Medicinal Herb Garden Project

The EC Organic Herb and Vegetable Garden Outline

This garden project will fulfill multiple purposes for the Eckerd
community. First, to educate the community and provide, as a learning
tool, knowledge of medicinal plants that are commonly taken today
without strict regulatory standards. And second, to educate the
community about self subsistence and sustainable agriculture. The
garden will have a strong ethnobotanical focus, pertaining to the
medicinal benefits of various plants, exotic and native. All exotic
plants will be contained in pots. The medicinal plants are all
harmless; they are not intended for ingestion by the community, except
of course common plants such as chamomile or sage. The plants are
intended to raise awareness about supplements that people are
ingesting today in soft drinks, food, and "tea." Medicinal plants
are widely sold and commonly ingested without proper knowledge or
instruction, due to their ambiguous regulatory status. This ambiguous
status refers to good manufacturing practices (GMPs) and other laws
defined by the F.D.A that define supplements as food and therefore do
not get into details about dosage and biochemical effects. The
popularity of medicinal plants is wide, with over the counter herbal
product sales exceeding 2.6 billion in 1999 (HerbalGram.org). There
are millions of people ingesting these plants without proper research
done regarding them.

The other portion of the project will be dedicated to researching
organic and sustainable forms of agriculture and applying these
techniques to the garden. This project will have a strong focus on
visiting local sites, businesses and organizations in the community.
This will include an internship/work exchange at a sustainable
community or "Eco Village," which is also a division of the
Institute for Appropriate Transferable Technology.

The project will also include 60 hours of volunteer work at the Bay
Pines Veterans' hospital, most of which will be spent working on the
garden in the therapeutic recreation department. There will also be
contact with local businesses, such as Acupuncture and Herbal
Therapies, which held a demonstration regarding these plants at the
dorm complex where the garden is located .

For a year, this garden has served as a learning tool to educate those
in the community on precautionary measures to be taken with medicinal
plants. It will also serve to educate the community on the benefits of
convenient, safe, inexpensive, and effective home remedies. It is
important to recognize both the benefits and the drawbacks of herbal
and other natural phytochemiccals used as

Medications. Drawbacks stem from the fact that over the counter
products often do not contain the stated dosage or potency due to
inadequate scientific research. Herbs are considered "food," and
therefore must only adhere to good manufacturing practices (GMP's).
This is not the case in many countries outside America, in particular
Germany which has a branch of government called Commission E which
regulates many herbs under standards held for most pharmaceuticals.

The supplement industry has been booming recently, this includes
largely herbal or plant-based products. Herbs are gaining in
popularity for various reasons. They are often safer than
pharmaceutical drugs (though some still have side effects). Plants are
absorbed more slowly and thus more gently into the system than
synthesized chemicals. Also, there are an incredible number of deaths
attributed to the ingestion of prescription drugs (Weil). An idea
commonly held among complementary medical practitioners and an
increasing number of doctors, is that plants in their natural state
include synergistic effects of many different compounds that one does
not get from an isolated chemical believed to be the active ingredient
An example of this is the compound Artemisinin, isolated from
Artemisia annua and used to treat drug resistant malaria. It produces
a number of unpleasant side effects during treatment. However, when
the whole plant is taken the side effects do not exist and treatment
is just as effective. The plant creates compounds of which the only
known purpose is to alleviate the side effects the isolated
constituent produces (Harrod Buhner). This is possibly due to plants
evolution in which humans have selectively helped propagate those
species which are particularly beneficial.

Recently pharmaceutical companies have been under pressure from the
FDA and suffering economically due to recalls of products that were
causing obvious and grave health problems. The following quote is from
The New York Times Business Day section front page: "Pfizer's
surprise announcement Friday, in which it disclosed serious health
risks in high doses of its arthritis drug Celebrex, roiled the
pharmaceutical sector. Pfizer, a Dow Jones industrial, once again took
losses" (New York Times December 21, 2004). Another quote from the
paper two days later: "Merck, another large pharmaceutical company
(referring to its relation to Pfizer) just recently recalled its own
painkiller

Vioxx from the market on Sept. 30" (New York Times December 18,
2004.) Information like this leads to loss of faith in the current
medical establishment. Upon completion of this paper yet another
article was read by the author linking the pain killer Aleve to heart
attacks. This sort of publicity is also partly responsible for the
resurgence of interest in complementary medicine and anything sold as
"natural." Thus, the herbal supplement industry is growing and
attracting much attention from pharmaceutical companies, the
government and the public.

Even further reasons people have been choosing plant based medication
stem from the fact that medicinal plants alive and for sale are less
expensive and more accessible then most other drugs. This may not seem
important at first, but there are a surprisingly large number of
people that leave symptoms ignored and untreated due to too much red
tape or high prices. Regarding this, it bears mentioning that health
care in America is below par compared to many other economically
similar countries. I personally think plant based and other forms of
complementary medicine should be used to do just that, complement more
mainstream forms of medicine. Another, more humanitarian, importance
of this study is that approximately 65 percent of the world relies on
medicinal plants, not pharmaceuticals, for their health (FDA.gov).
These are people in the third world or developing countries who cannot
afford prescription drugs. Better study of these plants will help the
local healers in these countries understand and use what they already
have available. These plants have been proven to be effective as can
be seen in their use in mainstream medicine. Over 25% of common
medications come from plants (www.drwel.com). Many pharmaceutical
drugs are concentrated or isolated derivatives of a naturally
occurring plant chemical or are an analogue to those found in nature.

The benefits of medicinal plants are many. They have been proven,
through ages of folk use, to be safe and effective through trial and
error. This means of deducing which plants are safe and medicinal has
helped serve us today in identifying potential useful species for
research. There is increasing amount of scientific research into the
benefits and precautions that should be taken with these plants,
though not nearly enough is being done. Most chemical research is
funded by pharmaceutical companies who have little to gain monetarily
from plants which are unregulated and not able to be patented. Jeff
Trewhitt, a spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America, commented on this issue, "Drug companies
do conduct research into plants but acknowledge it's not a priority
within the industry, research on other products holds more promise of
being effective" (www.cnn.com).

The second aspect of this garden, still concentrating on personal
health, will be the organic and subsistence garden section. Today what
we eat is usually processed (often with an otherworldly appearance)
and rarely made with healthy or natural ingredients. We have become
completely detached, removed and disinterested from the food we put in
our bodies. This is where the creation of home gardens and a movement
called Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) can be a wonderful
solution to this problem. Such local farms as "Sweet Water
Organic" (a popular quest for meaning volunteer organization)
practice CSA for its numerous community building, health and
ecological benefits. Community supported agriculture is a recent
movement in which small local farms charge individual membership to
community members for a portion of the weekly (or bi-weekly) share of
the produce. The food is less expensive than going through a middleman
wholesaler, is fresher, and usually (depending on the farm) is
organic. Often there are opportunities to work to pay part off the
cost of membership. Besides being a hands-on learning tool for the
community, it provides recreation, education, and possibly most
importantly, environmentally sustainable, nutritious, pesticide free,
fresh produce to members. CSA and home gardens more directly integrate
people with their food source. Our society today is in need of this in
these dark days of nutrition, with the dominance of processed and fast
foods in America's markets and stomachs.

Home gardens such as this, are another way of producing fresh organic
food. About fifty- three percent of households in the United States
now garden. They garden only 600 square feet on average. Home gardens
make around two dollars per square foot, double that for the premium
price of what organic food costs retail. These gardens produce about
eighteen percent of the food in the United States (Jeeves). Home
gardens and small-scale farming are also more productive then large
scale agriculture. If farmers were to break down their farms into
smaller plots of land (though no less then one acre), they would be
more productive. Large-scale agriculture is also highly dependent on
fossil fuel, with modern farming consuming more petroleum than any
other single industry.(Jeeves).

Another health benefit of the EC Organic Medicinal Herb and Vegetable
Garden is that it will be organic, though to be certified-organic one
must prove organic methods for over three years. The popularity of
organic food has grown immensely in the past few years.This has
recently become very visible with the advent of big corporations, such
as "Frito-Lay," introducing a "natural" line of chips with
organic ingredients. It is also evident with large supermarket chains
such as Publix, creating organic sections in their stores. People are
going for anything touted as natural due to a loss of faith and even
rebellion towards conventional health practices. Unfortunately legal
issues and regulations have not been developed with much concern for
what is "certified organic", or concerning standards of
supplements. As a consequence, not enough scientific research is being
done regarding these practices or to uphold these standards of
quality.

Organic food is entering the mainstream strictly from consumer demand
for good reasons. Aside from the health benefits, organic gardening
prevents soil erosion and protects water quality through finding
alternatives to toxic pesticides. This garden will be a learning
project on how to produce or be involved with ones own healthy food
production. I look forward to a golden age of health where one does
not have to eat an orange from California if he lives in Florida!

The EC Organic Medicinal Herb and Subsistence Garden Club, will
continue maintenance of this garden through the future generations of
Eckerd College. The club will correspond with other gardening projects
including three already contacted. These include "Sweet Water
Organic Farm" in Tampa, a New College graduate currently
facilitating their extensive organic garden project; and via email
with "The Farm," a self sustainable community in Tennessee to which
many top scientists come to study.

Gotu Kola, Centella asiatica (L.) or Hydrocotyle asiatica is a plant
that has been long used in Indian ayurvedic tradition, as well as in
folk remedies in other indigenous traditions. Recently gotu kola, has
been noticed by western doctors and herbalists as a drug with
different medicinal healing properties. Though it is used somewhat
differently now then it was in the times of the Rg Veda there are some
places where the uses cross over and thus give some substantiality to
ancient civilizations knowledge of medicine. Today you can find Gotu
kola at most health food stores and it is even being used occasionally
in various commercial products.

Gotu Kola's various names include water pennywort, Indian pennywort,
thick-leafed pennywort and gota kola. The original literature written
on Gotu Kola comes from India, most discussing gotu kola's use in
medicine. In Indian literature it is used for improving brain
function, and creating a sense of alert relaxation. There is some
research supporting this in America. Gotu kola hailing from the east
and being used little in America was used mostly for healing the
urinary tract in western herbalism, until it was picked up by the
health food industry more recently. Since then, more western research
has been done into the effects of the herb. Some medicinal uses on
gotu kola as folk remedies include producing longevity, regenerating
the mind, as well as producing a state of calm. In Sri Lanka it was
observed that elephants, renowned for long life, fed heavily on the
plant. Giving rise to belief in the locals of its effect on longevity.
It is said in India that the leafs of the gotu kola plant look like
the two hemisphere of the brain. In Sanskrit, it is called brahmi
(Brahma meaning cosmic consciousness). It is believed to help the flow
of energy in the brain between the right and left hemispheres. In
India it is also used as a decongestant and to alleviate sinus
problems. (Lad) Taken before bedtime it is believed to promote a sound
sleep and alert awakening. A Sinhalese proverb states "two leaves a
day will keep old age away", suggesting its effects that are being
researched today on senility.

Within the last 15 years or so since the interest in herbalism has
gained more of a foothold in the commercial market (or has the
commercial market gained a foothold in herbalism), there has been
modern scientific research into gotu kola and its effects on both the
brain and its wound healing qualities. Chemicals associated with its
sedative effect are triterpenes, and the saponins bramoside, and
brahminoside (Crellin and Phillpot) (the last two seeming to come from
the Sanskrit word Brahma). Other chemicals associated with its
medicinal qualities include flavonols, amino acids, fatty acids,
sterols, saccharides, and certain mineral salts. As well as essential
oil, polysaccharides, and in particular the glycoside asiaticoside as
a wound-healing agent.

An extract of gotu kola known as TECA is currently being used to treat
varicose veins, as certain lab results show an effect on stimulating
the synthesis of collagen in the walls of the veins which helps them
hold their tone and function better. (Graedon and Graedon). This is a
remedy approved by the commission E monograph. Clinical settings also
are noticing gotu kola's effects on healing surgical incisions and
skin ulcers. In one trial TECA was administered to patients with
parasitic infections that damage the bladder. Three fourths of these
patients recovered well, with little or no bladder scarring using gotu
kola. Many other reports are hailing gotu kola as a powerful
wound-healing drug, it seems to inhibit scab formation and thus help
with the overall healing process. Doses of gotu kola inlcude .5 to 1
gram three times a day. Tea is made by pouring water over half a
teaspoon of dried leaves and steeping for ten minutes. Most
standardized extract should be taken in 60 to 120 mg per day, fluid
extract (1:1) 2 to 4 ml a day.

There is research that states various possible side effects of the
drug that suggest caution in it being used daily for more then around
six weeks. Alleged allergic reactions from gotu kola have been
attributed to the presence of propylene glycol. (Crellin and Philpott)
And thus should be used cautiously. It is also noted that high doses
of the extract have a sedative effect on small animals. Animal
research also indicates that some gotu kola constituents can reduce
fertility. Few side effects are documented, these include contact
rash, others receiving an injection of the drug developed a pain and
discoloration of the site. One case involving ingestion the drug
included someone getting a rash over the entire body; there is slight
concern for photosensitivity as well. Also one component of c.
asiatica, asiaticoside, may be a carcinogen. (Graedon and Graedon) .
There is also a report that gotu kola should not be used with
medications for diabetes or high blood pressure (Castleman).

Today you can find gotu kola on the shelves of almost any health food
store, it is gaining popularity as are many other herbs, simply
because they work. I have noticed appearing in supplements on the
market today that incorporate a mixture of herbs and phytochemicals
(polypharmacy), that gotu kola is used in some mixtures used for
depression. These also usually incorporate a combination of GABA,
L-dopamine, passionflower and St. Johnswort as well. This is possibly
due to gotu kola's calming yet slightly stimulating quality. If I were
to market gotu kola perhaps I would make a study pill meant to be
taken a couple of weeks before and during finals. This pill would
include Ginko to increase blood flow to the brain. Calamus root as an
age old remedy on memory and the nervous system. Perhaps some rosemary
for reputed effects on nervous system. Gotu kola as well as basil, for
its uses in ayurvedic literature for positive effects on the brain.
Also I would throw in some vitamin B12 and perhaps riboflavin. This I
am almost quite sure would work very well, in making one more mentally
alert and capable. This is due to personal experience and research. I
use these supplements during times of test taking and notice slightly
less fatigue which I attribute to gotu kola though I do not feel
overly stimulated or an increase in heart rate, I also notice more of
an ability to concentrate. Another idea for an herbal remedy that I
believe would do very well is a tincture marketed for scar and wound
healing. Since gotu kola is not advertised as a wound-healing agent I
believe this has a lot of potential on the market. I'm sure once
people got the results, it would become a huge seller. I myself have
given it to different friends who wanted cuts to heal and have found
it very helpful. One girl I gave it to that had a horrible accident on
a bike cut her face completely. She found it to be a miracle drug,
perhaps with vitamin e it would be a better product. Many of the
medicinal claims here made in this paper have come from my research as
well as my own personal experience. This is why I chose it as a plant
to write about as I see much potential to create a sense of alert
relaxation, ease of depression, concentration, and wound healing.

Medicinal uses of plants have been gaining more and more popularity,
which is why they are gaining more respect and recognition in western
culture. Herbalism is also gaining increased attention from
governmental organizations seeking to regulate and restrict access to
such herbs. Though there would be benefits of this it would drive out
the independent herbalist producer, and hand over much authority to
the pharmaceutical companies. This can be looked at as a double-edged
sword, a curse and a blessing. Gotu kola in particular is one herb
with much medicinal promise that has much to be researched of in the
west. Its just a nugget of value waiting to be exploited by western
pharmaceutical company's, supplement industry workers, and
entrepreneurs of all sorts! A member of the ubelliiferae family, gotu
kola is related to carrot, parsley, dill and fennel. But it has
neither the feathery leaves nor the umbel arangment of tiny umbrella
like flowers, goto kolas creeping stem grows in marshy areas and
produces fan shaped leaves about the size of a brittish penny hence
the name pennywort. A cup lke clutch of inconspicuous flowers develops
near the ground

Graedon, Joe, M.S., and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.

1999 The People's Pharmacy New York: St Martin's Paperbacks.

Crellin, John, and Jane Philpott.

1989 Herbal Medicine past and present. London: Duke university press.

Lad, Vasant M.D.

1984 Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing. WI: lotus press.

Castleman, Michael.

1989 Blended Medicine. New York: Rodale.

_By: *sam cook*_

*About the Author:*

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