Tag: anti-inflammatory

About the Lemon Myrtle tree

Todays post is about the Lemon Myrtle tree.

In the last post I wrote about a plant in our garden, so I thought it was time to do some research into another of our garden plants. We have two lemon myrtle trees in our garden and I know very little about the health benefits of this plant. Here is what I have found.

What is a Lemon Myrtle?

The Lemon Myrtle is a plant native to subtropical rainforests of central and southeast Queensland, Australia. It is easily found from Mackay to Brisbane. Its botanical name is Backhousia citriodora, however it is also known by other common names such as, lemon scented myrtle, lemon scented ironwood, sweet verbena tree, sweet verbena myrtle and lemon scented backhousia.

It is an evergreen tree with creamy-white flowers. The flowers appear in clusters at the ends of the branches from summer through to autumn. It can grow up to 3m tall and up to 8m in rainforest conditions, but may be kept small in pots.

Lemon myrtle was given the botanical name Backhousia citriodora in 1853 after the English botanist, James Backhouse.

What can it be used for?

Lemon Myrtle is sometimes referred to as the “Queen of the Lemon Herbs”, and has long been used in Aboriginal cuisine and medicine.

The potential uses of this plant were recognised over a century ago by European settlers. Lemon myrtle essential oil was first distilled in 1888.  Australia commenced commercial production of this plant in the mid-1990s.

It is the leaves that are commercially used. This is due to the leaves containing a compound called ‘citral’. Citral is the ingredient that gives lemon myrtle its distinctive lemon fragrance and taste. It is from the leaves that the essential oil is distilled with the oil containing up to 98% citral.

The leaves are also dried and milled for their flavour. This is then used in tea, herbs, spice and personal care products and also potentially as a food preservative. The oil is used in cleaning agents.

During World War II a national drinks company used the essence of lemon myrtle to flavour drinks when natural lemon essence was in short supply.

Medicinal or health uses

Studies have found that lemon myrtle functions well as an anti-microbial and anti-fungal product. It also has shown effective against food borne human pathogens, common food spoilage bacteria, yeasts and moulds.

As well as having potential in natural food preservation and as a natural surface cleaning agent, it is currently investigated in the biological control of post harvest diseases in fruits and vegetables.

The anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties make it great for helping to beat sinus and bronchitis infections. The anti-inflammatory properties help with the inflammation of the nasal cavity and bronchial tubes. The anti-microbial properties help clear the infection so the body can heal itself. Therefore these same properties make lemon myrtle tea great for treating a sore throat. The tea can also be used as a gargle after it cools.

The anti-microbial properties and lemon scent also make it a popular ingredient in air fresheners.

Lemon myrtle oil is useful both as a preventative and treatment for insect bites. The smell repels the bugs and the anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties help with treating bites and stings.

This last use I can definitely vouch for. We use an insect repellent with a main ingredient of lemon myrtle oil and it is very effective. It is much more pleasant smelling that many other brands and non-toxic as well.

I hope you found this information interesting,

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper.

Sources -( Wikipedia – AgriFutures Australia – Australian Native Food & Botanicals – Superfoods Australia )

Cherries – The Healthy Christmas Treat

Todays post is about Cherries.

In my last post about Gout I mentioned that eating Sour Cherries could assist with this condition. With Christmas approaching, these fruits are popping up in our supermarkets. I thought some research into cherries was a good idea.

Here is what I found out.

First of all, there are two main cherry species:
Sweet Cherries (Prunus avium L.), which are what we often see in the supermarket, sold as generic fresh cherries.
Sour Cherries (Prunus cerasus L.) are mostly used in processed products such as frozen, canned, and juices or typically preserved for cooking purposes or for making cherry brandy.

Within these two species, there are more than 80 different varieties of cherries grown within Australia. Different varieties are harvested at different times. This means that different varieties of cherries are available from November to January.

Are they healthy?

Overall cherries are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, fibre, and other nutrients that the body needs to function optimally. They are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. The amount and type  of antioxidant can vary, depending on the variety.

It is the unique combination of these vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds which act together. This enables cherries to deliver health benefits not available in supplements.

These little stone fruits contain powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins, which provide a variety of health benefits, and give cherries with their rich red colour.

Research conducted by the USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre on Ageing at Tufts University, confirmed sour cherries contained similar or higher amounts of antioxidants compared to blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries.   At least one serving of cherries (100 grams) per day is required. Though additional servings do deliver more benefits.

What are the health benefits?

The health benefits of antioxidants are wide ranging. The flavonoids found in cherries and other fruits help reduce and combat oxidative stress, a condition that is linked to multiple chronic diseases and premature ageing.

Antioxidants are necessary to clear the body of damaging free radicals and they are most effectively acquired through diet. If we don’t consume enough antioxidants, damage can occur. This can lead to degeneration and disease including cardiovascular disease, arthritis, cancer, inflammatory conditions and neurological diseases.

Other studies have found that eating cherries effectively reduced inflammation by suppressing inflammatory proteins, which can help reduce symptoms related to arthritis.

Plus, they can decrease uric acid levels in the body, making them especially beneficial for those with gout.

Overall, research has confirmed that cherries have significant health benefits. Such as slowing or inhibiting the progression of cancer, ageing, neurological diseases, cardiovascular disease and inflammatory conditions.

What about tart or sour cherries?

Tart cherry juice and concentrate have been found to accelerate muscle recovery and decrease exercise-induced muscle pain. It has also been found to prevent strength loss in elite athletes, such as cyclists and marathon runners.

Eating sour cherries or drinking tart cherry juice may also help improve sleep quality. This may be attributed to the fruit containing melatonin, a substance that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. This is why sour cherry concentrate is often included in sleep supplements.

So, not only do cherries contain several powerful plant compounds that can help reduce inflammation, but also eating them may improve sleep, slow ageing, and assist exercise recovery.

Sounds like a lot of good reasons to enjoy these delicious red fruits this Christmas.

Enjoy.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper.

Sources – (The Victorian Cherry Assoc – Healthline )

Is Vitamin P a recognised vitamin?

Todays post is about Vitamin P. I came across the reference to Vitamin P while writing my last post about Buckwheat. 

It is something that isn’t mentioned often, so I thought it would be a good topic to look at.

What is Vitamin P?

It turns out that vitamin P is not actually a recognised ‘vitamin’.

It is actually a term that was used to name a group of plant compounds called flavonoids. When first discovered by scientists in 1930, they were thought to be a new type of vitamin and, therefore, named vitamin P. This name is no longer used, as it was determined that flavonoids are not vitamins.

The actual word ‘Vitamin’ comes from the Latin word ‘vita’ meaning ‘life’. It was originally thought that vitamins contained the essential building blocks of life and in the early 1900s the word was ‘vitamine’. Eventually, as scientific understanding of these substances advanced, the word was changed to vitamin.

Though flavonoids have been found to be extremely beneficial, they are however not ‘vital for life’.

There are several types of flavonoids found in fruits, vegetables, tea, cocoa, and wine. They give certain foods their colour; provide plants with protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays and infection. There are currently over 6,000 known flavonoids.

The term ‘vitamin P’ is now more commonly used in reference to Rutin, one of the most important and well-researched flavonoids. This citrus flavonoid, like all flavonoids, is an antioxidant.

More about Rutin

The name ‘rutin’ comes from the plant Ruta graveolens, which also contains rutin.

Rutin or rutoside, is a highly bioavailable flavonoid, found in the pigments of several plants, such as passionflower and tea. It is also widely distributed in vegetables, fruits, and medicinal herbs such as asparagus, apples and buckwheat. Further, buckwheat is considered to be one of the best dietary sources of rutin.

What are the health benefits?

Rutin is firstly a flavonoid, which are well known for their antioxidant properties.

However, scientists have found that rutin has various pharmacological properties with several uses in different traditional and complementary medicines.

Specific parts of its molecule interact with different systems in the body, such as the brain, heart, or blood vessels. This means it has numerous beneficial effects.

Studies found that rutin also enhances the action of Vitamin C, supports blood circulation, helps alleviate allergies, viruses, or arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

Rutin promotes collagen production; helps strengthen blood vessels and improve circulation.

It is useful for treating conditions affecting vessels, such as hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and spider veins.

In addition, some research suggests that rutin may prevent the formation of blood clots that could help prevent heart disease and stroke.

It has been found to be antibacterial, anti-protozoal, anti tumour, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antiviral, antispasmodic, and antihypertensive, just to name a few.

With this information in mind, it seems like a good idea to boost your rutin intake every day. The easiest way to do this is by eating buckwheat, unpeeled apples, figs, or asparagus.

 Till the next post,

 Live clean n prosper.

(Sources – Wikipedia, Science Direct, National Centre for Biotechnical Information, Healthline)