Some years ago, a cousin visited us at the other house and noticed the native or cape gooseberry we had in a plant pot which made him share his experience of a nasty cough that wouldn't go away despite taking antibiotics and other medicines. He said his voice was coarse, his throat itchy and he was coughing profusely he had to file for sick leave as his barking became embarrassing (his words).
He was to go for another appointment with his doctor when he met an old woman who told him about the gooseberry. My cousin being the "no-see-no-believe" kind of guy was not convinced but his curiosity and the discomfort he was experiencing nagged him to find the plant. "Oh I couldn't believe it but on the second day, I was no longer barking," he confessed while laughing.
"If only I had known earlier, I would have saved myself from the discomfort and not wasted money on antibiotics," he continued. He said his cough was totally gone on the third day.
The truth is, we also didn't know the plant could be a remedy for cough. We were only aware it was good for LBM but that wasn't why we grew one. It was because I love the fruits when they are ripe. We were glad to have learned something new that day as a few years later, the husband proved the plant's effectiveness when he had a bad cough.
How?
Here's what he did:
Took six young leaves (or may include young stems). Wash them thoroughly of course!
Next, he boiled them in water for 5 minutes, removed them from the kettle, and poured the hot water into a cup thinking he would drink it like tea. But it was so bitter he had to cool it down before he gulped it like water, lol!
The next time he needed it, he just soaked the leaves in a cup of hot water, waited for some minutes, then drank it. He said it has an odd and bitter taste. His remedy? He added a bit of sugar.
But yes, it was very effective. The first thing it does is relieve or ease the itchy feeling in the throat and then the cough goes away naturally afterward. The husband usually stops at 4 cups (4 meals). The recommendation is to drink 1 cup before meals.
My father-in-law also tried and confirmed it worked well with him. Last month, the neighbors down the property had a drinking spree and one of them was fighting his cough away days after. The Farmboy recommended the gooseberry tea prompting the guy to harvest some leaves from our yard. He came afterward to thank the husband.
It works! It is the most effective cough remedy we have tested at home. We tried honey and ginger but they didn't have the same effect as the gooseberry's.
I don't know if this plant can be found in most places but we saw it in China when we were there. Their ripe fruits were also included in the herbs market. I guess the Chinese know more of its uses :)
Anyway, the gooseberry is also known as Goldenberry or Peruvian Groundcherry. Per Wiki, it is native to Chile and Peru (where it is called *Aguaymanto). Accordingly, it was also cultivated in England in the 18th century.
Here is what the plant and its fruits look like, photo sourced from Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain, no copyright restrictions.
I mentioned earlier that I love its fruits but I only learned about the nutritional facts today and here I quote:
Raw cape gooseberries are 85% water, 11% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and 1% fat. In a reference amount of 100 grams (3.5 oz), raw cape gooseberries supply 53 calories and provide moderate levels (10–19% of the Daily Value) of niacin and vitamin C.
Analyses of oil from different berry components, primarily its seeds, showed that linoleic acid and oleic acid were the main fatty acids, beta-sitosterol and campesterol were principal phytosterols, and the oil contained vitamin K and beta-carotene.¹
At least I'm getting some good nutrients from them and the nice thing is that I no longer have to grow them myself, they sprout in most places in our lil kingdom and my only job was to find and pick the fruits when they are ripe, lol!
Kidding aside, if you have one of these around you, do try if it works too. Thank you and this is my response to today's topic in the JulyINLEO prompts.
All photos (except the last one as acknowledged) are my own.12072024/21:35ph