some of these herbal medicines can have significant drug interactions too
St. John’s Wort reduces the effectiveness of birth control pills.
brahmi, Bacopa monnieri it is proven that it has positive properties. but it has been known that people who take prozac(Fluoxetine) often get a serotonin syndrome in a short time when they take both
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Even certain kinds of fruit can cause issues with medication. I believe Grapefruit is known to cause problems with medication. Part of the reason I don’t drink is because I am such a lightweight with my medication despite my weight.
I am not sure anymore. but I believe that St. John’s wort induces the enzymes cytochrome P 450, which is why many drugs are broken down more quickly. i think grapefruit does the opposite and inhibits the enzymes that some drugs like opiodes last longer.
I have Chinese toon tree(s). It has been chopped to lower heights several times but it still too tall to pick young leaves. Once it established, after few years, it started to sucker every where. I am going to remove the tree completely this spring.
The young tender leaves have some unusual scents that given the “fragrant” . Not everyone likes the scent. It is a novelty that you eat only once or twice to mark the spring season.
I wonder if it can cut back late spring yearly. This will allow new growth to develop that will have accessible shoots come spring. After harvest, cut it all back again.
Because of the suckering I recommend planting toon either in a spot that will be mowed around or that will have livestock grazing around (ruminants) who will mow down any suckers beyond the patch that you protect for harvest.
The more you cut it back, the more suckers pop up all over the places
Could you elaborate? The listing above said garlic and “meat” or “chicken soup” flavors, which sounded like something I’d eat a lot of, but @JohannsGarden said one specimen tasted like moldy onions, which sounds terrible. So I’m curious what range of unpleasant odors and flavors these can produce.
This video explains the taste. How he explains it is like the onion taste of Durian. If you know how Durian is you know how mixed it is. Either people love it and can’t get enough or hate it. The Garlic and Onions Tree : Chinese Toon, Toona Sinensis - YouTube
Not garlic or onion scent, it smells very unique. I can not match it with any other veggies’.
It’s closer to leeks probably, but with added umami.
Not much scent, but in terms of flavor the ones you sent me have a savory component reminiscent of meat with a mild onion influence. At least, that’s how I perceive it.
Here in PR it was advertised for its health effects so much, most people use it “medicinally”. Not that many see it as a standard leafy green.
I never figured out how to prepare the drumsticks, but the immature seeds were nice and vegetal. The leaves have a strong aftertaste that – to me – is reminiscent of peanuts, but somehow not very pleasant.
Also, I chopped my tree down years ago and chucked the trunk to the edge of the hillside… it rooted, and continues to sprout leaves and flowers and seed pods to this day.
If I must select a food to compare, I would say the scent smell like Sea urchins. The one used in sushi.
Not sure you picked them too old leaves or due to the climate, mine has very noticeable scent. The younger the leaves the stronger scent. The leaves are only edible when they are very young, in spring time.
in my experience “savory” “meaty” is “onion-like”
it goes in that direction, but pronounced.
no nuances, or a slight taste or something.
the leaves are spicy.
it tastes more aromatic than most other regular vegetables.
if i were self-sufficient and lazy, i would plant toona, grows fast, relatively high in protein and the leaves are aromatic
even if not all proteins are the same when it comes to value
I’m not sure how old I was when I discovered that the bay leaves my mother added to stews were the same leaves used by the ancient Greeks to create the wreaths awarded to victors at the Olympic games and by Romans to crown victorious commanders after military triumphs.
Although bay leaves are taken out of the soups and stews (or left in so someone gets to kiss the cook), they are more edible when ground before adding to soups and stock and Bloody Marys. But priestesses of Apollo chewed bay laurel leaves to induce trances before they made prophecies, so maybe we should watch out.
moringa is edible fresh, but can zap one’s tastebuds like arugula does. But when cooked, say, gumbo and broths the zinger disappears and actually gets tasty. A bit nutty in character, and i will relish having spoonfuls of it!
while have my doubts about folks claiming significant “medicinal value” of moringa, am quite the advocate for this species because of its nutritional value, since nutrition can be qualified and quantified in the laboratory. Likely the most nutritionally complete leafy green one can get from a tree species. It is also quite long-lived, as cuttings obtained serially over several years seem to be just as vigorous as seed-grown specimens(compared to, say, a cutting from a mature lemon or avocado tree, which invariably gets runty)
I could be totally wrong, but isn’t Moringa often dried and powdered to add to foods?
I have doubts with medicinal effects.
if you have a lack of something and make up for the lack, it has a medicinal effect.
but there are plants that have a medicinal effect with side effects…
i don’t believe in the medicinal properties of moringa, but i believe it has great nutritional value. lots of proteins, vitamins and minerals
definitely not wrong as it is the most available that way since mostly imported from tropics. Fresh moringa is currently only available at asian/hispanic grocery stores. I foresee it getting more mainstreamed as more people turn to vegan/vegetarian fares. Mexico will likely be the largest source of moringa in the future
i totally agree
I have seen things come to my grocery stores and leave my grocery stores. Even if they were amazing for whatever reason they left my grocery store. I used to buy pluerry at my local grocery store but have not seen them for along time. I kept looking last year but never found pluerry. I remember loving it because of how sweet they were compared to a plum. In recent years my local store has introduced donut peaches though.