Medicinal Uses of Arrowroot

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.


Arrowroot, Maranta arundinacea, is a tropical plant native to the Americas.  It is most often used today as a thickener for food, a non-GMO alternative to cornstarch.  Arrowroot isn't commonly used at home as food in our society today, except by those individuals who are on gluten-free diets and/or needing an alternative to cornstarch.

Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that you are able to grow arrowroot in your area.  That fact alone is often a deal-killer for me, but I have been known to make exceptions, especially for medicinal items with a respectable shelf life.  If you can grow it in your area, you'll have a powerhouse of nutrition at your fingertips.  A one-cup serving of arrowroot contains impressive amounts of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamins B1, B3, and B9, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

As you do your own research into arrowroot powder and determining whether this is something you want in your stores, keep in mind that arrowroot powder and arrowroot flour and arrowroot starch are all the same thing.  Also, when using arrowroot to replace cornstarch, start with substituting 1/3 to 1/2 of the amount of cornstarch the recipe calls for.   Be sure to make a slurry, you know, like you do with cornstarch or flour, mixing the arrowroot powder with a small amount of water or other liquid, before stirring it into the soup or gravy or whatever.  Also, be sure to stir the arrowroot slurry into the soup right before serving, as high heat breaks down the thickening qualities of the arrowroot.

Arrowroot has a shelf life of at least 3-4 years when properly stored.  

However, the culinary uses of arrowroot are not the focus of this post today.  Honestly, I probably wouldn't bother with arrowroot for its uses in food.  No one in my immediate family is bothered by gluten issues, and while I do try to avoid all the genetically-modified food I can, I don't stress too much over cornstarch as we really don't use it that often.


Historically, arrowroot was highly valued for its medicinal effects, and that's what we're interested in today.  Arrowroot especially developed a reputation for its efficacy against poison arrow wounds and snake and spider bites, but it's got a lot of other interesting uses, too.  Fortunately for those readers living in tropical areas, the active constituents of arrowroot are also found in other plants:  Florida arrowroot (Zamia integrifolia, cassava (Manihot esculenta), and kudzu (Pueraria lobata).  The rest of us will have to buy it.

INTERNAL USAGE
Arrowroot is mixed into juice, water, or some other drink, about two teaspoons per cup of liquid, and then taken to relieve the following conditions:

• Gastrointestinal conditions, including:
• Upset stomach
• Diarrhea and dysentery
• Food poisoning, to treat and as a preventative, may be added to soups, gravies, and other liquids.
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Urinary tract infection.  
• Bladder infections and cystitis
• Also, may be taken daily to prevent recurrence of these infections.
• Teething pain in infants.
• Arrowroot biscuits have been around for ages.  Arrowroot powder may be applied directly to the gums, or it may be used as flour and baked into biscuits for teething.  
• Boost immune system.  
• Venomous snake and spider bites.  Arrowroot juice or tea was historically administered to treat these bites.  However, I could find no mention of modern usage. 

EXTERNAL USAGE
Historically, arrowroot powder was mixed with a little bit of water to make a paste and then applied directly or in a poultice to treat the following:

• Venomous snake and spider bites.  
• Smallpox
• Poison arrow wounds, infected wounds, including gangrene.

Contraindications:  None.  Safe for babies and pregnant and nursing women, when used in normal quantities.  Sitting down to a meal of arrowroot only is not a good idea.  Just like eating a cup of salt is not a good idea.

Caution:  Do not take arrowroot powder in conjunction with any other medications or supplements to alleviate diarrhea.  You risk extreme constipation.  

For further reading:
https://draxe.com/arrowroot/
https://www.yourhealthremedy.com/medicinal-plants/arrowroot-powder-uses-health-benefits-side-effects/
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/other/arrowroot.html
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-28032000000100005&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en  (diarrhea treatment in IBS)
https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/arrowroot-for-babies-benefits-and-recipe/
https://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/prevent-recurrence-of-uti-with-arrowroot-powder-bs915/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15453588
https://draxe.com/homemade-probiotic-deodorant/moistening and a nourishing effect on the body.
https://downshiftology.com/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-arrowroot-powder/
https://stilltasty.com/Fooditems/index/16412


© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com  

19 jul 2021

17 june 2024

Book Review: Stephen Buhner's Herbal Antivirals

Stephen Harrod Buhner's Herbal Antivirals:  Natural Remedies for Emerging & Resistant Viral Infections is another essential volume to acquire for the medical prepping library.  Just like his Herbal Antibiotics book, in this volume Dr. Buhner clearly presents information for each of the herbs and viral diseases he discusses, without any fluff.  Everything is meticulously researched and documented, though much of the research does comes from outside the United States.  Maybe that's a plus. 
Buhner starts off this volume with an introduction to viruses, and though he includes the biological explanations of what viruses do, he pretty much keeps it to a level that most non-life science people with a couple of brain cells to rub together can understand.  He keeps it at a conversational level, and even a bit entertaining at times.  He touches on polio, smallpox, and influenza--the stuff we're somewhat familiar with, and then brings out chikungunya, a virus spread by mosquitoes that causes fever and debilitating pain, for which doctors prescribed acetaminophen.  And the cause of death for many of chikungunya's victims was--get this--liver failure from the acetaminophen.

So what's to be done?  As Buhner points out, Big Pharma doesn't have a lot of antivirals at its disposal.  About 30% of the pages in this volume are devoted to Buhner's top seven antiviral herbs:  Chinese skullcap, elder, ginger, houttuynia, isatis, licorice, and lomatium, plus boneset and red root, which merit an honorable mention.  However, he also lists the many herbal options and dosages for all the illnesses he discusses; he just doesn't go into elaborate detail on the others.  So you'll also learn or be reminded of how to use blackberry, raspberry, oregano, thyme, knotweed, berberine, and many other herbs in your treatment of viral diseases.  And he offers some advice and herbal suggestions for strengthening the immune system. 

In the appendices, Buhner includes an introduction to making herbal medicine as well as a list of suppliers he recommends.  Now, as preppers, we're probably happier being able to produce our own medicine, and fortunately, the author also includes, with his discussion on each of the herbs, guidelines for growing and harvesting the herbs and sources for obtaining seeds or plants.  So there's that to look forward to.  In addition, the bibliography is over 50 pages long.  If you want to find sources for further researching a specific disease or herb, it's all there.

Like Herbal Antibiotics, I think this volume would be better with pictures to help with plant identification.  And one other complaint that some readers have is that very little attention devoted to the common cold.  To me, that's not a deal breaker.  A cold doesn't kill you, and if you strictly practice basic hygiene, common sense, and eat a healthy diet, you shouldn't have too many.

Like with his other books, Buhner's intended audience is those who want a natural, practical, and effective approach to treating viral diseases.  In that respect it is also quite invaluable to preppers looking for tools to defend themselves against enemies they can't even see. Buhner provides treatment protocols for viral respiratory infections like influenza, pneumonia, SARS, RSV, and croup; viral encephalitis infections such as Japanese, West Nile, tick-borne, and dengue; and other viruses like enterovirus, varicella (shingles), herpes, and Epstein-Barr. 

I'm glad I don't have to choose between getting Herbal Antibiotics or Herbal Antivirals.  They are both must-haves, in my opinion.  But if I did have to choose, the nod would go to Herbal Antibiotics.  Herbal Antibiotics covers the plants you want for treating respiratory diseases, which is probably huge for all of us.  I live in a desert where we have almost nothing in the way of ticks or mosquitoes, and much of Herbal Antivirals deals with tick- and mosquito-borne diseases.  If I did have to deal with ticks and mosquitoes, or if I were worried about shingles, I'd eat rice and beans for a month and save the money to get this book.  There should be a copy in every group, if not every family.

Links to related posts:
Alton's Antibiotics and Infectious Disease, Dr. Joe Alton and Amy Alton 
Herbal Antibiotics, by Stephen Buhner
The Herbal Medic, by Sam Coffman

© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com 

Alternative Medicine: Juniper, Part 2

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.

Last week we covered the harvesting and medicinal uses of juniper berries. But the great thing about juniper is that we don't have to wait for fall to use it medicinally; the needles can be gathered and turned into medicine at any time of the year!

MEDICINAL USES OF THE JUNIPER NEEDLES

Juniper is or has reportedly been used in the treatment of:

• urinary tract infection, urethritis, cystitis;
• acne;
• arthritis, rheumatism;
• toothache, swollen gums;
• heartburn, bloating, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal infections;
• intestinal worms;
• sores, wounds;
• measles, smallpox;
• snake bites, insect bites, dog bites, 
• scurvy;
• Staphylococcus aureus.
• The needles may be of use in potentiating the efficacy of erythromycin and ampicillin.

As previously noted, unfortunately, all that is sometimes recorded is that an herb was used, without detailing how much was used, how it was prepared, or how often it was used. While just using any herb that "someone said" was used to treat xyz disease is irresponsible at best when competent, licensed medical care is available, if there is no one else to help and all conventional supplies are exhausted, I guess if I'm throwing anything I can get my hands on at tuberculosis or tetanus, I'd rather try what Native Americans reportedly used to treat it than just trying to guess on my own. Accordingly, juniper something has also been used in the treatment of:

• depression, fatigue, insomnia;
• tuberculosis;
• high blood sugar;
• herpes simplex 1 and 2;
• kidney infections, kidney stones, bladder stones, gout;
• enlarged prostate;
• eczema, dandruff, psoriasis, vitiligo, athlete's foot, warts;
• tetanus;
• diarrhea, nausea;
• hemorrhage, high blood pressure; 
  
• Aspergillus niger.

Tincture dosage: 5-20 drops, up to 3x daily, for a maximum of four to six weeks. Begin with a lower dosage and increase, if needed. Tinctures take several weeks to make, so having them on hand before an infection occurs is best.

Making the juniper needle tincture: 1:5, 75% alcohol (that's one ounce of juniper needles to five ounces of 150-proof alcohol). Store the tincture in the dark and give it a good shake once each day. After five days, blend the tincture in a blender and then put it back in the jar and store it in the dark for four weeks. For the last step, strain the tincture through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to remove the herb and pour it into a clean bottle or jar. Store in a cool, dark location.

Infusion: Pour 2 cups of boiling water over 1-3 teaspoonfuls of crushed needles and steep for 10-15 minutes. Take one cup in the morning and one in the evening for lower urinary tract infections and digestive problems. Limit consumption to two weeks unless directed otherwise by a medical professional. If treating for scurvy, use new growth (lighter green) needles for their higher vitamin C content.

Decoction: Add one ounce of needles to one quart of boiling water. Boil for 30 minutes, remove from heat, and let steep 12-24 hours. It has historically been used as an antiseptic wash for sores, wounds, measles, smallpox, snake bites, insect bites, dog bites. A decoction is also used as a poultice on rheumatic or arthritic joints. Furthermore, a decoction of the needles was historically used to sterilize brewing equipment, cooking utensils, surgical instruments (yeah, that could be helpful), hands, and counters. It would seem silly to put this in buckets when I've got hundreds of trees here, but it is definitely one to keep in the memory banks for future reference.

Steam: Boil four ounces of needles in one gallon of water; inhale the steam as it boils. Use for upper respiratory infections.

Poultice: A poultice of the leaves is applied to the jaw for alleviating toothaches and sore or swollen gums.

MEDICINAL USES OF THE JUNIPER TWIGS

Decoction: Prepare as for the needle decoction above, using one ounce of twigs instead. Use primarily for treating stomach aches and kidney complaints.

Poultice: Mash twigs and make a poultice to dress burns and swollen skin tissue.

Smoke: Smoke from burning twigs was inhaled by Native Americans in treating headaches and colds. Juniper branches were used in sweat baths for alleviating rheumatism.

MEDICINAL USES OF THE JUNIPER SEEDS

The seeds were eaten to treat headaches.

OTHER USES OF JUNIPER:

Air purifier: Simmer berries and water in an open pot.

Disinfectant: Add juniper berries to dishwater or other cleaning solutions as a disinfectant. Yes, it sounds a little far-fetched. Read on.

Alternative to chlorhexidine: Chlorhexidine is an oral rinse used in periodontal treatment; however, extended use can have negative side effects. Juniper essential oil diluted in water had no negative effects. (https://www.researchgate.netpublication277252482_Essential_Oil_from_Berries_of_
Lebanese_Juniperus_excelsa_M_Bieb_Displays_Similar_Antibacterial_Activity_to_Chlorhexidine_
but_Higher_Cytocompatibility_with_Human_Oral_Primary_Cells)

Wax: Simmer fruit, skim off wax, use to make candles.

Slow match: Crushed bark is twisted into a rope, tied with yucca, and coiled. The free end was lit and kept smoldering by blowing on it infrequently. In this way, fire could be carried for several hours.

Roofs: The bark is used to thatch roofs.

Bedbugs: Boughs were used to deter bedbugs.

Contraindications: Juniper is a common allergen for hay fever. It also affects blood glucose levels in diabetics. Avoid juniper during pregnancy and while nursing.

Cautions: Large doses of juniper, like six cups of strong tea in a day, may cause vomiting, diarrhea, and increased urine flow. Use juniper only for a month or so; then abstain for a week or more before using the herb again.

Related posts:
Juniper, part 1 

© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com