Knotweed Knowhow

            Japanese Knotweed has such a terrible reputation; sure it’s extremely invasive, and it promotes soil erosion, but what about the positives?  The young shoots of the plant are edible, and our friends at Green Dragon Botanicals are making use of the roots to aid Lyme disease sufferers. Japanese Knotweed root is the world’s richest source of reservatrol.  Reservatrol is a phenol, an acidic organic compound also found in grapes, and has been gaining popularity for use in Lyme treatment over the past decade.  It can boost mental and physical energy reduces appetite and cravings, can lower blood sugar, and prevents oxidative damage from free-radicals and contains anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties.  With this in mind, we can take another look at Knotweed as not so bad.