HERBS/ FOOD PLANTS RICH IN VARIOUS NUTRIENTS
With herbs and food plants it is important that they will only contain significan amounts of trace minerals and minerals if the yare grown in soils that are rich in those minerals. This means that organically grown ones ( orthose grown with organic fertilisers and proper soil health) with a recycling of compost and manure will have significantly higher levels of these nutrients as they are returned to the soil in this way.
Also plants that are grown sustainably or wild crafted are more likely to have better levels of vitamins, anti-oxidants and other vital nutrients than those that are pumped up with artifical chemical fertilisers which will ttend to produce lots of bulky green leaves and less secondary metabolites. Plants that grow in their natural environment with some degree of healthy stress make better food and medicine. The same is true of animals (including humans) – they are healthier if they grow in a natural environment with healthy levels of stress or challenge and are fed a natural diet.
Minerals
Calcium Rosehips, Lemon balm, Lemongrass, Oats, Quinoa, (and other whole grains), Apples, Raspberry leaf, Sesame seeds (and other seeds), dark green leafy vegetables including nettles and other dark forage greens, seaweeds, nuts, parsley, Red clover, Valerian. Vegetable sources of calcium are generally better absorbed than dairy sources as they contain the correct ratio of calcium to magnesium to facilitate absorptions as well as other co-factors such as vitamins.Hard water (water that natural filters through limestone). Suggested recipes Hummus, Nettle pesto, quinoa with seaweed, porridge, stewed apple,
ChromiumBrewers yeast, hibiscus, spirulina, seaweeds, gymnena, oatstraw, nettle leaf, Red clover flower, barley grass, lemongrass, horseradish, juniper berry, pollen, ginkgo
Cobalt Capsicum, Tabebuia, seaweeds especially dulse, Echinacea root, eyebright, wild yam root, pollen, pumpkin seed, Sarsparilla root, papaya fruit, nettle leaf, mullein leaf
Copper Skullcap, sage, horsetail, brewer’s yeast, pumpkin seed
Iodine Seaweeds and plants grown on soil fed with seaweed or other sources of recycled iodine
Iron Alfalfa, apricots, prunes, beets, blackstrap molasses, cereal grains, nettle, parsley, raisins, seaweed, spinach, sunflower seeds, pulses, cresses, Red clover, raspberry leaf, Yellow dock root, cocoa powder. If you do decide to take an Iron supplement makes sure that the iron is in the form of ferrous gluconate not ferrous sulphate as the latter form is very poorly absorbed in comparison to the former.
Magnesium whole grains, nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, sesame seeeds, molasses, dried fruit, sprouts, Carrageen moss, oatstraw, licorice root, seaweeds, nettle leaf, elecampane root, peppermint leaf, white willow bark, burdock root, chickweed herb, marshmallow root, pumpkin seed, astragalus, Siberian ginseng,
Manganese Raspberry leaf, cocoa, gape leaves, bilberry, ginger root, wood betony, spirulina, chickweed, hibiscus milk thistle herb
PhosphorousChenopodium album (Fat hen or Goosefoot), brewer’s yeast,whole grains, pulses,green vegetables, seaweeds, bilberry, pumpkin seed, soya bean, peppermint, cranberry, yellow dock root, asparagus, broccoli, horseradish root, milk thistle seed, Siberian ginseng root, cauliflower, ginkgo, fennel seed, barley grass
Potassium Dandelion leaves, bananas, tomatoes, celery leaf, cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, horseradish root, blessed thistle herb, barley grass, sage leaf, hops flowers, lemon grass, seaweeds, peppermint leaf, feverfew, carrot roots skullcap
Selenium Asparagus, brewers yeast, brassicas, garlic, tomatoes,wholegrains, mushrooms, seaweed, seeds, hibiscus, milk thistle seed, lemon garass, yarrow flower, valerian root, barberry root, bayberry root, marshmallow root, seaweed, punpkin seed, sarsparilla
Silica Horsetail, seaweed, eyebright, Echinacea root, cornsilk, burdock, thyme, astragalus, oatstraw, licorice, chickweed, plantain
Zinc Pumpkin seeds, whoel grains, brewer’s yeast, pulses, seeds, nuts, leafy vegetables, wheatgerm, seaweeds, mushrooms, plantain, coltsfoot
Vitamins
Vitamin A. Its precursor is Beta carotene found in carrots, sweet potato, butter nut squash, orange, green and yellow fruits and vegetables
B complex B vitamins are best taken as acomplex as they act as co-factors for one another. The complex is found in whole grains, seaweed, green leafyvegetables, pulses and brewer’s yeast
B1/thiamine is found in wholegrains, vegetables, nuts, seeds , pulses, spirulina, asparagus, fenugreek, barley grass, brassicas, peppermint, wheatgerm, acerola fruit, burdock root, elecampane herb, barberry root, sage, yellow dock root, bilberry
B2/riboflavin is found in brown rice, brewer’s yeast, soya products, vegetables and pulses, spirulina, peppermint, barley grass, asparagus, brassicas, horseradish, eyebright, alfalfa, parsley, Echinacea root, Yellow dock root, hops, capsicum
B3/niacin is found in wholegrains, pulses, brewers yeast, green vegetables, dried fruis
B5/panthotenic acid whole grains, vegetables, pulses
B6/ pyridoxineWholegrains, cabbage, green vegetables, brewer’s yeast, dried fruit
B12/cobalaminNori, dulse, brewer’s yeast, some mushrooms, sprouted seeds
Folic acid Green leafy vegetables, citrus, soyabeans, sprouts, nuts, fruit, pulses, brewers yeast
Biotin whole grains, bananas, pulses, fresh beans, nuts
Choline green leafy vegetables, brewers yeast, fresh beans, dried fruit. Nuts, whole grains
Inositolwholegrains, brewers yeast, spinach, green leafy vegetables, citrus, nuts, seeds
Vitamin C Vegetables and fruits, but need to be fresh or frozen. Long refrigeration destroys it as does overcooking
Vitamin E whole grains, dark green vegetables, cold pressed vegetable oils
Vitamin K
Essential Fatty Acids
Monounsaturated fats Duck and goose fat, Almond, Olive, Avocado, Cocoa butter, Sesame
Lauric acid Coconut oil and breast milk
Omega 3 Flax or linseed, Hempseed, Walnut, Olive, Evening Primrose, Hemp seed
Omega 6 Olive, Sesame, Sunflower, Avocado, Evening Primrose, Hempseed, Walnut
The fat of free range animals on a natural diet for their species tends to have a healthier fatty acid profile.
Sprouted seeds
Sprouts are a convenient and highly effective way of enriching the diet. They are used in many cancer treatment diets. As well as the specific nutrients mentioned below they are rich in amino acids, and enzymes and are an alkaline forming food, unlike most grains and seeds in their unsprouted state. They encourage the production of pancreatic enzymes which break down the mucus around cancer cells and enable the immune system to destroy them.
They are a cheap and easy way to add protein to the diet, since a teaspoon of seeds can produce about half a pound of sprouts. There is also no waste produced and most importantly they can be grown without any equipment (except a thoroughly washed jar), soil or sunlight. One can guarantee that they are produced organically and it is possible to live on them alone.
Aduki beans Vit B 1+2 Iron, Potassium
Alfalfa D, E, K, C Iron Phosphorous
Barley B1+2, C
Black eye beans B1, C Iron Niacin
Broccoli sprouts have recently been shown to contain high levels of sulphoraphane, a cancer fighting substance at 20 -50 times the amount found in the mature vegetable. It is probably present in all brassica sprouts
Chick peas B1, C Iron
Fenugreek A, C Iron
Lentils B 1+2 Iron
Lima Beans B1+2 Iron Niacin
Mung Beans A, C ,E Choline
Oats B 1+2, C Iron
Radish A, B1, C Iron Phosphorous
Rice B1+2, C Iron
Soya B, E
Sunflower C, E
Fermented foods
Recommended reading:
Nutritional Herbology Mark Pedersen
Nourishing Traditions Sally Fallon
Carrier Oils Len Price