by Jims Vincent Capuno
For more than two years, Josephine (not her real name) was troubled with skin problems. It was not until she consulted a physician that she found out she had various skin cancers, which were in “advanced stage.”
After being told so, Josephine went to a friend and confided her health problem. In between Josephine’s sobs, her friend suggested that she undergo asparagus therapy. Since she won’t lose anything anyway, she tried it. Three months later, the skin specialist was surprised to see that her patient’s skin looked fine and there were no more skin lesions.
On the other hand, Oscar was put on the operating where doctors found that his lung cancer was so widely spread that it was “inoperable.” The surgeon sewed him up and declared his case “hopeless.” A month later after the incident, Oscar heard about asparagus therapy and immediately started taking it. Almost four months of taking it, his x-ray pictures showed that all signs of cancer had disappeared. Today, he is back at his regular business routine.
The stories of Josephine and Oscar were just two of the four cases featured in an article, “Asparagus for Cancer,” published in the December 1979 issue of Cancer News Journal.
An American biochemist who, after reading the article, commented, “As a biochemist, I have made an extensive study of all aspects of cancer, and all of the proposed cures. As a result, I am convinced that asparagus fits in better with the latest theories about cancer.”
According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, asparagus contains a high amount of glutathione, one of the body’s most potent cancer fighters. (Glutathione helps build proteins and DNA, which contains our genetic code and is found in all our cells; assists in metabolism; fights free radicals; helps keep red blood cells healthy; and protects cells from damaging substances like drugs, cigarets, or pollution). It is also a good source of antioxidant.
Actually, asparagus is an alkaline food which is rich in protein but low in calories and carbohydrates. It is an excellent source of potassium, magnesium, folic acid, vitamins A, C and K, and traces of vitamin B complex. A good source of dietary fiber, asparagus is also rich in niacin, phosphorus and very low sodium. Additionally, asparagus is high in rutin, which is valuable in strengthening the blood vessels.
Given its phallic shape, asparagus is frequently enjoyed as an aphrodisiac food. Three courses of asparagus were served to 19th century bridegrooms due to its reputed aphrodisiacal powers.
The English word “asparagus” derives from classical Latin, but the plant was once known in English as sperage, from the Medieval Latin sparagus. This term itself derives from the Greek spharagos or asparagos, and the Greek term originates from the Persian asparag, which means “sprout” or “shoot.” Scientifically, it is known as Asparagus officinalis.
Although it derives its name from the ancient Greeks, it was the Romans who were hooked on this vegetable. They documented detailed growing instructions, they enjoyed eating it in season, and they were the first to preserve it by freezing. There is a recipe for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes, Apicius’s 3rd century AD De re coquinaria, Book III.
Asparagus has also been used from very early times as a medicine, owing to its delicate flavor and diuretic properties. Originally, asparagus was used by ancient Greeks and Romans to relieve toothaches and bee stings. The Elements of Materia Medica (1854), edited by a University of Pennsylvania professor, stated that asparagus was used as a popular remedy for kidney stones. He even referred to experiments, in 1739, on the power of asparagus in dissolving stones.
Asparagus is one of the few vegetables that is highly dense in healthful nutrients that help many ailments. Consider the following:
Acidity of the blood: The high alkalinity of this wonder juice is effective in reducing the acidity of the blood and helps cleanses the tissues and muscles of waste.
Arthritis and rheumatism: A unique phytochemical in asparagus that produces anti-inflammatory effect helps relieve arthritis and rheumatism.
Bowel movement: Consume asparagus regularly for its mild laxative effect and dietary fiber that provides for regular bowel movement.
Cataracts: The antioxidant and glutathione in asparagus prevents the progression of cataracts and other eye problems.
Diabetes/Hypoglycemia: The healthful minerals in asparagus juice make it an important diet for people who are controlling their blood sugar levels. However, it is not to be taken by people with advanced kidney diseases.
Heart disease: Drink a small amount of asparagus juice mixed with raw honey three times a day daily to strengthen a weak or enlarged heart.
Kidney: The diuretic and alkaline properties of asparagus help prevent or dissolve kidney stones. It helps break up oxalic acid crystals formed in the kidney.
PMS symptoms: The diuretic effect of asparagus juice helps relieve premenstrual swelling and bloating. The magnesium in this wonder juice also help relieve irritability, fatigue, and depression, among others.
Pregnant women: The high content of folic acid, calcium and other minerals in asparagus are important in reducing the risk of birth defects and low birth weight. The diuretic effect of the juice is also a big help in reducing water retention in pregnant women.
Asparagus can be eaten hot or cold, in soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta, or on its own. However, experts say that when buying asparagus, choose straight, firm stalks with tight tips. Always eat it fresh, but if you have to store them, keep the stalks dry and tightly-wrapped in a plastic bag for up to three days in the refrigerator.
Eat asparagus for its dietary fiber. But also make juice out of it, especially using the tough stem ends. To make asparagus juice more palatable, mix with raw honey. Alternatively, mix with other more palatable juices from spinach, celery, tomato or even lemon juice.
Health nutritionists suggest that when eating asparagus, always lightly steam, rather than boil, to preserve the sodium and other minerals from boiling away. Avoid cooking asparagus in iron pots as the tannins in the asparagus can react with the iron and cause the stalks to become discolored.
Asparagus is related to garlic, onions, and others in the lily plant family. It requires full sunlight and a well-drained soil though it is adapted to a wide range of soil types — sandy to silt clay loams. It prefers a pH of 6.5 or higher, though it tolerates a pH in the range 4.3 to 8.2. Given the right conditions of sun and water, asparagus has been known to grow as much as one inch an hour.
Asparagus is a good companion plant for tomatoes, parsley and basil. When grown together, tomatoes help to protect asparagus from the asparagus beetle. Asparagus is said to repel the nematodes that can infect tomatoes.
