Ipsophyto

I couldnt beleive it yesterday when i read in the broadsheets and heard on radio 4 that ‘eminent’ scientists had discredited all detox products as rubbish.

Fair enough, a brush sold as a detox brush (to stimulate the lymphatic system apparantly, although why massage cant work just as well I dont know!?!) is a bit of a rip off…fool and his money and all that… But discrediting the power of herbs such as the Globe artichoke and Dandelion is going a bit off the rails. Both these herbs are proven in their action on the liver in a number of ways to be explored and discussed in my series of male herbs. So when the scientists are telling us the best detox agent is the one we are born with ie the liver…they are talking out of their overinflated, in need of serious detoxifying arses.

Once again, mainstream propaganda disguised as science news attempts to discredit remeides and discourage people from seeking and utilising FREE available medicine. I bet we will see a glut of expensive adds for flu and cold remedies though in the near future, forgetting that these common viruses can only get hold when our body’s own immune system is under stress. part of that stress…? toxins! Solution…supplement diet with holistic herbal medicines to alow your body to more readily deal with built in excesses.

Its not rocket science, in fact simple preventative and curative medicinal practice could and should be taught to kids at school.

So, the simple advice for those wishing to detox is still… get out in your garden, get some dandelion root and leaves and make decoctions and infusions for you and yours.

Blessed be all who use the herbs, and may the pharmaceutical companies share price plummet

This will be a series of posts designed for the post-saturday night needs of menfolk in the Uk although many of the plants discussed here are to be found across Europe and in America also.

As a qualified medicinal horticulturalist I have obviously noticed the vast array of books and information concerning herbal medicine for women. This is unsurprising, given their monthly cycle as well as the tri-phasic nature of woman during the course of her life… But the other 50% of the population have specific needs which seem to be, if not ignored, then only given a passing mention in many esteemed herbal books.

It was because of this imbalance that I decided to do a bit more research and get on the computer. In this series I hope to examine the various herbal remedies available  for the  male physiology and throw some light upon various, often unspoken ills that men for some reason prefer to hide or remain quiet about. This last course of action is all the more surprising given the reputation for man-flu- suffering and the pain threshold we dont have, compared to the other species we share our lives with.

I will list 24 herbs, native or naturalised within the Uk that are abundent in the hedges and/or easy to cultivate, whilst aiming to arm the boys with the where-with-all to deal with their own health issues rather than moan and go to the overloaded NHS.

First up….

Mentha species….Mints inc: Peppermint, Watermint, Applemint and Gypsywort (although this latter is not a mint it acts in much the same way)

These  herbs are relatives of Lavender, Thyme and Sage as well as many other well known culinary herbs and diagnostic features are therefore similar. The mints have square stems with opposite leaves. They typically grow to around 3 foot tall when flowering stems arise during the summer months. These stems have the flowers arranged in various styles of ‘whorls’ around the stem.

Whereas the watermint (Mentha aquatica) has distinct lower and upper levels of oink/purple flowering whorls, the spearmint (Mentha spicata) tends to produce all at the top of the spike and of a slightly duller pink colour similar to the arrangement of Peppermint(Mentha x piperita) and Applemint (Mentha suaveolens). A characteristic of many mints are the pernicious spreading underground stems which enable the plants to colonise and take over some habitats.(In New Zealand and Australia, the mints are classed as virulent weeds!) They generally love moist, yet free draining soil although it doesnt take a rocket scientist to assume from its monica that Watermint happily growas in rivers where you may find it nestling with watercress as on the Isis in Oxford. However, they are found in a wide array of habitats,  still very common in the UK. 

Mints  have the scientifically acknowledged ability to soothe the digestive system of anyone who has consumed too much curry or just been overdoing it with food or alcohol in their recent past. For those with flatulence, this is the herb par excellance as it is what herbalists call a carminative herb.

This means it helps settle your stomach via its minty essential oils. It is  known to relax the gastro-esophagael sphincter alowing for less gaseous eruptions, both north and south if you catch my drift. It also acts as a pre-digestive stimulant, so your food and drink will pass through your system more easily. Mint’s bitter principles stimulate the processes of your  digestive organs, such as the pancreas and liver, kick-starting the production of various digestive juices which are needed for proper digestion and assimilation of nutrients. It also specifically releives colonic spasm and bowel irritability and the combination of effects gives it an important action in releiving biliary collic.

It is used principally to reduce griping, collic,flatulence and to check the spasm of diarrhoea and spastic constipation as well as to inhibit vomiting.

Its folklore within numerous ancient texts suggest Aristotle banned his soldiers from taking it because he thought it abated their desire to fight! And it was deemed useful for men who were prone to having venerous dreams and pollutions in the night! For this the juice was taken inwardly whilst also being applied to the testicles and cod peieces!

Peppermint contains tannins and as such should be avoided for an hour either side of mealtimes as it will inhibit the uptake of non-haem iron (plant based iron rather than meat based)

Menthol is an active principle in many mints and is antisceptic and anti parasitic. This is common of many essential oil constituents as they are mainly monoterpene chemicals.(Monoterpenes are molecules with 10 carbon atoms, very volatile, and similar to many other volatile hydrocarbon molecules like octane fuel, which has 8 carbons)

Whole peppermint has more anti-spasmodic activity than menthol alone, due to other volatile components(and synergistic effects)