Category Archives: Health

Natural Healing — Cola de Caballo

Photo credit: Allen Gathman Equisetum hyemale subsp. affine

The other day in the market, I noticed several bound herb packets including te de limon and manzanilla. The third mound was unfamiliar to me, so I asked about it. The woman selling them said it was cola de caballo and was for kidney disease. All righty then, time for another plant study!

Cola de caballo (Equisetum spp) is also known as equiseto, limpiaplata, cien nudillos, cola de rata, caña carricillo, and candalillo in Mexico. This plant is believed to have been part of the staple diet of herbivorous dinosaurs. There are about 30 species and subspecies in the Equisetaceae family, which reproduce by spores rather than seeds. At least three varieties, Equisetum hyemale subsp. affine, Equisetum laevigatum and Equisetum myriochaetum, are native to Mexico. 

Traditionally in Mexico, it’s used as a diuretic, for kidney stones, and bladder or urinary tract infections. It’s also used in treatments for gout, wounds, hair loss, conjunctivitis, cough, diabetes type 2, and to increase energy. The young shoots are eaten as a vegetable. It has a grassy flavor, as to be expected.

A tea made from romerillo (Viguiera linearis) and cola de caballo (Equisetum laevigatum) is prescribed in Chiapas, Durango, and Sonora to treat urinary disorders. In Oaxaca, a tea prepared with 4 teaspoons dried or 8 teaspoons fresh of leaves, flowers, stems, and roots (Equisetum hyemale subsp. affine) in 1 cup of boiling water is given for kidney stones. Allow the infusion to steep from 5-20 minutes. Strain and drink daily before meals. In Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca, cola de caballo (Equisetum myriochaetum) is combined with barba de maíz (Zea mays), corn silk, for treatment of kidney ailments. Seven to 12 grams of each ingredient is added to ½ liter of water and boiled for 15 minutes. Two cups are prescribed daily. Yet another kidney stone treatment calls for a decoction made from cola de caballo (Equisetum myriochaetum), nopal paddle (Opuntia ficus-indica), and gobernadora leaves (Larrea tridentata) prepared every morning and cooled by the morning dew for 40 days.

A wash for wounds consists of 200 grams (Equisetum myriochaetum) boiled for 30 minutes in 2 liters of water. Because cola de caballo has a high silicone content, it is believed that drinking a daily infusion will promote shiny hair and strong nails.

Research on Equisetum arvense, the most commonly studied variety, has been shown it to be anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, cardioprotective, and antimicrobial. This variety has also demonstrated the ability to increase bone mineral density supporting its use in treating wounds including its application to bone healing.

Equisetum myriochaetum also shows promising health applications. It has anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, antioxidative, and diuretic activity. Equisetum hyemale is antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiparasitic. It also lowers cholesterol. Most other species and subspecies have not been examined thoroughly, but undoubtedly will have similar properties.

Note: Individuals with low potassium levels should not use remedies with cola de caballo.

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2021 Limpia–bad mojo be gone

I don’t know about you, but 2021 brought with it a lot of bad energy and sorrow. My mom died in May. My uncle, her youngest brother, died in November. People that I love have been ill and have yet to recover. The uncertainty of what might be open and what remained closed and whether it would be better to avoid holiday social gatherings brought more stress. The rising cost of living. Employment uncertainty. I could go on, but you get the gist.

With all of this, my sister-in-law decided that it would be fortuitous to visit Chencha, the curandera again. We haven’t been there in years. In fact, Chencha did not receive any visitors for over a year when she was recovering from COVID and in mourning for her husband that died of the same illness. But since she was up and about again, a spry 70-year-old, my sister-in-law made an appointment for us.

We were the only visitors in the waiting room at each visit. We all wore masks and took proper sanitary precautions. And so here’s how the limpias went.

Both my sister-in-law and I had her read the cards for us first. Our readings were very similar, the main difference being that T. would be introduced to a man from the U.S. shortly and have a whirlwind romance. No romance in my future. However, all the projects I have in mind will work out to my benefit, which was mostly my concern. I tend to overdo it when it comes to future plans. 

Then it was time for the limpia, cleansing. I called my husband in and had him go first. He wasn’t expecting that. He didn’t want his cards read either. Said he didn’t want to know. Anyway, Chencha started her prayers and all of a sudden burped so loud I imagine people in the street could hear it. She stopped a moment and said that my husband “andas bien fregado” (in bad shape). I have to agree with her there. She started again with the egg and rue branch movement and upped the intensity of her prayer. 

When she finished and went to crack the egg that had passed over and around my husband’s body, there was some sort of black figure in the yolk. She said it looked like a person in a wheelchair. Her interpretation of that was that someone was seeking to harm him. Their intentions were that he’d end up unable to get around, an invalid. She gave him a candle, a blessed Jesus card, and a bottle of Chloro-feel, mint-flavored. This beverage contained sodium copper chlorophyllin (a digestive aid), methylparaben (a preservative), mint, and propylparaben (an anti-fungal and anti-microbial compound). He was to drink a shot of it 2-3 times a day. He did and it certainly cleaned out his intestines. 

T. and I had a bit of salado (saltiness) in our egg. This is thought to be due to people’s jealousies and their petty actions caused by that. I’m never too chuffed about what other people think of me. T., on the other hand, was all in a dither. Since none of us had clear yolks, we went back a second time. 

The second visit resulted in a nearly clear egg for me, a cloudy one for T. and an extremely cloudy, but no black figure for my husband. Chencha also gave T and me plants. She said these were called La Flor del Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit Flower) because the flower looked like a dove. There are a variety of colors, but ours were orange/yellow. She said these would bring money into our place of business if we planted them there. Since T and I both work out of our homes, we planted them there. For plant lovers, this plant is Epidendrum radicans Pav. ex Lindl., which is a type of wild orchid. 

I didn’t go to the third session. I developed a rapid onset stomach flu or something and stayed in bed. My husband and T. went and had their limpias. T. was nearly better, but could stand for one more session. My husband was still in bad shape. 

Chencha sent a remedy home for me with my husband. She told him (and even wrote it down) to make a tea with equal parts romero, mejorano, and tomillo. Boil them in 1 liter of water. Then strain and serve. Add one tablespoon of honey and the juice from one limón. 

I had all of those ingredients on hand and my tea was soon prepared. I drank two cups before bed. By morning my fever was gone and my stomach was improved. YEAH! 

So, in all, I can’t say the three of us were rid of the bad 2021 mojo completely according to the egg thingy. It looks like we’ll be carrying some of it forward into 2022. Well, I guess we’ll have to see how it goes then. Onward!

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Natural Healing — Pirúl

Photo credit: Georges Jansoone

Pirúl (Schinus molle) is also known as pirú, perú, Falso Pimentero, gualeguay, Árbol Del Perú, Peruvian Peppertree, and in Nahuatl, it is Pelonquáhuitl. As you may have guessed, it is native to the Peruvian Andes. The botanical name molle comes from mulli, which is the Quechua word for tree. The indigenous put a high value on the pirúl because of its many uses. Textiles were dyed using Pirúl leaves. Oil extracted from the leaves was used by the Incas to embalm their dead. The high sugar content of its fruit meant that it was a common ingredient in atole, pulque, and chicha, a fermented corn beverage. The fruit was also used as a pepper substitute.

Credit for the first pirúl cultivation in Mexico is given to Virrey Antonio de Mendoza in the mid-1500s. Francisco Hernández de Toledo recorded that indigenous healers used parts of the pirúl to close wounds, stop bleeding, heal hemorrhoids, treat cataracts, and ease arthritis pain. The sap was dissolved in water as a purgative. Full branches from this leafy tree were used in limpias (cleansings).

In traditional remedies used by curanderas today, this plant treats wounds, infections, toothache, rheumatism, and menstrual disorders among other ailments. It is also prescribed as an antidepressant and diuretic as well as an effective insecticide.

To help with constipation, make an infusion from 1 tablespoon of pirúl leaves in one liter of water. Drink one cup three times a day after meals. Crushed leaves can be used in a wash for conjunctivitis. A foot bath with fresh pirúl leaves, which have analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, can reduce foot swelling. 

A bark decoction for bronchitis or respiratory issues is prepared by boiling one tablespoon of bark in one liter of water for ten minutes. Sun-dried or comal-toasted leaves can be applied as a poultice to relieve rheumatism pain and sciatica. Fresh fruit in an infusion serves as a diuretic. The resin can be chewed like gum to heal mouth ulcers. A water extract made from the leaves is used to treat amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea. For sores and skin inflammations, the resin can be used topically, the ground leaves used as plasters, and a leaf infusion is made to wash the affected area. Pirúl has proven antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and antibacterial effects.

The leaves have antimicrobial, antibacterial, antinociceptive, antimalarial, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Pirúl shows signs of immunomodulatory properties as it activates the immune system. The fruit is antioxidant and antimicrobial. It also demonstrates preventative potential against oxidative and inflammatory stress.  Additionally, Pirúl has an antidepressant-like effect as effective as commonly prescribed medications. 

Note: The fruit and leaves are potentially poisonous to pigs, poultry, fish, and calves. There have also been reports of children experiencing vomiting and diarrhea after eating the fruit. Individuals with low blood pressure should not use any remedies that contain pirúl. 

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