Blog posts Lyme Wars #3: Japanese Knotweed Facilitates Blood Flow to Hard-to-Reach Areas; Herbs to Defeat Lyme Spirochetes

Many of you have heard of Kudzu vine-- "the plant that ate the South"! HIGHLY invasive. Chokes out other plants. Can't be stopped. Will climb over your house in a night! But, it turns out that Kudzu is an effective way to reduce alcohol cravings. Help alcoholics to go straight. And so it is both a curse, AND a blessing.

So it is with Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidata), Our "grown without chemicals" shredded roots are pictured above. This is the perfect condition for making our tincture, or alcohol/water extract.

HIGHLY invasive. Deep-rooted and tenacious in holding its ground. Impossible to eradicate without powerful chemical poisons. Overpowers the land. Sound like something that just might be inside your body?!? Tenacious. Digs in deeply (!), overpowers, and is nearly impossible to get rid of?? Sound like SPIROCHETES?!?

Well… Knotweed also, believe it or knot (hahaa), is a blessing !! According to Stephen Buhner, pages 105 through 107 :

"FUNCTIONS IN LYME DISEASE: A broadly systemic plant, Japanese knotweed enhances and modulates immune function, is active against a number of bacteria…, is anti-inflammatory for both bacterial and arthritic inflammations, protects the body against endotoxin damage, helps reduce Herxheimer reactions, and is a cardio-protector.

Polygonum cuspidatum's constituents cross the blood-brain barrier where they exert actions on the central nervous system: anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, as protectants against oxidative and microbial damage, and as calming agents. The herb specifically protects the brain from inflammatory damage, microbial endotoxins, and bacterial infections.

Knotweed enhances blood flow, especially to the eye, heart, skin, and joints. This makes it especially useful in Lyme as it facilitates blood flow to the areas that are difficult to reach to kill the spirochetes."

Remember this! It facilitates blood flow to the areas that are difficult to reach to kill the spirochetes.

Those of you who are familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) know that certain plants are considered "conducting herbs". These special herbs "conduct" the other herbs in a formula to the part of the body where they will be most useful. They are guides and facilitators. Ginger and Licorice roots are two of the most-used, and are frequently included in formulas. As you and I know, spirochetes are extremely proficient at corkscrewing their way DEEP into our connective tissues, where they are inaccessible to ordinary anti-bacterial agents.

PRICKLY ASH BARK:

Similar to this "deep-seeking" power of Japanese knotweed, and like the "conducting herb" Ginger, Prickly Ash drives other herbs in a formula deep into the muscles and joints. It is considered a "warming" medicine and consequently can relieve pain. I thus decided that it would be a 'most-excellent' addition to my Lyme formula.

NEXT EPISODE-- Cat's Claw (Uncaria tomentosa), and Andrographis paniculata. STAY TUNED. WWL rages on…

Bye for now, and as always- "Eat well. Be conscious. Recycle/reuse/rebuild. Help one another. Know who your plant friends are-- get to know them. Love health and one another

-- Stephan