Now this is a fun plant – one you can use to get the kids interested in our green brothers and sisters, and hermaphrodites! I came across Spilanthes acmella while browsing through a botanical encyclopedia. I remember gleaning from the description of medicinal properties that it numbs toothaches and boosts the immune system. But it was a photo of a young man who had plucked one of the button-shaped flowers and was poised to pop the whole thing into his mouth that really grabbed my attention. So, I placed my order of seeds thinking its low-growing habit and unusual flowers would make for a unique ground cover and that it'd be cool to eat one of those flowers for myself.
The seeds arrived and I planted them in paper cups. The germination rate was pretty good and I ended up transplanting about eight seedlings in the front yard and four in the back. By the time they bloomed, roughly three and a half months had passed since I'd been inspired by the photo of the man preparing to devour a flower whole. On the day I had decided that it was my turn to taste the botanical hors d'œuvre, I rushed eagerly outside – totally forgetting much of what I'd read months earlier – picked a perfectly formed blossom and observed it from every angle then opened wide and dropped it in. Within 10 seconds I was intrigued with the unusual effects it was having on my mouth. Within 20 seconds I was like, "Wow! This is intense!!" After 30 seconds I was nearly gasping for air, wondering what the hell I'd gotten myself into and hoping it would quickly end.
Spilanthes isn't especially bad tasting for a flower. A slight acrid flavor is what you notice first, followed by copiously flowing saliva. This is caused by certain compounds in Spilanthes which stimulate the salivary glands. Interesting to note here is how that alone could very well signal a formidable immune response, as our saliva contains various enzymes and antibodies which are capable of killing certain germs and neutralizing the toxins of many others. Saliva is the first line of defense against agents of infection which enter the body through the mouth. So, increasing the flow of saliva would logically increase the body's ability to fight off orally or possibly even nasally transmitted infections. On top of that, the herb itself is a promising antibacterial, proven to inhibit the growth of E. coli, salmonella, pneumonae, staph, candida, and others in in vitro tests. I just might chew on one of these again at the first sign of a sore throat.
Another thing about its effect on the salivary glands, and this is my own speculation; I have an older sister who suffers from a relatively uncommon disorder known as Sialolithiasis, or salivary gland stones. It is usually due to a lack of saliva flow resulting in the buildup of calcium-rich stones. These stones can block ducts and eventually cause a back up of saliva, which leads to swelling and potentially an assortment of infections and of course, pain. This is just speculation on my part, but I think Spilanthes may come to the rescue here also. Why? Well, it turns out that saliva isn't the only thing that Spilanthes improves the flow of. It is also an effective diuretic and its diuretic action has been shown to dissolve kidney stones. Well, if it gets urine flowing and this helps break up kidney stones, then the fact that it gets the saliva flowing is at least a good argument for seeing if it might not break up salivary gland stones.
So, back to my first nibble of Spilanthes. After my mouth filled up with warm saliva, a tingling sensation spread throughout my entire oral cavity and quickly intensified. The combination caused me to start gagging a little. Mentally, however, since I didn't know what was happening and started having flashes of myself dying of asphyxiation from a swollen tongue and throat, the fear factor probably led me to start gagging a lot more than necessary. Feeling like I wasn't able to get enough oxygen, I began gulping like a fish out of water. Thankfully it didn't last long. Soon, the intensity started to subside and my gulping was downgraded to mere excessive swallowing. Soon, that too normalized.
Despite my personal Little Shop of Horrors story above, Acmella is a safe, mostly harmless plant. My reaction was mostly psychological in nature, because I dove right into it not knowing, or, forgetting what to expect. Had I prepared myself mentally before scarfing it down, I think my response would have been more on the macho side as people who know me have come to expect.
....Yes. You may laugh now.
No, but really, I have subsequently eaten whole flowers, which, don't get me wrong, still provide fairly intense experiences, but nothing near the panic attack I had the first time. Ok and I'll admit I exaggerated just a bit for dramatic effect. ....Alright, maybe a little more than just a bit. Hey! It worked, didn't it?! Anyway, for beginners, I would recommend starting with one small leaf, as the leaves have a significantly milder affect compared to the flowers.
People around the world have used Acmella for thousands of years, and today it is enjoyed in combination teas and salads and as cooked greens. It is often described as a peppery taste. I think it falls somewhere between the hotness of Tabasco Sauce and wasabi with a little something else to boot. It is most notably used to relieve toothaches and tonify the gums and is commonly given to teething children. Depending on the severity of the pain and the individual's sensitivity to the herb, its painkilling effects can last for up to 20 minutes per application.
For my own toothache, I made a tincture from flowers and leaves and 45% gin. After blending the ingredients, allowing them to macerate for a few weeks and then straining it out, I bottled it, and put a portion of the finished product into a dropper bottle. This allows me to more precisely direct its application than chewing on a flower or leaf does. If you need frequent applications, however, you might not want to swallow the tincture every time. As an alternative, I've found that taking a swig and holding it in my mouth for about 15 seconds on the area that hurts then spitting it out also works very well.
So, give it a try. But start with small pieces, especially if giving it to children.
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