9 Edible Yard Weeds for Pain Relief and Health

9 Edible Yard Weeds for Pain Relief and Health

Did you know that there are probably several common, edible yard weeds right outside your door from which you could be reaping a bunch of free health benefits?

You may have heard about the health benefits of dandelions. Dandelions and wild lettuce for pain and anxiety are becoming a fairly known thing.

Here Are the 9 Edible Yard Weeds for Pain Relief and Health We’ll Be Covering:

• Dandelions
• Wild Lettuce
• Milk Thistle
• Red Clover
• Chicory
• Chickweed
• Stinging Nettle
• Cattail
• Plantain

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Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale)

Dandelions have been used for centuries as a remedy for acne, liver disease, cancer, and digestive disorders, to name a few. They contain as much nutritional value as nearly any green garden vegetable that you can name.

Dandelions (from root to flower) are very high in Vitamins A, C and K, as well as being rich in Vitamin E, iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium. They are also high in the soluble fiber Inulin.

Dandelions are probably most commonly consumed as tea, and are full of antioxidants. They can reduce blood sugar levels and high blood pressure, and may aid in the maintenance of a healthy liver and can even fight off cancer, that dirty old…

I could go on further about dandelions, but I’ll just add that they are also known to be good for weight loss, digestion, strong bones and an optimally functioning immune system.

There are said to be some possibly dangerous side effects from consuming dandelions, but they say that about everything. If “They” had ingested a quarter the amount of a couple of the things I have and lived to talk about it, they would probably settle down and find a pair of big girl panties to put on. And speaking of the pain in my posterior region, dandelion is also a good natural pain reliever. It’s not just for the butt, either, I might add (and I do, in fact).

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Wild Lettuce (Lactuca Virosa)

The leaves look a lot like those of dandelions. In fact nearly everything stated above about dandelions can be transferred directly to Wild Lettuce. Additionally it can be used to treat coughs and colds, as a diuretic, as a sedative, and as a pain killer.

*I have been able to find documented cases of both wild lettuce and dandelion working for the things I have listed. However, I was surprised to learn something about many common, edible yard weeds as I researched (I should say that I was surprised before I really thought about it, and then I slapped my forehead):

What I noticed is that there is a lot of “insufficient research” to prove that these things have amazing health benefits. When I stopped to wonder why that is, it soon occurred to me what should have been obvious sooner. And that is that after all these many decades, if they were rumored to be so good for people, why did nobody ever bother to do the research?

They spend obscene amounts of money researching the effects of ball bearings tossed at dyslexic grasshoppers in zero gravity, or this type of stupid thing…

Well, you can probably tell where I am dying to go with this. So I’ll just quickly say that these researchers are funded by people who aren’t looking for any evidence for things that heal people without making them ultimately more preposterously wealthy. Maybe complementary remedies need to remain as much of a secret as possible!

Okay, I got that off my spleen again. I should be good until the end of the article…

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Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)

The extract has a very long history as a medicine for alcohol and drug damage to the liver. Also, it works as an antidote to the poison of certain mushrooms (particularly the “Deathcap” mushroom). Milk Thistle’s nitrate content makes it bad for grazing animals, if they eat enough of it. Nitrate can cause oxygen depravation, apparently.

Red Clover (Trifolium pretense)

Red Clover contain isoflavones, which mimic the female hormone estrogen in the body. As such, Red Clover is sometimes used to treat hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. Both the flowers and leaves are edible, and can be ground into a flour. Red Clover can help coughs, the symptoms of menopause, lymphatic system disorders, and many types of cancer. It also works as a blood cleanser.

 

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) 

The blood-fat-fighting compound inulin is extracted from this light blue-flowered, roadside-dwelling plant. Inulin promotes the growth of good bacteria in the intestines, as well as fighting triglycerides and cholesterol (if you don’t like cholesterol, which is actually good for most people). Taking inulin also reduces blood-sugar rate after eating, which helps women, in particular, who have type-2 diabetes. Chicory belongs to the dandelion family. It is good in salads, or as a coffee substitute.

Chickweed (Stellaria media)

nourishes the lymph and glandular systems, and can heal cysts, fevers, and inflammation.

Chickweed can help neutralize acid and subdue yeast overgrowth, as well as controlling fatty deposits. It nourishes lymph and gland systems also, and can reduce fever and acts as an anti-inflammatory.

Finely-chopped Chickweed can also be applied to skin to soothe irritation. Steeped in boiling water, chickweed provides benefits similar to those of dandelion root.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Maybe this one doesn’t really belong in the category of “edible yard weeds”, but it can be “consumed”.  In tincture, dried leaf, or tea form, stinging nettle is used to treat eczema, blood disorders, bladder infections, enlargement of the prostate, bronchitis, and arthritic and other sources of pain and/or inflammation.

Stinging nettle is also used as garden fertilizer, in liquid form.

Cattail (Typha)

Cattail (or Rushes), as you know, live in swampy areas and are fun to break in half and watch the seeds blow away.

And they’re so very soft.

But they are also edible to humans (parts, anyway…), prior to the flowering stage (where the awesome softness happens).

See Wikipedia to read more about Cattail/Rushes and their many possible culinary functions.

“Typha” has a few health benefits too, such as pain relief, rapid healing of cuts and sores, infection prevention, and anemia.

It’s talent as an antiseptic is where it really shines, historically speaking…

Plantain (Plantago lanceolata, P. major, P. psyllium, P. arenaria, P. ovata (Blond or Indian plantago seed, Jerry Seinfeld isn’t actually Jewish. Just seeing if you’re actually reading this part).

A perennial weed, Plantain lives almost everywhere in the world. It is otherwise known as Spanish Psyllium, Indian Plantago, Psyllium Seed, French Psyllium, Blond Plantago, Flea Seed, and Black Psyllium. Strangely, only the name Black Psyllium is racist.

I am sure there is nobody who doesn’t know that Jerry Seinfeld is Jewish, and also a very hardworking comedian.

Plantain (or the psyllium therein) has been used to treat cancer (I should have saved cancer for further down the list. Now it will all be anti-climatic), hyperlipidemia (elevated levels of lipids or lipoproteins in the blood), and for respiratory troubles.

Actual human studies show effective results for the treatment of colds, asthma, chronic bronchitis and common cough. It is also proven useful as a laxative. I can’t help but sort of imagine the scene when that was first discovered…

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Anyway, There You Have It.

These are a few edible yard weeds for pain relief and health.

Did you ever notice this about Greatest Hits albums:

You couldn’t believe why there was the one song that wasn’t on the album, even though it was clearly better than most of the other songs that were? And you distinctly remember having heard it on the radio on more than a few countdowns of the greatest songs ever in the history of the world? And you are so sick of hearing it you could kill yourself, but that’s not the point??

That’s kind of how I feel ending this article.

I’m sure I forgot something, but maybe there are contractual or legalistic things behind the scenes which obligate me to leave a thing or two out. Did you ever think of that?!

Or maybe it’s part of a bigger-picture scheme that I will benefit from later, at your expense…

Of course, I jest.

Now I’m mad at the music industry.

Ok bye, and thanks for reading!

Craig

 

See also:

The Many Health Benefits Bay Leaves-Laurel Leaves Provide

https://un-pharma.com/are-hops-good-for-natural-relief-of-anxiety-and-stress/