When I first started studying herbalism there was a period when all I felt was overwhelm. Health is complicated, and healing is hardly ever linear. Every person has unique conditions, medications and bodies that must be taken into account. The plants have complex phytochemical components, growing conditions, personalities and safety issues to consider.
Bogged down by the infinite combinations I could make, I found myself falling down a rabbit hole of scientific journals. Admittedly, I still get trapped in this headspace at times, and I have to remind myself of some of the advice that helped get my head above ground: "Start in your spice cabinet."
I realized that, though new to my formal herbal education, I had actually been an herbalist for a long time. I had been working with dozens of herbs in cookbooks and recipes before ever picking up an herbal text!
Salvia off., Cinnamomum spp., Rosmarinus off., Curcuma longa, Zingiber off., Thymus vulgaris, Mentha spp, Syzygium aromaticum, Citrus and Allium.
Everything can be intimidating when it's italicized and written in Latin; but there's nothing scary about the sage, cinnamon, rosemary, turmeric, ginger, thyme, mint, clove, citrus and garlic we enjoy in our food every day!
Now, when I fall back into overwhelm, which I did while initially writing this piece, I look for a recipe. The holidays can be stressful enough, which is how I ended up here, following that advice once again, starting with what I know and sharing the recipe for my family's wassail.
Wassail is a warm, seasonal beverage typically made with apple cider and alcohol. Filled with spices straight from the pantry, it is something I have enjoyed for years—a special boozy treat for the holidays! It was not until now, blending seasonal overwhelm with nostalgia and my herbal education, that I considered wassail might have any health benefits beyond just the calming effects of curling up with a mug of something warm and tasty. By returning to this recipe and considering how, for years, it had potentially been nourishing me in ways I didn't even know, I was able to ground myself and shed some seasonal malaise. While I still wouldn't classify wassail as an herbal formula or recommend clients drink it often, it does contain healthful herbs—and some you likely have on hand already!
So start in your spice cabinet. Here are three plants and herbs that can be combined into something to enjoy this winter and even supplement your health and well-being all year round.
Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon): Cranberry is native to North America and ranges from the central US and Canada to the Eastern Coast, down to northern Appalachia. It is a wetland crop, tolerant to flooding, but it also likes to grow in well-draining soil. Commercially they are grown in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, and Maine, with some areas in Michigan, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and New York. They are also grown in British Columbia, Quebec and the Maritimes in Canada as well as in Chile.
Anyone who has had a urinary tract infection is likely familiar with the herbal properties of cranberry. According to a 2012 study published by the Faculty of Medicine at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, cranberry can be a useful tool to sooth and support lower urinary tract infections. UTIs are primarily caused by microorganisms, most commonly Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria and are typically treated with antibiotics. However, because of the recurrent nature of UTI, antibiotic resistance is a concern and prophylaxis is now being emphasized over treatment after infection.
The full mechanism of action is not fully understood but current theories state that cranberry helps prevent the adhesion of E. Coli to urinary tract tissues. Without the ability to adhere to urinary tissues, the bacteria cannot cause infection. According to the Natural Medicines Therapeutic Research Center, Vaccinium is “possibly effective” to support UTIs though there are contradictory studies and efficacy is dose dependent. In the summer of 2020 the FDA responded to a Qualified Health Claim petition from Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. that asked the FDA to allow the company to make health claims around the use of cranberry juice for the prevention of UTI in healthy women. The FDA approved the petition and currently allows qualified health claims with the caution that evidence is, “limited and inconsistent.”
So what exactly does this all mean? Simply put, using cranberry likely won’t hurt, but also might not help. If using cranberry for urinary health, be sure to get 100 percent unsweetened cranberry juice, not cranberry juice cocktail. Sugar can exacerbate UTI symptoms and provide a more hospitable environment for the infection to grow. Cranberry can me paired with Uva ursi, yarrow, Oregon grape root, Chinese skullcap and marshmallow root. Extreme caution should be used when attempting to support a UTI using herbs. If left untreated, lower urinary tract infections can move up the urethra and into the kidneys leading to kidney infection and even death.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum): Cinnamon bark is used as a tea, powder, tea and essential oil. The following relates to internal use of the tea and powder. Cinnamon is a warming herb, widely used around the world as a culinary spice and is generally regarded as safe in food amounts. It can be supportive for people who are run down or get sick often and can ease an upset stomach in smaller doses. Larger quantities can have the opposite effect, causing nausea.
It is an antioxidant, antiseptic and anti fungal. Clinical trials have also shown cinnamon to help support balanced blood sugar and healthy cholesterol. In a study titled “Cinnamon Improves Glucose and Lipids of People With Type 2 Diabetes,” published in the journal Diabetes Care in 2003, researchers found that after after forty days of taking cinnamon, the mean fasting glucose and total cholesterol of those in the study was reduced by 12 to 26 percent based on the dose. LDL cholesterol levels, colloquially referred to as bad cholesterol, were reduced by seven to 27 percent. There were no significant changes found in HDL cholesterol.
Additionally cinnamon has traditionally been used to help support a healthy menstrual cycle, joint health and some fungal infections as detailed in Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases which is available through the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) website.
Bitter Orange (Citrus x aurantium): Bitter orange also called Seville orange, is native to South East Asia but can be found across the world. As the name suggests, it is bitter, especially the peel, which helps to support digestion and healthy bile in the GI tract. Orange is full of antioxidants and high vitamin C. Antioxidants help support the body’s reaction to oxidative stress and may lower unnecessary inflammation. Vitamin C has been shown to help the immune systemfunction more efficiently. It is generally regarded as safe when the full fruit is used in food amounts though there have been some safety concerns around standardization and commercial formulations.
Bitter orange contains a chemical constituent, Synephrine, that has been widely used in weight loss and energy supplements though its safety or effectiveness is unclear. Synephrine is a banned in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). There is also debate around how much synephrine is safe to use. Health Canada has approved up to 50mg in combination with up to 320mg of caffeine, but The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Germany recommends no more than 6.7mg. To reiterate, safety concerns around bitter orange are related to chemical extracts of synephrine. The fruit in whole form does not have the same extent of potential risks.
The first record of Wassail dates to 1140 England where it is mentioned in the myth of Rowena—the daughter of the supposed Anglo-Saxon chief of the Kingdom of Kent, Hengist. It’s unknown if either actually existed, but the Wassail tradition continues. Wassail, roughly translated form Old English means “be in good health/fortune” is associated to Yule, the Pagan winter festival that was later incorporated into Christmas. Traditionally made with a warmed mead and crab apples, current versions typically use a spiced cider, sugar, cinnamon and other warming spices like cloves, nutmeg or ginger. It’s even tradition in some areas to sing wassailing songs and carry the wassail to neighbors’s homes to share. According to ledgend, this is done as a way to promote a bountiful harvest next season and keep the cider trees hearty by scaring away evil spirits. Once the wassail is ready, gather your friends and family this season, sing your best carols and toast to your good health! Cheers!
Recipe:
8 cups spiced apple cider
2 cups unsweetened cranberry juice
3/4c sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
1 c spiced rum (optional)
2 small oranges
Cloves
Cut oranges in half and press fresh cloves into the face of the oranges. You can use as many or a few cloves as you like. I usually use about a dozen cloves per half orange. Place oranges with cloves and cinnamon sticks in crock pot. Combine apple cider, cranberry juice, sugar and rum, if using, in a crock pot. Stir to combine and cook on low for at least three hours. You can also make a non-alcoholic version by simply omitting the rum or saving it to add to individual glasses.
This story was first published in issue 17 of Edible Inland Northwest