Black Walnut

Black Walnut

Latin Name: Juglans nigra & regia.
Family: Juglandaceae

Part used: Leaf, ripe fruit, rind (hull).
Energetics: Astringent, bitter, dry, pungent, cooling (hull), Neutral (leaf)
Iris: Lymphatic, Mixed
Interactions:  Please check with your Healthcare Provider.

CONTRA-INDICATIONS

  • Avoid using if suffering from tinnitus
  • If using longer than 10 days, alternate with other astringent herbs such as Raspberry leaf.

ACTIONS

  • Vaso-tonic alterative
  • Vermifuge
  • Anti-parasitic
  • Anti-neoplastic
  • Astringent
  • Laxative
  • Hypoglycaemic
  • Anti-cholesterolaemic
  • Cholagogue
  • Lymphatic
  • Detoxifier
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Anti-fungal
  • Anti-bacterial
  • Anti-viral
  • Detergent

Main Constituents

  • Flavonoids
  • Tannins
  • Alkaloids
  • Juglone (anti-cancer)
  • Protein
  • Sulphur
  • Calcium
  • Potassium
  • Magnesium
  • Iodine
  • Copper
  • Silicon
  • Zinc
  • Vitamin C

Main Uses

Astringent to the hepatic and portal system. Intestinal worms
Digestive System: Irritable Bowel, Indigestion

Infections:
Parasites: Especially tapeworm and roundworm, Entamoeba, Haemonchus, Naegleria, Toxoplasma, Trichostrongylus.
Bacteria: H. pylori, Bacillus subtilis, Listeria, Klebsiella, MRSA, Pseudomonas, Salmonella, Staphylococcus.
Fungi: Aspergillus, Candida, Microsporum, Trichophyton.
Viruses: HIV / AIDS, Herpes zoster, Herpes Simplex 1.
Skin: Eczema, Skin disorders
Eyes: Inflamed eyelids
Circulatory: Blood deficiency relating to anaemia or CFS

More About Black Walnut

English walnut is a tree. The fruit (nut) is a popular food. The nut, the nut's shell (hull), and the leaf are used to make medicine.
The nut is used as a part of the diet for lowering cholesterol. The hull of the walnut is used as a "blood purifying agent" and to treat digestive tract swelling (inflammation) and "blood poisoning."The leaf is used for treating diarrhoea, digestive tract inflammation, and intestinal worms. It is also used as a "blood-purifying" agent.
The leaf is also applied to the skin for surface swelling of the skin; excessive sweating of the hands and/or feet; and for skin conditions such as acne, eczema, ulcers, and infections.
Some people apply walnut hull directly to the skin for skin diseases, skin infections, and eyelid swelling. Walnut hull is better at treating chronic inflammatory conditions, especially intestinal and urogenital infections. In combination with other herbs, walnut hull is used for diabetes, stomach inflammation (gastritis), and anaemia.
Black walnut drupes contain juglone (most researched compound), yellow quinone pigments and tannin and it’s these compounds that cause walnuts to stain cars, pavements, porches, and patios, in addition to the hands of anyone attempting to shell them. The brownish-black dye was used by early American settlers to dye hair and it is still used in hair dye and in sunless tanning products.
In foods, Walnuts are commonly eaten as a snack, in baking, and in salads.

Recipes:


Black Walnut Salve

Firstly, make black walnut infused oil, the directions are as follows :
To make an infused oil with fresh hulls:
Break up pieces of fresh green hull newly harvested from black walnuts. Make sure to wear gloves – as this part stains your hands)
Fill a pint jar about half-way with the pieces of hull.
Cover the hulls with your favourite oil or combination of oils, until the jar is almost full. Something light, such as apricot kernel, rice bran, or sweet almond oil soaks in nicely, or you may want the added anti-fungal benefits of coconut oil, or you can stick with classic olive oil.
Place the uncovered jar down into a saucepan containing several inches of warm water.
Place the pan on a medium-low burner and gently heat for about 2 to 3 hours.
If the water starts simmering or bubbling, it’s too hot and the heat should be reduced.
After 2 to 3 hours, remove from heat.
You could use the oil right away, but I like to lightly cover it with cheesecloth or a scrap of old t-shirt held in place with a rubber band (to allow space for extra moisture to evaporate) and set it aside in a warm spot and let it infuse an additional 5 to 7 days for a stronger infusion.
Strain and use the oil in salves or other skincare products.
The finished oil will be a deep dark green or yellow-green, depending on oil type used, and will smell of black walnuts.
Shelf life is around 9 months to 1 year if stored in a cool dark spot.
If you don’t have fresh black walnuts, try using 1 tbsp black walnut hull powder infused into approx. 236ml of oil, using the same method as above. Stir the oil several times as it infuses, to ensure that the powder doesn’t settle into one clump at the bottom of the jar.
Now that the oil is made, it can be used as it is, and be rubbed on the skin as needed, but it’s a lot easier to use if turned into a salve.
To make a salve from the black walnut infused oil:
Ingredients

  • 3.5 oz (100 g) infused oil, from above (abt 1/2 cup)
  • 0.5 oz (14 g) beeswax pastilles (abt 2 loosely filled tbsp)
  • 3 drops clove essential oil
  • 18 drops lavender essential oil

Directions:

  • Combine the infused oil and beeswax into a heat proof jar or melting container.
  • Set the jar into a pan containing several inches of water.
  • Place the pan over a medium-low burner and allow the heat to gently melt the beeswax.
  • Once melted, remove from heat.
  • Stir in the essential oils of choice, then pour into containers.
  • This batch will fill about 2 1/2 two-ounce tins, depending on how fully you fill the tins.
  • Let cool and cover with the top/cap.
  • Label and store in a cool dry spot. Shelf life is around 1+ year.
Herpes Zoster Lotion

Preparing a Lotion for Herpes Zoster
Take 30g of unscented cream and mix it with about 5ml of the black walnut hull tincture.
Adjust the amount based on your preference and skin tolerance. This will make it fairly watery, like a lotion.
Add antiviral essential oils and mix thoroughly. In 30g, use Tea tree 3, Lavender 10, Lemon 4 and Geranium 3

Usage:

  • Clean and dry the affected area.
  • Apply the lotion to the herpes zoster rash 2-3 times a day.
  • Always wash your hands after application.

Precautions:

  • Before applying on the entire affected area, test the lotion on a small patch of skin to check for any adverse reactions.
  • This lotion should be used topically only and not ingested.
  • The tincture and lotion may stain clothing or skin, so use with caution.
  • Stop if you notice any signs of worsening or new symptoms, discontinue use and consult a healthcare professional.

References


Antioxidant/Anti-cancer

Profiling Anticancer and Antioxidant Activities of Phenolic Compounds Present in Black Walnuts ( Juglans nigra) Using a High-Throughput Screening Approach
Our findings suggested that black walnut extracts possibly possess anticancer activities.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33023106/

Antimetastatic/Oesophageal Cancer

Antitumor and antimetastatic effects of walnut oil in esophageal adenocarcinoma cells
High-dose short-term administration of walnut oil reduces the cell viability and metastatic ability of esophageal cancer cells, while exhibiting anticarcinogenic effect by inducing necrosis and cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. These data indicate that walnut oil, and by extension walnut consumption, may have beneficial effects in esophageal cancer in humans.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29126716/

Hyperlipidaemic Type 2 Diabetes

Effects of walnut oil on lipid profiles in hyperlipidemic type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Consumption of walnut oil by type 2 hyperlipidemic diabetic patients resulted in a significant decrease in total cholesterol levels. Addition of walnut oil in the daily diet of type 2 diabetic patients improves lipid profiles. Also, walnut oil may serve as a helpful natural remedy for hyperlipidemic patients with type 2 diabetes.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28394361/

Hyperglycemia

Effect of walnut oil on hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines production
Walnut oil significantly increased the antioxidant capacity of cells as well as SOD activity. The walnut oil showed both anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory properties depending on its concentration and time of its incubation with the monocytic cell line. Our in vitro results indicate that walnut oil can diminish oxidative stress with its antioxidant properties.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24817646/

Antibacterial/Antioxidant

An overview of phytochemicals and potential health-promoting properties of black walnut
Several studies showed that black walnut extracts had antibacterial and antioxidant activities, as well as great potentials to inhibit proinflammatory mediator release in vitro.
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2020/ra/d0ra05714b

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