Papaya - a world class meat tenderizer, natural digestive aid, prevents ulcers, and also a soft contact lense cleaner.Boneset the Safety Factor
In large amounts, boneset may cause nausea, vomiting, and violent diarrhea.
Boneset contains chemicals (pyrrolizidines), which in large amounts cause liver damage and liver tumors in laboratory animals. Boneset’s effect on human cancer, if any, is unclear because the plant also contains anti-cancer substances.
However, the pyrrolizidines in some healing herbs, such as comfrey (see page 194), have caused a few cases of liver damage in people who have taken more than recommended amounts for long periods of time. It’s not a good idea to take boneset frequently as a tonic. And don’t take more than recommended amounts. Anyone with a history of alcoholism, liver disease, or cancer should not use this herb without consulting his physician
Toxic When Fresh
Do not eat fresh boneset. It contains a toxic chemical (trernerol). which causes nausea, vomiting, weakness, muscle tremors, increased respiration, and at high doses, possibly even coma and death. Drying the herb eliminates the tremerol and the possibility of poisoning.
The Food and Drug Administration lists boneset as an herb of “undefined safety.” For otherwise healthy nonpregnant, nonnursing adults who have no history of alcoholism, cancer, or liver disease, boneset is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.
Boneset should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If boneset causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or a laxative effect, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.
Do not take boneset for more than two weeks at a time, and do not exceed recommended amounts.
Native Cultivation - A Snap to Grow
Boneset is easy to identify because its long, narrow, pointed leaf pairs are not distinct, but rather connected and pierced by the stem.
The herb has round, erect, hairy, hollow stems which grow to 5 feet, then split into three branches, which produce tiny, densely clustered white to bluish florets from midsummer through fall.
A hardy perennial, boneset grows easily from seeds planted in spring or root divisions planted in spring or fall. It prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil under full sun but tolerates poorer soil and partial shade.
Harvest it as it flowers by cutting the entire plant a few inches above the ground.