Japanese knotweed, also known as Polygonum cuspidatum, is an herbaceous perennial plant that is native to East Asia but has become invasive in North America and Europe. Despite being an invasive species, this plant has long been utilised for its therapeutic properties in Chinese and Japanese medicine. In this write-up, we will discuss the japanese knotweed benefits for our health, how you can prepare it and its uses.
Japanese Knotweed Benefits
1. Rich in Resveratrol
Japanese knotweed contains high levels of the antioxidant resveratrol, which gives red wine its healthful properties. Resveratrol has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, blood sugar-lowering and other beneficial effects on health. Japanese knotweed has much higher concentrations of resveratrol compared to other plant sources like grapes or berries.
2. Immune System Booster
The resveratrol and other active compounds in Japanese knotweed can help boost the immune system by increasing white blood cell production, activity and viability. This helps the body fight off illnesses and infections more effectively. Japanese knotweed is also rich in vitamin C, further boosting immune function.
3. Heart Health
Improving heart health is one of the most important japanese knotweed benefits. The antioxidants in Japanese knotweed help improve cardiovascular health by lowering inflammation, regulating blood pressure, reducing platelet aggregation and providing other cardioprotective effects. Resveratrol specifically helps prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol and the formation of plaque in the arteries.
4. Anti-Cancer Effects
Resveratrol has been shown to induce cancer cell apoptosis (self-destruction) while leaving healthy cells unharmed. It exhibits anti-tumor effects on cancers including lymph, prostate, colon and breast cancer. Japanese knotweed also contains anthraquinones that stimulate apoptosis in cancer cells.
5. Improves Cognitive Function
Resveratrol and other compounds in Japanese knotweed may help improve cognitive function and protect the brain against age-related cognitive decline by stimulating neural pathways involved in memory, learning and cognition. They also help prevent plaques that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
6. Anti-Aging
The antioxidants in Japanese knotweed help fight free radical damage that accelerates aging. Resveratrol activates SIRT1 genes that protect against cellular damage while improving DNA stability and mitochondrial function. This leads to anti-aging effects and longer lifespan.
7. Promotes Gut Health
Japanese knotweed is an excellent source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that help improve gut health by decreasing inflammation in the gastrointestinal system. It also contains prebiotics that feed beneficial probiotic bacteria in the gut microbiome. This improves digestive health and immunity.
How to Prepare Japanese Knotweed?
Now that you know the japanese knotweed benefits, let’s have a look at how to prepare it to get the benefits.
- Raw – Young shoots are added to salad greens for raw preparation. You can also make juice of raw knotweeds as they have a tart, lemony flavour.
- Sauces – Japanese knotweeds are chopped to make a tangy sauce or chutney. You can also blend with vinegar, spices, and sweetener.
- Steaming – The chopped stems are lightly steamed for two to three minutes until it becomes crisp-tender to retain the nutrients.
- Dehydrating – You can dehydrate chopped or juiced knotweed into chips, powder or supplement capsules to get the japanese knotweed benefits.
- Tea – Dried or fresh leaves of knotweed are generally used to make antioxidant-rich tea. Steep 15 mins covered.
Uses of Japanese knotweed
Besides knowing the japanese knotweed benefits, you must also check out its uses.
1. Culinary Uses
The tart, lemony flavour of Japanese knotweed makes it a good addition to recipes. The young shoots can be eaten raw in spring salads or juiced for their high resveratrol content. Chop the hollow stems and cook them like asparagus or rhubarb for a tangy flavour. The cooked stems have a crisp texture and can be substituted in any recipe calling for rhubarb. The plant has notes of citrus, pepper and hazelnut.
2. Beverages
Chopped Japanese knotweed stems are used to make refreshing cold-brewed tea. The leaves are steeped in hot water for 15 minutes to extract antioxidants like quercetin and resveratrol into a Medicinal tea. The leaves can also be used to make syrups, lemonades, and sparkling waters. Ferment chopped stems with sugar to yield a Japanese knotweed wine with floral notes.
3. Nutritional Supplements
As Japanese knotweed has high levels of resveratrol, it can be processed into capsules, powders, gummies and tinctures as a nutritional supplement. The raw stems are chopped and dehydrated into a powder, or soaked in alcohol or glycerin to extract the nutrients and polyphenols into a tincture. The dried Japanese knotweed can be taken daily as a supplement to boost immunity, heart health, and anti-aging effects.
4. Skincare
The antioxidants in Japanese knotweed help protect the skin from free radical damage. The chopped stems are blended with coconut oil and essential oils like lavender to make a nourishing face wash. The anti-inflammatory compounds can also soothe skin conditions like acne, eczema and sunburn when applied topically.
Conclusion
This shall clear your doubts on japanese knotweed benefits. But it is important to identify and harvest before picking up. Due to its huge size and ability to spread through its root system, the plant develops quickly, displacing native species, and is difficult to eliminate. With proper sustainable foraging, it can be utilised in many beneficial ways while keeping its growth in check.
