Ojai Magazine. Spring 2022

Page 90

90

OJAI MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022

IN DECEMBER, KAUFER PUBLISHED HIS FIRST BOOK, MEDICINAL HERBS OF CALIFORNIA: A FIELD GUIDE TO COMMON HEALING PLANTS. The nearly 300-page, full-color book is the first statewide guide to common medicinal plants, or what Kaufer calls “ancient overthe-counter remedies.” Since 1976, Kaufer has led herb walks, nature hikes and edible and medicinal plant classes and workshops, “taking people into nature so they can learn how to learn from nature.” he said. “I’m 75, so I’m a late bloomer when it comes to writing a book.” In the process of researching and writing the guide, Kaufer realized how much more there was to learn about medicinal plants. “I thought I had a fair amount of knowledge on this topic; more than the average bear. No, more than the average human,” he said with a laugh. “The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know.”

200 plants, so he focused on just over 70. His criteria in choosing plants for the Guide: 1. Does the plant exist in California in sufficient numbers to justify going out and picking it? 2. Is there a history of traditional Indigenous use? 3. Is there enough scientific data to explain that history? In the past, it sufficed to say that Native Americans used this plant for this, or the settlers used this plant for that. “Now that we’re in the age of following the science, that’s not enough anymore,” Kaufer said. Bringing in the scientific data and pharmacological research completed the process.

Taking this attitude going in, Kaufer concentrated on healing plants he could gather locally, but he expanded that knowledge to include plants throughout the state.

Surprising to Kaufer was the amount of research that has been done on medicinal plants over the last 30 years, providing scientific evidence to support the healing qualities of the plants, “to show that, yes, they have what it takes to do what Native Americans have always said they do,” he said. “Their remedies, if they worked, kept getting used and passed on to the next generation of healers. If they didn’t work, they fell by the wayside.”

He made a list of all the plants in California he knew to have some recorded history of medicinal use. They totaled roughly 200 plants, but there was no room in the guide for

Kaufer’s biggest challenge was consolidating the information into a usable format. Each plant chapter features photos and descriptions, common and scientific

names, conservation status, cultivation tips and information on how to find and use medicinal plants. There are also recipes incorporating healing plants in everything from teas to tinctures. One of the most beautiful native plants in California — woolly blue curls — is used for stomach problems, nervousness and rheumatism. There’s been so little study done on the plant and it hasn’t been written about much, and it deserved a place in the book, Kaufer said. “Medicine” is the simple translation of the Chumash word for woolly blue curls. “That’s like the Spanish naming a plant ‘yerba santa,’ which means ‘holy herb.’ The Spanish were notoriously disrespectful of the knowledge of California Indians, so for them to name a plant ‘holy herb,’ that’s saying a lot,” said Kaufer. Yerba santa can be used to treat respiratory conditions such as coughs and colds, while mugwort provides relief from poison oak. Prickly pear cactus can be used for treating diabetes, lowering cholesterol and, topically, for relief from sunburn, while California golden poppy is useful for treating insomnia, nervous tension and pain. Native sages come in a variety of colors, from white to purple to black, and can bring relief from colds, coughs, pain and anxiety, according to the guide. The most underrated medicinal herb in the book? “Goat head,” said Kaufer, “a nasty, invasive weed.” Used for treating elevated blood lipids like cholesterol and triglycerides, “it also has an urban legend reputation as a male-enhancement herb.” Kaufer is perhaps most proud of an introductory chapter on the history of herbal medicine in America. A majority of the research that has been done was aimed at finding the active ingredient in the plant, what Kaufer calls “trying to do nature better than nature.” That’s a mistake, according to Kaufer. “These plants are whole organisms with a synergy of all these different chemicals. When we try to isolate what we think is the active ingredient, that may work for targeting one specific thing, but if you really want the full healing power of the plant, it’s better to use the whole plant,” he said.


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