The healing power of samphire

1. Salicornia is a plant that grows very well under salty conditions. Salicornia grows all over the coastal areas in Europe, North America and Asia. On the coast it is traditionally eaten as a wild, salty vegetable. It turns out to be an above-average healthy vegetable. You can cook samphire but its nutritional value is better preserved if it is eaten raw in a salad. Of course, vegetables should never be put in the microwave; then it loses its nutritional value and vitality. The vitamins remain structurally but all electrons turn in the other direction after a microwave radiation bombardment, which completely changes the effectiveness.

Contents:

1. Naming samphire Samphire as an anti-inflammatory Samphire in cancer Samphire in diabetes, hyperglycaemia and hyperlipedemia Samphire in obesity Samphire helps macrophages Antimicrobial activity

Naming samphire

1. Samphire is a genus whose Latin name is Salicorniais. This word is a Latin compound of 'salis' which means salt and 'cornu', the Latin word for horn. The leafless branches that characterize the samphire are somewhat like horns. About 60 species of samphire are known.

Samphire as an anti-inflammatory

1. Salicornia contains isorhamnetin 3-O-beta-d-glucopyranoside. This substance appears to have strong antioxidant properties, according to a scientific study carried out at the Korea Maritime University in 2009. It can counteract free radicals created from toxins. This makes a major contribution to the nutritional value and healing power of samphire. This kind of isorhamnetin turns samphire into an anti-inflammatory. Inflammation at the cellular level, which if not addressed can lead to lifestyle diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cancer, obesity and cardiovascular disease, can be prevented.

Samphire in cancer

1. Scientific research from 2009 investigated the anti-cancer activity of salicornia on colon cancer cells. Polysaccharides in salicornia were found to induce apoptosis or the sudden death of a cancer cell. The cancer cells were unable to expand and were even reduced in number. The researchers concluded that samphire has cancer-fighting efficacy.

Samphire in diabetes, hyperglycaemia and hyperlipedemia

1. Scientific research from 2006 at the school of pharmacy in Korea showed that samphire is a plant that can counteract weight loss, hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidimia. Hyperglycaemia is having too high a blood sugar level and hyperlipedemia is having too much lipoprotein, a type of fat. Mice that received very high-fat food showed a decrease in weight when they also received an extract of samphire. The glucose level measured in the liver was significantly lower in the mice given salicornia than in mice from the control group. The researchers concluded that samphire may be an important component in preventing diabetes and possibly also in counteracting hyperlipedemia. The latter fact requires more research to draw definitive conclusions.

Samphire in obesity

1. In the paragraph above it was already reported that samphire reduces hyperlipedimia. In obese patients, these fat deposits take place not only in the liver but also in the rest of the body. Another study from Korea shows that the change in fat storage caused by samphire is an important contributor to the prevention of obesity or overweight. Incidentally, the fibers in samphire also play a role in this; these ensure that the food is better digested and that not only easily absorbed sugars enter the body quickly where they are converted into body fat. When the body absorbs more nutrients, it is less likely to absorb fattening sugars.

Salicornia helps macrophages

1. Macrophages promote a variety of cells in the body that are part of the immune system, such as helper T cells, B cells and CD8 T cells. Because salicornia promotes the production of these cells, salicornia indirectly makes an important contribution to the immune defense system and thus to the prevention of diseases. The polysaccharides in samphire are here Samphire / Source: Fritz Geller Grimm, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-2.5)

Antimicrobial activity

1. Salicornia can fight pathogenic or pathogenic bacteria. It appears to be an effective natural means to eliminate the following bacteria: staphylococcus aureus, staphylococcus epidermis and candida albicans. This makes it possible to treat atopic dermatitis, among other things. Atopic dermatitis is related to reduced liver function and since salicornia causes less fat accumulation in the liver, these plants can be helpful in atopic dermatitis, also known as dewworm and atopic eczema in two ways.