Sweet Gum

Description

Sweet Gum Discussion:

Sweet gum is iconic for the sharp, spiky balls that fall to the ground through the winter, then swept up by the mowers in the spring. Sweet gum is a tree that forms its seeds inside a large, spiny ball. These balls are mostly considered to be a nuisance because they not only cause pain to bare feet, but they are so large that stepping on some could cause a sprained ankle! Crafters collect them to use as ornaments or as decorations. These seed pods only grow on trees that are at least the ripe age of 20 yrs. old, which this fact alone gives us a hint to their medicinal value. They have long been used medicinally, by the Indians.

These fruits are used in Chinese medicine and are known as “lu lu tong”. The medicinal profile is truly impressive! When a plant has such an extensive list of possible benefits, you can assure it may help many. The sad, and surprising part is that it seems absolutely no one sells this herb, aside from us! We were surprised to find that these pods have a highly aromatic smell, similar to a blend of vanilla and cinnamon. This is mainly due to it possessing the same aromatic compounds that those two herbs are known for.

Sweet gum balls are considered to be a great source for shikimic acid, which is highly sought out at the moment for viral support, amongst other benefits. They have a shikimic acid content of approximately 4%, which makes them a superior source, following star anise and pine needle. Shikimic acid is also found in the leaves and bark, but it is most abundant in the premature, green seed pods/fruit. Each tree produces thousands of them! 

It is said that sweet gum balls contain potent antifungal activity against many pathogenic types of fungus. It is also said that they have shown promising results in fighting nematodes and the yellow mosquito species.

There is use of shikimic acid as an extract and then there is the highest suggested use of it in its whole-food form in herbs such as this.  As we have discussed this throughout this website, there are thousands of other compounds that work synergistically and that cannot be replicated.

Here we share a website that discusses how some drug-resistant strains of specific pathogens may actually be more sensitive to constituents of Sweet Gum, Moreso than penicillin. It also mentions that this tree may be a valuable resource for some antiviral medications because shikimic acid itself may inhibit the H1N1 virus.

Sweet Gum has been studied for its compounds for its support with antioxidants, microbes, fungal infections, inflammation, blood pressure, liver cellular regeneration and detoxification, bipolar episodes, free radicals, mood stabilization, sleeping, anxiety, wounds, skin ulcers, and gastric ulcers. As a matter of fact, it has been used in ulcer prevention. To read more details about this, Click Here.

Lastly, here is another informative study to read about the potency and effectiveness of Sweet Gum’s medicinal capabilities. Sweetgum: An ancient source of beneficial compounds with modern benefits (nih.gov)

It is suggested to get this product in tinctured form. Due to the fact that there are no other sources to buy this herb, we must be sure the price of powdered products reflects its rarity. There is enough to go around for everyone, although stock is limited. 

Product Variations:

Tinctures – Herbal compounds extracted in an alcohol base. Tinctures offer the most superior absorption capabilities. We recommend allowing your dose to sit under the tongue for a minute or two, then swallowing it down with a drink of water. The microscopic, pre-extracted compounds are readily available to be absorbed through the tissue, into the bloodstream, then circulating to the organs.

Lipospheric Tinctures – Standard tinctures that are put through an energetic process, which collides the herbal compounds, encasing them in oxygenated bubbles. This method is an oxygenation process, which changes the color of the solution. The lipospheres’ are commonly referred to as nanoparticles, which surpasses the bioavailability of a standard tincture.

Capsules – Size 00, vegetarian capsules, handmade, to order. We feel that the combination of a tincture, and capsules, of the same herb, or blend, may offer a saturation that cannot be surpassed otherwise. The duo is highly recommended for those that really want to see what an herb may do for them!

Herbal Tea – Each teabag can be brewed up to three times, resulting in three cups of tea, each. Generally, this means that you may get 60-75 cups of tea per 6 oz. order, but the weight of the pine needles is so light that it actually comes out to approximately 45 bags of tea, making almost 150 cups! Each label specifies the brewing instructions, which highly depends on the parts used in the tea.

Glycerites – Herbal compounds extracted in vegetable glycerin. This may be ideal for those most sensitive and for children.

Loose Herbal Powders – We keep an inventory of herbs in their whole-form. They are powdered down, to order. This ensures abundant, and present, compounds as well as superior freshness. Many of our herbs are wildcrafted, which is the most medicinal form one can attain, in our opinion.

Fresh Plant Material – We proudly wildcraft specific herbs to offer to you! When you order, we seek out our wildly growing and available sources and harvest it for you. We offer fresh plant material in 4 oz., 8 oz., and 1 lb. variations. They will be shipped and to you within 2-3 days of harvesting. 

All variations are animal & child-safe, at the appropriate dosage. Wherever possible, we always choose unprocessed, ethically wildcrafted plant material. “Full-spectrum” means that the product contains every part of the plant, including the roots, and wherever we can, we even add the seed, flower, and/or fruit!

We have had our products energetically tested by a practitioner, using the Zygo scanning system. The results were that our products tested 360% more energetic than any others! Over the years customers have continued to energetically test our products with their own body and they have passed every test they have ever been put through.

Always use herbals wisely and with common sense!

Happy Cleansing!