cancer prevention Archives | Natural Health with Merrilyn Hope

Growing Heritage Apple Trees From Cuttings

Health And Healing

Every organic garden should have at least one good apple tree, I believe. Apples are very beneficial to the health. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, the old saying goes.

Heritage apples have been shown to be much higher in nutrients than modern-day apples which are grown mainly to appeal to the eye, rather than for their healthful aspects. Heritage apples contain plenty of those antioxidants and phytochemicals which have been proven for their ability in helping prevent diseases such as cancer and arthritis.

There is, thankfully, a trend now for people to procure heritage apple trees, which are very old varieties, for their garden orchards.

Putting down cuttings is a way in which you can propagate your own trees from an old variety of apple tree. The method may not always work, but there is a good chance that you may get one or two lucky strikes from the cutting method of propagation.

The good thing about the cutting method is that the newly grown tree will be true to type and will produce the same kind of fruit as the original tree.

Some varieties of apple respond better to the cutting method than others. I have had wonderful success from an unknown old tree in the Waikato which had smallish but sweet apples, similar to a Cox’s Orange. Lately, I have managed to grow one cutting out of several I took from my daughter’s Dunedin orchard. This apple tree is quite old and gnarly, but is overloaded with beautiful big apples every year which stew up into a lovely creamy sweet pulp, and also make good eating apples too. I am looking forward to when it will begin to fruit.

I took most of my cuttings in the spring-time, just before the apples began to produce their new leaves. However, I have still had results from taking cuttings at Christmas time in New Zealand, when the apple tree had very young leaves on it.

The secret is to not let the new budding shoots dry out, or the new green leaves, if they have sprouted. So put your cuttings in a dampish place where they will get the sun for only a short time of the day. Right alongside a compost bin on the shadier side is an excellent place. The nutrients from the compost infiltrate the soil around the bin, and these nutrients help the cuttings to grow roots. Make sure to water the area where the cuttings have been planted so that the soil does not dry out.

Take cuttings around 18 inches to 2 feet long. Bury half of the length of the cutting in the ground.

Pushing the cuttings in at an angle amongst other leafy garden plants such as comfrey, which offer some shade as well as nutrients to the upcoming young apple tree can help the cutting to take root. Remember, again, to water enough so that the soil does not dry out.

I have found the occasional drink of watered down coffee grounds to be helpful in growing apple trees from cuttings. The high nitrogen content in coffee may be why this helps new growth.

Even if you think none have taken, try to leave the cuttings in until the following spring, when you might be surprised. Some cuttings will be obviously dead by the end of the summer, and you can remove those ones, but leave in those cuttings which still show promise, even though they may not be showing new leaves. Sometimes, the plant is busy building a root system below ground, even when it has not managed to sprout new leaves. You will know when springs comes whether it has made the grade or not.

Apples can help prevent constipation, acidity of the stomach, help digestion, help prevent arthritis, cancer and many other diseases.

See Merrilyn’s Song ‘Marianne, Let Us Be’ on Youtube:

WHO Declare Glyphosate ‘Probably’ Causes Cancer, March, 2015

Environment and Health Issue: The herbicide RoundUp, which is made by the agrichemical and seed giant Monsanto, contains glyphosate: Now glyphosate is named by the World Health Organization as being a possible cause of cancer.

Find on Amazon E books: http://www.amazon.ca/No-Cancer-Good-Health-Notebook-ebook/dp/B01DHMH6DG/175-1299456-6844733?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

For many years glyphosate has been insistently marketed as a ‘safe’ product, despite the bad reactions many of us have to it. This status is changing. The World Health Organization recently, in March, 2015, declared that glyphosate ‘probably’ causes cancer. The fear of being sued by the companies who manufacture the weedkiller is probably the reason for their seemingly indecisive statement, which is conveniently diluted to placate the big chemical giants, in my opinion.

The following excerpt is quoted from Andrew Porterfield, July 24th, 2015, ‘Genetic Literacy Project’. (geneticliteracyproject.org)

‘In March, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC, issued a statement (also published in The Lancet) that reclassified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans”. It was a surprise to some in the scientific community because every major regulatory agency had determined that glyphosate, an herbicide often paired with genetically modified crops, was not carcinogenic.’

Soya Can Help Prevent Cancer

Natural Remedies

Prevention of Breast Cancer

In ‘Natural Alternatives To Dieting’, author Dr Marilyn Glenville has quite a lot to say about the benefits of including GE-free soya in the diet.

Soya is cholesterol-free and a complete protein in itself. It is the only edible bean which contains all the eight essential amino acids, which makes it an ideal protein food for vegetarians. Soya is the perfect substitute for dairy milk.

Soya not only helps you to lose weight, it can help prevent cancer, says Dr Glenville.

She refers to research done recently: Japanese women, whilst they remain on their traditional diet which includes soya products such as tofu, miso, soy sauces, etc, have a low incidence of breast cancer, as well as minimal menopausal symptoms, and, I presume, lower obesity levels. Japanese women, though, do not have such good health when they move away from Japan and assume a western-style diet in America. Under these new conditions, rates of breast cancer increase dramatically.

Of course, there will be other beneficial foods in their traditional diet besides soya, such as fish and seaweed, which may account for their supreme good health. These may not be as abundant in the diet once the homeland has been left behind.

It also might be a trend, once in America, to switch from the healthy Japanese diet to one which includes plentiful dairy foods, wheat flour products, and meat, none of which are known for their ability to prevent cancer.

There is also the stress level to consider: Moving to a new place is supposed to be one of the most stressful conditions we might suffer, even more stressful than losing a loved one.

So, while it is probable that it is not just soya which prevents Japanese women from getting cancer, there is a scientific basis to the argument that soya has cancer-inhibiting properties.

According to Dr Glenville, soya contains a number of cancer-inhibitors, including a chemical similar to Tamoxifen, which is a pharmaceutical drug given for the treatment of oestrogen-caused breast cancers.

Soya beans’ phyto-oestrogens, genistein and daidzein, are just two of the several known to exist within the soya bean: These have a beneficial effect in that they inhibit cancer cells from developing in the breast. They somehow act to prevent the hormonal type of oestrogen, which is carcinogenic, from forming.

Japanese women eating a traditional diet rich in soya products have less breast cancers than their American counterparts. This correlates with the amount of phyto-oestrogens found in the urine: The Japanese who consumed a large amount of soy in the diet had 100-1,000 times more phtyo-oestrogens in their urine than their American counterparts.

It is interesting to note that Japanese men seem to benefit from eating plentiful amounts of soya products also. Whilst their rates of prostate cancer seem to be equivalent to those found in the UK, not so many Japanese men actually die of the disease.

Dr Glenville concludes that the phyto-oestrogens in soya products have ‘a balancing effect on hormones in both men and women’.

Natural Remedies

Culpeper says of Sage that it ’causes the hair to become black’.

Garden sage has many therapeutic uses.

In the garden, its flowers provide medicine and nectar for the bees, as well as a herbal tonic to the neighbouring plants.

It is well-known as an aid to oral hygiene. It has strong antiseptic qualities and is supposed to whiten tooth enamel.

Sage is still used today in some tooth-pastes. It is reputedly one effective remedy for bleeding gums, and improving gum health: The crushed fresh leaves are massaged several times a day onto the gums and teeth.

The tea is gargled to relieve sore throats, colds and flu, and ulcers in the mouth.

It can be effective to reduce fevers, and has been used in the past for thyphoid fever. (see ‘Herbal Remedies and Homeopathy’ published by Geddes and Grosset.)

It is a valuable nerve medicine, and is a useful stomach remedy for improving a weak appetite.

Natural Herbal Hair Dye and Tonic: Sage can help restore healthy hair and improve the colour.

Strong sage tea encourages hair growth and darkens the hair, if it is used on a regular basis. Many herbalists describe it in their writings: see John Heinerman’s ‘Encyclopedia of Fruits Vegetables and Herbs’.

Rosemary is another wonderful herb which can help hair growth, but it does not have such a darkening effect on the hair, as sage does.

Recipe For Sage Hair Dye: Here is a simple, natural hair dye and tonic which you can try. It is perfectly safe to use, as it does not contain any harmful additives such as you might find in commercial dyes for darkening the hair.

Take two cups of fresh sage leaves and put into a stainless steel saucepan.

Add one cup of dry black tea leaves

Add half a cup of cider vinegar and eight cups of water.

Simmer very gently, with no lid, for one hour on a very low heat. You should have around half the original quantity of liquid left at the end of an hour. If you need to add a little more water, make sure you do so well before you finish simmering the brew. If you add more water at the end of the simmering, then your mixture will not keep so well.

Take off the heat after an hour of simmering. Set aside to cool.

Once your sage mixture has cooled properly, strain it off.

To the liquid remaining add the same amount of vodka.

Put into a bottle with a screw-top lid and store in a cool place.

Massage around a tablespoonful of the sage infusion into the hair each day. Use more or less, depending on how much hair you need to cover.

Massage the sage tonic well into the roots of the hair as well, so that it feeds the scalp and hair follicles. Massaging the scalp with the sage tonic will help the hair to grow again.

The oils in the sage leaves will put a natural shine to the hair.

Once the hair is sufficiently darkened, which may take several weeks, you can reduce the amount of applications each week. Once or twice a week may be enough to maintain the darker colour.

Sage is really very good for the hair in so many ways.

Alternative Sage Tonic Without Alcohol: You could make up your sage tea without the alcohol if you wish. Only, remember that your mixture will not keep for longer than a week, and it must be kept in the fridge. You could make up a lesser amount, enough to last a week, and then make up a fresh brew of tea for the following week.

My new book is available on Amazon:

Rhubarb Use In Constipation Cancer, Arthritis, Psoriasis

Natural Remedies

There are two types of Rhubarb. The Chinese variety, Rheum Officinale, is the one mostly used in herbal medicine. However, garden rhubarb, Rheum Rhaponticum, also has some value in treating certain diseases.

Remedy For Constipation: The stalks of Garden Rhubarb are, of course, an aged-old remedy for constipation. I think that this makes it a very helpful treatment in diseases such as cancer, arthritis and psoriasis: Cleaning out the bowels of effete matter is imperative in treating any disease, as this is usually where the disease originates.

Rhubarb Root For Constipation: In using Garden Rhubarb for treating constipation, the most potent part of the plant to use is the dried root. It must be dried and powdered or chopped before using, and only a half teaspoon can be taken in one dose. Do not use this remedy more than once a week, as it is very vigorous in its action: overuse can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Poisonous Leaves: NEVER use the leaves of the Rhubarb plant. These are very poisonous, as they contain large amounts of oxalic acid. You can safely eat the stalks of Rhubarb, but never the leaves.

Stewed Rhubarb Stalks And Apple: This is a delicious combination which is often served as a dessert on its own, or used in a crumble as a treat. Simply stew your chopped Rhubarb stalks with an equal amount of grated, unpeeled apple.

In the absence of dried root, eating a cupful of stewed Rhubarb and apple each morning will surely waken up a lazy bowel.

Because of its laxative qualities, eating rhubarb and apple frequently will help to prevent cancer, arthritis and other degenerative disease.

Eat Plenty Of Other Stuff Too: Do not overdo the rhubarb. It is high in oxalic acid which can deplete your body of calcium if your diet is deficient in this and other nutrients. This can result in arthritis-type symptoms and bone pain.

If you use Rhubarb frequently, be sure to eat plenty of other foods which contain calcium, protein and oils, such as good quality milk, fish, sesame seeds, almonds and nuts.

Or, alternatively, use lots of carrot juice, or cabbage, to counter the depleting effect of Rhubarb.

Natural Cancer Treatment: Rhubarb has apparently been used in China for treating some types of cancer. (See ‘Miracle Healing Herbs’ by John Heinerman, PhD, published byPrentice Hall, 1998)

Mammary Tumours: Rhubarb contains good amounts of potassium, calcium, and Vitamin C. It is also reputed to contain the laxative ingredients rhein and emodin, which have shown to be effective in treating mammary tumours in mice.

Malignant melanomas have also responded to the use of rhein and emodin compounds. The dose given in John Heinerman’s book is 50mg per kilogram of body weight as a daily dosage.

Herbal Recipe For Treating Arthritis and Psoriasis: I have not tried this remedy, but this recipe adapted from Heinerman sounds to be very good. The cabbage juice contained in the mixture would, I think, help to reduce the depletion of calcium.

He macerates 1 cup of Rhubarb root with half a cup of chopped Rhubarb stalks.

To this is added 10 tablespoonsful of powdered grape root – the Oregon variety if you can get it.

8 X 50mg zinc tablets are pounded into the mixture.

The resulting mix is then put into a screw-top jar, and 3 cups of good gin or rum put over it. I think a good vodka would do the trick just as well.

Shake twice a day for two weeks, then strain the mixture.

The final addition is One and a Quarter cups of cold cabbage water. This is obtained by gently simmering half a chopped cabbage in two pints of water for half an hour, or until the water has reduced to about half or less.

Put the Rhubarb liquid, together with the cabbage water, into a bottle and screw on the lid.

I would keep it in the fridge, to make sure it does not ferment before you use it up.

Dose is one teaspoonful five times a day before meals and before morning tea and afternoon tea.

John Heinerman says this is helpful for treating Arthritis and Hepatitis. Skin diseases such as Psoriasis, Eczema, Herpes and Acne Vulgaris should all benefit from this herbal tonic.

My new book is available on Amazon:

Apples To Prevent Cancer Diabetes Heart Disease

Medicinal Apples To Help Prevent Disease.

The health benefits of apples, especially those of the heritage variety, are truly remarkable.

Heritage apple trees, generally speaking, have a higher vitality, and a higher resistance to disease, than more modern commercial varieties.

It really is a very worthwhile thing to plant some heritage apple trees in your garden, such as the New Zealand Takapuna Russet, Northern Spy, Worcester Pearman, Sturmer, Lord Wolsely, and the cider apples Sidero Cidre and Yarlington Mill.

80% of the old heritage apples in America have died out due to modern commercial operations. This is a very good reason to make the effort to plant some heritage varieties if you can.

Just this past week, I have been planting up a community orchard of heritage apple trees, and I am very fortunate to have a Takapuna Russet included in this garden of, so far, 21 trees.

The Takapuna Russet is one of the best apples to grow for your health, according to recent research. It is very high in vitamin C and other antioxidants. The Sturmer and Northern Spy, which are also part of my collection, are also well-known for their high Vitamin C content.

Others highly recommended for their phyto nutrients and polyphenols are the Belle de Boskoop, Bramley Seedling, Golden Russet and the Liberty. Liberty is, according to the Raintree website, one of the highest in antioxidants available.

http://www.raintreenursery.com/Apples.html

Dr Max Gerson famously used a grated raw apple, served with oatmeal porridge each morning, as part of his alternative cancer treatment. One whole, organic apple, skin and all, was grated and eaten every day by his cancer patients. Other important components to his diet were vegetable juices and salads, castor oil, to be taken every second day, and daily enemas.

Apples are rich in flavanoid antioxidants and benefical phytochemicals which are believed to help to prevent diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. More about research on this below. Apples are also high in fibre, which is also important in resisting disease and in treating it.

Eating raw apples can help to prevent asthma attacks, according to a UK survey of 1,500 people. This study showed that people who ate two or more apples per week were 22%-32% less likely to get asthma than those who did not eat this amount of apples. Read this in ‘Food Is Better Medicine Than Drugs’, written by Patrick Holford and Jerome Burne, 2006. Piatkus Books Limited, London.

These vital, natural, disease preventing chemicals of the heritage apple are found mostly in the skin and just under the skin of the apple, which is why you should eat the whole, unpeeled apple, and why unsprayed fruit should be sought or grown.

The pips of the apple are also high in beneficial compounds, especially in laetrile, or vitamin B17, which has been shown to be effective in helping to reduce some cancers.

Note: Be cautious in your use of the apple pip. If you are treating a disease such as cancer, then you need to build up your dose of laetrile gradually. Begin with just four or five pips per day and, depending on body weight, increase the dose to around ten to fifteen per day, to be eaten in divided doses.

Again, it is important to use unsprayed organic apples if you are going to be eating any of the pips, since the toxic chemicals used in spraying build up in high concentrations in the pips and kernels of fruit.

The old-fashioned heritage varieties of apple are, without a doubt, superior to most modern varieties of apple in many ways. Many of the heritage varieties have been shown by researchers to have a much higher quantity of these antioxidants and phytochemicals which help to prevent and fight diseases such as cancer.

Following trials already done overseas, research began in New Zealand in 2002 to compare the nutrient value of some older NZ apple varieties to more modern, sweeter, commercial varieties. This research was called ‘The Apple Cancer Research Project’.

Some of the findings of these 2002 New Zealand studies were published by The New Zealand Tree Crops Association in March, 2004. In this publication,

http://www.treecrops.org.nz/resrch/apple/applecanc.html

it was pointed out that the old-fashioned Red Delicious was higher in almost all nutrients to its modern-day equivalent, the Pacific Rose. The only beneficial compound to have higher levels in the Pacific Rose, over the Red Delicious, was chlorogenic acid. This compound, chlorogenic acid, is a powerful antioxidant. However, there were other varieties of heirloom apples which proved to have an even higher content of antioxidants than even the Red Delicious.

The two heritage varieties in these NZ trials which stood out from all other varieties, rating higher than any other apple in almost all nutrient categories, were the Hetlina and Monty’s Surprise. So watch out for these varieties.

These two varieties along with ‘Fairbelle’, topped the list for the powerful antioxidant, chlorogenic acid. You will see that the flesh contains the higher amount, over the skin. But this is not an indication that the flesh is necessarily better for you than the skin, because there are other important cancer-preventing chemicals contained in the skin. The antioxidant quercetin is found in high quantities in the skin of the heritage apples.

The following comparisons for chlorogenic acid will give you some idea of the exceptional nutritive quality of these heritage apples.

Hetlina rated 1115.7 in the flesh, 117.3 in the skin.

Fairbelle 783 rated in the flesh, 56.5 in the skin.

Monty’s Surprise rated 614.5 in the flesh, 86.3 in the skin.

Egremont Russet 391.2 in the flesh, 73.8 in the skin.

Red Delicious 178.7 in the flesh, 3.3 in the skin.

Pacific Rose 306.7 in the flesh, 29.2 in the skin.

So – the research shows that heritage apples are overall much higher in nutritive value than modern commercial varieties. Kentish Filbasket, Sweet Alford, Apple Mother, Cox’s Orange, Gravenstein, Northern Spy, Sturmer, Takapuna Russet, Red Delicious, Sidero Cidre, Yarlington Mill, and many other old heritage apples are very good trees to grow for their health benefits.

Personally, I love the Belle de Boskoop which comes from the Netherlands. It originated from a chance seedling around 1856, and is now widely spread across Europe. According to Wikipedia, the Belle de Boskoop apple beats the Granny Smith for Vitamin C by up to four times as much.

You will also find these old-fashioned trees to have a higher resistance to disease, which means you have to worry less about black spot and other fungi or insects spoiling your crop.

The Heritage Russet apples were thought to be especially good for preventing and treating diabetes, as well might we guess, but more research is needed to make a scientific claim.