Bindweed

Bindweed is a twining vine with its funnel shaped flowers that open their petals to the sunrise and close them to sunset. Their flowers, called morning glory, appear in pink and white hues. The vine grows around the year and very quickly lets out its long roots. It is widely seen across North America and Canada. Owing to its rapid multiplication, bindweed is now considered a nuisance that is hard to eradicate. The plant grows around hedges and corners and can overtake all vegetation at an extremely rapid pace.

Nutritional Information and Properties

Bindweed has been known since long for its properties to purify and cleanse the body and calm the mind. Bindweed can also be used to purify and make cultivable chemical-laden and overly-used agricultural land. It gets rid off the heavy metals in the soil and restores the fertility and balance of the soil. Thus, bindweed is a good detoxifying agent that eliminates toxins internally as well as externally. The plant is also a rich source of many compounds like tropine, pseudotropine, aspartic acid, cysteine, alanine and Arginine.

Health Benefits and Therapeutic Uses

A plant that is considered a bane to agriculturists can also have multiple health benefits and medicinal uses. Some of these are as follows.

The roots of bindweed act as a good purgative, and if used in right doses, it can be effective even in children.
Native Americans would use the plant as an antidote to spider bites, and the leaves of the plant were believed to enhance the secretion of bile.
The extract of bindweed is believed to arrest the growth of tumors, and its anticancer properties are presently being researched.
Bindweed also exhibits actions similar to that of anti-diabetic medications as it is considered to inhibit the action of beta-glucosidase and alpha galctosidase. This, in turn, aids in lesser absorption of carbohydrates into the intestine, thus checking the blood sugar levels. Similar to sweet potato, the insulin-like compound in bindweed aids in effective diabetes management.
Bindweed, especially its flowers, is believed to exhibit antibacterial and antifungal properties against a broad spectrum of microbes, including E. coli, salmonella species, and candida albicans.
Bindweed also finds its therapeutic use for treating the effects of stress in individuals. Bindweed can be used to soothe and calm the mind and nerves. It helps bring about a feeling of being at peace with oneself. However, similar to other tranquilizers or antipsychotic medications, bindweed should be used with caution for treatment of depression, anxiety and stress.

Other Uses

As mentioned above, bindweed is a boon to agriculturists. Most of its other uses can be found in this industry. Some of the common uses of bindweed are as follows.

Bindweed finds other uses in restoring the fertility of agricultural land that has been subject to the extensive use of chemicals and pesticides. It is researched and believed to eradicate chromium, copper, and cadmium from the soil.
Bindweed also exhibits properties similar to that of nitrogen fixing plants. The presence of calystegins in the roots of bindweed act as a source of carbon and nitrogen to the rhizobacteria that is responsible for nitrogen fixation. Thus, the fertility of the soil is enhanced for agricultural use.
In certain parts of Asia, the tender shoots and leaves of the bindweed plant are also used for culinary purposes.
The strong twining vine can also be used for weaving or making strong ropes.