Peppermint: Herb of the Month

Now Peppermint is one of the most popular herbs used in today’s society.

A summer-growing, perennial aromatic herb, peppermint is a hybrid of Mentha spicata (spearmint) and M. aquatica (watermint). The plant grows wild throughout Europe and North America in moist areas and is thought to be of Mediterranean origin.

The leaves and stems of peppermint contain volatile oils that give the plant its pungent fragrance and taste. The oil contains menthol, which is responsible for the sensation of coolness that is characteristic of peppermint.

Today, the peppermint plant is commonly added to cough and cold remedies because of its high menthol content, which provides a sensation of coolness and easier breathing. © HerbalGram. 2006; 72:1,4-5 American Botanical Council.

Peppermint is November’s featured herb for ACHS’s Herb of the Month Club. As member, each month you will receive a new herb of the month package, including 8 oz of the herb of the month and an informational pamphlet. We would also love for you to discover the power and purity of our therapeutic, organic peppermint essential oil. Click here for your sample with your Herb of the Month purchase.

Jack-o-Latern Greens Soil

According to an article in the October 28, 2004, edition of Outside Online, Kenneth Reimer and two of his colleagues at the Royal Military College of Canada conducted a study which shows the pumpkin plant can remove significant amounts of DDT from contaminated soil.

Catharine Livingston writes:

Reimer’s experiment lends credence to the emerging technology of phytoremediation—a biological process by which certain plants extract chemicals from soil, sediment, or water. Of the five plant varieties Reimer’s group tested, pumpkin plants extracted the most DDT, and their close relative—the zucchini—came in second.

DDT and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are especially difficult to remove from contaminated soil because they do not dissolve in water, a condition that makes them become more deeply attached to the soil’s organic matter as time passes.

DDT was introduced around the time of World War II as a popular insecticide, as well as an effective combatant against carriers of typhus and malaria. However, after its ability to endure for long periods of time in the environment—and the subsequent negative health consequences for humans and animals alike—became known, the chemical was banned in the United States and other countries. Some developing nations, however, still rely on DDT for disease protection.

For their study, Reimer and his colleagues took soil from a site in the western Canadian Arctic that had been exposed to DDT between 1947 and 1950, and then grew selected plants in the sample soil in a greenhouse during the summer of 2002 and the winter of 2003.

According to an early draft of Reimer’s report—which will be published in the November 15 edition of Environmental Science & Technology—size was an important factor in the success of the pumpkin and zucchini plants as cleanup agents. Both plants have a large above-ground biomass, as well as leaves with greater surface areas—a physiology that enables them to accumulate larger amounts of DDT and perhaps also translocate it more easily.

But while the plants can take pollutants out of the soil, they can’t get rid of them. Reimer said the next step would be to segregate the contaminated plants and compost them into a residue that could be sent to a more conventional location for disposal, such as a landfill or incinerator.

“So, you’re using the plant as an extraction mechanism,” Reimer told Outside.

When asked about the practicality of applying his findings to the world’s large-scale problem of soil contamination, Reimer said, “I think [the study] shows some promise. We’re still a ways from the marketplace.”

In order for pumpkins, zucchinis, and other special plants to do their work, Reimer said they need more time compared to the alternative solution, which is to dig up all the soil in the contaminated area and put it in an incinerator. For sites that need quick cleaning, he said, the latter is still a better option.

Still, Reimer’s findings mark an important step in the emergence of phytoremediation as a solution to contamination problems.

“For us, dealing with organochlorines—which are some of the most persistent pollutants in the environment—is really exciting,” he told Outside.

Obaid Faroon, from the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, told Outside that while the details behind Reimer’s study are still forthcoming, “According to this report, it’s very promising.”

Original article is available at: http://outside.away.com/outside/news/20041028_1.html.

Integrative Medicine Webinar Events

Free Webinar Events presented by Natural Standard (www.naturalstandard.com)

Botanicals and Menopause
Presented by: Maida Taylor, MD, MPH, FACOG
October 14 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Eastern Time
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October 14 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Time
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Natural Standard Database Overview
Presented by: Chief Editor Catherine Ulbricht, PharmD

October 28 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time
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Attendee call in number: (616) 883-8055, access code 386-478-732

November 18 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time
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December 10 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time
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Attendee call in number: (616) 883-8055, access code 644-424-903


Diabetes: Integrative Care Cases
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November 12 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time
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Attendee call in number: (616) 883-8055, access code 625-144-811


An Innovative Program in Applied Natural Products
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December 2 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Time
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Attendee call in number: (616) 883-8055, access code 458-016-977

ACHS 3rd Annual HerbDay Celebration

HerbDay! Celebrate Herbs and Herbalism!

HerbDay is a series of educational events celebrating the importance of herbs and herbalism. HerbDay was created by the HerbDay Coalition, a group of five herbal non-profit organizations and works to raise awareness about the significance of herbs in our lives and the many ways herbs can be used safely and creatively for health, beauty care, and culinary enjoyment.

The Day's schedule includes:

Noon to 1 p.m. - Introduction by ACHS President Dorene Petersen and discussion on Mastic Gum of Greece;

1 to 2 p.m. - Using Herbs for Fatigue and Insomnia, lecture by ACHS Professor Dr. Arianna Staruch;

2 to 3 p.m. - Antioxidants: What Are They & Herbal Sources by ACHS Graduate and Chemist Amanda Lattin; and

3 to 4 p.m. - Tour of ACHS Botanical Teaching Garden (weather permitting).

Take this opportunity to visit the ACHS campus, meet staff and faculty, and take advantage of extra savings in the College store, The Apothecary Shoppe, for all your holistic health shopping!

Free and open to the public, but space is limited. To RSVP, call (503) 244-0726 or RSVP online here (no credit card needed) to make sure we hold your place. Friday, October 10, 2008, from noon-4 p.m. Located at the ACHS campus, John's Landing, 5940 SW Hood Avenue, Portland, OR 97239.

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