Papaya - a world class meat tenderizer, natural digestive aid, prevents ulcers, and also a soft contact lense cleaner.Barberry and Oregon Grape also known as Berberry, Berberis, Jaundice Berry
Powerful Antibiotics
Family: Berberidaceae; (includes Mayapple, Mandrake, Blue Cohosh)
Genus and species: Berberis Vulgaris, Oregon Grape: B. Aquifolium or Mahonia Aquifolium
Also known as: Berberry, Berberis, Jaundice Berry
Parts used: Root bark
Who says herbs can’t compete with drugs? In one study, berberine, the active constituent in barberry, proved more potent against bacteria than chloram phenicol, a powerful pharmaceutical antibiotic. But there’s a lot more to this herb than mere infection treatment. Barberry, and its close relative, Oregon grape, also may stimulate the immune system, reduce blood pressure, and even shrink some tumors.
Ancient Healer
Barberry has played a prominent role in herbal healing for more than 2,500 years. The ancient Egyptians used it to prevent plagues, a use that was probably effective considering its antibiotic action. India’s traditional Ayurvedic healers prescribed it for dysentery, another use confirmed by modern science.
“Jaundice Berry”
During the early Middle Ages, European herbalists were guided by the Doctrine of Signatures, the belief that a plant’s physical appearance revealed its therapeutic benefits. Barberry has yellow flowers, and its roots produce a yellow dye. These features were linked to the yellowing of the skin and eyes during jaundice, a symptom of liver disease. As a result, barberry was widely used to treat liver and gallbladder ailments and earned the name “jaundice berry.”
In addition to using barberry for liver and gallbladder problems, traditional Russian healers recommended it for inflammations, high blood pressure, and abnormal uterine bleeding.
When the colonists introduced barberry into North America, the Indians recognized it as a relative of the native Oregon grape, a hollylike plant that they considered a powerful healer. Many tribes adopted barberry enthusiastically and used it to treat dysentery, mouth ulcers, sore throat, wound infections, and intestinal complaints.
The 19th-century American Eclectic physicians prescribed barberry as a purgative and treatment for jaundice, dysentery, eye infections, cholera, fevers, and “impurities of the blood,” a euphemism for syphilis.
The Hoxsey Formula
Barberry was an ingredient in the popular-but highly controversial-Hoxsey Cancer Formula, an alternative cancer therapy marketed from the I930s to the I950s by ex-coal miner Harry Hoxsey.