Weeds for wellness.

• Author: Hardman, Chris
• Position: IOjo! - Medicinal value of weeds, Highland Maya, Chiapas, Mexico - Brief Article

WHEN IS A WEED not, well, a weed?

The Maya are well known for their use of medicinal plants, and in recent years scientists from around the world have tapped into their knowledge in search of cures for cancer, AIDS, and other devastating diseases. But very little research has been done on the medicinal value of weeds--those pesky invasive species that quickly take over disturbed habitat near homes and other cleared areas.

According to University of Georgia researcher John R. Stepp, weeds are a logical choice for medicinal use. "Weeds are readily available. You know that they are going to be there when you go looking for them. If you're sick, you don't want to travel a long ways to find a plant," he says.

Working with the Highland Maya in Chiapas, Mexico, Stepp has documented that weeds are a more valuable source of medicine than plants found deep in the forest. Stepp spent nine months tracking medicinal plant use of 208 people in six communities. He found that the majority of medicines used were made from weeds found close by homes and villages.

Using weeds found close to home eliminates the need to store plants, saving time and effort. In contrast to other Indian groups throughout Latin America who dry and store plants, the Highland Maya rely almost exclusively on fresh material." Some of the more volatile compounds, if you dry them, lose their strength. So it's much better from a treatment point of view to go out and get fresh material," Stepp explains.

There are biochemical reasons why weeds make good medicine as well. Most plants manufacture compounds for defense against herbivores and insects. A lot of these compounds have medicinal properties--in small doses they are medicinal, in large doses they are toxic. Weeds tend to produce more compounds than plants living in the forest, which use structural defenses, like thick bark and tannins, to protect against browsing. Because most weeds only live for a short period of...