Do You Know Why Mulberry Trees Were Banned?
November 14, 2016
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By Dr. Mercola Depending on where you live in the U.S., it’s possible you have wandered in some wooded areas or even your neighborhood, stopping occasionally to snack on mulberries growing in abundance, since mulberry trees are very hardy and can grow just about anywhere. Many people have seen and arguably tasted at least one mulberry, but very few people know anything about these little clusters that don’t seem very high up on the scale of important fruits. Maybe it’s because they’re so accessible. All you have to do to harvest mulberries is place a blanket under a tree and shake the branches until the fruit falls. Mulberries are similar to raspberries but grow in a longer cluster that clings to the stem rather than being easily plucked. The leaves are finely scalloped and usually heart- or mitten-shaped. There are more than 100 varieties of mulberry trees and bushes. The Morus rubra is the American version, but there are many others, including the Russian mulberry, and white and black mulberries from Africa and Asia. The trees grow very fast but are slow to bear fruit depending on the type. Buzzle reveals:
Facts About Mulberry Trees
Mulberries can be used to make breads, muffins, pies, jam, wine and ice cream, just like other berries, or they can be dried and added to salads. They have a unique set of healing qualities, as well. Mulberries: Humble, Inexpensive Fruit Used in Traditional MedicineA company called Mulberry Garden Enterprise in Taiwan manufactures a mulberry-based tonic with quite a few asserted health benefits:
These little fruits have been used by a long line of traditional health practitioners over hundreds and probably thousands of years. As far back as the Roman Empire, mulberries were used to treat diseases of the mouth, throat and lungs. Native Americans discovered them to have a laxative effect and used them to treat dysentery.3 Nutritionally, mulberries contain an assortment of high-powered nutrients, such as vitamins C, K, B-complex, A and E, each bringing their own constituents for health. They also contain iron, potassium, folate, thiamine, pyridoxine (vitamin B6), niacin (vitamin B3) and magnesium. One of the most beneficial resources in mulberries is resveratrol, said to “promote heart health and overall vitality.”4 The Institute for Traditional Medicine says:
Other claims linked to eating mulberries range from strengthening eyesight to nourishing the blood to “blackening” hair. Modern Mulberry Health AdvantagesMedical News Today reports that one of the most recent breakthroughs regarding the health aspects of mulberries is their ability to increase brown fat. What’s brown fat? White fat is the calorie-stuffed stuff you don’t want while brown fat has the ability to burn calories and help fight obesity. Scientists used to think only babies had brown fat, but in 2009 it was found in adults, particularly those with a low body mass index (BMI). Live Science5 lists five little-known facts about brown fat:
In regard to obesity and overweight, suffered by a staggering 1 in 3 U.S. adults and 1 in 6 children and adolescents, the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and cancer are much higher. Scientists also say that a lifestyle change is an efficient and effective way to increase your brown fat and, simultaneously, lower your disease risk. Rutin Mimics Brown Fat to Cut Obesity RatesRutin is a flavonoid found in a selection of fruits and vegetables that helps your body absorb vitamin C and produce collagen, your skin’s most important building block, according to Livestrong.6 In one study,7 researchers added rutin, a natural compound extracted from mulberry, to the drinking water of two groups of mice, one group being genetically obese and the other with diet-induced obesity. Medical News Today reported:8
As a result of the study, scientists concluded that rutin may be a key therapy to help people combat obesity and the health problems associated with it. Additional Advantages of Eating MulberriesEspecially for our forebears, wild mulberries and even the leaves may have represented a welcome and necessary part of their diets. They contain a plethora of valuable ingredients, including protein and fiber. Nowadays they’re even offered in health food stores and farmer’s markets. Eating mulberries may aid digestion, build bone tissue, protect vision, improve metabolism and increase blood circulation.9 There are many ways the nutrients they contain can translate to improved health. Mulberry consumption helps:
So Why Would Mulberry Trees Be Banned?As healthy as mulberries have been shown to be, the City of Tucson, Arizona, took it upon itself to ban the humble mulberry tree a few decades ago, claiming that the immense amount of pollen it produces is harmful to humans. What’s up with that? The fruit develops early and drops quickly, which is messy. Mulberries are very popular with birds, which, when aloft, can scatter the seed widely, making the tree’s proliferation even greater. Buzzle says that’s another reason for whole cities to run them out of town:
History of Mulberries and Silk ProductionMany people associate mulberry trees with silk, since for centuries in China, Japan and, later, a number of European countries, mulberry leaves were, and still are, the sole food for silkworm moths. After laying about 300 eggs, the moths spin cocoons of silk thread that are hundreds of feet long for five days. It was a long but perpetual process. For that reason alone, cultivation of mulberry trees, especially the white variety, has been a big business. Silk Road18 reveals how important silk was to China, which kept their elaborate production process a secret for about 1,000 years. By the 5th century, several provinces were involved in silkworm production and subsequent weaving, dying and embroidering. During the Han Dynasty, silk had a trade value not unlike that of gold or grain. You’d think that silk as a textile would have waned considerably since synthetic silk, aka rayon, as well as nylon, polyester, acetate, spandex and a dozen other man-made materials are so easy to come by. Many people tried to imitate it over the centuries. Not just the silk, but the actual tree came in handy for these new fabrics. One early entrepreneur used mulberry bark fiber to produce a silk-like fabric, according to Fiber Source,19 but rayon eventually outperformed silk for making parachutes during World War II. But silk production is just as healthy as it once was, with China, again, in the lead. Once the truth came out about mulberry leaves being the key for silk production, the news spread, as did mulberry tree propagation on nearly every continent. That’s why there are so many types of mulberry trees throughout the world today. Next time you see one, give the berries a try. © Copyright 1997-2016 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/11/14/mulberry-trees.aspx |