From Mrs. Cog's Corner

The content on this page is for discussion purposes relating to health and well being only and is not intended to be medical advice. Links and sources provided are for informational purposes and do not represent an endorsement of a person, product or treatment.

The exotic aroma of frankincense and myrrh have been valued since the days of ancient Babylonia and Assyria. They were traded between the Phoneticians and  Egyptians, referenced in the Sanskrit and Greek texts, but many today only know of these substances from Christmas stories as the gifts of the Magi.

What is so magical about these resins from desert trees that grow in Somalia, Ethiopia, India and the Arabian peninsula? As with the essence of many plants, they offer antimicrobial properties including antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-septic and even anti-depressant benefits. Further, the anti-cancer properties are being confirmed by modern medicine as more studies are being published all the time describing aspects of the role they play in cell death of various cancers.

As if these discoveries weren't exciting enough on their own, there are purported energetic and spiritual uses for frankincense and myrrh as many believe they open chakras, cleanse energy and drive away evil. The stories and sources are too numerous for this writing, and I could easily spend weeks or more researching the history and applications. But Google is your friend.

I keep a glass jar with frankincense and myrrh essential oils on my desk. Inhaling the scents deeply help me to both focus and also seems to stop my sneezing when allergies kick in. I am aware of the medicinal properties that I also reap from this as inhaling essential oils immediately interacts with the limbic system, allowing benefits to take effect quickly.

I am also enjoying a homemade salve made with frankincense and myrrh in organic beeswax, coconut oil and vitamin E. With all the medicinal and psychological/spiritual advantages of these oils they are a must have for our long term medicine cabinet. Stored properly in amber glass vials at moderate temperatures, they have an indefinite shelf life. As with any natural substance I suggest using "therapuetic grade" oils only and doing research about the sources of it before making purchases.

"Many the lumps of frankincense on the same altar; one falls there early and another late, but it makes no difference"
– Marcus Aurelius

“The words which express our faith and piety are not definite; yet they are significant and fragrant like frankincense to superior natures.”
– Henry David Thoreau

O women, kneeling by your altar-rails long hence,
When songs I wove for my beloved hide the prayer,
And smoke from this dead heart drifts through the violet air
And covers away the smoke of myrrh and frankincense...
- William Butler Yeats

According to researchers from the University of Leicester in the UK, led by Kamla Al-Salmani, frankincense has been used for centuries as an anti-infllammatory, making it useful for the treatment of conditions such as asthma, various skin conditions and gastroenteritis. In 2011, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting that frankincense may help to treat arthritis.Previous research has also suggested that frankincense may be useful for the treatment of some cancers, including breast, colon and prostate cancer. This is due to a compound it contains, called acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA). http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270505.php

The traditional applications of Frankincense are very diverse - ranging from dental disease to skin conditions, to respiratory complaints and digestive troubles - to name but a few. Throughout the ancient world, from Egypt to China and from India to Rome - not to mention the Arabian countries where Frankincense was grown, used not only the oleoresin, but practically every part of the tree: root and bark, bud, flower and fruit - as well as the resin and the essential oil all had their various uses. http://www.sacredearth.com/ethnobotany/plantprofiles/frankincense.php

While it may be easy to understand gold being a precious gift, in truth, frankincense and myrrh’s value far outweighs that of gold and extends far beyond biblical lore. These plants are healing on an emotional, physical and spiritual level and more than simply symbols of the season. http://www.care2.com/greenliving/magical-and-medicinal-frankincense-and-myrrh.html?page=1

Sources:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/question283.htm

http://www.history.com/news/a-wise-mans-cure-frankincense-and-myrrh

http://www.mei.edu/sqcc/frankincense

http://articles.grandmasherbs.com/articles/Medicinal-Herbs/frankincense-204.html

Studies and Research Papers on Boswellia and Commiphora (Frankincense and Myrrh):

• Composition and potential anticancer activities of essential oils obtained from myrrh and frankincense

• Frankincense essential oil prepared from hydrodistillation of Boswellia sacra gum resins induces human pancreatic cancer cell death in cultures and in a xenograft murine model

• The additive and synergistic antimicrobial effects of select frankincense and myrrh oils--a combination from the pharaonic pharmacopoeia

• Boswellia serrata, a potential antiinflammatory agent: an overview

• Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of individual and combined extracts from Commiphora myrrha, and Boswellia carterii

• Commiphora molmol in human welfare

• The Jerusalem Balsam: from the Franciscan Monastery in the old city of Jerusalem to Martindale 33

From Mrs. Cog’s Corner

The content on this page is for discussion purposes relating to health and well being only and is not intended to be medical advice. Links and sources provided are for informational purposes and do not represent an endorsement of a person, product or treatment.

“If I’m allowed only one herb to use for medicine, it’d be Yarrow that I choose.” - An unknown Civil War doctor

Our homestead came with beautiful perennial flowers along the road. Before I started ‘weeding’ these clearly wild and prolific beds, I tried to look up most of what was growing there. In between the irises and daffodils and lilies are thick beds of yarrow, yet another gift from this mountain, but I read that it grows most everywhere.

Looking like a delicate mini fern, yarrow is a common and prolific herb often labeled as a weed. With white flowers similar to and often confused with Queen Anne’s Lace, the fern like leaves distinguish it as the valuable plant it is.

Yarrow is an amazing herb and it has been used throughout history for healing and preventative properties. Legend says as a baby, the Spartan hero Achilles was bathed in yarrow for protection. The exception was where he was held… you guessed it, at his heel, thus his only weakness. Many stories and examples of ways Yarrow was used as a prized medicinal tool can be found in the links below.

Of its more common uses, crushed leaves of the yarrow plant, either fresh or dried, can stop bleeding as well as act as an antiseptic. This also makes it a great choice for bee stings and bug bites.

Yarrow is frequently used as a cold and flu remedy. Able to help break a fever and open our pores, yarrow induces sweating to expel toxins that ail us. As with its ability to stop bleeding, yarrow is an astringent and contracts mucus membranes allowing them to dry and drain properly.

Other benefits to using yarrow include chewing leaves to relieve toothaches, as a hemorrhoid remedy and to help treat heavy menstrual symptoms. As a diuretic, it help flush toxins from the kidneys, provides relief from cystitis and sooths a myriad of gastro conditions.

The young leaves of yarrow can be eaten fresh and added to salads. The flowers blossom throughout the summer months and can be collected regularly. The leaves and blooms can be used in tinctures, poultices, bath additives and as tea. In tea, yarrow tastes bitter, so we like to add a spoonful of raw honey.

For a second year, I am simply cutting and drying the leaves and blossoms. Once they are completely dry, usually after 2-3 weeks, I vacuum seal them in a jar for later use. They are stored in a cool dry place.

Because it is so easy to grow and collect and its applications so numerous, I would recommend everyone seed some yarrow nearby, even if it requires a bit of guerrilla gardening. Once the plant takes, it will forever reseed itself and grow on its own with no human effort. I see this as another healthy and organic way to prepare to be responsible for our own wellness.

Note: Yarrow should not be consumed or used topically if you are pregnant.

More Information:

In China, Yarrow is also used for divination however, the practice is of quite a different order. The ancient oracle of the I Ching is traditionally cast with Yarrow stalks which are thought to represent the Yin and Yang forces of the Universe in perfect balance. http://www.sacredearth.com/ethnobotany/plantprofiles/yarrow.php

Yarrow as a Wound Healer: This is perhaps yarrow’s most famous and most ancient use. Yarrow was found amongst other medicinal herbs in the Neanderthal burial site in Iraq which dates from around 60,000 BC and has become famous in herbal medicine as one of the earliest indications of human’s use of medicinal plants. http://whisperingearth.co.uk/2011/09/28/the-multiple-benefits-and-uses-of-yarrow/

Native Americans also knew of yarrow’s incredible healing power for wounds and bruises, and in fact it is one of the sacred Life Medicines of the Navajo tribe. If you bruise easily, yarrow is a good daily supplement for you. The active constituents in yarrow make it a wonderful antiseptic, antibacterial, hypotensive, hypoglycemic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, emmenagogue, and tonic. Thank goodness for Medicine Men! http://essentialsurvival.org/yarrow-legend-medicinal-use/

A perennial herb, Yarrow is found world wide and grows almost in all places. The plant can be found flourishing in waste lands, countryside, meadows, pastures, edges of the railway tracks, along the highways and in many other places. Yarrow is a plant that I’ll never be without. It has such lovely flowers, but beyond that, it’s proven its place in my garden many times over - stopping bleeding, stopping pain, preventing infection - the examples I could give you where this plant has been used in my own experience would be more than you’d want to read! Suffice it to say, if you don’t grow anything else medicinally, you should grow this, and keep a jar of dried yarrow with you always! Best first aid emergency kit you’ll ever need! http://www.spiritguidedhealer.com/herbs/yarrow.html

All over the world, herbal medicinal traditions have embraced yarrow. It goes back millennia in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine and was used in Native American medicine throughout North America. Indeed, a Neanderthal skull in Spain, from about 50,000 years ago, had traces of yarrow in his or her teeth. http://khkeeler.blogspot.com/2014/04/plant-story-yarrow-achillea-millefolium_6.html

From Mrs. Cog's Corner

The content on this page is for discussion purposes relating to health and well being only and is not intended to be medical advice. Links and sources provided are for informational purposes and do not represent an endorsement of a person, product or treatment.

Referred to as the world's most valuable healing plant and purportedly having magical properties, records of ginseng go back as far as recorded human history. India's Vedas written more than 5,000 years ago reference ginseng. It's uses have been traced to food sources and medicine as long ago in Manchuria. Not only is there a record of the royal families of the ancient Chinese dynasties using ginseng as a miracle drug, but the native American Indians used it as well in many herbal remedies and to ward off evil. The history of ginseng is a fascinating study.

Although there are eleven species of ginseng, there are two that are most commonly used in modern times. Panax Ginseng, also known as Asian ginseng or Chinese or Korean ginseng, is popular worldwide and it's benefits are widely accepted. The other is Panax Quinquefolius or American ginseng.

Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that Panax or Asian ginseng is used to promote higher cognitive abilities and a healthier immune system. It is described as having "warming" effects, considered to be yang,  and thereby improving circulation. More information on the properties of Panax can be found here.

American ginseng differs somewhat from its Asian cousin and has it own set of benefits and effects. Its properties are more "cooling" bringing effects of moisturizing, revitalizing thus the yin.

In recent centuries, wild grown American ginseng's popularity as an export to Asia has caused it to be reduced to an endangered species. To supplement the lack of wild American ginseng, a method for cultivating it has been developed referred to as "woods grown" ginseng. Like the wild grown, woods grown ginseng roots develop in the mountainous cool forest beds and take six to eight years to mature. More potent roots are not harvested until ten to twenty years of growth.

When I began to research the medicinal properties of (North) American ginseng, I frequently read mainstream accounts which claimed the positive effects of it were greatly exaggerated and even a myth. Usually if there are widespread reports of a natural substance not working as well as it is purported to, there are only limited clinical studies and academic sources to refute the claim. This is not the case with American ginseng.

According to recent studies American ginseng is a source of antioxidants and it boosts the immune system. It has been shown to cause cell death in gastric cancer, has been effective in stopping the spread of colon cancer and leukemia. In fact, more than 350 studies reveal that American ginseng is a wonderful resource for treatment of diabetes, metabolic conditions, immune disorders and more.

As with food or other herbs or bee products, I want to know the source and purity of what I am consuming. I buy my "woods grown" ginseng directly from ginseng farmers who have been in business for many years and are reputable in the business.

Below you can see what approximately 3 ounces of sliced ginseng looks like and how simple it is to prepare for tea in a mesh ball. I usually extract two cups of tea from a mesh ball of ginseng, then oftentimes I will open it up and dip the warmed ginseng in honey in order to eat it. The sweetness of the honey is more than adequate to mask the bitter taste of the ginseng.

Ginseng is one of the best known and most frequently studied medicinal plants worldwide. This is for good reason—ginseng benefits just about every system in the body in one way or another. There are a number of different types of ginseng. The species of ginseng that is most commonly used around the world is Panax ginseng, also known as Korean or Asian ginseng. Its official botanical name is Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is another commonly used and well-studied species. The word “Panax” is derived from the Latin "Pan," meaning “all,” and "Akos," meaning “cure.” If any herbal medicine is truly a cure-all, ginseng is it. Its broad range of therapeutic effects includes everything from fighting fatigue to preventing cancer. http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/rginseng-benefits-research-zbcz1402.aspx

Ginseng news, articles and information: http://www.naturalnews.com/ginseng.html

Ginseng has been a prized medicinal root for thousands of years. Due to the numerous ginseng benefits, the herb is often considered a ‘cure-all’. From increasing energy levels and improving memory, to boosting sex drive and encouraging vascular health—this is truly a healing plant worth talking about. http://naturalsociety.com/ginseng-benefits-exploring-energizing-medicine-plant/

More about American Ginseng: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThuMMAlfmcc#t=29