Page 247 - Lost Book Remedies

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

vulgaris, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It also inhib- can be used as a disinfectant for wounds and skin dis-
its the growth of Helicobacter pylori. eases and infections.

Warning: Patients with Aspirin or sulfite sensitivity Anti-coagulant – Blood Clots: Meadowsweet
should not use meadowsweet. Patients with asthma has heparin, which is an anti-coagulant. Its highest lev-
should use with caution. Do not use meadowsweet if els are in the seeds, and flowers may also be used.
you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Do not use mead- Meadowsweet Tea: 1.5 to 2 grams of dried mead-
owsweet if you are taking anticoagulant drugs, owsweet herb, 1 cup boiling water. Pour the boiling wa-
NSAIDS, or any herbal remedies with blood-thinning
properties. Overuse can cause GI bleeding. The plant ter over the dried herbs and allow it to steep for 5 to 7
minutes. Strain the tea and drink 1 cup, 3 times daily.
Sweeten with honey if desired.

Moringa oleifera,

Drumstick Tree

Moringa oleifera is commonly known as drumstick
tree, horseradish tree, benzoil tree, or ben oil tree. It is
an extremely useful tree because of its healing proper-
ties, nutrition, and for the oil produced from the seed
pods. This deciduous tree is very fast growing, going
from a seedling to maturity in a single year. The roots
taste like horseradish and the leaves are eaten as a
green vegetable. It is also useful for water purification. Moringa oleifera, CC3.0, http://www.cropsforthefuture.org
The plant is now widely cultivated in the tropical and
subtropical areas of the United States and is often bark is whitish-grey in color and surrounded by thick
grown in greenhouses in cooler areas. It is the only ge- cork. Young shoots have a purplish or green-white
nus in its own family, the Moringaceae. It is native to hairy bark. Branches are drooping and fragile, while
India. leaves are feathery and tri-pinnate. Asexual flowers ap-
pear within the first 6 months of planting. They grow
Identification: Mature trees reach a height of up to in thin, hairy stalks in drooping clusters. Each flower
40 feet (12.1 meters) if not pruned and have a trunk di- is approximately 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) long and 3/4-inch
ameter of 1 1/2 feet (0.45m). Most growers trim the (1 cm) across. Five yellowish-white petals of varying
trees back to a maximum of 6 feet (1.8 meters), so that sizes surround the fragrant center. In cool regions,
the leaves and seed pods are easily harvested. The tree flowers appear between April and June, but in warm
regions flowering happens twice a year or year-round
when the weather is hot without significant cool tem-
peratures. Fruit pod production usually occurs in the
second year and increases in the third year. The seed
pods hang from the former flower clusters, forming a
three-sided brown pod of 10 to 20 inches (25 cm to 50
cm) in length. Each seed is approximately 1/3 to 1/2
inch (0.8 cm to 1.25 cm) in diameter with papery wings
that aid dispersion. Moringa propagates easily from
seed or cuttings and the germination rate is high when
planted in well-drained soil.

Edible Use: Moringa leaves are cooked and eaten as
a green. In areas where nutrition is poor, moringa is
Moringa oleifera leaves, Obsidian Soul, CC3.0
often used as a seasoning for rice or other foods. The
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