CONTENT

1. INTRODUCTION

2. MEDICINAL

3. HOMEOPATHy

4. FLOWER ESSENCES

5. SPIRITUAL PROPERTIES

6. PERSONALITY TRAITS

7. MYTHS AND LEGENDS

8. RECIPES

WILD STRAWBERRY

(Fragaria virginiana Duschene)

(F. virginiana Mill.)

(F. glauca [S. Wats.] Rydb)
 

WOODLAND STRAWBERRY

(F. vesca L.)

(Potentilla vesca [L.] Scop.)
 

CULTIVATED STRAWBERRY

(F. x ananassa)
 

FALSE STRAWBERRY

MOCK STRAWBERRY

(Duchesna indica [Turcz] Baill.)

PARTS USED- fruit, achenes, leaves, flowers and roots.

I had rather have one pint of wild strawberries than a gallon of tame ones.
MEDSGER

Then sit on a cushion, and sew up a seam:

And thou shalt have Strawberries, sugar and cream.

Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did.

DR. BOTELER

Wife, into the garden and set me a plot

With strawberry roots, the best to be got.

Such growing abroad among thorns in the wood,

Well chosen and picked, prove excellent good.

THOMAS TUSSER

INTRODUCTION

Fragaria is from Latin FRAGRANS for fragrant, an obvious reference to the sweet smelling fruit. From the French FRAISE came the word FRASIER, a strawberry grower. This name arrived in Scotland and became the surname FRASER, whose family has seven strawberry leaves in their coat of arms. An English Marquis’s coronet has four leaves, and an Earl eight smaller ones. Another derivation involves the French explorer Francois Amedee Frezier, who brought back to his native country the Chilean strawberry.

Or it may stem from Latin FRANGO meaning, I break, from which fragile is derived. This may relate to the ripe berry breaking easily from the stem, or the exposed seeds as signature of stone breaking. The Greeks called it KOMAROS, meaning a mouthful.

Strawberry is from Anglo-Saxon STRAUBERIGE or STREOWBERIE for the dried runners strewn on the ground. Strewberry became strawberry.

In medieval times, the berries were placed on straw to be sold in the market. VESCA means little or weak, while ananassa is named after the genus for pineapple, due to aromatic properties of cultivated fruit.

Duchesnea is named for Antoine Nicolas Duchesne (1747-1827), a French horticulturalist who published a book on the history of strawberries, and worked at hybridizing and improving cultivated strains. Ironically, the Indian or Mock Strawberry is tasteless. It has recently been classified in the genus Potentilla.

The edible part of Strawberry is actually the flesh while the achene or tiny seeds are actually the fruits appearing as tiny dots on the surface of the flesh. However, we will use berry or fruit to describe this tasty portion to avoid confusion.

Certainly the wild berry is not weak in taste, but vastly superior to today’s cultivated hybrids. The common cultivar of today, F. x ananasa is an offspring of the wild strawberry (F. virginiana), and the beach strawberry (F. chiloensis) from accidental hybridization in 1750s Holland.

A French military engineer, Amedee Frezier, was spying on spanish troop numbers in Chile in 1714. He found the beach strawberry, “as big as a walnut, and sometimes as a hen’s egg, of a whitish red, and somewhat less delicious of taste than our wood strawberrie”. He brought five plants back to France, and although they produced no fruit, their flowers allowed cross-pollination.

The Wild Strawberry is prized, not only by humans, but bears, foxes and small mammals. Only chipmunks appear to eat the seeds, leaving the fleshy parts behind.

Besides jams, preserves, and multitude of uses for the fresh berry, the strawberry has other virtues. The berry has the same pH as our skin, making it a great facial and cosmetic cleanser. The fresh fruit will quickly dispel sunburn. And left to set for five minutes on the teeth, it will clean the tartar. Rinse with a pinch of bicarbonate in warm water to complete the cleaning.

An early report by Horace finds reference to the strawberry collected by the lady of the stinking husband. This may be Faun or Pan.

In middle ages, the strawberry was believed to “destroy the web in one’s eye”; and today the fruit is used for eye inflammation and treat infections.

Historically, the plant was viewed with opposing points of view. The religious artist saw its purity and righteousness; while the medieval artist saw the sensuality, all naked and naughty.

The Garden of Delights, for example, by Hieronymus Bosch showed naked revelers savoring giant strawberries. Denis Diderot, the 18th century French man of letters, compared wild strawberries to “the tips of wet nurse’s breasts”. It is all in the imagination!

Madame Tallien, in court of Napoleon, was famous for strawberry baths using up to 10 kilograms of fresh fruit each time.

German legend dedicates fruit to the Virgin who went a-berrying with young children on St. John’s morning. No mother that has lost a young child will taste the delicacy, and strawberry has come to symbolize little children who have died young. Early Germanic peoples dedicated the fruit to their love goddess, Freya.

Christian interpretations include the fruit as a symbol of virtuosity in those who accomplish good deeds with humility; the white flowers for purity and chastity, and the three leaflets, the holy trinity. It became the symbol of the incarnation of Christ, and the small white flowers represented Mary’s innocence.

Going hunting strawberry leaves is a 19th century term for a fortune hunter.

Dr. Corner, a Cambridge botanist, has found DNA evidence strawberry is an herbaceous descendant of tall tropical pachycaulus forest trees. As they moved further north, they became smaller and smaller indeed.

Recent molecular evidence shows the Fragaria genus should be merged with Potentilla. It was traditionally differentiated on the basis of the receptacle becoming fleshy and brightly colored in fruit.

The Cree call it OTIYIHIMINA, or heart berry. They boiled the roots and those of yarrow together, and drank it cool to help cure “insanity”.

The leaves or roots are decocted for 45 minutes, and the tea is allowed to cool for treating heart conditions.

The roots, leaves and runners are all boiled and taken for diarrhea, sometimes combined with yarrow.

An ash made by burning the roots can be mixed into a paste for healing open sores.

To the Blackfoot it was OTSISTISNI. They boiled the roots to relieve diarrhea, and the leaf for eye inflammation. The Hand Hills were originally called OHI-TCHIS-TCHISor Strawberry Hills by the Blackfoot.

The Chippewa used the root tea for settling upset stomach in children, and use the almost identical name O DA E MIN, as the Cree.

Tanner wrote that the Chippewa dream of going to the other world, but when they get to “the great strawberry, at which the (spirits of the dead) repast themselves on their journey, and takes up the spoon to separate part of it, he finds it turned to rock”.

The Carrier Tribe of B.C. made decoctions of the stems only, for bleeding in the stomach. The strong, twining plant runners were used for plaiting belts, or headbands, like silverweed.

When roots were pit-cooked, the fresh flowers and stems were sometimes thrown in for additional flavour.

They know the plant as INDZI, and used root or runner decoctions for heart problems or those who have suffering heart attacks.

For many Métis and native people, the wild strawberry is considered the first fruit of the womb of Turtle Mother, and is a spiritual and healing entity.

It is womb shaped. You will often see this native symbol of fertility and sacred renewal represented in baskets, quill work, moose hair tufting, beadwork and wood carvings.

The Northern Chipewyan call the berry IDZIAZE,or “little heart”.

The leaves are infused for post partum night sweats and to build up the blood. Externally the leaf infusion is used for eczema and psoriasis.

The Slave of the Territories dried and burned the roots into an ash that was combined with a little water and applied to open sores.

Other First Nations healers used strawberry flower tea as a nervous system tonic. The leaf tea also reduces stress.

One Native myth suggests that eating strawberries in the afterlife symbolizes the end of any chance in returning to the land of the living.

The Dakota call the month of June WAZUSTE CASA WI, meaning “the moon when the strawberry is red”.

The plant is circumpolar and is plentiful in countries like Finland. The reindeer herders mix the berries with their animal’s cream and dry it into a type of sausage called Kappatialmas, a plum pudding of the Arctic region.

Portage La Prairie, Manitoba claims the title of Strawberry Capital of Canada. Oxnard, California proclaims itself the World Capital.

Throughout history, but especially in Europe, the leaves have been used for anemia, bleeding, and kidney/bladder problems. Root infusions have been used in England for increasing urination and treating gonorrhea. Various nobles and royalty praised strawberry leaves, and drew them with gold on their coronets and family signs.

In Ireland, the garden strawberry leaf tea was given to cool excessive ardour. The Greek name KAMAROS, means a mouthful, in reference to the compact size of the fruit.

Stewed strawberries or their jam is often served in Germany with roasted meats, to help promote urine flow and uric acid produced by protein breakdown.

In China, the strawberry (Cao Mei) is valued for moistening the lungs, and promoting the secretion of saliva and other bodily fluids. It is used to relieve the effects of alcohol hangover, and relieve fevers, sore throats and lack of appetite.

The fresh juice is valuable in painful, dark-coloured urine; and added to equal parts of wine for weakness after an illness, where the patient is fragile and in need of nourishment.

The dried leaves make a fragrant addition to natural potpourri. It is not difficult to arrange with a pick-your-own market gardener to obtain the dried leaves in the fall.

For those with livestock, feed the foliage to race-horses, or as a tonic to any backward or nervous animals. Of course, ensure that no chemical sprays have been used.

It is said that the occasional borage plant amongst strawberries helps produce larger fruit. Try it!

Otto Renner, a German scientist, showed that garden snails avoid the hairy leaves of wild strawberry and Potentilla, a good protective mechanism for young, succulent leaves. As the leaves mature, the hairs fall off.

Compost can significantly enhance levels of glutathione and ascorbic acid, as well as organic acids, and sugars in fruit. Wang and Lin, J Ag Food Chem 2003 51:23.

Sinapic acid helps enhance most the colour of strawberry juice, according to work done in Finland by Rein and Heinonen.

Wild strawberry was one of the first plants to colonize Mt. St. Helens, after its 1980 explosion. The fresh leaf can be inserted between sore and inflamed gums and dentures.

The leaf is a strong anti-oxidant that may be useful for stabilizing fish oil. Raudoniute et al, Int J Food Sci Tech 2011 46:5.

A word of warning. Like asparagus, eating strawberries may give a violet like aroma to the urine. Not unpleasant, but it can catch you by surprise. Strawberries stimulate histamine production by the immune system, causing a false food allergy or response in some people, including hives, and asthma. This pseudo-allergy does not involve formation of specific antibodies and is therefore not a real allergy.

False Strawberry (Duchesnea indica) is cultivated as a hardy, dense ground cover, especially beneath shrubs. It has decorative yellow flowers, that later develop red strawberry-like fruit.

In China, the herb is known as SHE-MEI, and serves as a snake nest from which it derives the name.

It has a number of interesting synonyms including TI CHIN,ground tapestry, SAN HSIEN TS’AO, three fairy grass, WU CHAO LUNG, five claw dragon, SHE PAO TS’AO, snake bubble grass; and WU CHIH HU, meaning five fingered Tiger.

Natives of Argentina call it “Frutilla sylvestre”, and prefer to eat the berries with sauce or oil.

MEDICINAL

CONSTITUENTS - strawberry leaves- catechin, leucoanthocyanin, malic acid, vit C, essential oils, ellagitannins including pedunculagin and agrimoniin condensed tannins, rutin, quercitin, imperatorin, flavonoids and leuco- anthocyans, oligomeric proantho-cyanidins.

flesh- cisso-tannic acid, malic, ellagic( up to 21,000 ppm, and citric acid (8,000 ppm) iron, sugar, mucilage and volatile oils. Glutamic acid (up to 10,676 ppm), and phytosterols (up to 1,423 ppm). An anthocyanidin, pelargonidin 3- monoglucoside is responsible for the bright red colour of the fruit. High folate content at 600 mcg/kg of fresh fruit. The berry is 87-91% water. Also contains small amounts of trans-resveratrol, cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid and morin, a flavonol.

seed- pectin, soluble fibre, up to 21,650 ppm ellagic acid.

root- fragarianine (a type of quinotannic acid); and water soluble proanthocyanidins produced after fermentation consisting of procyanidins B1, B2, and B5, (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin.

D. indica leaves- ellagic glycosides (ducheside A and B); and four glucopyranosides.

whole plant- emodin, chrysophanic acid, phytosterol, calcium, volatile oil.

Like raspberry, the leaves of strawberry help settle morning sickness and prevent miscarriage. The iron-rich leaves help those with tendency to anemia, without creating constipation. The leaf tea stimulates breast milk production in nursing mothers, and helps regulate the menstrual cycle. The root, however, will reduce breast milk flow.

Thomas Bartram mentions leaf tea for reducing excessively enlarged breasts.

Like raspberry leaf, it helps to reduce severity of menstrual cramps, and flow.

The leaf tea neutralizes stomach acidity; and a mouth wash helps periodontal disease, spongy gums, loose teeth, and bad breath.

The leaves are cooling and refrigerant, and useful for conditions of heat, redness, dryness, and swelling around the eyes, according to Matthew Wood.

He relates a story in the Earthwise Herbal of a woman with severe mold allergies with above symptoms who was “deeply soothed, cooled and relieved” by strawberry leaf.

Leaf and stem tea is gargled for sore throats, or relieves the itch of vaginitis, yeast infections, and hemorrhoids with external bathing.

The leaf is often used in combinations for liver disease, jaundice, respiratory congestion, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and kidney complaints involving stones or gravel. The leaf tea acidifies urine and may help urinary tract infections associated with alkalinity.

The leaf relieves irritable bowel and colitis, when taken as a cooled infusion. The root is stronger, but needs decoction. Both stomach and intestinal hyperacidity are relieved.

Infused root tea is taken to dry up breast milk in women trying to wean babies. It diminishes the size of breasts and dries up milk.

The liver is assisted by increased protein breakdown, which in turn helps alleviate allergies.

Strawberry leaf, by itself, or combined with burdock root, is a good blood cleanser for acne, pimples, and other skin breakouts. The fresh leaf placed under dentures gives relief to sore, inflamed gums.

It is combined with grape leaves in the Weleda product, Hepadorn, for liver complaints.

A root and leaf infusion helps diarrhea and summer complaint in children. A fluid extract commercial product, originally produced from root by Dr. Fowler, is still widely sold.

The root is very astringent and holding it in the mouth will help stop nosebleeds.

The fresh berry juice is refrigerant; useful in treating fevers, and sunstroke. Catechins, a leaf constituent, help precipitate protein, and aid inhibition of histamine action.

Ironically, some individuals react to an over consumption of the seasonal fruit with hives, a histamine response (see below for antidote). The leaf tea appears to enhance the action of commercial anti-histamine drugs.

The fruit is useful for diabetes, gouty arthritis, and those prone to kidney stone formation, and uric acid buildup. Linnaeus believed he cured his gout by eating only the berries for several days. Combine strawberry and raspberry juices and take in small amounts daily for acne, boils, and skin conditions in general.

One part fruit and two parts stinging nettle are combined in honey as an anthroposophic medicine for blood formation. Steiner praised the rich iron content of the berries for liver health.

Because strawberries increase urinary oxalate levels, they may, like rhubarb and spinach, aggravate kidney stone formation. Maybe. I believe the appearance of oxalates in blood and the urine are actually signs of removal, not precipitation.

Strawberries are rich in boron, a mineral that appears to play a key role in the retention of estrogen, and prevention/treatment of osteoporosis.

The fruit favorably influences age-related neurological effects, including central nervous system decline.

The roots have a mild, but noticeable diuretic effect that tends to acidify urine, and therefore useful in bladder infections by organisms that prefer alkaline environments.

A good diuretic for this purpose might combine strawberry root with equal parts of marshmallow, asparagus, couch grass and licorice root.

Chewing a small piece of the dried or fresh root relieves sore gums, or will help shrink painful burst gumboils.

Sitz baths with strawberry leaves and roots decocted, and strained, will help shrink and relieve hemorrhoid pain.

Canadian studies have shown liquid or juiced strawberries destroy viruses, including the herpes and polio virus in vitro. Perhaps this anti-viral activity is why it has shown reduction of enlarged spleen in some patients. Work by Che et al, 1991 have shown wild strawberries to inhibit polio, influenza, herpes and coxsackie viruses. The latter is implicated in myocardium inflammation and disease.

Eating strawberries may reduce the risk of esophageal cancer. Carcinogenesis 2001 22:3.

Leaf tinctures have been shown to reduce blood sugar levels in rats.

McCutcheon et al, J Ethnopharm 1992 37 found wild strawberry leaves contain antibiotic activity against seven of eleven bacterial strains, including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and P. aeruginosa. Activity against E. coli was equal to gentamycin. The leaf showed moderate anti-fungal activity on 7 of 9 species. J Ethnopharm1994 44.

Work by Webster et al, J Ethnopharm 2008 115:1 found F. virginiana possessed strong anti-fungal activity against all 23 human attacking organisms tested.

Water extracts from leaves and roots of F. vesca reveal activity against gram positive and negative bacteria.

Imperatorin is present in the leaves, and also found in roots and seeds of angelica, parsnip and cow parsnip species. It possesses anti- mutagenic activity, and a weak action against HeLa cell proliferation.

Water-soluble procyanadins from fermented strawberry leaves possess anti-ulcer properties, and increase the water solubility of cimetidine. This may help prevent undesirable nitrosamine formation in the stomach as they block the cyanamide function. Strawberry leaves contain trypsin enzyme inhibitors, explaining part of the picture.

A study of over 1200 residents of New Jersey found those eating strawberries were three times less likely to develop cancer than those eating few or none. One reason may be the ellagic acid content that inhibits mutagenesis and cancer growth. Ellagic acid is especially useful at neutralizing the carcinogen, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) found in cigarette smoke, and is similar to the ellagotannins found in black tea.

Ellagic acid is present at 95% in the pulp of the fruit, or about 9 mg per cup serving. The achenes, or seeds contribute up to 14% of total phenolics of strawberry but comprise only one percent of weight.

In addition to ellagic acid, two anthocyanins with anti-oxidant activity are present- pelargonidin and cyanidin.

After digestion, these compounds modify enzyme activity, receptor sensitivity or gene activation.

The work of Dr. Gary Stoner, and John Mas found purified ellagic acid, used to slow blood-clotting medically, appears effective in neutralizing PHA, nitrosamines, aflatoxins and aromatic amines.

Recent work by Dr. Beliveau and colleagues in Quebec, found ellagic acid is a powerful inhibitor of VEGF and PDGF, two proteins essential for tumour growth and vascularization. The formation of new blood vessel network in tumours is known as angiogenesis and ellagic acid appears to prevent this blood vessel growth.

Both the flesh and leaves contain ellagic acid, but considerably more is present in the leaves. Among 36 varieties tested, Tribute and Delite showed the highest levels of ellagic acid. A new variety, Authentique Orleans, developed in Canada contains very high levels of ellagic acid.

Ellagic acid helps reduce blood pressure, is sedative, inhibits glutathione transferase, and as mentioned above, inhibits thromboxane B2 synthesis. It is a potent inhibitor of gastric acid and occurence of gastric lesions.

Ellagic acid is gaining interest as a regulator of the plant hormone indole acetic acid, as an insect deterrent, and blood clotting agent.

Work by Papoutsi et al, J Ag Food Chem 2005 53 found ellagic acid from strawberry to be a selective estrogen receptor modulator, and therefore play a role in cancer, inflammation, heart disease and osteoporosis. Strawberries have been shown to inhibit COX enzymes, in vitro, suggesting a mode of anti-inflammatory process.

Freeze-dried strawberry relaxes aorta tissue via endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), suggestive of cardiovascular benefit.

Edirisinghe et al, J Ag Food Chem 2008 56:20.

Work by Navindra et al, in same journal 2006 54 found strawberry the most significant berry extract stimulating apoptosis against COX-2 expressing colon cancer cell line HT-29.

Strawberry fruit contains high levels of anti-oxidants, in the form of phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanins. Work by Meyers et al, J Agric Food Chem 2003 51 found proliferation of HepG2 human liver cancer cells significantly inhibited by fruit extracts.

Work by Wedge et al, J Med Food 4:1 found freeze-dried fruit inhibited the growth of cervical and breast cancer cell lines. The fruit activates apoptosis by activating p73 in breast cancer cells when tumor suppressor gene p53 is mutated. Somasagara et al, PLoS One 2012 7:10.

Daily consumption of freeze-dried strawberries by 36 patients for six months showed a decrease in 29 of pre-cancerous esophageal lesions. This cancer is the third most common gastrointestinal cancer and the sixth most frequent cause of cancer death in the world.

Strawberries appear to slow the progression of precancerous lesions turning into cancer. This study was led by Dr. Tong Chen and other researchers at Ohio State University and presented on April 6 2011 at 102nd meeting of Am Ass Cancer Res in Orlando, Florida.

The fruit inhibits alpha-amylase, and alpha-glucosidase, both beneficial in type two diabetes, as well as angiotensin 1 converting enzyme (ACE) used for cardiovascular health. Cheplick et al, Bioresour Tech 2009 August 18.

In a randomized, single-blind, placebo-control 12 week crossover trial of 24 women, adding strawberries to the diet significantly lowered lipids in blood. Burton-Freeman et al, Am J Coll Nutr 2010 29:1. Freeze-dried strawberries given to 27 obese subjects with metabolic syndrome, showed a reduction of atherosclerotic risk factors, dyslipidemia, and adhesion of platelets. Basu et al, Nutr Res 2010 30:7.

Work by Xue et al, Carcinogenesis 2001 22 found methanol extracts of the berry displayed chemopreventative activity against benzopyrene, either by interfering with the uptake, activation, and detoxification of carcinogen; or by intervention of DNA binding and repair.Strawberry extracts reduce the growth of human oral, colon and prostate cancer cell lines. Zhang et al, J Ag Food Chem 2008 56:3.

Lupeol, also found in birch, blocks NFkappa B and may be useful in malignancies of the head, neck and throat. Yuen et al, Cancer Research.

A study at the Nutrition and Health Research Centre in America, 2002, found people eating a daily serving of eight strawberries had significantly higher levels of folate, and decreased systolic blood pressure.

Strawberries help reduce oxidative stress to LDL, our healthy cholesterol. Jenkins et al, Metab 2008 57:12.

Work by Hannum in Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2004 44:1-17 suggests benefit to the aging brain.

A new, natural, edible coating for fresh strawberries has been developed by Taikang Food Tech Company of China. With this coating, strawberries remain fresh for 15 days in cool storage, and for 7 days at room temperature.

Pelargonidin, which gives strawberry fruit its bright red color is anti- viral. In the 3-rutinoside form, it is found in Snapdragon, and as 3- lathyroside, a part of Sweet Pea petals.

Research by Davidov et al (1995) focused on a herbal infusion of nettle leaf, Saint John’s wort, chamomile, plantain leaves, yarrow, birch leaves, mugwort and strawberry leaves. This was used for continuous irrigation of the bladder after prostatic adenomectomy. In the 22 patients trialed, the infusion reduced post-operative blood loss, bacterial infection, and prevented the hemorrhagic and purulent inflammation that often follows this surgery.

The leaves contain so much vitamin C, that Johns Hopkins University initially accused the late wild food forager, Euell Gibbons, of faking test results. In fact, the wild leaves contain more Vitamin C than the fruit, as well as ellagic acid.

Wild strawberry leaves have been shown in laboratory studies to be anti-inflammatory in action. Work by Mudnic et al, Phytomed2009 Jan 6 found water extracts of wild strawberry leaves show direct endothelium dependent vasodilation and potency comparable to hawthorn.

The lipids of leaves, fruit and pollen inhibit PAF, or platelet activating factor. Calligerou et al, Photochemistry 1996 41:1.

Allergic reaction or sensitivity to strawberries may indicate the individual carries the C3F gene. It is estimated that approximately 35% of the Caucasian population carry this variant, which is associated with hyperactivity of the immune system, and inflammation of the heart and blood vessels.

Individuals with this gene appear to escape the risk of infectious disease, but are more prone to auto-immunity, and conditions such as arthritis.

The inability of an immune system to dislodge pathogens can result in adverse reactivity. A small number of children, for example, who cannot rid themselves entirely of Salmonella bacteria, go on to develop juvenile arthritis.

Over 100 research studies on strawberry were conducted in the year 2008 alone.

False Strawberry, like strawberry, black currant, and red raspberry, contains ellagic acid, an anti-carcinogenic compound.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the whole dried plant is used for its sweet bitter flavour, cold properties and somewhat poisonous nature.

It helps dispel heat, cools the blood, disperses swelling and helps remove toxins.

False Strawberry is used in fever states, epilepsy, coughs, laryngitis, dysentery, furuncles, burns, scalds and insect bites.

In TCM, it is called SHE MEI, or TI CHIN, which means Ground Tapestry. The whole plant is used for boils and abscesses, weeping eczema, and ringworm externally. For laryngitis and tonsillitis the decoction is gargled and swallowed.

Research conducted by Lee and Lin, 1988 in Taiwan, showed false strawberry water decoctions (two hour) have moderate anti- mutagenic activity.

In the same year, Zhang and Bo found false strawberry has effect on extracorporeal esophageal cancer cells.

The plant inhibits sarcoma 180, Ehrlich ascites cells, and treats thyroid cancer and hepatoma cancer cell lines.

Work by Peng et al, Gynecol Oncol 2008 108:1 found phenolic fractions of the herb cytotoxic against ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cell lines, via apoptosis and arresting cell cycle in the S phase.

Peng et al, Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2009 234:1 found the plant to possess anti-cancer activity.

The related D. chrysantha, combined with Reishi mushroom, was found to enhance apoptosis and overall cell death against human leukemia cells, when combined with radiation. Kim et al, Int J Mol Medicine 2008 21:4.

The plant possesses anti-inflammatory properties, suppressing proliferation of cytokines and blocking NFkappaB activation. Zhao et al, Immunol Invest 2008 37:4.

HOMEOPATHY

Strawberry acts on the digestive and supporting abdominal walls. It helps prevent the formation of calculi in the kidneys, and prevents attacks of gout.

The tongue may appear swollen; hence the name Strawberry Tongue. There may be painful itching and swelling over the entire body. Skin urticaria-like swellings.

They are unwilling to make compromises. Like to dress in red colors, alternating moods like Pulsatilla. Craving for chocolate, pretzels. Sensation of saw dust or dust in eyes.

DOSE - Tincture. Use the 200th potency as a rash antidote, or for those with excessively acidic systems that overeat the fruit and have hives. Mostly based on clinical observations and effects of eating strawberries. One proving by Olaf Schramm with six provers at 30c and 200c was conducted in 2003.

ESSENTIAL OIL

Essential oil has been steam-distilled from strawberry leaves. Thirty- seven compounds have been detected, and sixteen positively identified. The major constituent is linalool (16-18%), and nonanal (6-16%). Khanizadeh et al, Hort Sci 1993 28.

When headspace volatiles were collected at different growing stages, the compositions varied greatly. In spring flowering stage, the leaves contained large amounts of (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate. This decreased with time with increases in germacrene D, and beta ocimene.

Eighty-seven compounds have been found and isolated in the fruit of wild strawberries; 2,5-dimethyl-4-methoxy-3 (2H)-furanone being the most prevalent and important.Others include 3-methyl-2-butenylacetate, methyl nicotinate, carveyl acetate, methyl anthranilate, methyl N-formylanthranilate, verbenone, citronellol, myrtenol, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol, eugenol, vanillin, 2-methoxy-4- vinylphenol, and 4-vinlyphenol.

Over 200 compounds have been found in the cultivated berries. The main components are octyl butanoate, octyl 2-methylbutanoate, octyl hexanoate, gamma dodecalactone, 1,2-di-hydro-1,1,6-trimethylnaphthalene, and the most important aromatic constituent, 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone.

The flowers have been analyzed by headspace, and contain some of the compounds produced by the leaves, especially lipoxygenase products. Alpha muurollene, a sesquiterpene, is found in the flowers, but not the leaves. Anisaldehyde, another component, has an aroma reminiscent of strawberry flowers. Only 0.1 ppm of essential oil is present in the flowers, whereas 3 ppm is obtained from leaves. This is the reverse of most plants; and both are not commercially viable.

Domestic strawberry leaves are not very fragrant, but the wild leaves release a musky scent while drying, taking on the undertone of Russian leather. Francis Bacon called it the “best of all scents”.

The oil from leaves and fruit is used in the cosmetic industry for facial formulations.
 

SEED OIL

From the strawberry seed, fatty oil (Anarin) is produced with a specific gravity of 0.974 and an iodine value of 191-193. It is a drying oil with properties similar to linseed and walnut, and yields over 19%. It consists mainly linoleic (81%) and linolenic and oleic acids (10.5%).

The press cake is rich in ellagic acid.

False Strawberry seed fatty acids are mainly composed of oleic acid and beta- sitosterol.

FLOWER ESSENCES

Wild strawberry flower essence helps mother after birth, when all her energy is gone.    NEW ZEALAND

Strawberry flower essence activates the psycho-spiritual dynamics stored in the heart chakra. It stimulates visions, and eases mental rigidity. It can be for basically healthy people who need a quickening of their mental insights.    PEGASUS

Strawberry flower essence is for the guilt-ridden, and self-blaming individual that often times feels unworthy or undeserving. The flower essence helps restore a strong, quiet sense of self and self- worth, as well as leaving behind a dysfunctional childhood past. It helps bring dignity, poise and grace to the user.              MASTER

Strawberry essence helps men to move feelings into awareness.         MIRIANA

Fragaria (F. vesca) flower essence is for individuals that have a difficulty in sharing their experiences with others and live in their own inner world. They are usually very creative, however they keep it all for themselves because of fear of not being accepted by others. Fragaria flower essence is particularly indicated for autism.         FLORIAS DE MINAS

Woodland Strawberry flower essence helps to clear negative thinking and aligns your feelings and thoughts. It creates a sense of ease by separating thoughts from feelings so they can pass through your mind freely without turning into sticky emotions.

TREE FROG

Strawberry helps you to separate your thoughts and feelings, which stops the emotionally charged tape loop. This allows the emotional center at the heart chakra to operate independently from the brain, which in turn, supports the processes of clear thinking and authentic feelings.          RAVENWORKS

HYDROSOL

The distilled water of strawberry leaves is a powerful opener of blockages of the liver and spleen. It takes away jaundice and cleanses the kidneys, urinary passages and bladder. It also breaks up gravel and kidney stones and removes them; and protects against excessive sweating, when four or five tablespoons are taken in every morning and evening.

The distilled water drunke with white wine is good against the passion of the heart, reviving spirits, and making the heart merry.           GERARD

The water of strawberries is a valuable thing for easing and strengthening a heart weakened by heat.

Furthermore, it quenches thirst, cools an inflamed liver, serves well in cases of ardent fever…If the face is washed often with strawberry water, it will get rid of measle rashes and red and inflamed scabs of the same. If it is gargle, it will heal abscesses as well as scurvy of the mouth.            SAUER

The water of the fruit reduces thirst, relieves sweat on the back, liver and jaundice troubles, unclean scabs and bloody skin, to enlarge breasts, comforts the heart, purifies the menses and removes stone. The water from the herb is also good for all above as well as cleaning the eyes.             BRUNSCHWIG

SPIRITUAL PROPERTIES

Strawberries help the individual return to the joyousness that they have received in being on the Earth in past lives. This is especially true of the leaves, which speed up the release of karma faster than regression.

There is an enhancement of the willingness to accept past lives; as well as improve memory of them. Today, when you take on a physical body through birth, you have erected many filters to block remembrance of past lives. They filter out behaviour patterns and overload the information that may bring on guilt and difficulties.

When strawberry is eaten, the effects of Venus are clearly felt in your life.           GURUDAS

Strawberry’s key word is compassion. Strawberry is the most female of the herbs and is an expression of fullness or pregnancy.

Strawberry facilitates bringing things to fruition and helps us embrace life with firmness in a no nonsense style of attitude.

Strawberry helps both sexes to tune into the feminine vibration.          MULDERS

The “baby” of the rose family is the strawberry. Its German name ERDBEERE- earth berry- is appropriate.

Everyone knows that it is only the outer layers of the strawberry fruit that have the delicious flavour that we so appreciate. Very large fruit can be most disappointing since the inner flesh, which is pale and spongy, is much less aromatic. The fruit repeats what the whole plant does. The fruiting process is pushed to the surface. This tendency is maintained even in the human organism. The strawberry has properties of encouraging the formation of blood. Anemic children can benefit greatly from eating strawberries if they have not developed immunity by excessive consumption.

The blood-forming property works through the organism to the periphery. Normally one does not notice this, but in certain cases it can become very disagreeable when it produces a strawberry rash.            VERMUELEN

PERSONALITY TRAITS

Strawberry is especially helpful during times of transition, for these are the times when we are more likely to doubt ourselves. We may merely need to adjust to specific changes in our bodies or environments: puberty, mid-life crisis, or menopause. Strawberry is also helpful during the dissolution of relationships; for the person who is left; and for the child dealing with a divorce.

Strawberry-like self worth issues are imprinted by parents, on their children. Children, in turn reaching adulthood, recreate these patterns, possibly perpetuating generations of unhealthy family patterning…Strawberry is an excellent remedy for freeing us from these deeply ingrained, hurtful patterns.              LILA DEVI

Strawberries…open without reserve to their surroundings. Their red fruits are the product of the adnation of the ovaries growing together, and the many tiny seeds are deeply embedded in the juicy, full receptacle. This little berry with its appealing fragrance and its cheery red makes a friendly and modest impression.             HAUSCHKA

MYTHS AND LEGENDS

There is a Cherokee story about a woman and man having a conflict. She leaves and he follows, but he is not able to find her. He sees the strawberries that she leaves, and they come back together to enjoy strawberry eating and “clearing-way” discussions.              J.T. GARRETT

According to one legend, women mourning the death of a child were not allowed to eat strawberries before Midsummer’s Day. On that day, the Mother of God would take the children in heaven strawberry picking—and those children whose mothers had already eaten the fruit would not find any more strawberries left for them.

HEILMEYER

A legend that emerged among the mountain people of Saxony, Bohemia and Bavaria tells of how a peasant child traveling in the area went into the forest to gather strawberries and saw a woman covered with golden moss. When the woman asked the child for some of the strawberries, the child gave them to her, and she ate them and went on her way. When the child got home, she witnessed a miracle—the precious strawberries she had gathered from the forest had turned to gold.    

TAMRA ANDREWS

RECIPES

INFUSION - Take one ounce of dried herb to one pint of water. Steep 20 minutes. Drink warm. Let it cool and strain well for eye inflammation, styes; or as a gargle for sore throats and mouth ulcers.

FERMENTED AND ROASTED LEAVES - good black tea substitute. The dried leaves must be very well-dried with no accumulation of mold.

FLUID EXTRACT - can be bought commercially.

TINCTURE- FRUIT or LEAVES - two to four mls several times daily. The tincture is prepared from fruit at 1:4 and 40%; the leaf dry at 1:5 and 25% alcohol.

FRESH FRUIT IN WINE - One to two ounces daily as needed. The commercial fruit is full of pesticides and herbicides and a decided cancer risk. Use only organic or wild fruit and leaves for recipes.

CAUTION - Strawberries contain oxalic acid that may aggravate stone formation in those prone to kidney stones. Maybe.

DECOCTION - False Strawberry- 9-15 grams as needed.

CULTIVATION - Work by Loughrin and Kasperbauer in the Journal of Agric Food Chemistry 2002 50 found that the growth, aroma and taste of fresh strawberries is greatly enhanced by ripening over red vs. black plastic mulch. It is speculated that the reflected red and far red light stimulated the plant to put more energy into the fruit. Other red fruit, such as tomatoes, showed increased yields as well.