Plant Medicine
Hello Plant Lovers!
Our health these days is more important than ever, so we thought we would take some time to discuss how plants are used to overcome illness, reduce pain, and treat physical and mental ailments. For example, you may already know that aspirin was synthesized from a compound found in willow bark, that morphine was made from poppy flowers, or that daffodils produce a compound that may slow the progress of Alzheimers.
The history of medicinal plants outdates even humans, with several species of animals using plants not as nutrition, but rather as a way to fight infection and disease. Self-medication has been observed in bears, deer, lizards, elephants, spiders, caterpillars, and even fruit flies. Starlings will put aromatic yarrow and lavender in their nests to help boost the immune systems of their chicks, and simultaneously repel pests.(1) Chicks born in yarrow and lavender nests tend to be healthier and live longer, so the practice has spread amongst the birds.
Deep in the jungles of West Africa, the rainy season brings an onslaught of parasites looking for their next hosts. But Bonobo monkeys use the leaves of the Manniophyton fulvum plant as a weapon against them. The leaves are semi-toxic to the monkeys, skin contact causes itching and sores. Nevertheless, they take several leaves and stack them one-by-one on their tongues. After a good stack is achieved, they curl their tongues back to roll the leaves into a ball that they swallow whole. This ball of rough, hairy, semi-toxic leaves travels through them like sandpaper, scrubbing out intestinal parasites.(2)
Plant medication has been recorded as early as Paleolithic times, with a 60,000 year old Neanderthal burial site containing pollen from 7 species of plants known to be herbal remedies.(3) The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of the world’s population relies on traditional, non-synthesized plant-based medications, while 25% of medications prescribed in developed societies are derived directly from plants.(4)
During this time one thing we can all do is improve our preventative nutrition. You may want to revisit studies of specific plants for their beneficial properties, for example you can learn how sage has a lot of vitamin K which is great for regulating blood calcium levels. The National Institute of Health has a great resource, Herbs at a Glance, to get you started. Another great way to improve your health through plant nutrition is to try some foods that you don’t normally eat. Our next email will be about modern monocultures, and how 75% of the plant foods that we eat come from just 12 crops.(5)
We hope everyone reading this is safe, healthy, and doing their best to stay productive and happy. We do not make a terribly useful product, but jewelry can bring people joy. So this month we’ve decided to give away a piece each week in April. You can go to the Shade Metals website to see more details and sign up. Every Sunday we will randomly choose someone to receive a piece of our jewelry free of charge. This week we are offering the winner any piece from our Sage Collection - ring, necklace, or earrings. Next week we will be offering a piece from our Ginkgo Collection. Thank you for reading this everyone :)
Eat garlic and stay positive!
Sara & Cesar