Uses & Benefits
Oregon grape can be used a variety of ways. One of the most common uses today is to make juice or jelly preserve with the fruit. The roots of Oregon grape can also be used as medicine, they contain a chemical compound called berberine.
Berberine can be found in a variety of foods including Barberry, goldenseal, goldthread, and tree turmeric. Berberine is a yellow chemical that is know to help strengthen the heart and regulate blood sugar. Berberine is also used to treat Alzheimer's, Diabetes, depression cardiovascular disease and many types of cancers.
Another great way to utilize this plant is to dry out the leaves, branches, and roots crush them into a powder to either make into a salve, cream or a poultice to apply to skin condition such as eczema and psoriasis.
The Roots were extensively used by the First Nations for thousands of years to treat upset stomach, diarrhea, malaria, Kidney disease, Hemorrhoids, urinary tract infections, second degree burns, psoriasis, eczema, and stomach ulcers.
Antifungal
Antibacterial
Antipersitic
Anticancer
Anti Infamatory
"Oregon grape has the ability to kill parasites in your body"
Where to find
Oregon grape likes to grow in semi open forested areas, roadsides, trails and old homesteads. It is an underbrush that can grow up to 3 ft tall. It can thrive in many type of climates and soil conditions giving this plant a large variety of environment conditions to grow in which should make it easy to find. Look for the red leaves and blue coloured berries in the fall, the fruit is best harvested after the first Frost to help sweeten them up.
Nutrition
Oregon grape berries are packed full of beneficial antioxidants and other nutrients. The roots are packed with berberine.
Vitamins C
Antioxidants
Anthocyanins
Iron
Calcium
Magnesium
Preventing multi drug immunity
Magicaly, the active chemical compounds in Orgeon grape have been shown to inhibit the immunity of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria, such as MRSA to antibiotics. These bacteria use a pump to shuttle the antibiotic back out of their cells as soon as it is absorbed. Oregon grape prevents the function of this pump, thus making the multi-resistant bacteria once again susceptible to prescription antibiotics. Because of this, it can be used in combination with antibiotics to help treat infections with these bacteria.
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