Orchidaceae

The orchid holds a special place in my heart. When showing off, it has beautiful flowers which can last quite a long time but then it happens… The flowers begin to shrivel up one by one, fall off, and for some people, never show their beauty again. This is when they come to me. Some of the people around me know that I have open arms to any and all orchids. They call them, boring with plain green leaves. I don’t see them that way and love to nurse them back to health. They sit in my bathroom upstairs enjoying the filtered light and moisture from the shower until they are ready to make an appearance again. Once buds begin to form, they come back downstairs and sit in the prime flower spot in the foyer and kitchen where people can ooh and ahh over them. Every day in my bathroom I look at those boring green leaves and feel a great sense of love knowing what their future holds. The gift of new buds feels like Christmas. Growing orchids takes a lot of patience but I believe it is well worth it!

As I dig deeper into the orchid family, it seems that there is a lot of variance with statements like, they are primarily this but can also be like this. Read on to see a few examples. According to Botany Illustrated, Orchids are found worldwide and are known as the largest family with an estimated 30,000 species. [Even their] habitats vary enormously from dry sand to acidic bogs and wet meadows, from temperate forest and mangrove swamps to tropical cloud forests there is even an underground orchid, Thizanthella gardneri (Glimn-Lacy & Kaufman, 2006, pg.130). They also vary greatly in size. Most leaves are alternate and simple but some plants are leafless. They are primarily herbaceous (nonwoody) but they may also be like a vine or a shrub. You may find them getting nutrients by either being attached to another plant, epiphytic, or from the soil and dead organic matter, saprophytic. Orchids are considered perennials, which means they live for more than two years.

If you’ve ever tried to buy an orchid as a gift, you know that the flower colors and patterns vary greatly too, making it a difficult decision. Dodson (2019) from the Encyclopedia Britannica explains a little about the unique characteristics of an orchid – As a group, the orchids are different from other plants but only in the morphological (structural) characteristics associated with the flower and its organization. Even the special characteristics of orchid flowers, such as the masses of pollen called pollinia, the joining of the stamens and pistil to form a column, and the tiny seeds without endosperm are found individually in other groups of flowering plants. It is through the combination of several characteristics that a family of flowering plants, the Orchidaceae, emerges.  The flower is usually bisexual which means it has staminate and pistillate structures. It has three sepals that may resemble petals, a column of fused stamen and stigmas, and three carpels which make up the inferior ovary. The central petal which is the lip is usually large and unique sometimes even considered bizarre. The lip encloses the fused male and female parts creating a column. On the tip of this column is a sticky pollen sac. The other end of the column has a sticky flap called the rostellum. Insects take pollen from one flower to another flower. There it sticks to the rostellum and a capsule fruit is formed.

The orchid got its name from the Ancient Greeks. They called it órkhis, which when translated means testicle. It is believed that this name was given because of the shape of the root. Carl Linnaeus classified the family as Orchidaceae and the name orchid was used by John Lindley in the book School Botany in 1845. Interestingly, the orchid family is of great economic importance and provides a very important item, vanilla! There are also many folk medicines and cures associated with the orchid: Cure poisoning from a fish, prevent sickness after childbirth, to treat boils, as a diuretic, good for broken bones, food and food supplements, sold as a vegetable, seasoning, flour substitute, and can even be used as a glue.

To conclude, the orchid can be found everywhere, even in roadside ditches, and have many varying features which create a unique family, to say the least. Some species are considered a weed whereas others are considered endangered and protected. They can be used for vanilla, folk medicinal cures, or just for admiring their beauty. Once the flowers fall and you are left with only the leaves, it can take great patience to wait for the flowers to bloom again. I wonder if there is an organization out there for rescuing abandoned orchids? Maybe I should start one.

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Aitchinson, P. (2013) Orchid: How did it get its name? Retrieved from https://sfvos.com/ 2013/09/12/orchid-how-did-it-get-its-name/

Dodson, C. (2019) Orchid. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/plant/orchid

Glimn-Lacy & Kaufman. (2006) Botany Illustrated: Introduction to Plants, Major Groups, Flowering Plant Families second edition. New York, NY: Springer Science+Buisness Media, Inc.

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Magnoliaceae

The Magnolia is one of my most favorite flowers and it reminds me of my move to Charleston, SC from New Hampshire. On our first visit, while my husband and I were exploring the city, I was in awe of the Magnolia trees. Their large branches and leaves made me curious but what caught my attention the most was the crisp white flowers. Many of the magnolia trees we encountered while exploring downtown had flowers that were out of my reach. This was frustrating since I was so desperate to smell them. Later that evening while dining out, and by out I mean that all the windows of the restaurant were open to the outside, we were lucky enough to have a table right next to nature! Not too long after we arrived a man with two hooks for hands stopped near our table, he was selling Magnolia flowers. I was curious about how a man with hooks for hands was able to pick the large number of flowers he was selling and also excited that I would finally be able to hold and smell one of those beautiful flowers up close and personal. My husband bought me one and I spent the rest of the evening smelling it and admiring its beauty. However, my enjoyment was short lived. I put the flower in water, went to bed, and sadly when I awoke, it was brown. From that day forward I decided to never pick a magnolia flower but to just leave it on the tree so it can live a little bit longer.

As stated in the book Botany Illustrated, the Magnolia family is large with over 200 flowering species. It can be found in eastern North America, Central America, tropical South America, Mexico, West Indies, southern and eastern India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Malesia, China, Japan, and Korea. Having many primitive characteristics, it is considered to be among the most primitive of flowering plants. Some of these characteristics are the large flower with many petals and sepals and the many stamens that are spirally arranged around a raised axis which has many pistils. The axis resembles a cone-like structure. “Cone-like fossils similar to magnolia receptacles have been discovered in ancient sedimentary strata, indicating that this is a very primitive plant family” (Armstrong, 2001). Stipules that enclose the young bud leaf shed as the flower expands also the bracts that enclose the flower buds shed as the flower opens. The image of the stipules and the bracts shedding to me represents the power of the large beautiful flower opening up to life.

Magnolia is best known for the beautiful flowers that are produced and the sweet luxurious smell that is often used in expensive perfumes. What many people might not know, according to dōTERRA, a well known essential oil company, is that Magnolia has been used in traditional health practices in places like China and Thailand for many years. The essential oil is distilled from fresh petals and due to the difficulty of harvesting the fresh blossoms, Magnolia oil is precious and expensive. According to the book, The Essential Life (2018), Magnolia essence was used in ceremonies to enhance confidence and well-being. The blossoms were harvested at night when considered most fragrant. This book also states that the top properties of Magnolia are: Sedative, relaxant, antidepressant, aphrodisiac, decongestant, stomachic. It can be applied directly to the skin, although you will mostly find it mixed in with carrier oil due to its expensive price tag, or it can be used aromatically by inhalation.

One of the main constituents in Magnolia is Linalool. Linalool is known for its ability to promote calmness and relaxation while at the same time promoting comfort. According to Pubmed, Linalool is recognized as safe. It can be found in a variety of items from foods to carpet and surface treatments. Pubmed states that “Decreased activity, decreased pain sensation, and sedation have been reported in laboratory animals exposed to high levels of Linalool.” With Magnolia being expensive and mostly mixed with a carrier oil, exposure to high levels of Linalool is probably not going to occur during normal use. However, it is always advised to be cautious when using a new product for the first time.

For many, an aroma will bring a person straight back to a time or place in their memory as if it just happened yesterday. This is the case for me with the Magnolia flower. Before starting this paper I had no idea that the Magnolia tree was considered to be such a primitive plant. So primitive that the blossoms were pollinated by beetles rather than bees back in ancient times (The Essential Oil Life, 2018, p. 125). I feel fortunate to have this beautiful flower to admire right outside my door and the essential oil with its many benefits to enjoy aromatically and topically. Not knowing that Magnolia was used in ceremonial rituals long ago, I am happy to say that I have been carrying on this tradition. Each night before bed I apply Magnolia essential oil topically to my chest taking advantage of the calming properties while also enjoying the beautiful scent.

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References

Armstrong, W.P. (2001) The Magnolia Family (Magnoliaceae): A Primitive Family of Flowering Plants. Retrieved from https://www2.palomar.edu/users/warmstrong/trmar98c.htm

Glimn-Lacy & Kaufman. (2006) Botany Illustrated: Introduction to Plants, Major Groups, Flowering Plant Families second edition. New York, NY: Springer

Science+Buisness Media, Inc. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Database. Linalool, CID=6549, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Linalool (accessed on June 4, 2019)

Uses and Benefits of dōTERRA Magnolia Touch. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/spotlight-magnolia-touch-oil

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An important part of the body’s immune response is inflammation, especially during acute trauma.  The inflammatory response during acute trauma helps to decrease the injury and maintain homeostasis. This might surprise some individuals who believe that inflammation is a bad sign.  For example, when an injury happens, like a twisted ankle, and inflammation occurs, most people will spring into action by applying the RICE rules hoping to reduce or eliminate inflammation.  RICE stands for rest, ice, compress and elevate. According to Patton and Thibodeau (2014), when tissue cells are damaged they release inflammation mediators. Thanks to some of theses inflammation mediators, the redness and warmth felt when inflammation occurs is due to blood vessels widening and blood flow increasing.  This important step allows white blood cells, known as immune system cells to travel quickly to the injured area.  In acute situations, inflammation can be a blessing but when an individual has chronic inflammation it can have detrimental effects on health and wellness.  This brings me to the discussion of the role of Psychoneuroimmunology in health as described in the clinical paper “Stress, Food, and Inflammation:  Psychoneuroimmunology and Nutrition at the Cutting Edge” (Kiecolt-Glaser, 2010).  According to the Dictionary, Psychoneuroimmunology is defined as “the study of the effects of psychological factors on the immune system.”   The clinical paper points out a few serious illnesses that account for 70% of all deaths in America.  They are diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.  Their common link is inflammation.  Chronic inflammation can also be linked to diet, lifestyle choices, and stress.   Let us take a step back and look at where inflammation might be coming from when not caused by acute trauma and see how it relates to psychoneuroimmunology.

Studies show that diet influences inflammation.  Foods that an individual chooses to eat can cause health or harm, and to make it even more confusing, not all food reacts the same with every person.  This has been described well by a popular phrase thought to be first written by the Roman poet Lucretius, “one man’s meat is another man’s poison.”  However, there are a few food items that are known to promote inflammation no matter who you are.  These inflammatory foods are refined starches, sugars, saturated fats, and trans fat.  Many of these items can be found in the standard American diet (SAD), which includes processed and pre-packaged items.  This SAD diet is also known as the “Westernized” diet.  Some important items this diet is missing are omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fresh fruit which contains fiber, vegetables, and whole grains.  Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables have been linked to lower oxidative stress.  Meals high in antioxidants may have an anti-inflammatory effect even when consuming foods high in saturated fats.

Research shows a connection between inflammation and depression, suggesting that high inflammatory diets could aggravate depressive symptoms which can create more inflammation.  It’s also been suggested that healthy diets like the Mediterranean diet which includes healthy fat like avocado and olive oil, vegetables, fish, and whole grains work to reduce inflammation and can be protective against depression.  So, which came first, the chicken or the egg?  A SAD diet increases inflammation which promotes depression.  Depression may cause individuals to not care about healthy eating and lifestyle factors which in turn leads to the SAD diet promoting inflammation.  This is a perfect example of the role of Psychoneuroimmunology in health. Depression can stem from various social factors like having less money than your neighbor, allowing the bad news on social media or TV to get you down, or dealing with past or present trauma.   These are psychosocial stressors, relating to social factors, thoughts, and feelings.

Once stress kicks in, it can interfere with important health behaviors.  One has already been mentioned, food choices.  Another important health behavior affected by stress is sleep.  Many individuals who have negative emotions and/or emotional stressors end up having disturbed sleep patterns.  These disturbed sleep patterns trigger interleukin 6 (IL-6) which is a pro-inflammatory cytokine.  IL-6 thinks it’s doing its job, helping the body out, but it’s not.  Instead, it’s triggering more inflammation due to the stress that is being put on the body thanks to lack of sleep.  Other lifestyle stressors that contribute to chronic inflammation are caring for a family member with dementia or caring for a chronically ill child.  These lifestyle factors are associated with higher oxidative stress and increased pro-inflammatory cytokine production.   If an individual is in one of the situations above, they can’t just stop caring because they are too stressed.  Luckily there are dietary and lifestyle influences that can help.

A number of studies have shown that increased fish consumption equals lower episodes of clinical depression.  This may be due to increasing omega 3 (n-3) consumption which has been shown to curb depression. N-3 is found in fatty fish like salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel. N-3 can also be found in supplements, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds either in oil or ground form.  N-3 is helpful in counteracting the inflammatory response of high fat.  This is helpful because high-fat meals can trigger low-grade endotoxemia, a rise in inflammatory antigens.  A good example regarding n-3 and Psychoneuroimmunology used in the clinical paper, “Stress, Food, and Inflammation” (Kiecolt-Glaser, 2010), was a study focusing on a group of medical students.  One group of students had n-3 serum levels that were low or they had a higher omega 6 (n-6) to n-3 ratio.  The other group of medical students had higher n-3.   The group with higher n-3 produced less pro-inflammatory cytokines during exams compared to the group with lower n-3.  This study suggests that diet (n-3 intake) can influence the level of pro-inflammatory response to stressful situations.  Along with diet, bringing in positive lifestyle factors like mediation, changing your perspective on stress, gentle exercise, journaling, intermittent fasting, and socializing with friends and family can also help ease stress and lessen pro-inflammatory responses.

To conclude, acute inflammation can work to help the body whereas chronic inflammation can harm.  Dietary factors have a great effect on health and the body’s inflammatory response.  Dietary factors can also be influenced by social factors that cause stress and depression.  Unfortunately, there appears to be a vicious circle at play.  When social stressors affect a person and they are feeling depressed, healthy food choices are not on the top of their list which leads to unhealthy food choices, inflammation, and illness. Luckily there are food and lifestyle options to help break this vicious cycle.  It is important when working on a client’s diet to also work on their behavior and visa versa. Diet and behavior go hand in hand.

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References

Collins, W. (2012) Collins English Dictionary [Digital Edition] Retrieved from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/psychoneuroimmunology

Goehler, L., Lyte, M. & Gaykema, R. (2007). Infection-induced viscerosensory signals from the gut enhance anxiety: Implications for psychoneuroimmunology. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 21(6):721-726. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2007.02.005

Kiecolt-Glaser, J. (2010). Stress, food, and inflammation: Psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition at the cutting edge. Psychosomatic Medicine. 72(4):365-369. doi: 10.1097/ PSY.0b013e3181dbf489

Patton, K. & Thibodeau G.(2014). The Human Body In Health & Disease 6th Edition.Maryland Heights, MO: Mosby.

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