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June/July 2006 Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus
Hot, spicy and a little naked...
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The Old Ways
The plant language seen with Nasturtium is again placed under this section, more because people just don't connect with a plant in this way today.
What do we notice?
Bright orange or orange/yellow flowers like hoods with a short tail. They have 5 petals a yellow centre with red veins radiating out from this.
Sacred lotus shaped leaf being roughly circular with a central petiole off centre and a star burst of veins radiating out from this.
Hot, pungent , peppery tasting leaves and flowers that sting the tip of the tongue but also a sour taste
Cool and moist to touch especially on the upper surface of the leaf.
Long sprawling stems
More esoterically it grows in a somewhat wild and unruly manner and there is a nakedness about this plant that does justice to the phrase ‘showing the world your true face'.
So what does all this mean?
Using an ancient colour/chakra system the orange indicates a focus and effect on the navel chakra, the centre for personal power (your true face?), the assimilation of food and stimulation of immune function the yellow on the solar plexus and I suggest that as it is also hot and stimulating it would affect the stomach juices. The radiating red veins indicate an effect on the blood, so for Nasturtium it probably relates to its stimulating effect on the circulatory system.
The sour taste also indicates a plant acid another reason for it to improve digestion in the stomach
The hot biting taste is of mustard and these are usually protective and antibacterial
This is another plant used as both food and medicine.
The New Ways
This South American native often called Indian Cress, is now found all over the world.
The whole plant, including the seeds, are eaten for their spicy, hot taste.
Many references say the pickled seeds or flower buds can be substituted for capers, a pretty poor substitute, I say, but only in comparison.
We know now that they contain;
Nutrients
♦ Flowers and leaves contain Vitamins A, C
♦ The shoot contains Vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B3 and minerals calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, and protein
♦ The seeds contain some protein and oils
And Plant Chemicals (Phytochemicals)
The plant contains ‘glucosinolates', mustard oil containing chemicals and in this plant the ‘glucotropaeoline' is broken down to form and antibiotic substance and essential oil.
So not only do we have Vitamin C, important for the immune system but also an antibiotic and a little iron to replace those stores reduced by infections
There are also carotenoids and flavonoids.
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What Plant?
The main identifying features are described above and they are ♦ flat, round, bright green leaves attached to a stalk in the centre
♦ long trailing stems, quite succulent
♦ brilliant orange flowers sometimes yellow/orange
♦ flowers are like hoods with a short tail
♦ they taste ‘hot'
They are found in people's gardens, plant boxes, sand dunes, edge of woods and bush, garden rubbish piles, public gardens.
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What Part?
The whole of the plant above ground
How and when to use them?
Nasturtium is not used commercially today although one would have to wonder why. Probably it is because it is accessible to many people. The antimicrobial action of the ‘glucotropaeoline' makes this weed an important plant to use in infections, such as, bacterial infections, chest and respiratory infections including bronchitis, ‘flu, colds, and reproductive tract infections.
So it is
♦ antimicrobial
♦ expectorant
♦ possibly anti-fungal topically especially the green fruit.
How to prepare it?
Other than eating all parts as a salad green you can tincture it in vinegar or make a fresh plant tincture in alcohol.
The vinegar is made by roughly chopping the plant including leaf, stalk, flowers, buds and seedpods and steeping them in vinegar for 10 days to 2 weeks.
It is a little mustard tasting but pretty good on steamed greens.
For the tincture , weigh the fresh plant, add twice the amount of blue label vodka (at least 45% alcohol or 90% proof) and leave for a moon cycle preferably pressing out at full moon.
How much to use
Vinegar: Dose tbsp 3 times daily.
Tincture: Dose 2 ˝ mls or 40 drops 2x daily.
Research
There is very little research on this amazing wild plant but I list a often quoted one here:
Efficacy and safety profile of a herbal drug (interesting term herbal drug! -Author) containing nasturtium herb and horseradish root in acute sinusitis, acute bronchitis and acute urinary tract infection in comparison with other treatments in the daily practice/results of a prospective cohort study 2
‘Therapy with the herbal drug in the indications acute sinusitis, acute bronchitis und acute urinary tract infection is - with regard to its efficacy comparable to the treatment with standard antibiotics. The application of supportive procedures and the administration of concurrent medication were less expressed in the group treated with the herbal drug. In the above mentioned indications the group treated with the herbal drug displayed a clear advantageous safety profile compared to the group treated with standard antibiotics.'
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References
1.Goos KH, Albrecht U, Schneider B.Arzneimittelforschung. 2006;56(3):249-57
2. Phytobrief by Phytomed Auckland, NZ.
3. Lust John, The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1987
Reflections
In full flower, a naked but attractive lady becons, she is hot,
spicy and guaranteed to please but watch out for the secretive
hidden powers beneath!
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