cleavers

The Blue Star Gazette

	Cleansing with Cleavers By Brwyn Griffin What an abundantly beautiful place we live, here in the Pacific Northwest. Growing everywhere are wonderful medicinal plants, and soon to come, the bounty of spring! And with that surge of plant growth arrives an opportunity to attune our bodies with the cycles of nature and detoxify from our winter indulgences and stillness. In the natural cycles of life is held great wisdom. Rest more in the darkness of winter, “spring” alive and move as the light lengthens, and feast on the new greens growing in the fertile ground around us. One of my favorite herbs for cleansing will soon be poking its sticky leaves out of the awakening earth: Cleavers. Deriving its name from the tendency to “cleave” like Velcro, if you have ever hiked through a patch of cleavers, you will know it well. Made with the perfection of nature’s genius, the leaves of the cleavers plant are covered with tiny “hairs” each tipped with a tiny hook, that act like a Velcro adhesive and attach themselves to our clothes, providing the plant with a transport system to spread its seeds as far as we and other animals walk. Officially known as Galium aparine, Cleavers is an herbaceous plant native to this continent. It is also commonly known as: Catch Weed, Coach Weed and Bedstraw. It spreads itself out over the ground and onto the plants it is near, often growing up to six feet in height. Liking well drained, shady areas, Cleavers is a weak stemmed plant with simple leaves consisting of whorls of up to eight which surround the stem. It has tiny white flowers, each with four petals, which begin to appear in early spring in the Port Townsend area. Cleavers is considered one of the best cleansing tonics known, helping to rid the body of toxins and purify the blood, the lymphatic system and kidneys. It has been used to alleviate inflammatory urinary diseases, relieve swollen and enlarged lymph glands, expel stones and gravel, and generally help cleanse the system when the body is failing to rid itself of pollutants. Cleavers has an historic application for treating cysts, tumors and benign breast lumps, perhaps because of its ability to drain the lymphatic system and detoxify tissue. In China, it is even considered a weight-reducing vegetable, and when lightly roasted, tea made from the plant is used as a caffeine-free, coffee substitute. Some of the constituents in Cleavers include a high quantity of vitamin C (in citric acid), asperuloside (which produces coumarin), tannins and glycosides. What are the benefits of all those constituents? As a lymphatic, Cleavers is highly effective in eliminating poisons and bacteria from the lymph nodes, relieving swelling in the nodes, the adenoids, and the tonsils. The vitamin C in Cleavers was used in the past as a treatment for scurvy (almost every process in the body utilizes vitamin C). Cleavers functions as a diuretic promoting an increase in the flow of urine. This helps rid the kidneys and bladder of stones, and supports the reduction of prostate enlargement. Cleavers is also considered a diaphoretic – something that stimulates perspiration and sweating -- which helps to expel toxic wastes through the skin. All of the above actions function to promote clear skin conditions when Cleavers is used internally, and when it is used topically, it is said to benefit eczema, psoriasis, ulcers, minor injuries and other skin inflammations. The coumarin content in Cleavers is considered to have blood-thinning properties, which may have a beneficial effect in reducing blood pressure and blood clotting. This quality might be very beneficial in the prevention of arteriosclerosis, strokes and heart attacks. As far as current research allows, there are no known warnings or contraindications with the use of Cleavers. And with it growing so abundantly, with it’s many positive attributes, and without risk of mistaking it for any other local plant that may be harmful, I encourage you to go harvest this beneficial herb as soon as we see it growing along the many trails, but I do not recommend picking any that grows too close to areas dogs walk (for obvious reasons) or near to the roadside due to particulate matter from the passing cars. Cleavers can be eaten as a vegetable, brewed into a tea, or dried in good conditions (a dehydrator is the optimal method for preserving the medicinal value), pulverized and placed into capsules for future use. If you are eating fresh Cleavers (the best way to ingest in my opinion) it is healthful to eat it every day that it is growing, through the period when the flowers are present. I like to put Cleavers into lasagna along with nettle leaves, which are another lovely local “weed” growing abundantly in Port Townsend. The Blue Star Gazette Your guide to an naturally inspired, magical lifestyle Brought to you by a community of those involved in the healing arts. Please contact the authors and sponsors of the Blue Star Gazette on-line (www.the bluestargazette.net) and tell them you saw their work here! Don't miss an issue! Subscribe and receive each edition for only $21. Just send your editor an email and we'll get it set jai@earthdancepress.com. Feel free to call me at the office at 360-379-blue(2583).

Cleansing with Cleavers
By Brwyn Griffin

What an abundantly beautiful place we live, here in the Pacific Northwest. Growing everywhere are wonderful medicinal plants, and soon to come, the bounty of spring! And with that surge of plant growth arrives an opportunity to attune our bodies with the cycles of nature and detoxify from our winter indulgences and stillness.

In the natural cycles of life is held great wisdom. Rest more in the darkness of winter, “spring” alive and move as the light lengthens, and feast on the new greens growing in the fertile ground around us. One of my favorite herbs for cleansing will soon be poking its sticky leaves out of the awakening earth: Cleavers.

Deriving its name from the tendency to “cleave” like Velcro, if you have ever hiked through a patch of cleavers, you will know it well. Made with the perfection of nature’s genius, the leaves of the cleavers plant are covered with tiny “hairs” each tipped with a tiny hook, that act like a Velcro adhesive and attach themselves to our clothes, providing the plant with a transport system to spread its seeds as far as we and other animals walk.

Officially known as Galium aparine, Cleavers is an herbaceous plant native to this continent. It is also commonly known as: Catch Weed, Coach Weed and Bedstraw. It spreads itself out over the ground and onto the plants it is near, often growing up to six feet in height. Liking well drained, shady areas, Cleavers is a weak stemmed plant with simple leaves consisting of whorls of up to eight which surround the stem. It has tiny white flowers, each with four petals, which begin to appear in early spring in the Port Townsend area.

Cleavers is considered one of the best cleansing tonics known, helping to rid the body of toxins and purify the blood, the lymphatic system and kidneys. It has been used to alleviate inflammatory urinary diseases, relieve swollen and enlarged lymph glands, expel stones and gravel, and generally help cleanse the system when the body is failing to rid itself of pollutants. Cleavers has an historic application for treating cysts, tumors and benign breast lumps, perhaps because of its ability to drain the lymphatic system and detoxify tissue. In China, it is even considered a weight-reducing vegetable, and when lightly roasted, tea made from the plant is used as a caffeine-free, coffee substitute. Some of the constituents in Cleavers include a high quantity of vitamin C (in citric acid), asperuloside (which produces coumarin), tannins and glycosides.

What are the benefits of all those constituents? As a lymphatic, Cleavers is highly effective in eliminating poisons and bacteria from the lymph nodes, relieving swelling in the nodes, the adenoids, and the tonsils. The vitamin C in Cleavers was used in the past as a treatment for scurvy (almost every process in the body utilizes vitamin C). Cleavers functions as a diuretic promoting an increase in the flow of urine. This helps rid the kidneys and bladder of stones, and supports the reduction of prostate enlargement. Cleavers is also considered a diaphoretic – something that stimulates perspiration and sweating -- which helps to expel toxic wastes through the skin. All of the above actions function to promote clear skin conditions when Cleavers is used internally, and when it is used topically, it is said to benefit eczema, psoriasis, ulcers, minor injuries and other skin inflammations.

The coumarin content in Cleavers is considered to have blood-thinning properties, which may have a beneficial effect in reducing blood pressure and blood clotting. This quality might be very beneficial in the prevention of arteriosclerosis, strokes and heart attacks.
As far as current research allows, there are no known warnings or contraindications with the use of Cleavers. And with it growing so abundantly, with it’s many positive attributes, and without risk of mistaking it for any other local plant that may be harmful, I encourage you to go harvest this beneficial herb as soon as we see it growing along the many trails, but I do not recommend picking any that grows too close to areas dogs walk (for obvious reasons) or near to the roadside due to particulate matter from the passing cars.

Cleavers can be eaten as a vegetable, brewed into a tea, or dried in good conditions (a dehydrator is the optimal method for preserving the medicinal value), pulverized and placed into capsules for future use. If you are eating fresh Cleavers (the best way to ingest in my opinion) it is healthful to eat it every day that it is growing, through the period when the flowers are present. I like to put Cleavers into lasagna along with nettle leaves, which are another lovely local “weed” growing abundantly in Port Townsend.

The Blue Star Gazette

Your guide to an naturally inspired, magical lifestyle

Brought to you by a community of those involved in the healing arts. Please contact the authors and sponsors of the Blue Star Gazette on-line (www.the bluestargazette.net) and tell them you saw their work here! Don't miss an issue! Subscribe and receive each edition for only $21. Just send your editor an email and we'll get it set jai@earthdancepress.com. Feel free to call me at the office at 360-379-blue(2583).