and makes a good treatment for constipation.   people with iron deficiency anemia. The vitamin C in-
        Eat a large serving of the fruit to relieve constipation.    creases the absorption of iron.

        Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): The protec-             Boosts the Immune System: Hardy kiwis boost
        tive nature of kiwi on the digestive tract is a great help   the function of the immune system and help prevent
        for people who suffer with IBS. It helps restore normal   the common cold and other related illnesses, especially
        bowel movements and calms inflammation of the in-       in children. This effect is probably due to the high con-
        testinal tract.                                         centrations  of  vitamin  C;  however,  other  protective

        Insomnia  and  Sleep  Disorders:  The  hardy            compounds may also be involved.
        kiwi is rich in serotonin and other compounds that are   High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, and Tri-
        beneficial to an uninterrupted sleep. It helps with in-  glycerides: The protective nature of hardy kiwi ex-
        somnia and increases beneficial REM sleep. Insomni-     tends to the cardiovascular system where kiwis prevent
        acs can simply include a serving of hardy kiwi in their   or lower high blood pressure, prevent blood clot for-
        daily diet.                                             mation, and help cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It

        Anemia: The hardy kiwi is a rich source of both iron    protects  the  cardiovascular  system  and  reduces  the
        and  vitamin  C,  making  it  a  good  dietary  source  for   threat of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease.


        Hawthorn,                                               bloom in May. Its numerous flowers are usually white
                                                                and less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. The calyx has
        Crataegus monogyna                                      5 lobes and five petals. Small berries ripen to a bright
                                                                deep red color or sometimes even black. The berries
        Like its family members in the rose and apple family,   are edible and have a sweet-sour flavor that is often
        hawthorn is both nutritious and medicinal. They also    cooked with sugar.
        share the long woody thorns that can be quite painful      The leaves are alternate, serrated and ovate, 2 to 3
        if  not  avoided.  The  hawthorn                             inches  (5  cm  to  7.5  cm)  in  length,  and  can  be
        bush,  also  called  the  May-                                           lobed or sharply cut with teeth. They
        tree or thorn-apple, is a de-                                            are dark green with bluish-green ba-
        ciduous  member  of  the                                                 ses and vary in size and shape. The
        Rosaceae (Rose) Family.                                                  entire tree rarely reaches 30 feet (9.1
        Identification:       Haw-                                             meters) and may be much smaller. It
        thorn  can  grow  as  a  thorny                                        is covered with sharp thorns that grow
        bush or a tree. I often find it                                        up to 2 inches (5 cm) in length.
        along  sunny  paths  in  the                                        Edible Use: The fruit are edible raw or
        woods and it is often planted                                    cooked, but are more pleasant when cooked
        on parking strips in towns. White, red, or pink flowers
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