Roadside plant a page in nature's book

By Halina Hladysz, Journal columnist | Sunday, August 12, 2007

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Today, I invite you for a walk along roadside ditches and waste places. This is where you will encounter many plants infused with medicinal qualities but which many perceive  as weeds. The appearance of these plants usually does not give us a warm and fuzzy feeling. On the contrary, we may view them as ugly. Yellow dock (rumex crispus) may be counted in this category.

It is best to look for yellow dock in the late summer and early fall months. If you live in Rapid City or the vicinity, you may easily find it growing along roadsides, ditch banks, waste areas and ravines. Because it produces copious amounts of seeds each year, it quickly inhabits wide areas.

What is characteristic about this plant is that the seeds first -- and then later on, the entire plant -- turn rust colored, signifying the herb’s connection with the mineral iron. This is a great example of the doctrine of signatures, widely known in herbalism. This doctrine, which may be rejected by the logic of our modern and rationalistic science, helps us “read the book of nature” by assessing if the herb attributes give us any clues in determining the plant actions in the body.

For example, a plant habitat may reveal to us the possible use this plant could have. Let us look at the aloe vera plant. It grows in desert conditions, where it strives to overcome heat and dryness. Thus, it retains moisture. In our body, then, it counteracts hot and dry conditions -- such as sunburn and ulcerations.

Color may also provide a strong clue, such as in the case of yellow dock. Its rusty color points to its high-iron content. (See the photo.) One hundred grams of dried herb contain 76 mg of iron, which is high for a plant. For this reason, yellow dock has been used in healing anemia. If you suffer from iron deficiency, you may oppose my logic, claiming that 76 mg of iron per 100 grams of dried herb is not much. This would be a conclusion of a scientifically-minded person. However, we herbalists resist such a view. Nature combines specific nutrients in complex forms to produce medicines many times superior to the isolates of modern chemical medicine. Herbalists believe that the smaller amount of plant-bound iron has a stronger positive impact on our body than the larger amount of chemical iron. Many anemia sufferers positively shifted their bloodwork with high-iron plants (such as yellow dock) in comparison to supplementation with high amounts of isolated iron.

Inorganic iron supplements are well known to cause constipation, but yellow dock has no such effects. Quite the contrary, yellow dock is a mild laxative. It contains a small amount of anthraquinones, the same compound found in cascara sagrada and senna, so, not only does it help a person overcome anemia, but it also is a great remedy for constipation.

Many herbs can be used to balance the body’s opposite conditions, and yellow dock is a perfect example. Because it contains tannins, which tighten tissues and arrest discharges, it is also good for diarrhea. No chemical medicine created by men is able to combat diarrhea for one person and be helpful in overcoming constipation for another. Yellow dock is one of the dual-acting remedies that normalizes bowel function.

One of the most common uses of yellow dock is as a blood purifier. Here again we see a dual action. It builds the blood (overcoming anemia) and also cleanses the blood (helping to remove toxins). The concept of blood purification is unique to herbal medicine. Traditionally, diseases involving morbidity (pus, decay, etc.) of tissues were thought to be the result of impure blood. This includes diseases involving eruptions on the skin, such as boils, cysts, abscesses, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, itching and chicken pox. All of these conditions respond favorably to blood purifiers; yellow dock has been used for all these conditions.

The name “yellow dock” comes from the color of its root, which is the part used in herbalism. Here we have another example of the doctrine of signatures. Yellow color is a signature for the bile, liver and gallbladder. And yes, indeed, yellow dock promotes the flow of bile, and its action on the gallbladder gives it a role in the treatment of jaundice when it is due to congestion. It is also a good remedy for promoting stomach acid production, thus helping the body digest protein and absorb minerals. Thanks to this action, it is used to treat poor quality hair, fingernails and skin.

Next time you are going for a walk or a ride, be more attentive to your surroundings. You may encounter one of the beauties and “secrets” of nature you have never realized was there, such as yellow dock. Ponder its significance.

This column is for informational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat diseases. If you have a serious health problem, consult a competent health practitioner. Halina Hladysz of Rapid City is a certified Master of Holistic Healing, a natural health consultant, a clinical herbalist, a holistic nutritionist and a certified Cleansing Specialist. You can write to her in care of The Rapid City Journal, Box 450, Rapid City, SD 57709, or send her e-mail messages at health@rushmore.com, or visit www.halina-health.com.