looking for that magic bullet. This problem was refl ected in a lesson
learned in 1995: fl a vonoids are a component of many plants, but these
compounds had
been regularly discarded for twenty years. Flavonoids are now known to be
antioxidants — a now old buzzword among the more nutritionally aware.
Anti oxidants are known to inhibit and treat a wide range of illnesses and
conditions including cancer, strokes, heart disease, emphysema, late-onset
diabetes, rheumatism, arthritis, ulcers, cataracts, Crohn’s disease, senility,
arteriosclerosis, and old age; fl avonoids do this by preventing our cells
from “rusting” or aging. In hindsight, this lesson was indeed a bitter and
costly one.
Now pharmaceutical companies are looking at multispecies herbal
formulas, using many herbs in mixtures that are then tested. This is how
herbalists have always worked! Our ancestors grazed plants in the days of
hunting and gathering, ingesting a broad range of plant species, which
kept them well. Now science is beginning to look down this avenue in the
hope that its next billion lies at the end of it. It may well do, but I feel we
can graze for ourselves. When some drugs come to the end of their
patents and therefore their value as revenues expire (which will be soon,
in some cases), the pharmaceutical industry will, no doubt, make an even
greater investment in “natural” Green pills.
Plant Collecting and Drying
Plant chemistry varies according to the time of day and season.
Traditionally, some plants were always collected prior to sunrise, and
others were never collected after sunset. In all, plant harvesting practices
included many important quirks, which are now being proved to be of
value through scientifi c evaluation. It is possible to identify some basic
guiding principles:
Leaves: Spring leaves are best because they have new sap in them. Their
energy has not yet been drawn away to produce fl owers or seeds.
Bark: Spring is the best time to collect bark, just as the sap rises. This is
also when the newly formed bark is most easily cut off.
Flowers: These are at their peak just after they have opened.
Seeds: These are at their peak in late summer and early autumn.
Berries: Usually autumn is the best time to collect berries. Look for good,
deep color and tight, glowing skin.
Roots, rhizomes, root bark, and tubers: Collect in late autumn when all
the top foliage has died down, but before the nutrients stored in them
are used during the winter and spring. Springtime is an option and
28 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition