Three jars of stinging nettles, dried and ready to infuse.  Each cup of “tea” is as nourishing as a bowl of soup.  Don’t believe me?  Try it!

This plant isn’t your ordinary green — it has been extensively researched and shown to treat, among other conditions, benign prostatic hyperplasia (using the root; you can harvest that now, too), type 2 diabetes, and allergies.

In other words — got BPH?  Look into nettles.  Type 2 diabetes?  Look into nettles.  Allergies?  Look into nettles.  Yeah, I said it.  No, I’m no herbalist or doctor, though sometimes we need permission to do our own research and use our best judgement.  Looking for real health?  You probably already know what to do.  Go for it… you’re worth it!

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) isn’t your ordinary wild plant.  It’s a bit different than the other species on the trail.

How so, you may be asking?

Well, spicebush smells like heaven.

Okay, it doesn’t quite smell like lilacs or roses, though it does emit a pleasant perfume whenever rubbed or crushed… much better than any store-bought synthetic fragrance I’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of smelling…

Here’s a plant worth knowing:  American spikenard (Aralia racemosa).

The berries (botanically drupes) are pretty tasty… not too sweet, not too bitter.  Having said that, you probably don’t want to sit down to a whole bowl of them.  As a trail nibble though, they’re perfect.

American spikenard is in the same family as ginseng and wild sarsaparilla (Araliaceae), and is therefore reported to contain similar medicinal compounds (for example, saponins and ginsenosides, which demonstrate tonifying effects).

Take a good look at these flowers.  Find them during your next stroll, and return in late summer/early autumn.

This is autumn olive — a deciduous shrub that produces numerous edible fruits (usually red with silver specks).  Not only are they delicious, they’re highly nutritious as well (and go great in smoothies).

One study revealed that autumn olive fruits contain up to 17 times the lycopene content compared to tomatoes (Fordham et al., 2001).  Lycopene (which almost always gets attributed to tomatoes) is a carotenoid pigment and powerful antioxidant that may protect our bodies from free radical damage, premature skin aging, DNA damage, etc.

The same study found that autumn olive fruits contain up to 10 times the beta-cryptoxanthin content compared to oranges and tangerines.  Beta-cryptoxanthin is another powerful antioxidant that can be converted to vitamin A in the body.

Autumn olive tends to be quite invasive in Pennsylvania.  Look for them in open pastures, fields, and along the edge of woodlands.  These photographs were taken about 15 miles from Pittsburgh (the flowers in May, the fruits in September). 

Sad to say you won’t find these tasty drupes in the supermarket, though the chase is more fulfilling anyway.

Wild leeks (Allium tricoccum), aka “ramps,” need no introduction, though here are a few cool facts regarding this wild spring food:

•The leaves from wild leeks contain at least 1.5 times the vitamin C content of an orange.
•Wild leeks contain medicinal compounds known as thiosulfinates, of which allicin is one. Allicin, a thiosulfinate usually attributed to garlic, possesses antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties.
•Research from Biological Conservation (2004) suggests that removal of 95% of wild leeks within a plot could take 148 years to fully recover.

I like to harvest a leaf or two from a plant, then move on to the next… always leaving plenty in tact to maintain the population. 

Wild leeks are slow to reproduce and could take years to recover from poor harvesting practices, so hey… always keep the species’ longevity in mind when bringing some home for the table!

I know what you’re thinking.  “Oh no, not another article on superfoods…”

Or maybe you weren’t thinking that at all, but now you are because I brought it up.

Or maybe I’m just looking into things a little too much.  Anyway…

I’m not here to proclaim that I have discovered a new miracle food – an ancient plant that sheds unwanted pounds, curbs your appetite, supercharges your immune system, and contains so many antioxidants that the concept of infinity seems miniscule in comparison.

Foods like that probably exist, but I’ll let someone else sell you on them.

Rather, my intention in writing this article is a bit different.

If you’ve felt confused over all the superfood hype – not sure which Amazonian berry should go into your morning smoothie; considering if it’s really worth spending $29.99 on 3 ounces of powdered fruit that contains more vitamin C than 12,000 oranges – I’m here to say, “It’s okay.”

Really, it is.  Your health can flourish with or without these products.

Phew, take a breath.  I just saved you some serious cash!

However,  I’m not going to let you off the hook that easily.  If I did, my writing would be done for the day, but I would also be doing everyone a big disfavor…

Read the rest of this article at Wild Foodism