Greetings!
Health and sustainability are of the utmost importance to me, and this post is a specialty of both!
Today I am enjoying some much needed rain here at The Garden of Eden and harvesting some of my favorite local superfoods "Hackberries".
As usual, ALL photos in this post 100% original for this post, are taken by me and the video is on my camera.
These are very easy to grow and cultivate and also very easy to wild harvest! They apparently grow on almost every continent besides Antarctica.
I go into it quite extensively here in this video, so watch it if you are interested in how to sustainably improve your health!
After the video, I will list the nutrition content of this SuperFood and some of its uses/benefits!
Enjoy!
Here is Video Part 1:
Video Part 2:
Here is a picture of what a trunk commonly looks like. You can see the high contrast and somewhat sharp bark, kinda like an alligator skin.
Here is a more close up shot of that same bark.
The Native Americans used Hackberry as both food and medicine. Hackberry is the plant which is used in folk medicine due to its cytotoxic and antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are very important as they neutralize free radicals, and cancer and many other diseases are caused by free radicals. Research shows that the leaf extracts contain beneficial bioactive compounds. The n-butanol fractions, aqueous and ethanolic extracts and isolated compounds were tested for the presence of antioxidant activities with the use of xanthine oxidase induced generation of superoxide radical, DPPH radical scavenging assay. With the use of standard MTT assay, the cytotoxic activities were studied. The variable cytotoxic activities were showed by all extracts. The study shows that the leaf extracts possess cytotoxic and antioxidant activities.
Basically this means its a great medicine as well as a super food!
- Hackberries contain up to 20% protein!
- Good source of calcium!
- Hackberries help reduce heavy menstrual bleeding. The leaves and berries of hackberry tree contain astringent properties. A decoction of the fruit and leaves is used in the treatment of amenorrhoea (heavy menstrual bleeding) and inter-menstrual bleeding. It is useful to regulate blood flow during menses.
- Flowers are sources of nectar for bees which are considered as the main pollinators.
- The tree has soft wood which is used for firewood and manufacture of cheap furniture, fence posts, boxes and plywood.
- The tree is planted on the banks of river to prevent soil erosion and flooding.
- This berry feeds many mammals and birds after they ripen.
