Elecampane supports our terrain like few herbs can
Hello Herbies!!
It's a grey and dreary Saturday as I write this, and the forecast is calling for snow. I love the snow. I love the forced slowdown, the peaceful quiet, and the coziness of the woodstove. I always feel especially grateful during weekends like this that we have the luxury of a warm house, a roof that doesn't leak, and food to keep us fueled and healthy.
But even with the luxury of a warm house and good food, sometimes we still come down with bugs- especially this time of year. If we don't have strong digestion, we are especially prone to insults because so much of our immune system is derived from our digestive function. In the research world it's often referred to as the GALT-Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue. Not only that, but researchers are increasingly linking the health of our nervous system with that of our digestion as well. They have found that the relationships between our microbiome (the beneficial bugs that live within us), our digestive tissue and our brains can support or harm us in ways that are only now becoming clear. A recent metanalysis (a study in which researchers compile and evaluate data from many studies at once) has confirmed strong correlations between impaired digestive health and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. One of my favorite herbs to assist us in keeping away winter bugs while supporting our digestive health is Elecampane.
About Elecampane
A tall, somewhat scrappy looking plant, this sunflower relative has a long history of use in parts of the world to which it is native, and now in areas to which it has been introduced. Elecampane is an aromatic bitter herb, helpful for assisting our digestive system get on the right track. Elecampane is so high in the pre-biotic plant sugar Inulin that the name for that chemical was derived from the plant's Latin name, Inula helenium.
You may remember from prior letters that pre-biotics are what is needed to feed the pro-biotic organisms that make up our microbiome or flora. We are "inoculated" with flora all over our body and we are in a much better position to thrive and be healthy if we support a diverse balance in our bodies. Depending on where you are considering, different parts of the body need different levels of certain bacteria. This is one of the reasons that Elecampane is so magical. She helps keep bacteria that's good in certain places from migrating to others where they are not. She helps the eliminatory pathways of the respiratory and urinary tracts remove what doesn't belong and helps to balance the digestive system so that it can better digest, assimilate, metabolize and eliminate more efficiently.
Using Elecampane
An aromatic, warming and drying herb, my favorite way to enjoy elecampane is as an herbal honey. A little of the honey infused with fresh or dried roots helps for coughs to be less frequent and more productive. It also has antimicrobial qualities that help fight off the infection. If trying to avoid sugar, the next best way to take this herb is as a tincture. It makes a great bitter/floral addition to seltzer water for bitters and soda. In this form, so many of the digestive benefits can be had without some of the more traditional "aperitifs" that have a higher percentage of alcohol. If you're considering "Dry January", Low ABV drinks (less than 1%) such as this serve to not only reduce alcohol consumption but improve health. Lastly, I love to get a little dose every day by using elecampane infused Fire Cider as my salad dressing base. I mix 1 tablespoon of Fire Cider with 1 tablespoon Olive Oil and drizzle on salads, steamed veggies, or steamed rice.
Growing Elecampane
Easy to grow, we start plants in late winer/early spring and plant out fairly early as it can tolerate some frost. We then grow this plant out in full sun for the whole season and harvest giant roots in fall (as much as a pound or more per plant). No need to grow many of these to have lots of roots to work with. We will have them at our plant sale this spring for sure!
Image credits: Cover Photo Peter Hewitt
Inset Photo: File:InulaHelenium.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
