Another reason for having your own organic growing plot is because of the access to fresh leafy greens. Sometimes it is not the vegetables that you have so lovingly tended that give the most benefit, but the 'weeds'. Early spring, commonly referred to as the time of the 'hungry gap' because of the scarcity of cultivated vegetables, is actually the time of the most bounty in the garden. It is the time when nettles, cleavers, dandelions and other wild greens are at their most potent. These are really rich in important nutrients and also are great cleansers. Nettles cleanse the blood, cleavers the lymphatic system, and dandelions the kidneys. In addition they have that vital ingredient, chlorophyll, which has outstanding properties for health. I have been enthusiastically gathering these wild weeds everyday and juicing them, together with carrots and celery. this is one of the reasons that I am always in excellent health, despite an enormous amount of hard work and an often gruelling schedule. At the Healing Gardens Cooperative in Glastonbury, you will have a chance to try this and many other health giving activities.
If you would like to know more about the importance of chlorophyll in the body, you may be interested to read this from the 'Nutri Centre'.
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Chlorophyll – the alkalising molecule of life
Supergreens such as spirulina and pre-sprouted barley are rich in alkalising chlorophyll, the plant molecule that converts carbon dioxide into oxygen in the presence of sunlight. Its structure is very similar to that of our red blood cells, but with magnesium at its centre instead of iron.
Chlorophyll is commonly used to help the body eliminate harmful heavy metals, and there is evidence that it may also help protect us from certain carcinogens. These cancer-causing substances include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in tobacco smoke(7) , some heterocyclic amines found in cooked meat(8) , and aflatoxin, a fungus found on some legumes, particularly peanuts and corn. Chlorophyll appears to bind with these substances before they are even absorbed in the gut, thus preventing them from entering the body.
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Chlorophyll has also been observed to stimulate both wound healing, including in chronic ulcers(9) , and blood cell regeneration, possibly due to the chlorophyll increasing the levels of oxygen in the blood in a similar way to how it produces oxygen in plants with the aid of sunlight(10). It is a beautiful notion that chlorophyll may be capturing lifegiving sunshine and oxygen so that we too can breathe and shine.
On a slightly less glamorous level, chlorophyll also seems to have anti-bacterial and also deodorant properties. In one study, 62 geriatric nursing home patients were given chlorophyllin tablets, a derivative of chlorophyll. It was reported to be helpful in controlling body and fecal odors, as well as aiding in easing chronic constipation and abating excessive flatulence(11). Japanese studies noted chlorophyll’s ability to rapidly eliminate the odour of garlic, alcohol and cigarettes consumed by volunteers(12).
References
(7) Tachino N, Guo D, Dashwood WM, Yamane S, Larsen R, Dashwood R. Mechanisms of the in vitro antimutagenic action of chlorophyllin against benzo[a]pyrene: studies of enzyme inhibition, molecular complex formation and degradation of the ultimate carcinogen. Mutat Res. 1994;308(2):191-203.
(8) Dashwood R, Yamane S, Larsen R. Study of the forces of stabilizing complexes between chlorophylls and heterocyclic amine mutagens. Environ Mol Mutagen. 1996;27(3):211-218.
(9) Offenkrantz W G. Water-Soluble Chlorophyl in the Treatment of Peptic Ulcers of Long Duration. Rev Gastroenterol. 1950;17: 359-367; 17. Hughes J H, Latner L. Chlorophyll and Hemoglobin Regeneration After Hemorrhage. J Phisiol. 1936; 86: 388-395.
(10) Chernomorsky S A, Segelman A B. Review Article: Biological Activities of Chlorophyll Derivatives. NJ Med. August 1988; 85(8): 669-673.
(11) Young R. and Beregi, J 1980: Use of Chlorophyllin in the care of Geriatric patients. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 28:46-47
(12) Morishita, Keiichi, and Hotta, Kaneo. Medicine of Chlorophyll. Tokyo, Japan: Association of Life Sciences Publishers, 1974
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