>Mustard Musings > >I'm starting the New Year in a new way. I'm auditing the opening classes >of >the new school in town, The Tai Sophia Institute of Herbal Healing, >offering >a Master's Degree therein. Got back in town from Peru in time to attend >a >potluck dinner welcoming the new faculty and the first crop of ten >promising >students. I brought my vegetarian lentil soup, described in an earlier >lentil newletters. I almost always add a dash of several of the pungent > >spices to most of my soups, black pepper, capsicum, garlic, ginger, >mustard, >onion, and turmeric, in a sense making many of the antiarthrtic >phytochemicals including the COX-2- inhibitor curcumin more readily >available. Yes, now that I am no longer employed by the Herb Industry, I >am leaning more and more towards food farmacy, at the same time as the >press is scaring the pants off the public with frightening stories of >herb/drug >interactions. They fail to tell us that herbs kill fewer than 100 >Americans >a year (usually those who are abusing the herb) while prescribed >pharmaceuticals kill more than 100,000 Americans a year. And they fail >to >tell us, as did NBC TV News Jan 29, 2002, that 9 million Americans, >including one of the President's close relatives, are abusing >prescription >pharmaceuticals. >I'm auditing these classes because I am very keen that this first >Master's >Degree Program in Herbal Healing succeed. I'm auditing so that when my >classes come up, I can relate my lectures to the lectures the students >have >already heard or will be hearing, from such luminaries as 7-Song, >Soaring >Bear, Kerry Bone, Steve Dentali, Mary Enig, Kathe Koumoutsias, >Jacqueline Krikorian, Kathleen Maier, Simon Mills, Rachel Pritzker, >Aviva Romm, Lynn Schumake, James Snow, Kevin Spellman, Claudia Wingo, >David Winston, and Tom Wolfe. It's been a great pleasure listening to >Simon Mills pivotal openings lectures on the Six Tastes, in which he >first covered the pungent compounds,which have triggered this issue of >my newsletter. >In their book, Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy, used as a text >in >the Tai Sophia Program, Mills and Bone (2000) note that most, if not >all, >members of the mustard family contain glucosinolates (sulfur and >nitrogen-containing compounds, which though not pungent in themselves >are >responsible for the pungency). When a glucosinolate comes in contact >with >the enzyme myrosinase, located in different parts of the cells of most >mustyard relatives, the glucosiniolate is enzymatically converted into >the >pungent (and corrosive) isothiocyanate. Mustard compresses are still >widely >used in Europe for bronchial troubles and chronic inflammatory diseases. >The mucolytic activities of the hot compounds could be useful in many >inflammatory conditions. Glucosinolates and/or their breakdown products > >have long been known for their allelopathic, bactericidal, fungicidal, >and >nematicidal properties and lately cancer chemoprevention: >GLUCOSINOLATE: \Anticancer PC56:5; \Antiseptic PC56:5; Antithyroid >NIG;\Bactericide PC56:5; \Chemopreventive PC56:5; \Fungicide PC56:5; >\Nematicide PC56:5; > >And here's what my database says about isothiocyanates, not surprising >since the glucosinolates, when enzymatically altered by myrosinase, form > >isothiocyanates: > >*ISOTHIOCYANATE: Anticancer PC56:5; Antiseptic MAB; Antithyroid NIG; >Antitumor MAB; Bactericide MAB; Chemopreventive MAB; Fungicide MAB; >Hypotensive; Goitrogenic MAB; 450- Inhibitor X11506821 ; Mucolytic MAB; >\Nematicide PC56:5; Respiradepressant; LD50=120 > >Most interesting to me in Mill's lecture was his description of a >British >mustard handbath for digital arthritis or arthritis of the hand. Simply >put >some dry powered mustard into a pan of hot water. Then immerse your >hands for a few minute. Deep penetrating action detoxifies, apparently. >It's >certainly worth a try. How well I remember my mothers last ten years. >Both >of her hands were almost locked uinto the curved position by what I >assume >was arthritis. And every time my hands lock up due to too much garden >work, I fear that I'll suffer the same fate. But, taking command, I get >on my >exercise bike, get those dumbells, peddling as I exercise the very >muscles >that are tending to cramp up. I believe the rheumatologists when they >say >that one of the best things for arthritis is exercise. And if I find >them >locking up on me rheumatically, I may use some powdered mustard in a >handbath. Or maybe I'll cook up a big batch of mustard greens, with >black >pepper, capsaicin, curry, garlic, and onion, and drink half the >potlikker >and steep my hands in the other half. (making it even more potent by >psiking >with horseradish or wasabi.. >But now, let me warn you, as Simon Mill skillfully warned his audience. >Appropriately used, these can be very good phytomedicines. But overdo >it, >and you're in trouble. These compounds are corrosive and will cause >blisters >(sometimes desired by some healers, if not their patients). And while >normal >doses will prevent cancer, this does not mean that you should eat >broccoli, >cabbage, cauliflower, collards, horseradish, kohlrabi, mustard greens, >radish, wasabi, watercress, etc, by the ton. Almost all cancer >preventive >compounds can actually aggravate cancer in unreasonably high doses, say >10 to 100 times the chemopreventive dose. And yes, too much can mess up >your thyroid, even cause goiter, while a little is good. >Here I go again, repeating myself too frequently: all things in >moderation, >except perhaps variety. Eat some mustard greens, some cabbage, come >broccoli, especially those that you enjoy. But I advise my friends >against >taking up a monofood diet, like mustard greens or broccoli, or cabbage, >eating tons of that one boring crucifer every day. It ain't natural. Eat >a >natural diet, closer to what our ancestors ate, with a wide variety of >blue, green, orange, purple, red and yellow fruits and vegetables, a >wide >variety, I repeat.. Enjoy a few 100 g servings of various crucifers each > >week. I'm convinced it will help prevent cancer, as will moderate doses >of >members of the garlic family (chives, garlic, leek, onion, ramp). Mix >and >match. Good diet and good exercise and positive thinking may be your >best >allies against cancer and other major maladies, cardiopathy, diabetes >and >several of the the other big killers, like pharmaceuticals. The better >your >diet, execise, and stress control, the less likely you are to need >pharmaceuticals, one of the top ten killers of North Americans. > >Here's what I said about mustard in my Medicinal Plants of the Bible > > BRASSICA NIGRA (L.) Koch >Black Mustard > >...The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man > >took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: >but >when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs...Matthew 13 > >Black mustard is cultivated for its seeds, the source of commercial >table >mustard, used as a condiment and medicine. Seeds also contain both a >fixed >and an essential oil, used as a condiment, lubricant, and soap >constituent. >Black mustard is mixed with while mustard (Sinapis alba) to make mustard > >flour, used in various condiments as "English Mustard" when mixed with >water and "Continental Mustard" with vinegar. The leaves are eaten as a >potherb. Mustard flowers are good honey producers. In agriculture >mustard is also used as a cover crop. Smoke from burning mustard is said >to repel flies and mosquitoes (Kirtikar & Basu, 1975). >Mustard is considered anodyne, apertif, carminative, diuretic, emetic, >laxative, rubefacient, stimulant, stomachic, and vesicant (Duke & Wain, >1981). Mustard plaster is used externally for many afflictions, like >arthritis and rheumatism. A liquid prepared from the seed, when gargled, >is >said to be a folk remedy for tumors of the "sinax". In Ethiopia alone, >the >seed is used for amebiasis, abscesses, bloat, constipation, dysentery, >rheumatism, and stomachache as well as for abortion (Jansen, 1981). A >decoction or plaster of the seed used in a cataplasm is used for >hardness of >the liver and spleen. Seeds are also said to help carcinoma and throat >tumors. Lately mustards have been shown to contain at least five >compounds >which inhibit neoplasias induced by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. >Mustard relieves congestion by drawing the blood to the surface as in >head >afflictions, neuralgia, spasms. Hot water poured on bruised seeds makes >a >stimulant foot bath, good for colds and headaches. Old herbals suggested > >mustard for alopecia, epilepsy, snakebite, and toothache. Mustard oil is > >said to stimulate hair growth. Mustard is also recommended as an >aperient >ingredient of tea, useful in hiccup. Mustard flour is considered >antiseptic. >The oil is considered useful in pleurisy and pneumonia. Ayurvedics value >the >leaves for throat complaints and worms, the seeds for cough, >external >parasites, fever, itch, megalospleny skin ailments, tumors, and worms. > >Unani also recommend the seeds for boils, ear, eye and nose problems, >edema, inflammation, rheumatism and toothache (Kirtikar & Basu, 1975). >(Duke & Duke, 1983) > >Wow, it's already ground hog day. Feb. 2, 2002. I have crocus, >dandelion, >hellebores, periwinkle, and snowdrop are already in flower. Its been a >gentle winter, breaking records near 80oF Feb. 1. Groundhogs will be >coming up (dare I say germinating) with the first of the wild mustard >seeds. I >suspect the groundhogs, wthther or not they see their shadow, will take >a >few bites of wild mustard sprouts and then move on, not overdosing on >any >one pungent species. Like my deer, they avoid the wild mustard species >heavily laden with the pungent defensive compounds that prevent cancer. >And like my deer, the groundhogs are more likely, like humans, to eat >the less bitter, less pungent cultivated relatives, broccoli, cabbage, >etc., which >are not any longer so well endowed with those pungent compounds that >deter the feeding of the bugs (and bacteria and fungi) as well as the >mammals. Up in West Virginia, my son's country consorts eat the >groundhog. I hope they have serve it with a mess of wild mustard greens, >to complement that greasy groundhog. Too much tame meat, (less so wild >game like groundhog), can up your chances of many of those same diseases >the cabbage and onion relatives will prevent. Happy Ground Hog Day. > >And here's a pretty good array of what will show up in edition 2 of my >CRC >Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, due out later this year. > BLACK MUSTARD (Brassica nigra (L.) W. D. J. Koch ++ > >Note: Many writers to not distinguish between black, brown (Indian), and > >white mustard(Brassica nigra, Brassica juncea and Sinapis alba >respectively) >but the spice and medicine trade seems to favor the white. And the >canola >and rapeseed varieties have been hopelessly manipulated, even in the GMO > >field. Few if any taxonomists and agronomists can distinguish all >Brassica >varieties and species, and probably fewer chemists, herbalists, >pharmacists, >and physicians can be sure of the variety or species. My entries can be >no >more reliable than their sources. Seems as though the group might better >be >treated generically than specifically or varietally. >ACTIVITIES (BLACK MUSTARD): Abortifacient (f; CEB; DAW); Anodyne (f; >DAW); >Antidote (Narcotics) (f; CEB; FEL); Antifertility (f; WOI); Carminative >(f; >DAW); Diuretic (f; DAW; fel; HHB); Emetic (f; DAW); Gastrotonic (f; >CEB); >Laxative (f; DAW); Orexigenic (f; DAW); Pancreatonic (f; CEB); >Rubefacient >(f; DAW);, Stimulant (f; DAW; WOI); Stomachic (f; DAW; HHB; WOI); >Vesicant >(f; DAW); > >INDICATIONS (BLACK MUSTARD): Abscess (f; DAW); Adenopathy (f; JLH); Ague >(f; >DEM); Alopecia (f; DAW); Ameba (f; DAW); Amenorrhea (f; FEL); Angina (f; > >FEL; HHB); Anorexia (f; DAW; DEM); Apoplexy (f; FEL); \Arthrosis (1; >FNF); >htAsthma (f; DEM); Bite (f; CEB); Bloat (f; DAW); Boil (f; DAW); >Bronchosis >(f; HHB; PH2); Cancer (1; FNF: JLH); Cancer, colon (1; FNF: JLH); >Cancer, >liver (1; FNF: JLH); Cancer, neck (1; FNF; JLH); Cancer, sinew (1; FNF: >JLH); Cancer, skin (1; FNF: JLH); Cancer, spleen (1; FNF: JLH); >Cancer, >throat (1; FNF; JLH);Cancer, uterus (1; FNF: JLH); Cancer, wrist (1; >FNF: >JLH); Cardiopathy (f; HHB; PH2); Cholera (f; FEL); Circulosis (f; PH2); >Cold >(f; DAW; DEM); Congestion (f; DAW; FEL); Constipation (f; DAW; FEL); >Cough >(f; DAW); Cramp (f; DAW); CVI (f; PH2); Dermatosis (f; DAW); Dysentery >(f; >DAW); Dysmenorrhea (f; FEL); Dyspepsia (f; CEB; FEL); Ectoparasite (f; >DAW); >Edema (f; DAW); Enterosis (f; FEL; PH2); Epilepsy (f; DAW); Fever (f; >DAW); >Fever (f; DEM; FEL; HHB); Fibroid (f; JLH); Fibroma (f; JLH); Gastrosis >(f; >FEL; PH2); Glaucoma (f; PH2); Headache (f; DAW; FEL; PH2); Headcold (f; > >DEM); Heartburn (f; HHB); Hepatosis (f; JLH); Hiccups (f; DAW); >Induration >(f; JLH); Inflammation (f; DAW; FEL); Itch (f; DAW); Lumbago (f; PH2); >Lymphoma (f; JLH); Meningosis (f; FEL); Nervousness (f; DEM); Neuralgia >(f; >DAW; WOI); Ophthalmia (f; DAW); Otosis (f; DAW); Pain (f; DEM; FEL; >HHB); >Pharyngosis (f; DAW); Phthisis (f; DEM); Pleurisy (f; DAW; FEL; PH2; >WOI); >Polyp (f; JLH); Pneumonia (f; DAW; PH2; WOI); Pulmonosis (f; FEL); >Respirosis (f; PH2); Rheumatism (1; DAW; FNF; PH2; WOI); Rhinosis (f; >DAW); >Sciatica (f; PH2); Sclerosis (f; JLH); Sinusosis (f; PH2); Snakebite (f; > >DAW); Splenosis (f; DAW); Spine (f; FEL); Stomachache (f; DAW); Sore >Throat >(f; DAW); Toothache (f; CEB; DAW; DEM); Tuberculosis (f; DEM); Typhus >(f; >FEL); Uterosis (f; JLH); Worm (f; DAW); > > >CONTRAINDICATIONS, INTERACTIONS, AND SIDE EFFECTS (BLACK MUSTARD): Class >1 >(Internal, Ingestion of too much can be irritating); Class 2b (External; > >duration not to exceed two weeks; not for children under 6 yrs. Severe >burns may occur with longterm topical use. (AHP). Counterindications: >children younger than 6 years; renal disease (mustard oil is absorbed >through the skin). Even external poultice should be limited to 5-10 mins >pediatrically, >10-15 min for adults, less for sensitive patients. (KOM); [Millspaugh >has >said "unground seeds. . .proved dangerous, as they are liable to become >impacted in the bowel and set up a fatal inflammation.] (CEB)., 15-30 >min/s >plaster can cause severe burns (AHP). Adverse effects: skin and nervous >damage (prolonged use). Should not be used for more than 2 weeks (AEHD). > >Avoid taking with ammonia-containing products as ammonia with mustard >oil >yields inactive thiosinamine. (PH2); Contraindicated in GI ulcers and >nephrosis (PHR) Overdoses internally cause GI distress. (PHR) >Hyperthyroidism with goiter traced "to the use of the isothiocyanates in > >mustard." (APA); Delaneyite nitpickologists will doubtless clamber to >put >the same goitrogenic warning on all members of the mustard family as >well as >papaya, caper and nasturtium. > >BRASSICA NIGRA (L.) Koch >"BLACK MUSTARD" >ALLYL-CYANIDE SD HHB >\ALLYLGLUCOSINOLATES 10,000-50,000 PL PH2 >ALLYL-ISOTHIOCYANATE 6,510-11,760 SD WOI >ALLYL-RHODANIDE SD HHB >ARGININE 1,810-26,657 LF USA >ASCORBIC-ACID 234-4,013 LF USA >ASH 50,000-54,112 SD WOI >ASH 5,830-99,722 LF USA >CAFFEIC-ACID SD CRC(FNS) >CALCIUM 1,107-17,867 LF USA >CARBOHYDRATES 192,000-207,792 SD WOI >CARBOHYDRATES 34,100-502,209 LF USA >BETA-CAROTENE 29-475 LF USA >CHLOROGENIC-ACID SD CRC(FNS) >TRANS-CINNAMIC-ACID SD CRC(FNS) >COPPER 0.58-11.2 LF USA >P-COUMARIC-ACID SD CRC(FNS) >CYSTINE 370-5,449 LF USA >EO 7,000-12,000 SD WOI >ERUCIC-ACID 770-11,340 LF USA >\FAT 282,000-350,000 SD WOI PH2 >FAT 2,220-46,841 LF USA >FERULIC-ACID SD CRC(FNS) >FIBER 110,000-119,048 SD WOI >FIBER 8,000-117,820 LF USA >GADOLEIC-ACID 260-3,829 LF USA >GLUCONAPIN PL JBH >GLUCONASTURTIIN PL JBH >GLUCOPUTRANJIVIN SD JBH >HISTIDINE 450-6,627 LF USA >HYDROXYBENZOIC-ACID SD CRC(FNS) >IRON 12-209 LF USA >ISOLEUCINE 910-13,402 LF USA >ISOPROPYL-ISOTHIOCYANATE PL JBH >KILOCALORIES 200-2,946 LF USA >LEUCINE 760-11,192 LF USA >LINOLEIC-ACID 270-3,976 LF USA >ALPHA-LINOLENIC-ACID 240-3,535 LF USA >LYSINE 1,130-16,642 LF USA >MAGNESIUM 132-2,471 LF USA >MANGANESE 3-53 LF USA >MESOINOSITOL-HEXAPHOSPHORIC-ACID-ESTER SD HHB >METHIONINE 230-3,387 LF USA >MUCILAGE 200,000 SD HHB >MYROSIN 6,800 SD WOI >NIACIN 3.03-47.87 LF USA >NONACOSANE LF JBH >OLEIC-ACID 200-2,945 LF USA >PALMITIC-ACID 60-884 LF USA >PALMITOLEIC-ACID 10-147 LF USA >PANTOTHENIC-ACID 0.19-2.79 LF USA >PHENYLALANINE 660-9,720 LF USA >2-PHENYLETHYL-ISOTHIOCYANATE SD JBH >PHOSPHORUS 290-4,563 LF USA >@PHYLLOQUINONE 0.565-3.39 FL JN126:1183S >POTASSIUM 1,485-28,215 LF USA >PROGOITRIN PL JBH >PROTEIN 23,650-385,190 LF USA >\PROTEIN 400,000 SD PH2 >PROTOCATECHUIC-ACID SD CRC(FNS) >RIBOFLAVIN 0.56-9.72 LF USA >SINAPIC-ACID SD CRC(FNS) >\SINAPINE 10,000 SD BIS PH2 >SINAPINE SD CCO JBH >@SINIGRIN 10,000-12,000 SD BIS PH2 >SODIUM 274-4,506 LF USA >STEARIC-ACID 20-294 LF USA >THIAMIN 0.44-7.66 LF USA >THREONINE 660-9,720 LF USA >TRYPTOPHAN 270-3,976 LF USA >TYROSINE 1,320-19,440 LF USA >VALINE 970-14,286 LF USA >VANILLIC-ACID SD CRC(FNS) >WATER 76,000 SD WOI >WATER 930,030-933,900 LF USA >ZINC 2-40 LF USA > >James A. "Jim" Duke >Botanical Consultant >Herbal Vineyard, Inc. >8210 Murphy Road >Fulton, MD 20759 >Ph.: 301-498-1175 >Fax: 301-498-5738 >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >For Medical Botany Syllabus, with many modules, see: >http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/syllabus >For example, there is an Herbal Desk Reference (HDR) Module, with >bioactivities, indications, some dosage levels, and counterindications >and >side effects. > >For newsletter, see: http://www.fathernaturesfarmacy.com
