Pungents

Botanical Medicine 1

Brandy Webb, ND

Week 5

Pungents

• Zingiber officinalis

• Armoracia rusticana

• Brassica nigra

• Capsicum frutescens

• Piper nigra

General Information

• Digestive and circulatory stimulants

• Hot energetically; increase internal heat

• Strengthen metabolism

• Stimulate nervous system

• Expectorant and/or mucolytic; expel excess mucous

• Rubefacient (cause blood to migrate to skin surface; can cause blistering)

Medicinal Actions of Pungents• Improve digestion and assimilation of

food

• Increase stomach secretions, increase appetite

• Often have additional bitter and carminative actions– Blood cleansing– Stimulate peristalsis

• Antimicrobial

Zingiber officinalis QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Zingiber officinalis

• Ginger• Zingiberaceae family• Constituents

– Volatile oils (including sesquiterpenes, such as zingiberene)– Pungent principles (gingerols and shogaols)

• Actions– Antioxidant– Anti-inflammatory– Antimicrobial– Bitter– Diaphoretic– Carminative– Expectorant

Amoracia rusticana

Amoracia rusticana

• Horse radish • Brassicaceae family• Constituents

– Glucosinolates (including sinigrin)– Volatile oils

• Actions– Diaphoretic– Carminative– Diuretic – Antimicrobial– Bitter– Rubefacient– Sialagogue

Brassica nigra

Brassica nigra

• Black mustard• Brassicaceae family• Constituents

– Glucosinolates (including sinigrin)– Volatile oils (including sinapine)

• Actions– Rubefacient– Circulatory stimulant– Bitter

Piper nigra

Piper nigra

• Black pepper• Piperaceae family• Constituents

– Volatile oils (including -bisabolene and camphene)

– Alkaloids (including piperine)

• Actions– Carminative – Bitter

Capsicum frutescens

Capsicum frutescens

• Cayenne, red pepper• Solanaceae family• Constituents

– Capsaicin compounds– Carotenoids– Ascorbic acid– Tocopherols

• Actions– Circulatory stimulant– Carminative– Spasmolytic– Diaphoretic– Antimicrobial– Rubefacient– Bitter

Professor Cayenne’s Tonic

• 1/2 cup each: chopped garlic, onions, ginger, horseradish, parsley

• 1/8 cup fresh or powdered cayenne pepper• Raw apple cider vinegar• Finely chop the vegetables, pack into jar and

fill with vinegar. Agitate daily for 14 days. Strain and bottle.

• Sig: 1 tsp 2-4 times daily as needed for a warming digestive, decongestant, or for flu symptoms