pseudinymous:

vampireapologist:

i think one of the most common dangers I run into in the edible and medicinal plant scene is the problem of “can you eat it” vs. “should you eat it”

a lot of websites and books these days will be like “ten wild plants you can use to make tea” without then listing the actual use for those teas because all they care about is the novelty of making your own tea from things you picked in the woods.

They tell you stuff like “A wonderfully cleansing medicine, it supports the liver, stimulates the flow of urine and the removal of waste by the kidneys.”

And people are so into the idea of cleansing their bodies of supposed toxins, that sounds great!

But what I know is that what they really mean is, this plant is a diuretic, meaning if you use it for tea, you’re going to peeing All. Day. Long. Every. Ten. Minutes.

Which isn’t fun if you’re on a hike or about to get back in your car and drive an hour home.

Some popular plants recommended for teas are used as contraceptives and morning after treatments. So here you are, trying to get pregnant, drinking your natural to rid your kidneys of impurities, being healthy as can be, and all along you’re taking birth control!

And if you’re already taking birth control and trying to not get pregnant, the plant can mess you up too.

There are plants that mess with antidepressants, and with blood pressure medicine, that make you sick to your stomach, that messes with your blood, and on and on.

And all of these sources will just list them as something you can eat, because hey, you won’t die if if you do!

Which is true, you’ll live, but at what cost!!!

Please remember herbal remedies and edible plants have always been consumed and applied with a PURPOSE, and unless you know what that purpose is, don’t consume them just because you can. It’s a bad idea.

I used to work in a tea shop and this shitted me every single day. Even worse was the woman asking me for a herbal tea that could treat her liver cancer. I begged her to go to a doctor and get chemo or something, but she didn’t want “that poison” in her body.

I sent her away empty handed after I told her that there is no chance in hell that anything in a tea shop will cure liver cancer, and I still don’t know if she ever sought proper treatment and/or lived to tell the tale.