Could There be a Link Between Mustard and Medicine?

Mustard and Medicine

Food historians believe that mustard was first cultivated in India around 3,000 BC. Mustard and mustard oil have been used as a treatment for gastrointestinal disorders and ulcers, respiratory disorders and diabetes. However, at this time, there is a lack of high-quality human trials supporting the use of mustard or mustard oil for any indication. Better-designed clinical trials are needed.

African medicine: In Africa, brown mustard root has been used as a galactagogue (promotes breast milk production).

Asia (other): Fu-tsai and suan-tsai are spontaneously fermented mustard products traditionally prepared by the Hakka tribe of Taiwan. In Korea, brown mustard seeds are used as an analgesic (for backache), for wound healing (for abscesses) and to treat the common cold, rheumatism and gastrointestinal disorders (particularly stomach disorders). In Java, mustard has reportedly been used as an emmenagogue (promotes menstruation) and to treat syphilis.

Ayurveda: Food historians believe that mustard was first cultivated in India around 3,000 BC. Mustard oil is used in India and elsewhere as a cooking oil. Brassica juncea seeds have been used to treat diabetes in India. A mustard tea may be used as an analgesic (to treat muscular and skeletal pain) and to treat the common cold. In northern India, mustard oil is used as a massage oil to improve circulatory disorders, muscular development and skin conditions (poor skin texture, dermatosis and pruritus), and for its antimicrobial properties. Black mustard has also been used to as an appetite stimulant and to treat respiratory disorders (such as cough), fever, spleen disorders (splenomegaly) and tumors. It has also been used as an antiparasitic.

Biblical medicine: Mustard seed is mentioned in the Bible. The Hebrews purportedly used mustard for cooking, and Abraham is said to have served cow tongue with mustard.

Chinese medicine: In Chinese medicine, brown mustard seed may be used to treat tumors, while the leaves may be added to soups to treat genitourinary conditions (particularly bladder inflammation or hemorrhaging). Mustard has also been used for wound healing (for abscesses), chronic bronchitis, the common cold, rheumatism, dental conditions (gingivitis, bleeding gums, and toothache), ulcers and gastrointestinal disorders (particularly stomach disorders).

European medicine: Secondary sources suggest that the ancient Greeks believed mustard was created by Asclepius, the god of healing. The Greek mathematician and scientist Pythagoras (570-490 BC) purportedly prescribed mustard for insect stings from scorpions. The physician Hippocrates (460-377 BC) used it as a medicine and for poultices. The Greek physician Dioscorides purportedly prescribed mustard for epilepsy, snake bites, and scorpion stings. Romans pounded and steeped mustard in new wine, and they used black mustard as a green vegetable. It is considered likely that the Romans brought mustard to Britain. In Britain, a mustard ointment has been used to treat chilblains. In 1623, the Jesuit Gerard wrote that mustard seed pounded with vinegar was best eaten with meat or fish to enhance digestion and to improve poor appetite. According to Thomas Tusser's Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry, mustard was used in the late 16th Century in England as mustard balls with honey or vinegar and a little cinnamon; prior to use, more vinegar was added. A woman known as Mrs. Clements, who lived in Durham, England, at the close of the 18th Century, is credited with the invention of the method of preparing mustard flour, which went under the name of Durham Mustard. In 1777, Maurice Grey and Antoine Poupon founded a company using Grey's recipe and Poupon's financing. Their original store still stands in downtown Dijon, France. Dijon mustard is seasoned with various spices and additives, including anchovies, capers, tarragon, walnuts and mushrooms. The marketing of white mustard as a popular medicinal product in 19th Century France has been recorded. Balkans have reportedly used black mustard to prevent stroke and to improve memory. The German Commission E has approved use of white mustard seed as a topical poultice for respiratory tract catarrh and chronic degenerative diseases affecting the joints and soft tissues.

Middle Eastern medicine: According to secondary sources, in Egyptian folk medicine, mustard has been used as a treatment for gastrointestinal disorders and as a natural antimicrobial to eliminate foodborne bacteria and pathogens. Wild mustard has been used in Turkey as a general tonic to promote health. Iranians have used black mustard as an emetic for narcotic poisoning. In Lebanon, a black mustard poultice has been used to treat the common cold. The seeds may also be boiled with juniper berries to treat edema. In Syria, black mustard may be used to treat spleen disorders.

Modern (Western) herbal medicine: Mustard is used by herbalists for its potential rubefacient, irritant, stimulant, diuretic and emetic properties. Conditions for which mustard is most commonly used include fever, influenza, bronchitis, the common cold and arthritis. Topically, mustard is used as a poultice, prepared by mixing freshly ground mustard seeds with warm water to form a thick paste, which is then spread on a piece of cloth and applied to the skin.

For more information about mustard, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

References

1.Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. http://www.naturalstandard.com/
 
http://www.depsyl.com/ 

http://back2basicnutrition.com/

http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com/