MASTER HERBALIST (PHYTOTHERAPY) DIPLOMA COURSEp15136218.pureserver.info/lessonplans16/MasterHerbalist/pdfs/assign6.pdfMaster Herbalist (Phytotherapy) Diploma Course – Assignment

Master Herbalist (Phytotherapy) Diploma Course – Assignment Six – Page 1

MASTER HERBALIST (PHYTOTHERAPY)

DIPLOMA COURSE

ASSIGNMENT SIX

PHYTONUTRIENTS

TUTOR TALK: The Learning Outcomes for this assignment are:

• Explain how foods can improve health and recommend a menu plan to maintain or

improve health.

Phytonutrients, what are they? Where can they be found? How can I help myself to better health with

eating them? These and other questions will hopefully be answered in this lesson, which is basically

a list of herbs and foods that contain phytonutrients. This list is not exhaustive and many plants have

food status. In the next lessons there are profiles of many plants and information that will include

phytonutrients.

Herb Sources of Vitamins and Minerals

We all know that vitamins, minerals, trace minerals and many other nutrients are necessary for us to

maintain good health. Along with simply eating, good stewardship of our bodies is also necessary by

remembering that we are made up of ‘four parts’, all overlapping, spiritual, mental, physical and

emotional. Plants also have their spiritual, mental, physical and emotional characteristics as well. For

now we will look at just their physical parts, the other ‘parts’ will be considered in the next lessons.

The human body can usually digest vitamins and minerals much easier if they are from a plant origin

than if they are from a fish or animal origin. Therefore, herbs are an excellent source to impart the

vitamins and minerals our bodies need to maintain proper health.

PHYTOTHERAPY

Phytotherapy is the name that was given to a traditional medicine that has in fact been practiced for

thousands of years. Mankind has been relying on plants for health far longer than he has on the drugs

we use today. Drugs are relatively new and new ones are being created every day. The so-called

orthodox medicine that is the vogue today is so new that most of the drugs that we accept have

barely existed long enough to be reliably tested.

Phytotherapy is the adaptation of natural pharmacy established by the age-old method of testing a

plant, finding it works and affects a cure, then using it to the good of the family. Someone comes

along and has the same condition and so man tells man and the cure becomes established.


Whatever nutrients are in the plant it must be remembered that it is the whole plant that is used and

in most plants one ingredient cancels another as plants are made so perfectly. Whatever our

religion, we must agree that our world is a wonderful place. Creation has certainly blessed us with

many flowers, animals and so on.

It is the prescription of these in preparations of the ‘whole’ plant, as opposed to isolates, that this new

version of an old craft offers its greatest benefits. The effectiveness of the whole plant is greater than

the sum of its isolated parts and, if rightly used, has no side effects.

PHYTONUTRIENTS

Eating the food we eat today has certain disadvantages, as it is often high in fat, high in calories and

above all too sweet. In short our diets are much to be desired. On holiday in California I saw a lad of

about 10, very fat, eating seven beef-burgers in the day, each day was the same, it never varied, one

every 90 minutes and I think he times it. In Scotland at Dunoon, many years ago, three children were

always eating a plate of chips each and then shared a tin of mixed fruit between them. These

instances are not unique, to eat healthily need not cost that much. A few lentils, barley and soya

mince and mixed fresh root vegetables in a saucepan and simmered for 2 hours makes an excellent

stew for not much outlay. That was our dinner today, full of nutrition and trace minerals.

Hippocrates proclaimed, “Let food be thy medicine”.

The Chinese believe strongly that to treat an illness you give food, and herbs are food. Surely it must

be better to treat an illness with natural ingredients, ingredients provided by nature than to rely on

commercially cloned drugs. Though drugs do have a place in the curing process, surely it is better to

keep healthy to begin with – at least to try and do so. Even if, after doing all we can to keep well

naturally we still become ill the disease will not be as bad as in someone who has neglected their

health. The body has a better start to regaining health.

Your first question on your assignment paper will be to write down a statement for each day, from

now until you do the assignment, of a challenge to yourself, of where you could have improved your

health, that day. For example, not to have eaten a whole chocolate bar, or to have gone for a walk

etc: challenge yourself to find just one thing each day that you could have done better. Then see if

you can achieve any of these challenges.

We need vitamins and minerals from foods to maintain good health and to prevent malnutrition and

diseases. Research is revealing that the essential nutrients we all know about, such as vitamins and

minerals are just a few of the many nutrients a plant contains. Nothing was created without purpose;

herbs are here for us and the animals of the world to use. Within plants are hundreds of compounds,

some still to be discovered that will in time provide all the natural cures we need to combat the often-

unnatural diseases that modern living breeds.


These compounds are called phytochemicals or phytonutrients terms that simply mean the chemicals

or nutrients that are found in plants. Potent sulphur compounds in garlic and onions for instance act

as bug repellents to keep the vegetables healthy. Vibrant pigments like beta-carotene, found in

carrots and cantaloupe, put the vivid hues in the foods we eat. Other compounds protect plants from

bacteria, viruses, and other natural enemies. Smell or aroma is nature’s way of keeping the plant free

of virus, of getting bees to pollinate them and also to tell other plants of the same variety not to get

too close, for that piece of ground is taken. This is the spiritual side of plant life, the way a plant

sends messages to other plants.

When we eat the foods that contain these plant-protecting compounds, they begin protecting us from

the forces that wreak havoc in humans, such as high cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, heart

disease, certain cancers, and even ageing itself. Scientists are discovering new phytochemicals all the

time, and also ways in which these compounds can be used to fight disease.

Oxygen molecules that, due to pollution, sunlight, and everyday wear and tear, have each lost an

electron are called free radicals and as each atom must have so many electrons, they steal them from

other cells that in turn have to seek an electron. So the net widens, and through it human health

falters, plants can repair this damage and make us healthier as a result.

Normal cholesterol is a benign, helpful substance; it is made by the liver and only becomes high

when we overeat which overloads the system. When cholesterol molecules are damaged by free

radicals, they begin sticking to artery walls, this in turn can cause hardening of the arteries and heart

disease. If these free radicals attack the DNA, the genetic blueprint that tells your cells how to

function, it can damage the DNA blueprint. In time this can result in cancer or other diseases

developing. Wrinkled faces, cataracts, arthritis, and many other diseases occur because of these free

radicals being too numerous and the lack of a balancing check in the body to deal with them. Anti-

oxidants, available from plants, can be introduced between these marauding free radicals that will

offer up there own electrons, so the cells that were free radicals become normal again. The

antioxidant is a balance between the good and the bad so as to speak. Most phytonutrients are potent

antioxidants.

Phytonutrients can also change enzymes in the body so that disease is prevented. Gary Stoner, Ph.D.,

director of the cancer chemoprevention program at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer

Centre in Columbus explains it this way, “Another way phytonutrients keep us healthy is by

neutralizing and flushing toxic chemicals from our bodies before they have time to make us sick.

They do this by manipulating enzymes known as phase-1 and phase-2 enzymes. Phase-1 enzymes

are like double agents. They’re created by your body and are important for normal cell function. But

they have the ability to work against you, too. When cancer-causing toxins enter your system, phase-

1 enzymes help make them active. Phase-2 enzymes, on the other hand, are real good guys. They

seek out carcinogens and detoxify them before they do damage.

When you eat broccoli or other vegetables, some of the phytonutrients begin stamping out the enemy

phase-1 enzymes while increasing the production of helper phase-2 enzymes. This process helps

neutralize various cancer-causing toxins that naturally accumulate in the body”.

A third way in which some phytonutrients help us to keep healthy is that they add hormones to the

circulation and help keep a balance in the body.


There are three main ways that plants can keep us healthy, by changing the habits of free radicals,

changing enzymes and adding hormones. There are also many other ways, but generally these three

are the most quoted.

Oestrogen can be balanced by eating plant sources, 1 6-alpha-hydroxyestrone, has been linked to

breast cancer whilst 2-hydroxyestrone, appears to be harmless. It is the body balancing itself leads to

hot flushes in the menopause and beyond, yet women in the east, for example Japan do not even have

a word for ‘hot flushes’, because they do not suffer from them. They eat plant sources of oestrogen

and so balance their bodies in a natural way.

As with vitamins and minerals before them, scientists foresee a day when many of these compounds

will be used for treating disease in the hospital and for preventing it at home.

Researchers state that there is only one way to get the phytonutrients your body needs: You must eat

them in the packages Mother Nature provides, that is, in fruits, vegetables, and grains, Researchers

suggest at least five to nine servings a day. In the lesson on nutrition there will be further information

about how much a portion is etc.

In order that the body can use these phytonutrients wisely it is best to chop or crush the plant so to

release the phytonutrients.

To absorb carotenoids it is better to eat with a little fat.

Eat pulpy parts of citrus fruits and keep the skin on apples for the most flavonoids. Microwave or

steam lightly to preserve the phytonutrients and drink the juice of citrus fruits to get the benefit of the

monoterpenes in the plants.

PHYTOMEDICINES

These are plants that act as medicines and are sold as such. However no one practising herbal

medicine or as the title suggests phytotherapy is allowed to state that a particular herb will cure

someone, nor is it allowed to state that certain herbs will cure…!

Many of these rules or laws will be given later in the course. But herbs have been used for thousands

of years to heal and cure diseases and emotional disturbances. In your work of being a phytotherapist

you will never be allowed to tell anyone that you are giving him or her a medicine. Nor to say that

‘such and such’ a medicine will cure, what you do is to suggest that taking a certain herb will assist

the body to heal itself. More on these points at the end of the course where I will bring in a little law

on the subject, for the UK and anywhere else that I can find out about. For now DO BE AWARE of

the laws of your country.

We will now look at some of the phytonutrients found in herbs and food. I have placed them in

alphabetical order to make referencing easier.

ACID FOODS – These are foods that produce acid when metabolised, and include all breads,

cereals, cheese, chicken, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, cranberries, eggs, fish, flour, fowl, grain products,

lentils, lean meats, nuts, oats, oatmeal, oysters, pasta, peanuts, peanut butter, pearl barley, plums,

prunes, rhubarb, rabbit, white rice, sugar, sweet corn, tea, veal, wholemeal bread, and wheatgerm.


ALKALINE FOODS – These are foods the body breaks down, foods that are high in sodium and

potassium. Such foods include almonds, apples, asparagus, bananas, dried beans, beet greens,

Brussels sprouts, buttermilk, cabbage, celery, cauliflower, currants, carrots, chestnuts, coconuts,

cream; all fruits except prunes, fresh plums and cranberries, herb teas, lemons, lettuce, lima beans,

milk, molasses, oranges, parsnips, dried peas, peaches, radishes, raisins, soya flour, fresh tomatoes,

turnips, all green leafy vegetables except sweet corn, watercress and yeast.

ALLYIC SULPHIDES include garlic and onions. These are an important class of food as they raise

good high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol and lower blood fat or triglyceride levels. This in

turn can help prevent heart disease and stimulate enzymes that suppress tumour growth

Allylic sulphides are a class of phytonutrients that stimulate toxin-eliminating enzymes and in

research have been found to be effective against cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Allylic

sulphides also have the unique ability to keep cholesterol and other blood fats, known as

triglycerides, from causing health-threatening blood clots and hardening of the arteries.

In a study of more than 120,000 men and women in the Netherlands, researchers looked at the

amounts of sulphide-containing onions the Dutch ate and compared then the incidences of stomach

cancer. The more onions people put on their plates, the lower their risks of stomach cancer.

BIOFLAVONOIDS – these are vitamin P factors and are usually found with vitamin C, they help to

prevent capillaries bleeding too much and reduce bruising. Sources include most fruits, mainly citrus,

grapefruit, grapes, lemons and rutin as found in buckwheat. One of the most popular and effective

sources is ginkgo because it has been found to increases oxygen and blood supply in the general

circulation, particularly the brain.

CAROTENOIDS give vegetables and fruits their colours, there are about 600 red and yellow plant

pigments. Carotenoids include beta-carotene that gives the deep reds to tomatoes and the vibrant

oranges to carrots and cantaloupes. This class of Carotenoids are also prevalent in dark-green, leafy

vegetables like spinach – only you can’t see them because the green chlorophyll in these plants

overpowers the lighter carotene pigments. Plants sources include broccoli, cantaloupes, carrots,

greens, and tomatoes.

Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants, making them prime fighters against heart disease and cancer.

Lycopene that is found in tomatoes has been shown to lower prostate cancer, intestinal and other

cancers, lutein found in vegetables such as spinach and kale, and zeaxanthin found in green, leafy

vegetables have also shown to be of use in controlling cancers and other degenerative illnesses

including macular degeneration.

FLAVONOIDS are natural chemicals that prevent the deposit of fatty material in blood vessels.

They are also pigments usually responsible for the colour of flowers and fruits and protect the plant

against stress. Like carotenoids, flavonoids add colour, specially reds, yellows, and blues, to the

foods we eat. As with carotenoids, these colours are often masked by the chlorophyll in the plants, so

we rarely see them.

Efficient absorption of vitamin C is dependent upon them. The flavonoids action is chiefly diuretic,

antispasmodic and antiseptic. Some strengthen fragile capillaries and tone relaxed blood vessels,

others as in venous disorders, lower blood pressure.


Foods that contains flavonoids include, apples, black teas, broccoli, buckwheat, citrus fruits,

coltsfoot, cranberries, elderflowers, endives, figs, grape juice, hawthorn, heartsease, kale, lime

flowers, onions, pellitory of the wall, rutin, shepherd’s Purse, silver birch, skullcap wild carrot, red

wines and yerba santa and members of the labiatae family.

Among red wines, Italian Chianti has the most flavonoids, with 20mg per litre, promoting healthy

changes in the blood. All flavonoids are antioxidants and platelet inhibitors, which means that

flavonoids help to stop oxygen from binding with LDL, a type of cholesterol. The oxygen-LDL pair

clings to blood vessel walls, impeding blood flow and flavonoids seem to suppress the stickiness.

They keep the platelets from clumping together in the bloodstream and forming clots, which helps

prevent heart attacks.

HERBS

For millions of people worldwide, herbs are the medicines they depend on to stay healthy. For most

people in the west they provide smell to cakes and dinners, imagine gingerbread men without the

ginger or sage and onion sauce without the herbs, it would be breadcrumbs unflavoured. Doctors are

discovering that many herbs work as well as drugs for relieving common conditions, and for a very

simple reason. The active ingredients in herbs may be virtually identical to the chemicals found in

drugs.

Many drugs are herbs or have been made from chemicals synthetically, but had their history in herbs.

The heart drug digitalis contains compounds similar to those found in purple foxglove and the cancer

drug etoposide, for example, is extracted from the root of the mayapple plant. Most herbs are used

dried and in future lessons preparations of herbal products will be discussed.

As the drug companies grew so they became more interested in profits and how to manipulate drugs

from, herbs. “With the advancement of laboratory chemistry; it became possible to isolate and purify

the chemical compounds from plants to make pharmaceutical drugs,” says Mark Blumenthal,

executive director of the American Botanical Council in Austin, Texas, and editor of the journal

Herbal Gram. The new drugs offered a lot of advantages over their leafy predecessors. With

laboratory precision, it was possible to make millions of pills, each with exactly the same strength.

Drugs were also convenient. It was no longer necessary to spend hours searching for and preparing

herbs – hanging them to dry; extracting their oils, or brewing them into tea since it was possible to

pop a pill that did the same thing.

People became dependent on the drugs and the companies on the profits from them, which left plants

for factories. Now the tide is turning, as people once again want to look after themselves without

having to face the side effects of drugs. When you take an isolated chemical and make a pill it may

well get rid of the disease only to leave another behind, like a dormant virus. If this happens the same

or another strain of the disease can develop later. On the other hand if you take a plant that possesses

the same curing chemical naturally its power will also be counterbalanced by other contra effect

properties. Thus with a natural plant derived cure there are less likely to be adverse side effects as

there invariably are with pill enclosed drugs.


Since herbs are much less concentrated than pills, you don’t get as much of the active ingredient in

your body at one time, so you’re less likely to have uncomfortable reactions. As people become more

empowered and wives look after their families and husbands tend the garden herb patch (or the other

way round, why be sexist), so families will be healthier and happier as they enjoy life unimpeded

with constant illness.

The main reasons people are using herbs such as garlic, echinacea, and feverfew more and more is

that they work, at minimal cost to the pocket or physical self.

When you’re used to opening a bottle and popping a pill into your mouth, getting used to herbs can

take a little time. Apothecaries and natural food stores often stock hundreds of healing herbs, packed

into capsules, dissolved in oils, or lying loose in covered glass jars. It’s not always easy to know

which form to choose or how to prepare herbs once you get them home.

Choose the right form. “Many herbal remedies come in three forms: as pills or capsules, as liquids

called tinctures, and in their natural form as leaves, bark, roots, and flowers. Each form provides

healing benefits, but they act in slightly different ways”, says Debra Brammer, a naturopathic doctor

and clinical faculty member at Bastyr University Natural Health Clinic in Seattle.

TASTE OF HERBS

Evidence from many cultures throughout history demonstrates that each flavour has a specific

pharmacological trait. The following are the six classifications [the Chinese have five, combining

astringent with sour].

SOUR – acting on the liver and gall bladder, e.g. bayberry, blackberry, lemon.

BITTER – heart and small intestine, e.g. gentian, chicory.

SWEET – stomach, spleen and pancreas, e.g. liquorice, ginseng, honey.

PUNGENT – lungs and colon, e.g. ginger, peppermint, garlic.

SALTY – kidneys, adrenals, bladder, e.g. celery, kelp,

ASTRINGENT – skin, in Ayurvedic medicine, e.g. myrrh, witch hazel, apples.

Walter Kacera, in Canadian Journal of Herbalism, Jan 1994

SPICES

In biblical times, mustard seeds were thought to cure everything from toothaches to epilepsy. Spices

contain an abundance of compounds called phytochemicals or phytonutrients, many of which may

help prevent normal, healthy cells from turning into cancer. And the ways in which these compounds

work are as varied as the spices themselves.


The National Institute of Nutrition in India, for example, has found that turmeric contains

compounds that may help prevent cancer. The research is so promising, in fact, that India’s National

Cancer Institute has proposed a public education campaign to promote greater use of this aromatic

spice. Recent research has also shown that it can prevent arthritis and other degenerative diseases.

Turmeric is a very rich source of antioxidants, including a compound called curcumin. In animal

studies, curcumin has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 58 percent. The curcumin in

turmeric can also protect the arteries. Turmeric, incidentally, may provide double protection because

it not only blocks free radicals but it has also been shown to lower levels of triglycerides – dangerous

blood fats that, in large amounts, appear to raise the risk of heart disease. Curcumin has also been

shown to protect the eyes from free radicals, which are one of the leading causes of cataracts. In fact,

a laboratory study found that curcumin was able to reduce free radical damage to the eyes by 52

percent.

Nutmeg, ginger, cumin, black pepper, and coriander, have been shown to help block the effects of

aflatoxin, a mould that can cause liver cancer.

Unlike herbs, which come from the leaves of plants, spices are made from the buds, bark, fruits,

roots, or seeds. The drying process doesn’t appear to diminish their healing powers. When properly

stored, spices can retain their active ingredients for months or even years. Some spices appear to be

capable of killing cancer cells outright. In laboratory studies, for example, compounds from saffron

were placed on human cancer cells, including cells that cause leukaemia. Not only did the dangerous

cells stop growing, but the compounds appeared to have no effect on normal, healthy cells.

At least five spices – turmeric, fenugreek, cloves, red chilli peppers, and ginger—have been shown

to help prevent platelets from clumping. In fact, a compound in ginger called gingerol has a chemical

structure somewhat similar to that of aspirin, which is a proven clot-busting drug.

INDOLES and isothiocyanates stimulate cancer-preventing enzymes and lower levels of harmful

oestrogen, they are to be found in broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils,

mustard greens, soybeans and other cruciferous vegetables. The phytonutrient responsible for this

clever bit of plant protection is called indole-3-carbinol. In humans this compound plays a role in

regulating hormones, consequently these may be useful in preventing breast cancer.

Indole-3-carbinol has been shown to knock down levels of harmful forms of oestrogen while

increasing more-benign forms of the hormone. “Indole-3-carbinol ‘13c’ may also work against

cervical cancer,” says Dr. Bradlow, who foresees a day when “women will be able to take a ‘13c’

supplement to help prevent breast and other hormone-related cancers”.

LIGNANS – Like isoflavones, lignans are plant oestrogen’s that help keep levels of human

oestrogen in check. Found in flaxseed, lignans have been shown in a laboratory study to help prevent

breast cancer from getting started. Indeed, one study found that flaxseed was able to reduce the

growth of tumours in rats by more than 50 percent.

In addition, studies suggest that the lignans in flaxseed can help lower cholesterol. In one study,

people who were given two flaxseed muffins a day saw their harmful low-density lipoprotein LDL

cholesterol drop 8 percent.


The studies are preliminary, but continuing research suggests that getting 1 to 2 heaping tablespoons

of ground flaxseed a day – sprinkled on cereal or baked into bread—may be enough to provide

protection.

MONOTERPENES – A monoterpene that is found in cherries, called perillyl alcohol, has been

shown to prevent cancers of the breast, lung, stomach, liver, and skin in preliminary animal studies at

Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. Large doses of limonene, which is found

primarily in orange peels and citrus oils, have actually shrunk breast tumours in laboratory animals.

This fragrant phytonutrient has also prevented tumours from developing when breast tissue is

exposed to high doses of cancer-causing chemicals. In laboratory studies, limonene has been shown

to reduce tumour production by 55 percent.

Unlike other cancer-preventing phytonutrients, limonene works by blocking proteins that are known

to promote cell growth in various cancers. Limonene may be the reason that people who eat a lot of

oranges and other citrus fruits appear to have a reduced risk of cancer.

NUTRIENT – A non-irritating, easily digested agent that provides body nourishment and stimulates

metabolic processes. Sources include alfalfa, Arabic gum, arrowroot, barley, carob flour, fenugreek

seed, Iceland moss, Irish moss, okra pods, sago root, slippery elm and oats.

OESTROGEN – When oestrogen is produced at normal levels, it helps control everything from

menstruation to childbirth and helps keep artery-clogging cholesterol in check, thus preventing heart

disease. When oestrogen levels rise, they can stimulate hormone-related cancers like those of the

breast and ovaries and if they fall they cause side-effects such as ‘hot flushes’ that menopausal

women suffer from.

PANCREATIN – An agent able to influence activity of the pancreas, such enzymes can be found in

barberry, goat’s rue, mountain grape, karela, and fringe tree.

PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS stimulate protective enzymes while squelching harmful ones, and

they’re also heavy-duty antioxidants. Particularly active polyphenols include ellagic acid from

strawberries, green tea polyphenols, and curcumin, and the yellow colouring in the spice turmeric.

These products are also anti-cancer. Almost all cereal grains, fruits, vegetables, and green and black

teas are rich in phytonutrients called phenolic compounds, or polyphenols.

PROTEIN – The member of a group of substances that form the physical materials of tissues and

fluids: muscles, blood cells, hair, nails, hormones, etc. Proteins are made of amino acids linked

together in long chains of atoms, which coagulate by heat. Proteins may be vegetable or animal,

sources include all animal derived foods, and fish, milk, eggs and meat. Vegetable proteins include

the legumes, cereals, seeds and nuts.

Those with the highest biological value are the legumes and pulses, the richest being soya bean

which contains 40 per cent of protein. Any surplus of protein is converted into energy. Protein is

used to build and repair bones, teeth, organs, muscles, and to produce blood and other body fluids.


PROSTAGLANDINS are hormone-like messengers responsible for the control of important body

functions. Unlike hormones that are secreted by the endocrine glands, they have a life of only a few

seconds between the time they are produced and their effect. They play a decisive role in the

initiation of pain. Herbalists believe that plant medicines are the natural regulators for irregularities

of prostaglandin function.

Inflammation and pain in rheumatic disorders are ameliorated when prostaglandin-blocking agents

are given. Prostaglandins are found in such herbs as feverfew, goldenseal, guaiacum, slippery elm

and yarrow. Evening Primrose oil contains gamma linolenic acid [GLA], which converts to

prostaglandin E1 [PGE1], a lack of which is related to multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, eczema,

asthma, breast disease, hyperactivity in the young and many allergies.

Vitamins B6, C and E, niacin and the mineral Zinc are essential among other factors for production

of prostaglandins.

SAPONINS – The most common phytonutrients are the molecules called saponins. Unlike other

cancer-fighting phytonutrients saponins possess a unique array of weapons. One way that they help

prevent cancer is by binding with bile acids, which over time may have metabolised into cancer-

causing compounds, and eliminate them from the body. They also stimulate the immune system so

that it is better able to detect and destroy pre-cancerous cells before they develop into full-blown

cancer.

Saponins have a special ability to target the cholesterol found in cancer cell membranes. Cancer cells

have a lot of cholesterol in their membranes and saponins bind to cholesterol making the cholesterol

unavailable for absorption. Sources of saponins include asparagus, beans, chickpeas, nuts, oats,

potatoes, soybeans, spinach, and tomatoes.

Now for a list of foods and herbs containing vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients. This list is

not exhaustive but will give you a guideline. The next lessons, that are basically monograms of

herbs, will have information about each herb.

ACEROLA or Puerto Rican Cherry is a valuable source of vitamins and nutritive elements; it is a

rich source of Vitamin C. A number of Vitamin C preparations are made from Acerola berries.

ADZUKI BEANS are high in genistein, which is a natural plant oestrogen compound.

ALFALFA contains alkaloids, isoflavones, coumarins, and sterols. Contains eight essential enzymes

– amylase, coagulase, invertase, emulsin, peroxidase, lipase, pectinase, and protease. Alfalfa also

contains vitamins A as beta-carotene, B6, C, D, B, K, P. and minerals, calcium, magnesium,

phosphorus, potassium. Its roots penetrate the subsoil as far as 125 feet, thus enabling it to absorb

vital mineral nutrients beyond the reach of other vegetation. Rich in chlorophyll, it stimulates growth

of supportive connective tissue and is useful for collagen diseases such as arthritis.

Caution Alfalfa should not be taken with Vitamin E, the action of which it conflicts.

ALLSPICE is a source of new natural anti-oxidants.


ALOE VERA – The gel is present under the outer surface of the leaf. Aloe contains enzymes,

carboxypeptidase and bradykininase that relieve pain, reduce inflammation and decrease redness and

swelling. Vitamin B12 is a precursor and contains 18 amino acids and vitamins.

APPLES much of an apple’s healing power resides in the skin, which contains large amounts of a

compound called quercetin, an antioxidant compound that can help prevent harmful oxygen

molecules from damaging individual cells. Laboratory studies show that quercetin can not only

inhibit the growth of tumours but it can also help prevent cancer cells from spreading.

A 5-ounce apple with the skin has about 3 grams of fibre. Insoluble fibre, found mostly in the skin, is

the kind that we used to call roughage, which has long been recommended for relieving constipation.

Studies show that a smoothly operating digestive tract can help prevent diverticulosis, a condition in

which small pouches form in the large intestine, and also cancer of the colon.

Insoluble fibre is filling, which is why apples are such an excellent weight-control food for people

who want to lose weight without being hungry all the time. Pectin in apples is a particular type of

soluble fibre that appears to reduce the amount of cholesterol produced in the liver. Apples also

contain vitamin C.

APRICOTS – Chinese brides of old nibbled on apricots to increase fertility because apricots are

high in a mineral needed for the production of sex hormones. This sweet, velvety fruit contains a

variety of compounds that research shows can fight infections, blindness, and heart disease. The

beta-carotene in apricots is converted to vitamin A in the body. Three fruits contain 3 grams of fibre,

just 51 calories for all three. When you’re eating apricots for fibre be sure to eat the skin, which

contains a substantial amount of the fruit’s fibre.

Researchers have identified at least 600 different carotenoids; apricots contain a large number of

them. The apricot has a mix of healing compounds including beta-carotene and lycopene. Both

compounds have been shown in studies to fight the process by which the dangerous low-density

lipoprotein [LDL] form of cholesterol turns rancid.

“Lycopene is currently considered one of the strongest antioxidants we know about,” says Frederick

Khachik, Ph.D., research chemist at the Food Composition Laboratory at the U.S. Department of

Agriculture in Beltsville, Maryland.

ARACHIS is another name for peanuts or groundnuts. They contain vitamins B1, B2, B3,

bioflavonoids, and tannins. They also help the body to make oestrogen.

ARTICHOKE – Assists in the digestion of fats and provides some protection against skin cancer.

Researchers found that an ointment made with silymarin, a compound found in artichokes, was able

to prevent skin cancer in mice. Silymarin works because it is a powerful antioxidant that helps to

prevent cancer in the body by mopping up harmful, cell-damaging molecules known as free radicals

before they damage DNA and pave the way for tumours to develop. Artichokes are actually the

immature flower of the thistle plant.


Also full of dietary fibre by adding bulk to the stool, artichoke causes wastes to be excreted from the

body more quickly. This is essential for sweeping toxins and cholesterol from the intestinal tract

before they cause problems. Additionally, getting enough fibre in your diet can help prevent high

cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and certain kinds of cancer,

particularly colon cancer.

ASIAN GINSENG is high in biotin. It is used to combat mild depression. This herb contains

caffeine that ordinary ginseng does not. When buying Ginseng it is essential to know which herb you

are actually purchasing.

ASPARAGUS contains steroidal glycosides, bitter glycosides, flavonoids, saponins and is a source

of folic acid and selenium. It also contains boron and folate in high amounts and also glutathione, an

anti-ageing compound found in a large number of vegetables, it also high in phytosterols and zinc.

Asparagus is richly endowed with folate, a B vitamin essential for helping cells to regenerate. Five

asparagus spears contain 110 micrograms of folic acid, about 28 percent of the daily amount needed.

It contains vitamin E, which can be very good for the heart; five asparagus spears have 0.4

international unit of vitamin E. Vitamin E does more than protect against heart disease. Research

suggests that it may even help prevent Type II, or non-insulin-dependent, diabetes, both by

protecting the pancreas (the organ that produces insulin) and by influencing how the body burns

sugar.

AVOCADO is high in biotin and contains beta-carotene that is a precursor of vitamin A, it also

contains vitamins D, E and chlorophyll. Though avocado is high in fat, the fat is called a ‘good fat’

because it is monounsaturated, which means it, lowers uric acid levels in the blood. Avocados are

high in vitamin E and glutathione and are a source of folic acid – half an avocado contains 57

micrograms of folic acid and provides 548 milligrams of potassium. They also contain high amounts

of fibre. Studies show that people who eat diets high in potassium rich foods like avocados have a

markedly lower risk of high blood pressure and related diseases like heart attack and stroke.

BANANAS are a low fat and low calorie food. Rich in potassium each fruit providing about 396

milligrams, pectin, vitamin B6, and inositol. Bananas are a very good source of electrolytes like

potassium, which you lose when you become dehydrated. Electrolytes are minerals that turn into

electrically charged particles in the body, helping to control almost everything that happens inside,

from muscle contractions and fluid balance to the beating of the heart.

Bananas may replace antacids in your medicine cabinet as an effective way to quell heartburn and

indigestion. Experts do not know why bananas seem to act as a natural antacid; scientists suspect that

bananas may guard against stomach damage in two ways. First, a chemical in bananas called a

protease inhibitor appears to be able to kill off harmful, ulcer-causing bacteria and second, bananas

seem to stimulate the production of protective mucus, the layer that helps prevent harsh acids from

coming into contact with the tender stomach lining. Additionally, bananas contain some pectin, a

soluble fibre that acts like a sponge in the digestive tract, absorbing fluids and helping to keep

diarrhoea in check.


BARLEY is high in biotin, silicon, fibre, calcium, iron [barley is five times richer in iron than

spinach], magnesium and potassium. It relieves vomiting and is highly nutritious. Barley is one of

the richest sources of tocotrienols. “Tocotrienols are potentially more powerful antioxidants than

other chemical versions of vitamin E,” says David J. A. Jenkins, M.D., Sc.D., Ph.D., professor of

nutritional sciences and medicine at the University of Toronto. “They have at least 50 percent more

free radical – fighting power than other forms.” Tocotrienols fight heart disease in two ways. One,

they help stop free radical oxidation, a process that makes low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol,

the dangerous type, more likely to stick to artery walls. And two, they act on the liver to reduce the

body’s production of cholesterol.

Barley is exceptionally high in both selenium and vitamin E. it also contains lignans, compounds that

have an antioxidant ability and thus provide still more protection, and they can help prevent tiny

blood clots from forming. High in lysine, an essential amino acid, it is one of the best and cheapest

cholesterol blockers.

BASIL – Contains high levels of vitamins A and C and calcium and is used as a spice in India. The

research is still preliminary, but laboratory studies suggest that compounds found in basil may help

disrupt the dangerous chain of events that can lead to the development of cancer.

BELLPEPPERS are rich in vitamin C.

BEAN HUSKS contain mucilage and minerals including sulphur.

BEANS, BROAD – Contain natural L-dopa that penetrates the intestinal epithelial cells and is

transported through the blood stream to the brain capillaries where it is converted into dopamine, of

value in the nutrition of Parkinson patients. Beans should be eaten, not when fully mature, but when

young, with a thin skin and easy to digest. Ninety per cent of those afflicted with Parkinson’s disease

at an early age respond quickly. It is easily oxidised two or three days after harvest and vanishes

completely as the plant stops growing and begins to dry.

BERRIES contain a compound called ellagic acid, which is believed to help prevent cellular

changes that can lead to cancer. All berries contain some ellagic acid, with strawberries and

blackberries having the most. “Ellagic acid is a good friend to us, helping fight the cancer process,”

says Hasan Mukhtar, Ph.D., professor of dermatology and environmental health sciences at Case

Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland.

Ellagic acid isn’t the only compound in berries that fights free radicals. All berries contain large

amounts of vitamin C, which is one of the most powerful antioxidants. Getting a lot of vitamin C in

your diet may help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and infections. Vitamin C seems

particularly important in preventing cataracts, which are thought to be caused by the oxidation of the

protein that forms the lenses of the eyes.

A half-cup of strawberries, for example, has 42 milligrams and a half-cup of blackberries has 15

milligrams of vitamin C Berries contain large amounts of insoluble fibre, which is incredibly ab-

sorbent. It draws rivers of water into the intestine, which makes stools heavier. Heavy stools travel

through the intestine faster, which means that you’re less likely to become constipated. Fibre helps

prevent bile acid, a chemical that the body uses for digestion, from being transformed into a more

dangerous, potentially cancer-causing form. [See separate entries for each berry].


BEARBERRY – Contains hydroquinones, iridoids and flavonoids.

BEETROOT – The juice is an oxygen catalyser believed to have an anti-tumour effect. High in iron

content and silicic acids, it assists regeneration of red blood cells. Its active elements are stable and

unaffected by cooking; other contents include selenium Vitamins A, C, E, flavonoids and fibre.

Beetroot juice assists the liver to breakdown-stored fats and is of value for cellulite and other obese

conditions.

BETA-CAROTENE – Together with vitamins C and E beta-carotene it forms a vital line of defence

in protection of strands of DNA, the genetic code, from cancerous mutation. It is a vitamin A pre-

cursor and the best source is fenugreek greens.

BILBERRY contains vitamins A, C, and P and also anthocyanins that are cholesterol lowering.

Anthocyanoside is another component that retards the breakdown of vitamin C into the body. This

makes it more beneficial in the body before it is excreted in the urine. Bilberries are and also useful

for aiding better sight.

BIOTIN is useful for preventing seborrhoea and dandruff. Foods high in biotin include soybeans,

alfalfa, American ginseng, Asian ginseng, avocado, barley, corn, cottonseed, elderberry, fava beans,

garlic, oats, and sesame.

BITTER ORANGE seeds contain linolenic acid used to disperse cholesterol deposits.

BLACKBERRY contents include tannin, malic acid, and pectin.

BLACK CHERRY is high in vitamin C and thought to be anti-cancer in new research.

BLACK CHOKEBERRIES contain anthocyanins [see bilberry].

BLACK CURRANT contains fungicidal substances and also anthocyanins [see bilberry], they are

also used to extract GLA to aid in alleviating woman’s problems. Fruits are a rich source of Vitamin

C, and have a Vitamin P effect. Seeds are twice as rich in gamma linolenic acid than an equivalent

amount in evening primrose oil. Assists production of prostaglandin’s that control blood pressure and

regulate metabolism.

BLACK EYES PEAS contain genistein in reasonably high amounts, making it a phytoestrogen.

BLACK TURTLE BEANS contain genistein that is a phytoestrogen.

BLACKBERRIES are high in anthocyanins [see bilberry].

BLUEBERRIES contain anthocyanins [see bilberry], they are anti-inflammatory and as they are

high in tannins and pectin they are useful for alleviating diarrhoea, also for MS patients helps to

combat the breakdown of the myelin sheath. Both cranberry and blueberry juice helps to prevent

bacteria adhering to the bladder wall and both contain the chemical arbutin that is both an antibiotic

and diuretic.


BORON is a mineral that helps to keep calcium in the bones; it is also helpful for treating

rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. Taking as little as 3mgs a day can boost oestrogen activity.

Foods containing boron include, strawberries, dandelions shoots, apples, apricots, asparagus, beets,

broccoli, cabbage, cherries, cumin seed, currants, dill, figs, parsley peaches, pears, poppy seeds, and

tomatoes.

BRAZIL tincture is high in choline, selenium and vitamin E; it is also a rich source of silicon,

lecithin and monounsaturated fatty acids. The nut has similar properties to ibuprofen.

BROAD BEANS are rich in calcium and also arginine.

BROCCOLI is the number one vegetable for cancer prevention. It contains not just one but two

separate compounds – indole-3-carbinol or 13C, for short and sulforaphane that both help sweep up

cancer-causing substances before they have a chance to do harm. Broccoli also contains a high

amount of boron, vitamin B6, calcium and folic acid and a useful amount of fibre.

The compound 13C, which is also found in cabbage and Brussels sprouts, is particularly effective

against breast cancer. In laboratory studies, 13C has been found to lower levels of harmful estrogens

that can promote tumour growth in hormone-sensitive cells, like breast cells. Broccoli contains beta-

carotene of about 0.7 milligram and cooked broccoli contains almost 60mgs of vitamin C

additionally it contains calcium, and folic acid.

BROMELAIN helps the body to get rid of immune antigen complex, these are compounds

implicated in the causes of arthritis, and it also reduces any swellings. Sources include breadfruit,

figs, ginger, kiwifruit, papaya, and pineapple.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS are high in folic acid, zinc and vitamin B6. “One of the key protective

compounds in Brussels sprouts is sulforaphane. Sulforaphane triggers the release of enzymes that

help rid your body’s cells of toxic wastes and reduce your risk for cancer”, says Jon Michnovicz,

M.D., Ph.D., president of the Foundation for Preventive Oncology and the Institute for Hormone

Research, both in New York City.

Brussels sprouts contain another protective phytonutrient called indole-3-carbinol, or 13G. This

compound works as an anti-oestrogen, meaning it helps sweep up the body’s harmful oestrogens

before they contribute to the growth of cancer cells. It also helps boost the production of certain

enzymes that help clear cancer-causing toxins from the body. “Indoles are probably very useful

against colon, breast, and prostate cancers, explains Dr. Michnovicz. “And population studies show

that they probably protect against other cancers as well.”

BUCKWHEAT contains a variety of compounds called flavonoids that have been shown in studies

to help block the spread of cancer. These flavonoids are called quercetin and turin. These substances

make it difficult for cancer-promoting hormones to attach to healthy cells. They can literally stop

cancers before they start. Should cancer-causing substances get into cells, these compounds may be

able to reduce damage to the DNA.

The turin in buckwheat plays yet another protective role. Working with other compounds, it helps

prevent platelets from clumping together. By helping to keep blood fluid, buckwheat can play an

important part in any heart-protection plan. Buckwheat also contains rutin, [note rutin and turin are

two separate ingredients], an anti-coagulant. Buckwheat is also a source of magnesium.


BULGUR is simply wheat in its whole form. Bulgur contains a compound called ferulic acid, which

helps prevent nitrates and nitrites from making the troublesome conversion into nitrosamines.

Bulgur protects against cancer in yet another way because it contains lignans. “Lignans are potent

cancer warriors, especially against colon and breast cancer,” says Lillian Thompson, Ph.D., professor

of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto. “Lignans also subdue cancerous changes once

they’ve occurred, rendering them less likely to race out of control”.

CABBAGE FAMILY is anti-asthmatic and contains C and E and beta-carotene, boron and

glutathione. Raw or cooked cabbage is an old remedy for treating stomach distress. Indole-3-

carbinol, or 13C, see broccoli for explanation. Cabbage also contains sulforaphane, which has been

shown to block cancer by stepping up the production of tumour-preventing enzymes in the body. It is

thought that sulforaphane makes cabbage a particularly prized fighter in the battle against colon

cancer, because it stimulates levels of an enzyme called glutathione in the colon, which researchers

believe sweeps toxins out of the body before they have a chance to damage the delicate cells lining

the intestinal wall.

CALCIUM is found in many herbs the best source is pigweed; an ounce of pigweed contains

500mgs of calcium. Other sources include basil, broad beans, celery seed, chaya, Chinese cabbage,

dandelion, lambs quarters, liquorice, marjoram, purslane, red clover shoots, savory, stinging nettle,

thyme, and watercress. Calcium adds density to bone provided it can find its way inn to the bone, to

do this it needs vitamin D and boron as well as other minerals like copper.

CAMU-CAMU is high in vitamin C and is the fruit with the highest amount of this vitamin,

followed closely by kiwi fruit.

CANCER prevention, anti-angiogenic herbs containing genistein are useful to alleviate the growth

of tumours such as red clover. Other herbs to use for cancer prevention include celery, capsaicin,

found in red peppers, cucumbers, garlic, onions, citrus fruits, peanuts, sage, tomatoes, and turmeric.

Turmeric has been researched recently and found to be anti-cancer in tests.

CANTALOUPE is high in vitamin C. “Cantaloupe is one of the few fruits or vegetables rich in both

vitamin C and beta-carotene,” says John Erdman, Ph.D., director of the division of nutritional

sciences at the University of Illinois in Urbana. Cantaloupe is great source of potassium; half a

cantaloupe contains 825 milligrams of potassium – a mineral that can help lower blood pressure. The

body uses potassium to help eliminate excess sodium, which in large amounts can cause blood

pressure to rise.

CARROT is both a healthy vegetable and a herb, with anti-asthmatic properties, it is anti-cancer and

contains eight properties that lower blood pressure. Carrot is high in pectin, a fibre that reduces

cholesterol in the blood, and rich in vitamin A and beta-carotene, it also contains 8 ingredients that

reduce the likelihood of strokes. As a juice it is helpful for bladder infections. The recommended

dose is 7 carrots a day. Carrot seed oil is rich in eugenol.

CASHEWS are high in monounsaturated fatty acids and also silicon.

CAULIFLOWER is high in phytosterols and glutathione, also vitamin B6 that is important for

fertility.


CELERY – While celery stalks are certainly a healthful snack, it is the leaves that contain the most

potassium, vitamin C, and calcium. This member of the parsley family contains compounds that may

help lower blood pressure and perhaps help prevent cancer. Celery is also a good source of insoluble

fibre as well as a number of essential nutrients, including potassium, vitamin C, and calcium.

“Acetylenics found in celery, help to stop the growth of tumour cells,” says Robert Rosen, Ph.D.,

associate director of the Centre for Advanced Food Technology at Cook College, Rutgers University,

in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In addition, celery contains compounds called phenolic acids that

block the action of hormone like substances called prostaglandins. Some prostaglandins are thought

to encourage the growth of tumour cells, says Dr. Rosen.

Celery also contains magnesium and potassium; and is used to stop the pain of rheumatism.

CHERRIES contain a compound called perillyl alcohol. “Perillyl alcohol is about the best thing

we’ve ever seen for curing mammary cancer in laboratory animals,” says Michael Gould, Ph.D.,

professor of human oncology at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison. In fact, it

shows so much promise that it’s being tried in cancer patients at the University of Wisconsin.

Perillyl alcohol belongs to a group of compounds called monoterpenes. Limonene, found in the peel

of citrus fruits, is another member of this family. These compounds have been shown in studies to

block the formation of a variety of cancers, including those of the breasts, lungs, stomach, liver, and

skin. Expectations for perillyl alcohol are high, in part, because it is 5 to 10 times more potent than

limonene, which itself has been proven to be very effective. Cherries also contain vitamin C and E

and the antioxidant quercetin. Studies show that quercetin and similar-acting compounds may

significantly reduce the risk of stroke and also cancer.

CHICKWEED contains saponin glycosides, flavonoids, and is a source of vitamin C and silicon. If

eaten like a vegetable it is said to help people lose weight.

CHLORELLA is an edible single-cell marine algae, which contains more chlorophyll than many

known foods, more vitamin B12 than liver. It also produces protein 50 times more efficiently than

other crops, including soya and rice. It has the potential to solve the world’s protein problems in the

undeveloped countries. Contains beta-carotene, polyunsaturated fatty acids and 19 of the 22 amino

acids, including the 8 essential amino acids. Chlorella is also a rich source of calcium, iron, selenium

and zinc.

CHILLI PEPPERS getting more hot chillies into your diet may strengthen your personal anti-

ageing arsenal. That’s because they’re a rich source of the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene.

Capsaicin appears to shield the stomach lining from ulcer-causing acids and alcohol by stimulating

the flow of protective digestive juices. Researchers at the National University Hospital in Singapore

found that people who consumed the most chilli powder had the fewest ulcers, leading them to

speculate that chilli, or capsaicin, was the protective factor.

There’s some research evidence that is ongoing, that they can help lower low-density lipoprotein

[LDL] cholesterol, the type associated with stroke, high blood pressure, and heart disease. There’s

also some evidence that chillies that contain a chemical called capsaicin can help prevent stomach

ulcers. When applied as a cream, capsaicin has been shown to ease the discomfort of psoriasis, nerve

pain, and arthritis.


Capsaicin creams are thought to work by depleting nerve cells and receptors of substance P, a

chemical that transmits pain and itch sensations to the brain. When capsaicin cream is applied to the

skin, the nerves release a flood of substance P. Over time, the nerves are unable to replenish their

supply. The less “fuel” they have, the less pain you feel.

Caution you cannot use capsaicin cream for simple muscle aches. The pain has to stem from the

nerves, not the muscles themselves.

CHINESE BITTER MELON is rich in vitamin C.

CHINESE CABBAGE, also known as bok choy, is rich in calcium.

CHOCOLATE boosts neurotransmitter serotinin and endorphins that relieve pain and boost the

mood, also anti-asthmatic. Chocolate is an herb because it is derived from a plant.

CHOLINE is a building block of acetylcholine; dandelions have a reasonable quantity. Choline

helps to raise fertility and sperm quality; a deficiency of choline causes liver damage.

CITRUS FRUITS are all high in vitamin C.

COLLARD GREENS are rich in antioxidants and so are able to help cut the risk of macular

degeneration. They are also high in zinc.

CORN is high in fibre and can help lower cholesterol. It is also very high in carbohydrates, biotin, it

is also a diuretic.

“Corn is really an excellent basic food source,” says Mark McLellan, Ph.D., professor of food

science at Cornell University and director of Cornell’s Institute of Food Science in Geneva, New

York. “When combined with other vegetables in the diet, it is a good source of protein,

carbohydrates, and vitamins.”

Corn contains a type of dietary fibre called soluble fibre. When you eat corn, this fibre binds with

bile, a cholesterol-laden digestive fluid produced by the liver. Since the body doesn’t readily absorb

soluble fibre, it passes out in the faeces, taking the cholesterol with it. Corn is also an excellent

source of thiamine, a B vitamin that’s essential for converting food to energy. An ear of corn

provides 0.2 milligram of thiamine.

COTTONSEED is a herb high in biotin.

COWPEAS are high in magnesium and zinc.

CRANBERRIES are high in anthocyanins and anthocyanosides [see bilberries]; anti-asthmatic.

Cranberry juices and drinks made from cranberries contain a lot of sugar, as the berries are very acid

and tart. Cranberries prevent bacteria adhering to the bladder wall.


Cranberries contain a number of compounds that show early promise against cancer and heart

disease. What’s more, cranberry juice has finally earned the scientific stamp of approval for its

traditional role in relieving bladder infections. Along with raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries,

cranberries are a good source of ellagic acid, an antioxidant compound that has raised high hopes in

cancer researchers. [See item under berries].

Cranberries contain flavonoids, plant pigments that put the reds and yellows into fruits and

vegetables, pigments that have powerful antioxidant abilities. The two flavonoids generally produced

are quercetin and myricetin. The darker cranberry varieties, like Stevens, Early Black, and Ben Lear,

contain a third compound called kaempferol. Each of these compounds has been shown in studies to

help prevent genetic changes that can lead to cancer.

For ages now folklore and doctors, have recommended cranberry juice to clear up urinary tract

infections. Now, scientists are researching it and in 1994 Harvard Medical School study of elderly

women found that those who drank about 10 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail daily for six months

had significantly lower amounts of bacteria in their urine and were almost 60 percent less likely to

develop infections than women who drank a non-cranberry impostor. Among women who already

had infections, those drinking cranberry juice were nearly 75 percent more likely to have their

infections clear up. Israeli researchers found that juice from blueberries – a close cousin of

cranberries – had the same results. (Caution: cranberry juice contains sugar in high quantities, buy

the variety that is sweetened with ample juice to avoid unnecessary sugar.)

According to Mark Monane, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who

was involved with the study, “it wasn’t the acidity of cranberries that helped keep bacteria in check.

Rather, it appeared to be two compounds in the juice – fructose and a second compound yet to be

identified – that helped prevent bacteria from adhering to the lining of the bladder and urethra”.

Cranberries also contain vitamin C.

CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES suppress thyroid production but radishes are the best to use.

Other herbs that are cruciferous include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, mustard greens,

radish, rutabagas, and turnips.

CUMIN seed contains boron.

CURRANTS have anti-asthmatic powers and are also high in boron, vitamin C and ellagic acid (see

berries for an explanation).

DANDELION is a Biblical herb for combating heartburn. Dandelions contain boron, choline and

calcium also the flowers contain lecithin. The plant that also contains potassium has been used as a

treatment for jaundice, for centuries. Concentrations of acetylcholine found in the plant improve the

brains of mice, but no one knows if it improves the brains of humans yet!

DATES are phytoestrogens.

DEVIL’S CLAW constituents include flavonoids and iridoid glycosides.

DILL is an anti-aggregant with 7 components that thin the blood. Dill contains large amounts of

boron.


DOG ROSE contains flavonoids, tannins, vitamins, and carotenoids and is a natural source of

vitamin C.

DOLOMITE is a source of magnesium and calcium it is a deep-mined limestone and not strictly a

herb.

ELDER contains phytoestrogens, tannins and flavonoids, elder berries contain vitamin C and iron.

ELDERBERRY is high in biotin. Its two active ingredients kill influenza virus. Sambucol, one of its

ingredients, is active against Epstein-Barr virus, herpes and HIV. The tincture is ideal for any

respiratory infections as the herb stops bacteria adhering to the walls of the lungs and throat, just as

cranberry does for the bladder and urinary tract.

ENDIVES have high levels of zinc.

ENZYMES needed for digestion are contained in papaya and pineapple.

EUCALYPTUS is antiseptic and contains cineole, which is pain relieving, in high amounts. The

herb is high in tannins, and rutin.

Caution: NEVER drink the essential oil, it is fatal. Use it only as a massage.

EVENING PRIMROSE is a precursor of Prostaglandin E1, which inhibits abnormal cell

proliferation and reduces blood pressure. Unrefined oil is expressed from the seeds that yield gamma

linolenic acid and an essential fatty acid.

FENNEL contains coumarins, rutin, and sterols.

FENUGREEK is high in arginine and mucilage; this increases blood levels of HDL and lowers the

total cholesterol so preventing cardiovascular disease from the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries.

Contains flavonoids, saponins, and alkaloids. Rich in phytoestrogens it also helps to maintain blood

sugar levels. The greens are a good source of beta-carotene and amphoteric and can balance the gut

from constipation or diarrhoea.

FIGS - The Assyrians used figs, as sweeteners; as far back as 3000 B.C. Figs were Cleopatra’s

favourite fruit. Some historians believe that it was figs and not apples that were the forbidden fruit of

the Garden of Eden – a debate that may never be resolved. Certainly fig leaves were a convenient

fashion accessory of the time!

The fig is a high lysine low arginine food and a source of fibre. Three figs, dried or fresh, provide

about 5 grams of fibre and are a significant source of potassium, three fresh figs contain 348

milligrams of potassium and some B6, and figs are high in boron, pectin and bromelain.

FLAXSEED, also called linseed is high in alpha-linolenic acid and omega-3 fatty acid and is good

for taking to protect the heart. Alleviates constipation by bulking up faeces so they pass easily out of

the body, if taking add about six pints of water daily. Contains lignans, which help to control

endometrial and possibly breast cancer, flaxseed has at least 75 times more lignans than any other

plant food. Known to relieve psoriasis flax oil is similar to fish oils, for the best results a person

needs to take around 12gms a day.


FOLIC ACID is used to prevent spina-bifida, it also aids the neurotransmitters to operate properly;

any ‘mother’ should take it for at least three-months before becoming pregnant. Jute, green

vegetables and breakfast cereals are useful foods to eat, all contain folic acid.

Folic acid is needed to keep the nerve cells functioning properly; herbs high in vitamin B9, its other

title include asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, okra, pinto beans and spinach.

GARLIC, high in biotin, and quercetin also contains many sulphur compounds, including diallyl

disulfide. Sulphur compounds seem to help smooth blood flow by preventing platelets from sticking

together and clotting.

“High platelet activity means that you’re more likely to have arteriosclerosis or a heart attack or a

stroke,” says researcher Robert I. Lin, Ph.D., executive vice president of Nutrition International in

Irvine, California. “But sulphur compounds are very potent as they thin the blood.”

A compound in garlic called s-allylcysteine appears to stop the metabolic action that causes a healthy

cell to become cancerous, says John Milner, Ph.D., professor and head of the department of nutrition

at Pennsylvania State University.

Garlic contains compounds that help prevent nitrites, common substances found in some foods as

well as a variety of everyday pollutants, from transforming themselves into nitrosamines, harmful

compounds that can trigger cancerous changes in the body.

GENISTEIN and daidzein are two phytoestrogens that prevent the body from taking up more

harmful forms of oestrogen circulating in the blood. Genistein herbs include anasazi beans, black

turtle beans, lima beans, red kidney beans, red lentils, yellow split peas, fava beans and mung beans.

The genistein found in peanuts and soybeans also is known to prevent retinopathy in diabetics.

GINGER contains bromelain and is useful for treating bursitis because it is high in cineole, ginger in

a compress relieves mouth problems if placed on the spot, Chinese sailors chewed ginger to combat

seasickness, now known to be the number one aid for alleviating motion sickness, ideal for any

digestive problems.

Experts aren’t sure why ginger suppresses a queasy stomach. But researchers in Japan have

suggested that gingerols, one of the ingredients in ginger, may be indirectly responsible for blocking

the body’s vomiting reflex. The gingerol in ginger has a chemical structure somewhat similar to that

of aspirin. Research suggests that getting ginger in the diet may inhibit the production of a chemical

called thromboxane, which plays a key role in the clotting process.

In a small study, researchers at Odense University in Denmark found that ginger may short-circuit

impending migraines without the bothersome side effects of some migraine-relieving drugs. It

appears that ginger blocks the action of prostaglandin’s, substances that cause pain and inflammation

in blood vessels in the brain.

In another study, Danish researchers studied 56 people who had rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis

and who treated themselves with fresh or powdered ginger. They found that ginger produced relief in

55 percent of people with osteoarthritis and 74 percent of those with rheumatoid arthritis.


GOTU KOLA is an Indian herb and contains an asiatic acid called asiaticoside and madecassic acid

that spurs the development of connective tissue that must form before wounds can heal, it works by

synthesising collagen and is high in vitamin C and also improves the memory.

GRAPE contains anthocyanosides that contribute to better sight. [See bilberry] High in vitamin C, it

helps to strengthen the capillaries thus preventing or alleviating bruising. It also contains pycnogenol

increases vitamin C in the body’s cells and is found in pine bark. Red grapes contain anthocyanins.

GRAPEFRUIT is anti-asthmatic, high in glutathione, high in lysine and low in arginine and vitamin

C.

GREEN BEANS contain magnesium.

GUAVA is rich in vitamin C and helps to regulate sperm irregularities.

GINKGO is wonderful to take in order to age gracefully

HIGH LYSINE low arginine foods include apple, apricot, fig, grapefruit, papaya, pear, and star

fruit.

HONEY is not a herb; honey is processed by bees from the nectar of flowers and has an ethereal

quality that enhances its healing properties. A source of vitamins and minerals it’s really not much

more nutritious than plain table sugar. Yet honey does several things that sugar doesn’t. Research

suggests that honey can relieve constipation, speed healing, and prevent infections.

HORSETAIL is a natural source of silicic acid. Silica as found in Horsetail, preserves elasticity of

connective tissue; controls absorption of calcium and is a necessary ingredient of nails, hair, teeth

and the skeleton. Its cleansing properties rapidly remove uric acid and cellulites from the system.

HORSE CHESTNUT contains aescin, a compound that helps to strengthen capillary cells and

reduces fluid leakage.

HUCKLEBERRY contains anthocyanosides that contribute to better sight [see bilberry].

IRISH MOSS contains trace minerals, polysaccharides and is a source of minerals such as iodine,

iron, and bromine.

JABORANDI is high in vitamin C that lowers intracular pressure.

JOJOBA contains myristic acid and was once an important medicinal fruit among Southern Arizona

Indians. Nuts eaten freely by Mexicans, their children and farm animals. The nuts are roasted to

make coffee.

JUTE is high in folic acid. Giving the ‘mother’ folic acid at least for three months before trying to

get pregnant is a way of preventing spina bifida in the foetus.

KALE is high in vitamin B6.

KIWIFRUIT contains the most vitamin C of any fruit. It also contains bromelain.


LENTILS are high in arginine and choline.

LETTUCE is anti-depressant and mentioned in the Bible for treating heartburn. Lettuce contains

magnesium and is phytosterol.

LIMA BEANS are high in genistein.

LIQUORICE contains calcium and is a rich source of it, coumarins, chalcones, triterpenes, and

flavonoids. Caution: taking more than three cups a day will lead to headaches.

LOVAGE is phytoestrogenic and diuretic, it looks and smells like celery.

MACADAMIA NUT is a monounsaturated fatty acid that is a good oil to eat.

MARJORAM us a phytoestrogen and is high in calcium and eugenol. It is used in aromatherapy as

oil for muscles, backache, and joint problems.

MATE TEA is the national drink of Paraguay and Brazil. Less astringent and contains less tannin

than ordinary tea. Contains caffeine and is regarded as a good substitute for ordinary tea.

MELONS watermelons and musk-melons – which include honeydews, crenshaws, and a few other

melons – provide folic acid a B vitamin that has been shown to lower the risks of birth defects and

heart disease. A melon acts as a natural diuretic, removing excess fluids from the body. They also

contain potassium, which is essential for keeping blood pressure at healthy levels. Because melons

are low in calories and fat, they’re the perfect food for waist-watchers.

MINERALS are herbs that contain minerals include:

Calcium – aloe, cayenne, chamomile, fennel, marshmallow, sage, and white oak bark.

Cobalt – dandelion, horsetail, juniper berries, lobelia, parsley, red clover, and white oak bark.

Iron – bladderwrack, burdock, chickweed, ginseng, hops, kelp, mullein, nettles, parsley, peppermint,

rosemary, sarsaparilla, skullcap, and yellow dock.

Iodine – bladderwrack, garlic, Iceland moss, Irish moss and kelp.


Paint a small patch of iodine on the inside of the thigh before going to bed, allow to dry and the

colour should be a yellowish-brown. In the morning check the results:

1. Colour completely gone: significant shortage of iodine.

2. Colour barely detectable: shortage of iodine.

3. Colour slightly faded: adequate iodine.

4. Colour almost as strong: adequate iodine.

5. Colour turns red: indicates chemical sensitivities helped by Selenium supplementation.

6. Colour turns black: associated with food sensitivities.

7. Colour stays for several days: indicates iodine excess.

[Dr Robert Erdmann, PhD., ‘Balance your Metabolism with Iodine’, in Here’s Health, Nov 1991]

If you are hypothyroid and short of iodine, this could easily be the reason why. If on medication see

your doctor before taking any supplements and never take kelp supplements once on Thyroxine.

Manganese – avocados, bananas, beans, beets, brown rice, calves liver, kale, lettuce, nuts, oatmeal,

peas, prunes, pulses, seeds, spinach, tea and whole grains.

Magnesium is an important mineral and is essential for the use of vitamins B1 and B6.

Foods and herbs that include magnesium are alfalfa, bladderwrack, black willow bark, broom, catnip,

carrot leaves, celery, coriander, cowpeas, devil’s bit, dulse, dandelion, ginger, gota kola, green beans,

kale, kola, kelp, leafy vegetables, lettuce, liquorice root, meadowsweet, mistletoe, mullein, okra,

parsley, peppermint, poppy seeds, primrose flowers, purslane, red clover, rosemary, silverweed,

skunk cabbage, spinach, stinging nettles, string beans, toadflax, valerian, walnut leaves, watercress,

wintergreen and wood betony.

Magnesium is needed by the body to suppress joint degeneration, to fight disease, and to keep the

heart in tip-top condition. Heart disease and ME is often the result of a lack of this mineral.

Magnesium can help alleviate headaches andhas anti-depressant qualities.

Potassium aloe, blue cohosh, cayenne, cascara sagrada, chaparral, dandelion, fennel, golden seal,

parsley, rose hips, slippery elm, valerian, yarrow

Zinc burdock, chamomile, dandelion, eyebright, hawthorn, liquorice, marshmallow, and sarsaparilla

Trace Minerals – alfalfa, black cohosh, burdock, cascara sagrada, chaparral, dandelion, hawthorn,

horsetail, kelp, lobelia, parsley, red clover, rose hips, sage, sarsaparilla, valerian, and yellow dock.

MONOUNSATURATED fatty acids. Herbs high in these fatty acids include avocados, macadamia

nuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, peanuts and pistachio nuts.

NUTS – The ancient Persians believed that eating five almonds before drinking alcoholic beverages

would prevent intoxication, or at least the hangover that might follow. They also believed that

almonds would ward off witches and stimulate milk production in nursing mothers. Nuts are high in

nutrients; they are also high in fat.


The coconut, for example, contains a lot of fat and most of it is the dangerous saturated kind. “On the

other end of the spectrum is the chestnut, which is extremely low in fat and almost all of it is

unsaturated,” points out Joan Sabaté, M.D., Dr. PH., chairman of the department of nutrition and

associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Loma Linda University School of Public Health

in California.

“With a few exceptions, most nuts are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats,” says Dr.

Sabaté. “When these types of fats replace saturated fats in the diet, they can help lower total

cholesterol as well as the unhealthy low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol.” At the same time,

nuts don’t affect levels of the heart-healthy high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol. “Nuts are

also high in vitamin E, which may keep LDL cholesterol from oxidizing,” says Dr. Sabaté.

Another thing that makes nuts healthy for the heart is an amino acid called arginine. Some arginine

may be converted in the body to nitric oxide, a compound that helps expand the blood vessels. In

fact, it acts much like the drug nitroglycerin, which is used to rapidly dilate arteries to permit more

blood to reach the heart. Nitric oxide also appears to help keep the platelets in blood from clumping,

which can further reduce the risk of heart disease.

Nuts also contain generous amounts of heart-healthy copper and magnesium. All nuts are richly

endowed with protein, and most contain a generous supply of vitamins and minerals as well as

dietary fibre.

OATMEAL BATH – For irritated, itching skin as in eczema or shingles. Tie one pound uncooked

oatmeal in a piece of gauze and run-on the hot bath tap. When softened, use as a sponge while

bathing.

OATS contain glycosyl flavones, proteins, Vitamin E, oil, and proteins.

OKRA is a herb high in folic acid and vitamin B6 (phytosterol).

ONION is good at balancing the blood sugar and is high in quercetin and this substance is helpful

for alleviating cataracts, also contains flavonoids, volatile oil, allicin, vitamins, sterols, phenolic

acids. Onions clear arteries of fat that would otherwise impede blood flow.

ORANGE peel contains hesperidin, isohesperidin and other flavonoids, volatile oil, and coumarins.

Orange is high in glutathione, the juice contains vitamin C.

OXALIC ACID is found in the flowing plants beetroot leaves, cranberry, gooseberries, rhubarb,

Swiss chard, and spinach.

PAGODA TREE flower has rutin as one of its ingredients.

PANSY contains rutin. Many naturopaths recommend rutin for glaucoma.

PAPAYA contains natural enzymes that help any digestion problems. It is high lysine and low

arginine, digests wheat gluten, thus assisting recovery from coeliac disease.


PARSLEY is high in boron, and is helpful for bladder infections and kidney stones. Repeated

applications of the leaves aid the healing of bruises. Parsley’s healing magic can be found in two of

the compounds it contains, myristicin and apiol. Both can help increase the flow of urine, says Varro

E. Tyler, Ph.D., professor emeritus of pharmacognosy at Purdue University School of Pharmacy in

West Lafayette, Indiana. Passing more urine helps remove infection-causing bacteria from the

urinary tract. This same diuretic action can also help prevent premenstrual bloating. Nibbling parsley

in the days before menstruation can help increase urine flow, thus removing excess fluids from the

body before they cause discomfort.

This herb is often placed on dinners to garnish, in history it was found to cleanse the breath and clean

the palate.

The seeds contain apiola source of precursor of carotene, Vitamins C, B, bioflavonoids, iron and

folic acid.

PARSNIPS – A member of the parsley family, parsnips are good sources of folate, fibre, and

phenolic acids. Parsnips are an excellent source of dietary fibre and of folic acid.

Along with carrots and celery, parsnips are members of the umbelliferae family. Foods in this family

contain a number of natural compounds called phytonutrients, which have been shown in laboratory

studies to block the spread of cancer cells. Chief among these are compounds called phenolic acids.

What phenolic acids do is attach themselves to potential cancer-causing agents in the body, creating

a bigger molecule, so big that the body cannot absorb it.

Chemicals called coumarins are also present in parsnips, coumarins are not good for people as they

act as photosensitises. “If you eat a lot of parsnips and go out in the sun, you’ll get burned,” explains

Robert T. Rosen, Ph.D., associate director of the Centre for Advanced Food Technology at Cook

College of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

PRUNES – Figs, papaya, pineapple, all contain natural enzymes that help dissolve unwanted

growths.

PEACH is used by the Chinese as leaves and bark, to make a tea for combating morning sickness.

Peach is high in boron and glutathione.

PEANUT is a blood sugar balancer, high in genistein and is oestrogenic, cancer preventing, high in

lysine and low in arginine, and their paper red skins are heart protecting. Peanut is high in

monounsaturated acid.

PEAR is high in lysine and low in arginine, the juice is anti-viral and the fruit contains boron,

catechins and vitamin B6. When it comes to good health, you would think that pears would have

more in common with apples and oranges than with a bowl of beans. But as it turns out, pears, along

with beans, contain a type of dietary fibre that is very effective for lowering cholesterol.

Pears contain lignin, an insoluble fibre that helps usher cholesterol out of the body and another type

of fibre, called pectin. There is about 4 grams of fibre in a single pear. We don’t usually think of

pears as being “bone food,” but they contain a mineral, boron, that appears to play a role in keeping

bones strong.


Boron wasn’t considered essential for a healthy diet until very recently. Researchers have since

discovered that getting enough boron can help prevent the loss of calcium in postmenopausal

women. This is important because these women have a high risk of osteoporosis, the bone-thinning

disease that’s caused by a gradual loss of minerals from the body. Just 3 milligrams a day has been

shown to help prevent the loss of calcium and keep the mind strong.

PEAS contain choline, vitamins B6 and C as well as generous amounts of genistein.

Peas are more than an interesting scientific footnote, however. Researchers have found that they

contain a powerful compound that can help prevent healthy cells from becoming cancerous. In

addition, peas contain substances that can help lower cholesterol and ease the symptoms of the

common cold.

The cancer-fighting compound in peas is called chlorophyllin, which is the pigment responsible for

giving them their shiny green hue. Chlorophyllin [which is related to chlorophyll, the substance that

allows plants to convert sunlight into food] has a special molecular shape that allows it to grab

cancer-causing chemicals in the body. “When you eat peas, the chlorophyllin attaches to carcinogens

and helps prevent them from being absorbed,” says Mary Ellen Camire, Ph.D., associate professor

and chair of the department of food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine in Orono.

Inside the intestine, the fibre in peas binds with bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver, and traps

it inside the stool. Since bile is very high in cholesterol, removing it from the body will automatically

help bring cholesterol levels down. Research suggests that eating peas can also bring down levels of

triglycerides, blood fats that play a role in heart disease.

PECTIN is a soluble fibre that helps to bulk out faeces and so avoid constipation. Herbs high in

pectin include apples, carrots, figs, marshmallow, rosehips, and white flowered gourd.

PEPPERMINT contains flavonoids, azulines and carotenes.

PHYTOSTEROL is good at keeping cholesterol out of the blood stream; herbs high in this

substance include apricots, asparagus, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, figs, ginger, hazelnuts, lettuce,

okra, onions, pumpkin, radishes, squash, strawberries, and sunflower seeds.

PIGWEED is one of the best sources of calcium. It is also high in fibre, and phenylalanine.

PINEAPPLE is a rich source of vitamin C, and also contains substances that keep bones strong and

promote digestion, Pineapple is full of enzymes such as bromelain and pancreatin which digest food,

it is high in bromelain an enzyme that helps digestion by breaking down protein; that makes it a

potent anti-inflammatory. It is used in preparations to take off the dead skin cells in facial

preparations.

You know that you need calcium to prevent osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disease that primarily

affects postmenopausal women. What you may not know is that your bones need manganese as well.

The body uses manganese to make collagen, a tough, fibrous protein that helps build connective

tissues like bone, skin, and cartilage. Research has shown that people deficient in manganese develop

bone problems similar to osteoporosis. One study found that women with osteoporosis had lower

levels of manganese than women who did not have the disease.


PLUM contains anthocyanosides that contribute to better sight, see BILBERRY.

POKEROOT SHOOTS are rich in vitamin C; do not take the herb during pregnancy.

PROPOLIS is a resinous exudate collected by bees from leaf buds of certain trees, chief of which is

the poplar. Enzymes from bee’s glands modify such exudates as they process it for use as a cement

to secure the structure of the hive and to seal-over fissures as a draught excluder. Propolis also

protects the hive from infection. Rich in fats, amino acids, alcohol ethers and trace elements: iron,

copper, manganese, zinc. High vitamin content; particularly B group, C, E, P, and proto-vitamin A,

all of which tend to preserve good health in old age.

POPPY SEEDS are high in boron, lecithin and magnesium.

PRUNE – Contains malic acid, sugar, pulp, and calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and

phosphorus. Also vitamins A, B1, B3, C. and is higher in B2 than any other fruit . Recommended for

mental health problems and to restore emotional balance. Prune also contains fibre and was used in

for remedies for gut problems; it is ideal for treating constipation.

PUMPKIN is high in amino acids; it is phytosterol and the seeds are a powerful diuretic.

PURSLANE is anti-oxidant, rich in calcium and carotenoids, also high in glutathione and beta-

carotene, vitamins A, C and E, magnesium, potassium, oxalic acid, omega-3 fatty acids. Purslane is

known to prevent blood clots and an excessive build–up of cholesterol.

PYCNOGENOL is a substance found in grapes that increases vitamin C in the cells of the body and

strengthens capillaries against traumatic injury.

QUERCETIN helps to prevent cataracts forming and is to be found in high quantities in onion and

garlic.

RADISH is a cruciferous vegetable and in Russia they are used to treat thyroid problems. Radish is

high in phytosterols and vitamin B6.

RASPBERRIES contain anthocyanins and anthocyanosides [see bilberry], They are high in tannins

and relieve labour pains, they are useful for morning sickness and as a tea; it relaxes the uterus and

abdominal cramps.

RED CLOVER contains flavonoids, isoflavones, resins, coumarins, minerals, and vitamins, and

aids the body as if it were a natural oestrogen. Red clover prevents cancer, is anti-angiogenic,

contains phytoestrogens, isoflavones and is anti-fungicidal.

RED KIDNEY BEANS are high in genistein.

RED LENTILS contain genistein.

RED VINE – Grape sugar, malic acid, gum and vitamin C.

REISHI MUSHROOM contains adenosine that inhibits platelet aggregation and thrombocyte

formation. Officially recognised in Japan as a cancer treatment.


RHUBARB, also known as Da Huang, contains pain-relieving compounds, it is high in oxalic acid.

Eating rhubarb works against constipation, as this member of the buckwheat family is a good source

of fibre.

Rhubarb leaves contain extraordinarily high levels of oxalates, which are mineral salts that the body

cannot metabolise; for people who are sensitive to them, they can be toxic. You should eat only the

rhubarb stalks.

“People have historically used rhubarb for constipation by eating it stewed or in pies, but they didn’t

know why it worked,” says Tapan K. Basu, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at the University of Alberta

in Edmonton, Canada. “Today we know it’s a good source of fibre.”

The fibrous rhubarb stalks contain large amounts of dietary fibre – more than 2 grams in an average

serving.

Rhubarb contains vitamin C, an antioxidant vitamin that attacks and immobilizes free radicals,

oxygen molecules that are the damaging force behind heart disease, some cancers, and certain

“symptoms” of ageing, like wrinkles or eye damage.

ROOIBOSCH TEA is a tea drunk by Bushmen and Hottentots in the Cape district of South Africa.

Bush tea is rich in vitamin C and the minerals manganese, potash, magnesium, iron, and phosphate.

It has an anti-histamine effect and is useful in cases of allergy such as hay fever and milk allergy.

Offers a caffeine-free, low-tannin beverage that promotes digestion and assists liver and kidney

function.

ROSE – The oil contains nerol, geraniol, geranic acid, eugenol, myrcene and other constituents, the

rose as a plant is a source of vitamin C.

ROSEHIPS are high in pectin.

RUTIN is found in the following herbs buckwheat, eucalyptus leaves, mulberry leaves, pagoda tree

flower, pansy, tobacco, violets and pansies. Rutin is part of the Vitamin P complex known as

bioflavonoids used as a protection against capillary fragility.

SAVORY is high in calcium and is also carminative.

SCRURFY PEA contains genistein in higher amounts than soybeans.

SELENIUM are rich herbs that include Brazil nuts.

SESAME is high in biotin and in China they roast and eat the seeds to increase the milk supply. Is

high in phytosterols that keeps cholesterol out of the blood stream.

SHIITAKE MUSHROOM contains triterpenes, polysaccharides, and lentinan, the most powerful

natural immune stimulant and restorative known. They are also an inteferon inducer.

SILICON is one of the sources of substances for repairing bones and muscles. Found in horsetail

[just break open the stem and place the milky juice on the wound], barley, Brazil nuts, cashews,

chickweed, cucumbers, dandelions, parsley, stinging nettle, string beans, turnips and walnuts.


SOYBEANS are high in arginine; contain phytoestrogens and helps to balance the body in

oestrogen. Soy is anti-aggregant, genistein, phenylalanine and lecithin; phytoestrogens such as

genistein and daidzein are weaker versions of the oestrogen women produce naturally. They appear

to help in a number of different ways, from blocking the negative effects of natural estrogens to

supplementing them when they’re running low.

SPINACH is high in folic acid, magnesium, phenylalanine, zinc and vitamin B6.

SQUASH is high in phytosterols and vitamin B6.

STINGING NETTLE is anti-allergic and is useful for those suffering from allergies. It contains

boron, calcium, oestrogen, silicon, and magnesium.

STRAWBERRIES are high in boron and catechins; the leaves are high in ellagic acid and are

thought to be anti-cancer.

STRING BEANS are high in magnesium, zinc, and silicon. Tannin contains glycyrrhetinic acid and

glycyrrhizin that heals mouth sores. Herbs that are high in tannins include bearberry, eucalyptus,

liquorice, peppermint, raspberry, sage, St Johns Wort, and tea. Tannins are the common name for

tannic acid and are an antiseptic with broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral activities. Tannins

give herbs their astringency and the ability to bind or contract tissues, reduce intestinal inflammation,

hence impeding the reabsorption of toxic materials.

SUNFLOWER SEEDS are high in B vitamins, linoleic acid and Vitamin E, and therefore good for

muscles, nerves and blood vessels and are rich in a wide spectrum of minerals, including zinc. In

Russia the seeds are a staple item of diet. Habitual eating of the seeds is said to build-up physical

endurance and resistance against disease, as well as preserve natural sight for a long time without

glasses.

TEA – The Chinese use black tea to soothe sunburn. The tannins it contains are good to soothe any

gut problems and tea-bags can be used to help any wound. Tea is an expectorant and also

theophylline [theobromine and theophylline belong to a family of chemicals called xanthines, these

chemicals help to stop broncho-spasms] that can help mucus move up to the throat from the lungs.

Using a tea bag on a mouth ulcer is helpful, tea can also be an aid in the treatment of chronic

hepatitis B. To make tea that is helpful for herbal reasons mix two teaspoonfuls of dried herb in a cup

of boiling water and leave to cool, drink the tea black and un-sweetened. Tea also treats diarrhoea,

but do not use it if constipated.

Tea contains hundreds of compounds called polyphenols. These compounds act like antioxidants—

that is, they help neutralize harmful oxygen molecules known as free radicals, in the body which

have been linked to cancer, heart disease, and a number of less serious problems, such as wrinkles.

“In general, polyphenols are very, very good antioxidants. But the best polyphenols are in tea, which

has a lot of them,” says Joe A. Vinson, Ph.D., professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton in

Pennsylvania. “They make up nearly 30 percent of tea’s dry weight.”

THYME contains calcium and is rich in thymol and carvacrols thus making muscles relax. Thyme is

also composed of 20% anti-bacterial components.


TOFU – Traditional, natural food discovered by a Chinese prince in 164BC but now prepared fresh

each morning throughout Japan. The most important soybean low-cost protein throughout East Asia.

Said to be the protein backbone of the diet for more than one billion people. Unlike animal protein

sources, it is entirely free of cholesterol and high in polyunsaturated fats. Only 52.6 calories per 100

grams, it is useful for those who are allergic to many foods and a perfect protein, contains iron, B-

vitamins and calcium.

TOMATOES are anti-asthmatic, anti-aggregate and cancer preventing, high in boron, vitamins A

and C and glutathione, gamma-amino butyric acid [GABA]. Tomatoes reduce blood pressure and

strengthen the heart muscle.

Tomatoes contain a red pigment called lycopene. This compound appears to act as an antioxidant,

that is, it helps neutralize cell-damaging oxygen molecules called free radicals before they cause

damage. Until recently, lycopene’s reputation for healing was overshadowed by its well-studied

cousin, beta-carotene. But newer studies indicate that lycopene could have twice the cancer-fighting

punch of beta-carotene.

“Lycopene is a very strong antioxidant,” says Meir Stampfer, M.D., co-author of the study and

professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. “For some reason

lycopene concentrates in the prostate. Men with high levels of lycopene in their blood are at lower

risk for prostate cancer.

“They’re a common cause of allergies, causing symptoms such as hives, asthma, and headaches”,

says Richard Podell, M.D., clinical professor in the department of family medicine at Robert Wood

Johnson Medical School in New Providence, New Jersey. “For some people, the problem with

tomatoes is simply their acidity; eating them may make their stomachs upset or cause mouth

irritation”.

Caution: Tomatoes contain chemicals called salicylates, which are the active ingredients in aspirin.

While most aspirin-sensitive people do not react to the salicylates in foods, you could be the

exception, and allergic reactions can be quite serious, or even fatal.

TURNIPS are high in sugar and are cruciferous vegetables, the juice rubbed on the underarm keeps

body odour away for almost five hours. Turnips are also high in silicon.

VITAMINS: see after Z

WALNUT – Eating walnuts led to a lower risk of a coronary and with cholesterol levels falling by

20 per cent.

WATERCRESS is an anti-depressant, contains arginine and calcium in high amounts, effective

against TB virus and high in vitamin B6. It is a cruciferous vegetable meaning that its flowers have

four petals, resembling a cross, and is also a dark green, leafy vegetable, meaning that it’s packed

with beta-carotene, a nutrient that helps ward off heart disease and diseases associated with ageing,

such as cataracts.


Like other dark green, leafy vegetables, watercress is packed with beta-carotene, an antioxidant

nutrient that has been linked to lower rates of heart disease. The antioxidants contained in watercress

include beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, help sweep up cell-damaging oxygen molecules from

your body.

WATERMELON is high in glutathione.

WHEAT – Like all grains, wheat is rich in vitamins, minerals, and complex carbohydrates. Wheat

also contains vitamin E. Wheat germ is the embryo, or the sprouting part of the grain. It’s a super

source of both vitamin E and fibre.

WHEATGRASS – Juice from 3-4 day sprouted wheat grains is rich in chlorophyll and enzymes.

Wheatgrass is the crop from germinated seed of wheat grains as sown on flat trays or in flower-pots,

chiefly in the kitchen. When 2-3 inches high the green spears are “reaped” with scissors or shears,

chopped, and added to salads for a rich source of trace minerals. It is a natural source of superoxide

dismutase (SOD) an important enzyme in detoxifying the body.

WILD YAM contains saponins for manufacture of steroids. Believed that its anti-inflammatory

action is due to a steroidal effect. Wild Yam is the starting material in the manufacture of steroidal

preparations: cortisone, sex hormones, and “The Pill”.

WINGED BEANS have tyrosine in them.

WOLFBERRY [called lycium] is a Chinese treatment for sight problems. It is high in antioxidants.

ZINC is anti-dandruff and aids fertility and healing. It is found in asparagus, Brussels sprouts,

collards, cowpeas, cucumbers, endives, parsley, prunes, spinach, and string beans.

VITAMINS – see the lesson on nutrition for full details of the value of vitamins.

The following is a source list for various vitamins, elements etc.

Vitamin A

Alfalfa, black cohosh, cayenne, eyebright, red clover, saw palmetto berries, yarrow, and yellow

dock.

BETA-CAROTENE

Blue cohosh, cascara sagrada, fenugreek, hawthorn, and liquorice.

BIOFLAVONOIDS

Red and yellow-coloured vegetables e.g. carrots etc, alfalfa, apricots, asparagus, beet greens, dairy

produce, dandelion leaves, endive, fish liver oils, kale, parsley, peaches, spinach, turnip greens,

watercress, wheatgerm, and whole-grain cereals.

VITAMIN B1

Beans, brewer’s yeast, brown rice, fenugreek seeds, green vegetables, kelp, nuts, potatoes, poultry,

pulses, seafood, Wholegrain cereals, wheatgerm, yeast extract.


VITAMIN B2

Brewer’s yeast, cheese, eggs, fenugreek seeds, gotu kola kelp, kidney, lima beans, liver, meat, milk,

peas, poultry, pulses, saffron, seafood, soya beans and flour, wheatgerm, wholegrain cereals, yeast

extract, and yoghurt.

VITAMIN B3

Alfalfa, brewer’s yeast, brown rice, burdock seed, cheese, dried fruit, eggs, fenugreek seeds, fish,

globe artichokes, kidney, liver, meat, nuts especially peanuts, parsley, peas and beans, poultry, soya

beans and flour, watercress, wheatgerm, and yeast extract.

VITAMIN B5

Produced in the human intestinal tract, beans, brewer’s yeast, broccoli, buckwheat flour, egg yolk,

heart of beef and chicken, liver, oranges, peanuts, sweet potato, sunflower seeds, tomato, and wheat-

germ.

VITAMIN B6

Bananas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, okra, onions, peas, radishes, spinach,

squash, and watercress.

VITAMIN B12

All foods of animal origin meat, liver, kidney, dairy products, cheese, egg yolk, fish, plus alfalfa,

dulse, kelp, lettuce, spinach, wheatgerm, and yeast.

BIOTIN

Fish, fruits, egg yolk, kidney, liver, meat, nuts, oats, unpolished rice, wheatgerm, wholegrain cereals,

and yeast.

VITAMIN C

Acerola, bell peppers, black cherry, cantaloupe, cayenne pepper, Chinese bitter melon, guava,

pineapple, purslane, red pepper, pokeweed shoots, watercress, all citrus fruits, and jaborandi. Camu-

camu has the world’s highest vitamin C content of any herb.

CHOLINE

Beef liver, brewer’s yeast, fish, eggs, lecithin, peanuts, soybeans or flour.

VITAMIN D

Alfalfa, dandelion, egg yolk, halibut, mackerel, red raspberry, rose hips, salmon, sardines,

sarsaparilla, sprouted seeds, and tuna.

VITAMIN E

Burdock, comfrey, dong quai, kelp, skullcap, slippery elm, and yarrow Richest sources are cold -

pressed seed oils and nuts.

FOLIC ACID

Meat, liver, kidney, brewer’s yeast, yeast extract, egg yolk, wheatgerm, green vegetables especially

beet greens, endive, kale, spinach, turnips, asparagus, fresh fruit.

INOSITOL

Brown rice, brewer’s yeast, beef heart, eggs, liver, meat, kidney, wholegrain cereals, molasses.


VITAMIN K

Synthesised in the intestinal tract. Beef liver, alfalfa, eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, alfalfa, gota

kola, yarrow, Brussels’s sprouts, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, kelp, and shepherd’s purse.

PABA [Para-aminobenzoic acid]

Liver, yeast, wheatgerm, eggs, molasses, rice bran, porridge oats, maize, barley, apricot kernels.

See also MINERALS.

TUTOR TALK: Congratulations on completing another assignment. Now move on and

complete your question paper and return it to your tutor for marking. Well done on all

your effort so far.

© Copyright Reserved

“The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that

ain’t so.”

Mark Twain


STUDENT NOTES: Please use the space below for recording what you consider to be

any pertinent information or notes. You may find it helpful to refer back to it later on!


STUDENT NOTES: Please use the space below for recording what you consider to be

any pertinent information or notes. You may find it helpful to refer back to it later on!

Documents

MASTER HERBALIST (PHYTOTHERAPY) DIPLOMA COURSEp15136218.pureserver.info/lessonplans16/MasterHerbalist/pdfs/assign6.pdfMaster Herbalist (Phytotherapy) Diploma Course – Assignment