Rheumatoid Arthritis Support

''Elaeagnus angustifolia'' (Russian Silverberry, Oleaster, or Russian-olive) is a species of ''Elaeagnus'', native to western and central Asia, from southern Russia and Kazakhstan to Turkey and Iran.

It is a usually thorny shrub or small tree growing to 5-7 m in height. Its stems, buds, and leaves have a dense covering of silvery to rusty scales. The leaves are alternate, lanceolate, 4-9& cm long and 1-2.5& cm broad, with a smooth margin. The highly aromatic flowers are produced in clusters of 1-3 together, 1& cm long with a four-lobed creamy yellow corolla; they appear in early summer and are later replaced by clusters of fruit, a small cherry-like drupe 1-1.7& cm long, orange-red covered in silvery scales. The fruit is edible and sweet, though with a dryish mealy texture. Its common name comes from its similarity in appearance to olive (that is trees of the entirely separate family Oleaceae).

The shrub can fix nitrogen in its roots, enabling it to grow on bare, mineral substrates.

The dried powder of the fruits are used mixed with milk in Iran for rheumatoid arthritis and join pains. It is also one of the seven items which are used in Haft Sîn or the seven 'S's which is a traditional table setting of Nowruz, the traditional Persian spring celebration.


Adapted from the Wikipedia article Elaeagnus angustifolia, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki