Japanese Knotweed – Malicious, But Very Beneficial

It’s a fairly common belief in herbal medicine that the plants that people need tend to naturally grow near them. Regardless of if you believe that, or feel that it’s more of an old wives tale, when you take a closer look at the kinds of medicinal weeds and herbs that grow wild in cities, and the specific types of conditions that are widespread there, you’ll find that it’s either true, or just an interesting coincidence.

Many cities are currently overrun by a specific kind of aggressive plant called Japanese Knotweed. It can grow very quickly, taking over whole hillsides within a few weeks, much to the disappointment of the gardener or landscaper. The plant also contains its own type of natural herbicide, which ends up killing a lot of the surrounding plant life. This allows it to grow much quicker than many other types of roots and weeds. You may ask yourself,” How could there possibly be a benefit from this type of plant?”
Surprisingly, the Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) is one of the highest natural resveratrol resources. Many people believe that drinking red wine is the only way to receive resveratrol, but now many different kinds of supplements are available that can give you the same exact benefits. Although not from red wine, but from Japanese Knotweed.

When this malicious weed first rises out of the ground in early spring, the shoots are very tender, have a lemony taste and are edible. They are most commonly steamed and eaten as if they were an asparagus. They also go great in juice form, if you have the right type of juice blender.

The popularity of resveratrol seems to be talked about everywhere these days, including its health benefits, high profile of antioxidants, regulation of hormones and thinning of the blood. The central nervous system also seems to naturally recover more quickly with the help of resveratrol. Resveratrol is also being seen as a possible future cancer treatment, but it seems that more research needs to be done first.

Notice the types of weeds and plants that are around your neighborhood the next time you’re out for a walk, or bike ride. A wild edible plant guide is vital is you’re planning to actually attempt to identify and eat a certain type of weed. Although, if you’re looking to simply get the benefits of resveratrol, it’s much faster and easier to go with a resveratrol supplement, that gives you the same exact benefits in a higher concentration.

Tags: japanese knotweed, japanese knotweed resveratrol, natural resveratrol resource