Herbs High in Calcium

Answered by: Richters Staff

Question from: Pat Hansen
Posted: Before April 1998

Are there any herbs that would be high in calcium, that would supplement bone density loss and what
herbs would be useful in treating Crohns disease? Also how can I find out more about essiac in treatment
for cancer?

A little booklet by the Natural Food Institute, "Powerhouse Plants," (no date; published by the NFI, Box 185
WMB, Dudley, MA 01570, U.S.A.) provides data on many food plants including herbs.

Among the top 20 calcium sources: dried parsley (1468 milligrams per 100 grams), sesame seeds (975
mg/100g), chia seeds (529 mg/100g), boiled lambs quarters (258 mg/100g), sesame butter (tahini) (420
mg/100g), carob flour (352 mg/100g), and sunflower seed flour (114 mg/100g). Dried parsley had more
calcium than even dolomite powder, a calcium mineral supplement. Fresh parsley has 203 mg/100g.

Other herbs and vegetables from the Richters catalogue with high calcium (100-300 mg/100g) are
vegetable amaranth, cooked dandelion greens, mustard spinach, balsam pear, roselle, and watercress.

It is important to realize that some herbs and vegetables can cause bone loss if consumed excessively
over a long period. Spinach, sorrel, dock leaves (not root), and orach contain oxalic acid which binds
calcium and interferes with calcium uptake. If loss of bone density is a concern, these herbs and
vegetables should be avoided. In France some elderly people who regularly eat sorrel soup have suffered
from weak bones. Eating these occasionally is not a problem; when these plants are consumed daily, as
they are in parts of France, they become a problem.

Crohns disease is a grouped under a poorly understood complex of bowel diseases called irritable bowel
disease. Current research suggests a bacterial culprit but none has been isolated yet. Given that a
bacterium is widely acknowledged to cause ulcers, the bacterial connection for Crohns disease has a
certain amount of credence.

Although Crohns disease was first described in 1932, it no doubt occurred long before then but was
diagnosed under more general terms such as "bowel complaints", bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. In
the past, many herbs were noted for their carminative properties their ability to reduce flatulence and
bloating. Herbs like fennel seeds are still chewed at the end of meals in India following a tradition that may
have its origins as a preventative against digestive distress.

Carminative herbs have anti-bacterial actions also. It may yet be proven carminative herbs help, in part, to
control intestinal bacteria. Unwittingly herbalists may have treated Crohns and other bowel diseases
successfully with herbs for centuries.

Two of the most important herbs for stomach and intestinal problems are goldenseal and licorice.
Goldenseal in particular has antibacterial properties. It contains berberine which is one of the few agents
that controls giardia, a common gastrointestinal pathogen. Whether goldenseal or any other herbs will help
Crohns disease is just speculation; to our knowledge no clinical trials have been done on herbal treatment
of the disease. People suffering from Crohns disease should consult a qualified health care provider for
advice on using herbs. We do not recommend the self-administration of herbs.

On Essiac(R), the herbal tonic used in the treatment of cancer, a good source of information is Sheila
Snows book, "Essence of Essiac," available from Richters.
[Essiac is a registered trademark of the Resperin Corporation, Ottawa.]