Immune System Enhancing Syrup

8 oz. glass syrup bottle. (Balsamorhiza sagittata, Lomatium dissectum, Grindelia squarrosa) This syrup is a blend of Arrowleaf Balsamroot, Lomatium Root and Gumweed Flower tinctures which have been blended together and are then mixed with a sugar syrup.

Arrowleaf Balsamroot usually grows in large stands on hillsides. It has long, basal, silvery-green leaves shaped like arrowheads. Early spring blooming sunflowers are bright yellow and extend past the leaves on long stems. The root of Arrowleaf Balsamroot can be quite large -- weighing up to 30 pounds. When broken or bruised, the massive, bark-covered root exudes a sticky, fragrant sap.

The resinous root contains constituents which strengthens the immune system. The root also has antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Arrowleaf Balsamroot Constituents: Dihydroxy-cycloartenol, hydroxy-two-0-hexa-nor-cycloartenone, hydroxy-cycloartenol, hydroxy-cycloartenone, hydroxy-lanosterone, beta-hydroxy, beta-acetoxy, alpha eudesmol, beta eudesmol, beta sellinene, carissone, cinnamic acid, heptadeca-one-cis-8-diene, nonacos-one-ene.

Lomatium dissectum is the most robust of the desert parsley. This fern-leafed variety is highly variable and has a wide range. It grows as much as four feet tall, making it the tallest of the Lomatium. The leaves, mostly basal, are large and divided into many segments. The multiple umbels develop on a long, leafless stalk, with early spring flowers that vary in color from deep purple (nearly black) to pale yellow. It most frequently grows in rocky habitats, particularly on talus slopes. It is often found growing among Arrowleaf Balsamroot.

Lomatium contains an oleo-resin rich in terpenes and sesquiterpenes. These act as stimulating expectorants in the lungs, enhancing the liquification and consequent elimination of mucoid material from the lungs. They also exert a strong antibacterial activity, interfering with bacterial replication and inducing increased phagocytosis by leucocytes. There are a number of furano-coumarins including nodakenetin, columbianin and pyranocoumarin. These are responsible for the marked anti-viral effect of Lomatium which acts quickly and strongly to prevent viral replication and host cell response. They are also partly responsible for the phagocytic induction apparent with Lomatium.

Lomatium Constituents: Essential oil, tetronic acid, luteolin, gums, resin, glycosides, furocoumarins, pyronocoumarins, saponins, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and ascorbic acid.

Gumweed is a hardy, colorful perennial plant that grows in dry washes, and road edges in sandy or clay soils. Grindelia has attractive yellow daisy flowers. It is called gum plant because of the sticky substance covering the plant. Grindelia also attracts butterflies and other interesting insects.

Gumweed is an expectorant herb with bronchospasmolytic activity. It is traditionally recommended for the treatment of spasmodic respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1983 lists the specific indication as bronchial asthma with tachycardia. Eclectic physicians also utilised Grindelia for asthma. Gumweed also treats neuralgia, bladder infections, and, externally, skin eruptions.

Gumweed Constituents include a resin containing diterpenoid acids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, an essential oil, and small amounts of saponins.