Plantsheal

Ever since I first realized I might age, Sage has beckoned. There was a conference on aging back in the 80's that caught my eye, called "Saging, Not Aging"  - so, what is it about Sage? Why are wise men called "Sages"? Could there be a relationship to the plant itself?

“You are what you eat.” The old adage has for decades weighed on the minds of consumers who fret over responsible food choices. Yet what if it was literally true? What if material from our food actually made its way into the innermost control centers of our cells, taking charge of fundamental gene expression?

That is in fact what happens, according to a recent study of plant-animal micro­RNA transfer led by Chen-Yu Zhang of Nanjing University in China. MicroRNAs are short sequences of nucleotides—the building blocks of genetic material. Although microRNAs do not code for proteins, they prevent specific genes from giving rise to the proteins they encode. Blood samples from 21 volunteers were tested for the presence of microRNAs from crop plants, such as rice, wheat, potatoes and cabbage.

This is one of my absolute favorites and here's a great article about it.

"Nettle leaf is among our most valuable herbal remedies, not because it is exceptionally potent or fast-acting, but because it is none of these things: it is a slowly acting nutritive herb that gently cleanses the body of metabolic wastes. Nettle leaf is thus one of the safest and happiest of the alteratives, especially in the treatment of chronic disorders that require long term treatment. This activity of Nettle leaf is perhaps best utilized as a kind of herbal food, eaten as a green vegetable, spice, condiment, or drunk in generous amounts as a herbal infusion. Taken in such a way Nettle is highly reputed in the treatment of chronic metabolic disorders, providing a gentle stimulant effect upon the lymphatic system, seeming to enhance the excretion of wastes through the kidneys. Weiss suggests that Nettle acts similarly to Dandelion leaf, promoting the elimination of uric acid from joints with a gentle, alkalizing diuretic activity. Nettle is thus indicated in most kinds of joint diseases, and doubly so in degenerative conditions, not only for its ability to arrest inflammatory states and enhance the excretion of wastes, but due to its high nutrient content, especially in the minerals calcium and magnesium required for bone-remodelling. Nettle leaf is also an exceptionally useful plant to correct symptoms of gastrointestinal excess, such as hyperchlorhydria with sour eructations and nausea, chronic diarrhoea, and mucus colitis"

Maps of antibiotic use in the United States look very similar to maps of obesity, heart attacks, diabetes and stroke. Could there be a connection?

This is a post from my herbal medicine blog on similarities and differences between rosemary, basil and thyme.