Food As Medicine: Let's Talk About Barberries

Did you know there's an itty-bitty berry that can help relieve a variety of ailments?  If you're like the average Joe (or Jane!), then you may not even know they exist, never mind that they offer more than a cranberry-like punch for your taste buds to savor.    If you like to use food as medicine, or just want to find an alternate way to relieve everyday pains and more, then be sure to read on. 

It was just a few short months ago that I added barberries to my medicine cabinet.  Initially, I ordered a pound of them from The Raw Food World after reading about some of their benefits for GI distress, like acting as a natural anti-emetic to calm the tummy, relieve diarreah and stop indigestion.  Once I experimented with them and was able to trade in the Tums, I was comfortable offering them to my boys when they were suffering from an upset stomach.  It wasn't long after my children gave them a try that I found out they were good for much more than stomach distress - they worked for pain too!  My two boys, Nikolas and Brandon, began asking for them when they were in pain (growing pains, initially).  The first time I heard a little voice calling to me (after being tucked into bed) about these berries, I was suspicious.

Mommmmmmy...  Can I have some barberries for my legs?
What do barberries have to do with your legs?
They make my growing pains go away.
Are you sure you're not just trying to get out of bed and have a snack?
No, they realllly help my leg pains. 
Ok, here.  Now go back to bed.

Oddly enough, that was the first night in a lengthly string of nights, that the achiness and pain from a growth spurt fully resolved.  I still wasn't totally convinced, however.  I mean, we weren't talking about an Rx or a dose of Motrin - things we all know work to relieve pain.  We were talking about a berry.  A handful of dried fruit.  Nothing more than a snackfood.  Ok, maybe a little more; a healthy snack food. 

After a handful of nights using barberries as a pain treatment for growing pains, I was convinced enough to do some research.  I wanted to find out what other, if any, medicinal applications were available for barberries, as well as whether or not my boys' pain relief was a placebo effect, or truly a natural cure.  It wasn't long into my search that I found out barberries have more uses than I have fingers and toes. 

Here are a few of my favorite uses:

• Barberry has been used for thousands of years to relieve or reduce fevers.
• Barberry contains berberine, which inhibits the growth of harmful microorganisms. 
• Barberry can relieve diarreah quickly because it has astringent properties. 
• Barberry contains antioxident properties.  (I'm an anti-aging nut, so of course it's a favorite!)
• Barberry is thought to have anticonvulsant properties and is used to treat seizures by some naturopathic physicians.
• Barberry can be made into a tea & used to treat resperatory issues such as bronchitis and sooth sore throats.
• Barberries are the one thing I can take that cuts the pain of my migraine headaches (at least) in half. 
• Barberries have anti-inflamatory properties.

And that's just a tad more than a handful of the seemingly endless uses for barberries.  And another one of my fave things about this plants is that it can be used it's entirety.  While consuming the dried berry is my favorite way to ingest this plant, you can also use the leaves and roots in tea or capsule form. 

But how many barberries is a "dose" of medicine?  At our house, we use a that little measureing cup that comes with a bottle of liquid medicine, such as cough syrup or Tylenol, as a guide.  One scoop is a regular dose and two is for more severe pain.  Personally, I take two full scoops for a migraine, but for something like achy joints or indigestion, one scoop does just fine.  For a more detailed dosing chart, check out University of Maryland's Medical Center website.  They have a dosing chart to give you an idea of what a healthcare professional may recommend. 

So, barberries are natural.  That means they're totally safe, right?

Wrong.  Just because something grows naturally doesn't make it safe for everyone or every circumstance.  While barberries are generally accepted as safe, like anything, too much can be a bad thing.  Barberries can interact with some prescription medications and in very high doses may cause nose bleeds, nausea or other issues.  And because barberries can stimulate the uterus, you should avoid them while pregnant. 

So now that you know how great barberries are, the next step is finding a trusted source for them, if you can't or don't grow your own.  After sampling barberries from a handful of different sellers, I finally came across a vendor I can trust.  The Raw Food World offers raw, organic, dried barberries (and many other raw products) that I trust.  Until I can grow my own barberries, or find a better tasting version of the dried fruit elsewhere, The Raw Food World is my go-to shop. 

 

Do you use barberries at home?  Share your favorite uses, ask a question or just comment below!  I love to hear from our readers! 

{I am not, and do not claim to be a medical professional.  I write based on my personal experience and research.  Please contact a medical professional before making any decisions that could impact your health.  As a reader, you must be responsible for your own research and actions.}