Prickly Ash

I always talk about how plants are meant for only a few, but very specific uses, and how each plant shows you what it can be used for, and how. These include edible uses, medicinal uses and even utility! Plants have been created to articulate their purpose perfectly.

I want to dwell on some of the ways to understand Northern Prickly Ash and its uses beyond the incredible and obvious toothache relief.

Northern Prickly Ash loves the Carolinian forest. What characterizes the Carolinian are giant broad leaved deciduous trees. It loves these giants and their big broad leaves because they block the sun with ease, basically creating a giant greenhouse. Prickly ash is right at home in any thick canopied wet forest. The forest plants underneath these thick canopies are forced to live in very rich places where they are constantly wet!

What thrives in this situation? Fungus. Obviously, plants in this setting are always engaged in this grueling war between them and fungus, how does Prickly Ash prevail? 
  Prickley ash is one of the greatest broad-spectrum anti-fungal plants located in rich wet shaded forests! Simply because it has to be. Lets take a step back and take a simple, primitive, child-like look at the forest and ask a question: Where would we find our anti-fungals?

 We would find anti-fungals in places where the plants themselves are constantly having to overcome the stress of fungus themselves! Like roots in earth that is networked with rainbows of different fungus's, in leaves that are exposed to harsh fungal environments. Now if we look at Prickly Ash what further exemplifies its anti-fungal action is it has a peculiarly striking clean cirtusy fragrance to it, versus everything else and their more common woodsy smells. Not to mention its aggressive impenetrable thicket of sharp thorns. So with the environment it thrives in combined with its clean smell and aggressive appearance we can propose it to be an anti-fungal.

There are 3 main types of fungus that I am commonly asked about: Candida by a landslide is number one followed by foot fungus and of course Aspergillus in those on immunosuppressants. The department of Bio in Ottawa U did an amazing study showing just how potent Prickley Ash is at killing 11 different strains of fungus, including of course the 3 mentioned above.

Its potent anti-fungal action confirms the accurate ancient practice of using Gaakamish (prickley ash) as our traditional go-to anti-fungal medicine.

To everyone asking about fungus treatment... All you need is some leaves or bark and soak the affected area in the tea or for candida, drink tea a tea made from the bark, but watch don't get pricked! The results are so dramatic, you'll be laughing. 

How many of you have been prescribed Prickly Ash for eczema, psoriasis, alopecia and vitiligo? Lets take a look at the traditional remedy for these super common stress/fungal related issues.

While reading about the wonders of prickly ash I found what could be the scientific answer or a lead to the explanation as to the cure for some other famous skin and fungus related skin issues.

In studying Prickly Ash, researchers found that the special anti-fungal qualities correlate with amount of light or amount of light mediated compounds, specifically furanocoumarins. The more furanocoumarins more anti-fungal action. What are furanocoumarins? They are defense mechanisms designed to induce phytophotosensitivity or sensitivity to light, protecting the plant from predators.

Prickly Ash is loaded with a beauty called Psoralen, a type of furanocoumorin. Psoralen is a high-class mutagen that, when combined with UVA, is used to treat improper skin mutations like psoriasis, eczema, even alopecia and vitiligo. The medicine is applied to the affected area and is later exposed to the sun to clean up the problem.
Vitiligo sufferers are pleased with a 75%-100% repigmentation and with double the treatment length that was used for vitiligo, sufferers of Psoriasis can achieve remission. The same goes for eczema.
The most amazing study I read was in regard to Alopecia. I have been bombarded with questions regarding this issue and today I found some of the most amazing information that I hope can point sufferers in the right direction. Psoralen + UVA (PUVA) or, Prickly Ash and the sun, has been successfully used against Alopecia in some huge and remarkably well done studies in India!
Know someone battling fungus problems, eczema, psoriasis, alopecia or vitiligo? Share it up my friends, they will be ecstatic to hear the hope this widespread traditional therapy provides.