Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

In high doses, barberry can cause nausea, vomiting, convulsions, hazardous drops in blood pressure, and depression of heart rate and breathing. Those with heart disease or chronic respiratory problems should be careful not to take large doses and should take this herb only with the knowledge and approval of their physicians.

Berberine may stimulate the uterus. Thus, pregnant women should not use it.

Barberry is a powerful herb and it should be used cautiously by otherwise healthy nonpregnant, nonnursing adults. Barberry should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If barberry causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less or stop using it. If it causes dizziness or faintness, 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.

Native Cultivation - You Can Always Make Jam

Barberry is a perennial shrub that reaches 8 feet. It has smooth gray bark, long spines, and hanging clusters of bright yellow flowers that bloom in spring.

Barberry grows easily in the Northeast and Midwest. Plant seed in the fall in fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Germination occurs the following spring. The shrub can also be propagated from cuttings.

Barberry prefers sun but tolerates shade. Prune and thin the branches in the spring after the shrub flowers. Neglected shrubs become overgrown and unhealthy, but can be rejuvenated by fertilizing and cutting back to within a foot of the ground in late winter. In areas with cold winters, shelter the plant from the wind. Harvest the root bark in spring or fall, and dry.

This herb’s edible berries are used to make jams and jellies.

The berry juice may substitute for lemon juice.

Most present-day herbalists limit their recommendations to gargling barberry decoction for sore throat and drinking it for diarrhea and constipation. But if they read the medical journals, they’d recommend it for a great deal more.

Antibiotic - The berberine in barberry has remarkable infection-fighting properties. Studies around the world show it kills microorganisms that cause wound infections (Stapl1ylococci, Streptococci), diarrhea (Sa/monella, ShigeUa), dysentery (Endamoeba histolytica). cholera (Vibrio cholerae). giardiasis (Giardia lam&lia). urinary tract infections (Escherichia coli). and vaginal yeast infections (Candida a/&icans).

Immune Stimulant - Berberine may also fight infection by stimulating the immune system. Studies show that it activates the macrophages (literally, “big eaters”). white blood cells that devour harmful microorganisms.

Pinkeye - Barberry’s traditional use in treating eye problems is alive and well in Germany, where a berberine preparation, Ophthiole, is used to treat sensitive eyes, inflamed lids, and pinkeye (conjunctivitis). Unfortunately, the product is not available in the United States. A compress made from an herbal infusion may prove helpful. however.

High Blood Pressure - Barberry contains chemicals that may help reduce elevated blood pressure by en larging blood vessels, thus lending support to the herb’s traditional Russian use as a treatment for high blood pressure.

Intriguing Possibilities - Perhaps old Harry Hoxsey was right. One study shows that barberry helps shrink some tumors.

Another shows it has anti-inflammatory activity, suggesting possible value in treating arthritis.

More research needs to be done in both areas before any specific recommendations can be made.

Myth - A few contemporary herbalists continue to recommend barberry as “one of the best remedies for correcting liver function.” British researchers have isolated substances in the plant which promote the flow of bile, but barberry is not considered therapeutic for jaundice or other liver problems. So much for “jaundice berry.”

Rx for Barberry

For a decoction, use 112 teaspoon of powdered root bark, boiled in a cup of water for 15 to 30 minutes. Drink cool. Drink up to I cup a day. The taste is quite bitter. Mask it with honey or an herbal beverage blend.

Barberry should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with a lower-strength preparation and increase strength if necessary.
To make a compress to treat pinkeye, soak a clean cloth in a barberry infusion.

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.