Pine Needles

 Every good general must know when to charge and when to retreat.  Every good herbalist must know when to treat and when to seek out a doctor and/or pharmaceuticals.

Pine Needles

Pinus spp

The Pine Tree is one of the most useful trees we have.  It is also very easy to identify.  Anyone who lives in East Texas knows this tree, so a description isn’t necessary here.  You do need to note, however, that many ornamental varieties (like Norfolk Pine) ARE NOT of the genus Pinus, and many, including Norfolk Pine, are actually toxic!  Always make sure that the tree you are harvesting needles from is a native, wild tree, or at least of the Pinus species!

Parts that may be used?  The whole darned tree!  The wood, of course, the sap, the bark, the inner bark (cambium), the pine nuts, the pine cone, the Spring tips, and the pine needles.  Since we are in the early stages of cough, cold, and flu season as I write this, we will concentrate here on the pine needles.  Each part of the tree deserves its own paper, as they act in very different ways and are useful for very different ailments or survival skills.

Most of us have heard the history of needles being used to treat scurvy, which was plaguing the early explorers and settlers when they landed on American soil.  A Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy.  Since the foods we usually eat to get our Vitamin C would not keep long enough to make the long, arduous trip across the ocean, scurvy was a common ailment these brave people were experiencing by the time they made landfall.  Cups of pine needle tea alone would quickly put them on the mend.  And, this plays into our discourse today on treating common winter ailments.  Any time you are sick, Vitamin C will help you heal, but is especially valuable in colds and flu.

Does it taste good?  Well, that depends.  Most people like it, a few don’t. But, it can be combined with green or black tea, lemon, any of the mints, cinnamon, cloves, etc. to make it more palatable to those who aren’t so crazy about the flavor on its own.  I would suggest trying it on it’s own first.  You might just find you like it all by itself! You will also find that the flavor of the needles will vary to some extent from tree to tree, as well as season to season. So, if I ever drive by your house and see a bald pine tree, I’ll know that you have found a particular tree with a flavor you find particularly pleasant. LOL! The tea should always be drunk with food to avoid any stomach upset, which it may cause if consumed on an empty stomach.  I suspect the potential for tummy troubles from pine needle tea is due to its high Vitamin C content.  Just like some people suffer from gastrointestinal discomfort when they drink orange juice or take high doses of a Vitamin C supplement, for general purposes, or for chronic conditions, a couple of cups a day should be sufficient, but for acute conditions, like a cold, up to 4 or even 5 cups a day might work better for you.  If tummy troubles develop, just cut back to where you and your tummy are comfortable.  They may be eaten instead of made into a tea if you’d rather.  Some chop the needles and add them to salads, soups, stews, and the like.  If you add it to soups or stews, you will not get many of the benefits of Vitamin C, as heat, especially prolonged heat, will destroy this fragile vitamin.  And, yes, they may be made into a tincture as well.  For a tincture, I would recommend starting with 10-12 drops, increasing the dosage as necessary and as your body tolerates.  I’ve never tried it in tincture form because, as an evergreen, there’s no reason to preserve it for future use.  It’s always handy, at any time of year, to harvest and use fresh.  To my way of thinking, it would be a waste of alcohol, but you do you. When treating a cold or a UTI, the best way to take it is with tea.  Always use fresh pine needles, as once they dry and turn brown, they have lost most of their medicinal properties.

You can make a tea by placing a tablespoon or two (or even a handful if you so desire) of pine needles in a cup, adding hot water, steeping for about 10 minutes, straining, and drinking it warm.  DO NOT boil the needles!  Doing so will destroy many of the benefits of the needles.

You may also benefit from steam inhalation, especially in cases of pneumonia.  Make a strong tea, and, while it’s still steaming, tent the top, stick your head in, and breathe as deeply as the pneumonia will let you.

They are not only high in Vitamin C, but also vitamin B1 and the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D, and K, along with the minerals magnesium, iron, and calcium.

Pine needles have been used for thousands of years as both food and medicine.  They are anti inflammatory (reduce swelling), anti fungal (fight all kinds of fungal infections), anti bacterial (treat many infections, ie: UTI’s), anti microbial ( an excellent topical for keeping wounds clean, and free of infection), anti oxidant (protects cells in our body from damage due to environmental influences), diuretic (will make you pee), and can provide our bodies with an energy boost when fatigue is a problem.  They are also a strongly stimulating expectorant, which means they will move the mucous gunk out of your system faster than many other expectorants.  Whew!  And, that’s just the needles folks!

There have been reports that pine needles can greatly increase the potency and side effects of many pharmaceuticals, so if you are taking any medicines, make sure you check with your doctor or pharmacist.  Hopefully, at least one of these will have a basic understanding of herbs and, if they don’t know pine needles, will at least check into it for you.

As an anti-fungal, pine needles are highly effective for athlete's foot, ringworm, thrush, etc.  All of these, as well as yeast infections, will respond quickly to pine needle tea both externally and internally.  It also helps soothe eczema and psoriasis when used both internally and as an external soak or wash.

Pine needles are very high in flavonoids, which have been shown to: reduce free radicals in the body, making them beneficial for the health of every cell in our bodies; help prevent blood clots; fight cancer cells; and lower cholesterol, to name a few of their benefits.

They are also high in phenols.  These are present in many plants, but are super high in pine needles.  They help activate your immune system, increase circulation, support detoxification throughout the body, and reduce inflammation, which is responsible for many of our aches, pains, and illnesses.

As a diuretic, it not only pulls excess fluid from your body but also thins and clears mucus from your respiratory tract; hence, it is included in the herbs used to treat colds, flu, and pneumonia.

Pine needles can help improve mood and help deter the development of Alzheimer's, as their high Vitamin C content helps produce brain chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin, and aids the healing and rebuilding of neurotransmitters in the brain.

I know this is going to be hard to believe, but we always think of pine trees as acidic. but pine needles are very alkaline.  At least when introduced into our bodies as a tea.  Pine needle tea can be a helpful way to manage acid reflux. 

So now, go out and strip some needles from that tree we all have somewhere nearby, and enjoy!

 C. Shaw

 

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