As with all natural remedies consumption of Pine
should be guided by a qualified herbalist or physician.
This information here is for information purposes only,
and certainly not for prescription.
best use ...
pine nuts as strength building nutrition,
pine oil as a decongestant, deodorant and antibacterial agent
and simply walking among pines for calming, stress relief and overall wellbeing
qualities of Pine are said to be ...
anti-inflammatory - aids reductions of heat, fever and swellings
antimicrobial - inhibits unbalanced invasion of micro-organisms
antiseptic - prevents the growth of disease-causing micro-organisms.
antiviral - protects from unbalanced invasion of micro-organisms
choloagogue - supports flow of bile through gall bladder and liver
deodorant - neutralizes body odours
diuretic - increases urination, useful when clearing toxins
expectorant - mucous breakdown and flow
rubefacient - applies heat through the skin
tonic - builds strength
The benefits of pine resin and pine oil are famous,
Also popular are the edible seeds from some pine varieties, that we call "pine nuts".
toxicity? ... as all plants have a nourishing level and toxic level
Despite the wonderful healing and calming benefits of pine, long term exposure to pine resin and oil can reverse benefits and cause breathing problems and skin irritations. Fortunately, this excess exposure is unlikely for most people but these negative effects can effect some people who work long hours in pinewood sawmills.
For most people, for the time they spend among Pine it can only be calming and rejuvenating, and promote wonderful sleep through the next night or two.
Gathering Pine nuts can be fun and very nutritious.
Find Pine trees that have branches that you can reach that are hosting both opened and unopened pine cones at the same time. If there are no open pine cones, it will mean the pine cones are not ripe yet.
Where you see a combination of open and closed Pine cones, only pick the closed ones because the open ones will have shed their nuts and animals will have eaten them. To harvest, carefully twist the closed pine cones until they come off the tree.
Some people are impatient and try to heat the Pine cones to open them up quickly so they can harvest the nuts, but that is dangerous as the cones are highly flammable. It is best to leave the cones in a warm place and patiently wait for them to open in their own time and release their nuts.
You then choose what seeds you need to plant more Pine trees with and then eat the rest. Shelling Pine nuts is like shelling sunflower seeds. Quite a task, but worth the effort for the outstanding nutrition.
to read about the crafting potential of Pine, please click here