Showing posts with label indigestion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indigestion. Show all posts

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Medicinal Trees Allspice (Pimenta officinalis) used for colds upset stomac, muscle pains, diabetis, indigestion

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 182-365

Pimenta, an evergreen tree about 30 feet high, a member of the natural order Myrtaceae; tree having small white flowers and aromatic berries.
Synonyms---Pimento. Jamaica Pepper.
Part Used---Fruit, particularly the shel

Description---The tree begins to fruit when three years old and is in full bearing after four years. The flowers appear in June, July and August and are quickly succeeded by the berries. 





Allspice owes its name to its unique flavor: a zesty blend of cinnamon, pepper, juniper and clove. Thanks to its oil, it also has mild but significant healing powers as a digestive aid and topical anesthetic.

Medicinal Uses

Jamaicans drink hot allspice tea for colds, menstrual cramps and upset stomach. Costa Ricans use it to treat indigestion, flatulence and diabetes. Cubans consider it a refreshing tonic. And Guatemalans apply crushed berries to bruises and joint and muscle pains. Most of these uses have been confirmed by modern science.

Native to the Caribbean islands and southern Mexico, the allspice tree produces berries that are dried for export. Crushed, they are used in cooking, but also are added to medicines as a carminative that aids in expelling gas to relieve colic
  • aromatic stimulant [a substance having an agreeable odor and stimulating qualities]
  • carminative [an agent for easing griping pains, colic and expelling gas from the intestines] to the gastrointestinal tract
  • stimulant [an agent that excites or quickens the functional activity of the tissues giving more energy]
  • stomachic [an agent that strengthens, stimulates or tones the stomach]
 An extract made from the crushed berries by boiling them down to a thick liquor is, when spread on linen, a capital stimulating plaster for neuralgic or rheumatic pains. 

For toothache, apply allspice oil directly to the tooth, one drop at a time, using a cotton swab. Take care not to swallow it. Powdered allspice adds a warm, rich flavor to foods, but its highly concentrated oil should never be swallowed. As little as one teaspoon can cause nausea, vomiting and even convulsions. 

Contains:
 
  • coloring matter
  • fatty substance
  • gallic acid
  • green fixed oil 
  • gum
  • inflammable particles (leaves and bark)
  • lignin
  • malic acid
  • phenol Eugenol (60-75% of the volatile oil) - [promotes digestion by enhancing the activity of the digestive enzyme trypsin]
  • resin
  • saline matter
  • sesquiterpene
  • tannin
  • uncrystalizable sugar
  • volatile oil (3-4.5%)

Description
 
Allspice spreads by suckers to form a rounded multi-stemmed shrub 3′-9′ tall and 6′-12′ wide at maturity with large green leaves that turn yellow in fall. (It is a bit slower growing in well-drained soils.) Each spring it is adorned with sweetly scented, deep maroon flowers resembling miniature magnolia blossoms. The sweet fragrance attracts a host of insects which are eagerly snatched up by a variety of hungry birds hiding among the branches. The fruits (only occasionally seen on our shrub) are drooping, brown, wrinkled and full of seeds.

Reforestation

It’s hardy in zones 4-9 and grows contentedly in full sun to full shade, being less robust in shady areas.
A beneficial cover and food source for wildlife, seasonal interest, unique flowers and fruits, delightfully fragrant leaves and twigs, and easily adaptable to a range of light, soil and water conditions!

Native to the West Indies, Allspice makes an excellent container plant. The tall, slender tree has a whitish-gray trunk and deep green flavorful leaves. Small white flowers appear in spring, and once the plant is mature, dark purple berries set fruit in summer. Dried allspice berries have the fragrance of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg rolled into one. In the fresh leaves, the clove flavor is reduced and the cinnamon and nutmeg flavors become dominant. Use the fresh leaves for a spicy flavor when cooking roasts or stews. They may also be added to potpourris or boiled in water to impart a spicy scent in the home. - See more at: http://www.logees.com/Allspice/productinfo/R2168-4/#sthash.HDdf6Als.dpuf
Native to the West Indies, Allspice makes an excellent container plant. The tall, slender tree has a whitish-gray trunk and deep green flavorful leaves. Small white flowers appear in spring, and once the plant is mature, dark purple berries set fruit in summer. Dried allspice berries have the fragrance of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg rolled into one. In the fresh leaves, the clove flavor is reduced and the cinnamon and nutmeg flavors become dominant. Use the fresh leaves for a spicy flavor when cooking roasts or stews. They may also be added to potpourris or boiled in water to impart a spicy scent in the home. - See more at: http://www.logees.com/Allspice/productinfo/R2168-4/#sthash.HDdf6Als.dpuf
Native to the West Indies, Allspice makes an excellent container plant. The tall, slender tree has a whitish-gray trunk and deep green flavorful leaves. Small white flowers appear in spring, and once the plant is mature, dark purple berries set fruit in summer. Dried allspice berries have the fragrance of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg rolled into one. In the fresh leaves, the clove flavor is reduced and the cinnamon and nutmeg flavors become dominant. Use the fresh leaves for a spicy flavor when cooking roasts or stews. They may also be added to potpourris or boiled in water to impart a spicy scent in the home. - See more at: http://www.logees.com/Allspice/productinfo/R2168-4/#sthash.HDdf6Als.dpuf

History 
 
Allspice was discovered by Columbus in 1494 while he was searching for new sources of black pepper. It gets its name from the berry’s taste, which has been described as a combination of cinnamon, pepper, cloves, and Juniper berries.The botanical name is derived from 'pimenta' (Portuguese) and 'pimienta' (Spanish) which means 'pepper'.

FolkLore
  • used to encourage healing
  • used in mixtures to ask for money and good fortune