Elecampane- kills parasites and effective against MRSA!
(Side note: We are growing Jerusalem artichokes for the first time, and I was wondering what the benefits were...if anyone knows more about them...they are new to me...)
This is interesting info about Elecampane (wild sunflower). One article is about it killing parasites, the 2nd one about it being found to be effective against MRSA!
http://www.vitaminstuff.com/herbs-elecampane.html
Elecampane (Inula helenium [Latin]), also called wild sunflower scabwort, and horseheal, is a perennial garden flower traditionally used to kill intestinal parasites and treat bronchial congestion. Traditional Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic medicine recommends elecampane for treatment of bronchitis and asthma. Elecampane is also said to improve digestion, and has been used for many years to heal skin infections in horses and sheep.
Elecampane gets its Latin name, Inula helenium, from the legend of Helen of Troy, who was supposed to have carried a bouquet of elecampane with her while being abducted from Sparta. Ancient Greeks and Romans used this herb to treat indigestion, sciatica, bronchitis, asthma, and to ease feelings of melancholy (Helen probably really needed this herb).
Recent studies support the ancient tradition of using elecampane to treat respiratory infections. Elecampane contains inulin, a phytochemical that coats and soothes the lining of the bronchial passages and acts as an expectorant in the body. Inulin helps promote “good” intestinal bacteria, which ensure regular bowel movements. Studies have also shown two other active ingredients in elecampane, alantolactone and isoalantolactone, to be useful in expelling parasites, including roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, and threadworm, from the intestine; this research supports the traditional use of elecampane for healthy digestion and parasitic infection.
Elecampane may also be helpful to patients with cardiovascular disease. Limited research has been conducted in this area, some tests indicate elecampane may help ease stress on the heart caused by shortness of breath, and provide better pain relief than nitroglycerin in some patients with cardiovascular disease. In animal tests conducted in Europe, elecampane was found to lower blood pressure. Of course people with high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease must be under the care of a qualified physician, and should consult their physician before taking elecampane or any other herbal supplement.
Elecampane is available in capsules, tinctures, and teas. There are also commercial preparations of Ayurvedic medicines that contain elecampane as an active ingredient, such as Rasayana and Lipistat. You can also buy the powdered root extract to make elecampane tea—1/4 teaspoon of powdered root in a cup of hot water up to three times a day is the usual dosage. If you make elecampane into a tea, make sure you flavor it with something, since this herb has a bitter taste.
Elecampane could cause allergic skin reactions in some people. People with diabetes should avoid elecampane—some studies have shown that it can have an effect on blood sugar levels in large doses. Women who are pregnant should also avoid this herb, as it has been used traditionally to stimulate uterine contractions. In large doses, elecampane can cause diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, spasms, or even symptoms of paralysis.
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http://www.ghchealth.com/natural-health/study-reveals-two-wildflowers-are-hig...
More and more scientists are now realizing that Mother Nature has answers to many of the dilemmas that we face. One such answer has arrived through a pair of Eurasian wildflowers (Elecampane & Pulsatilla vulgaris).
According to a study conducted by researchers at the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), extracts from the flowers are highly effective in killing the MRSA superbug.
The superbug, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium that is the root cause for many infections in humans. MRSA can be very difficult to treat, because it’s resistant to many antibiotics. MRSA is especially troublesome in hospitals, where, if the proper procedures are not carried out, staff may transfer these bacteria from one patient to another.
MRSA has been a serious problem not only in hospitals, but in other institutions such as prisons & schools. Due to the continually rotating population in a prison, combined with regular poor health, staph cases have become more and more prevalent.
The CIT researchers found that Elecampane, also called Horse-heal (Inula helenium) or Marchalan, is 100% effective against MRSA colonies. The second flower, Pulsatilla vulgaris, also known as Dane’s Blood or Pasque flower, was also “highly effective” against MRSA. The pair of wildflowers was tested against 300 different varieties of staphylococci bacteria, commonly known as Staph.
Example of Pulsatilla VulgarisThe Pulsatilla vulgaris (Dane’s Blood) belongs to the Buttercup family. Unlike its cousin’s yellow petals, Dane’s Blood has purple droopy flowers. The Elecampane appears in many gardens throughout Great Britain, but ranges as far eastwards as the Himalayas.
In an article written in the Corrections Connection Network News [CCNN], writer Ann Coppola pointed to Tulsa County Jail in Oklahoma, which suffered from an average of twelve staph cases per month.
These wildflowers represent a significant weapon in the battle to fight the staph infections that are ravaging prisons, schools and hospitals. It’s been noted too that it’s best to harvest the extracts from young wildflowers, 3 years old or less, for optimal potency.
I have personally recommended easy and cost effective techniques to eliminate the MRSA strain from hospitals, schools and prisons using negative ion, UV & HEPA Air Purification Systems and cleaning with hydrogen peroxide or a silver solution. Although I have made numerous recommendations to government officials nothing to date has been done to protect the innocent victim from these MRSA infections.