Chapters 4.53
4.53.Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
Amanda Litwin , University of Guelph, Canada
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Suggested citation for this chapter.
Litwin,A. (2022) Fleshy Fruits. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/
Introduction
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is a plant native to Canada that has been utilized by Indigenous peoples for many years. The Gaultheria genus is primarily known for the specific species Gaultheria procumbens and Gaultheria fragrantissima for their large production of wintergreen oil (Mukhopadhyay et al., 2015). This genus has approximately 200 species, which are located across both tropical and temperate regions worldwide (Mukhopadhyay et al., 2015). This plant has been used as a food source, and as a medicinal in a variety of ways. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the uses and history of the wintergreen plant by Indigenous peoples to Canadians. The plant characteristics, historical background, associated Indigenous peoples, consumption, uses, and health benefits of the wintergreen plant are discussed and explored..
Plant Characteristics
The wintergreen plant, also commonly known as “Eastern Teaberry”, is an aromatic plant that is a member of the Ericaceae plant family, which contains a variety of flowering plants that are nontoxic, edible, and have several medicinal characteristics (Michel et al., 2014). The wintergreen plant has round, dark green leaves, with a leathery texture (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). It also has white or light pink flowers that produce red, edible berries that remain throughout the winter (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). The plant can grow to a height of twenty centimeters, classifying it as low growing, allowing the plant to also creep to form a dense ground cover overtime (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). It is also a perennial, meaning it will continue to grow year after year, instead of just for a single growing season (Mukhopadhyay et al., 2015). The plant prefers growing in acidic soil but has the ability to also grow well on a wide variety of soil types, including soils with low nutrient content (Moola & Vasseur, 2008). It is also characterized by a distinctive, minty, wintergreen scent, produced by its natural oils, specifically the methyl salicylate compound found within the plant (Mukhopadhyay et al., 2015). The aerial components of the plant, such as the leaves, and berries from Gaultheria procumbens are the main source of natural methyl salicylate compound used for large, commercial scale production (Clark et al., 1999).
Figure 1 shows the life cycle of the wintergreen plant. The solid black lines show the general growth progression, while the dotted lines represent the growth of new stems from rhizome or seed growth (Donohue et al., 2000). The light dotted line represents the old stems with new growth that did not enhance new stem growth or development (Donohue et al., 2000).
Historical Background
Gaultheria procumbens is a common Indigenous plant that has been used as a food source, and as a medicinal for many years by different Indigenous groups in Canada (Michel et al., 2022). The name of the plant refers to its minty, aromatic characteristic. It is an evergreen shrub, native to Eastern North America and is harvested across the Northern Hemisphere (Michel et al., 2022). It is still primarily grown across Eastern North America, as shown in Figure 2. The history of wintergreen and the compounds it contains, such as methyl salicylate and salicylic acid were recognized early on as having important therapeutic benefits (Murphy et al., 2021). These benefits have been continued to be utilized ever since this discovery.
The land-use history has not shown to have an effect on the flower production or the overall plant growth or development of the plant (Donohue, 2000). This proves that the wintergreen plant is adaptable and can grow in a variety of conditions if production is needed.
Associated Indigenous Peoples
The benefits of the wintergreen plant, shown in Figure 3, were used and are still being used by a variety of Indigenous groups across Canada. The main Indigenous groups historically known to utilize the wintergreen plant are the Iroquois, Ojibwa, Algonquin, Cree, Malecite, Abenaki, and Micmac peoples (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). Each group had similarities and differences in how they utilized the plants beneficial characteristic and components.
Nutrient Composition
Different parts of the wintergreen plant were consumed and used by different Indigenous groups across Canada. Multiple parts of the Gaultheria procumbens plant were utilized, such as the leaves, and berries. The berries on the wintergreen plant were used to make fruit juice by the Micmac, by crushing the berries, and capturing the juice, but they were also commonly preserved or eaten fresh off the shrub by other Indigenous groups, such as the Cree, Ojibwa, and Algonquin peoples (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). Wintergreen leaves were traditionally used by the Ojibwa as a spice to season their food when cooking (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). Many groups, including the Ojibwa, Malecite, Abenaki, Algonquin, and Micmac also tied the young, tender leaves, either when they were fresh or dried, in basswood bark to make tea (Kuhnlein & Turner, 1991). The branches of the plant were also occasionally burned when cooking, specifically when cooking meat, to enhance the flavour (Luo et al., 2021).
The oil from the wintergreen plant is also now commonly used to flavour drinks, candies, gum, and other food products (Michel et al., 2020). It is also a significant source of pectin, used for thickening, and a variety of minerals (Michel et al., 2020). The berries are also still commonly eaten fresh, cooked, or preserved, and are commonly used in pie fillings, ice cream, baked goods and for making jams, syrups, and beverages such as wine. (Michel et al., 2020). It was also very common to prepare and consume wintergreen as a medicinal tea (Clark et al., 1999). Natural compounds such as methyl salicylate, found in wintergreen is also commonly used to flavour a variety of tobacco products, such as cigarettes and smokeless tobacco (Greene et al., 2016). The wintergreen flavoured products produce up to 48% of the total sale of products (Chen et al., 2010). A comparison of the amount of methyl salicylate used in different products is shown in Figure 4.
Health Benefits
The stems, leaves, and fruit of the wintergreen plant have a variety of medicinal characteristics, such as helping relieve swelling, muscle, and joint pain, as well as acting as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant (Murphy et al., 2021). The anti-inflammatory properties of the wintergreen plant are derived from the salicylic acid and methyl salicylate compounds found within the plant (Michel et al., 2022). Wintergreen is a primary source of Methyl salicylate, which is the most dominant of the eight components found within the plant and can be applied to the skin in the form of an oil (Michel et al., 2022). These chemical compounds can be retrieved from the plant in the form of an oil, and obtain similar characteristics to aspirin (Michel et al., 2022). Finding significant traces of salicylates in plants are relatively rare, and only a few plants are actually able to produce them at sufficient levels to have any contradicting effects on diseases within the body (Michel et al., 2020).
The fruit contained on the plant is the richest known dietary source of salicylates (Michel et al., 2020). The beneficial health effects of the attached fruit are often directly connected with their antioxidant elements, especially the natural polyphenol compounds (Michel et al., 2020). Polyphenol compounds are naturally occurring chemical compounds that are abundant within the plant, that influence plant growth and development (Sharma, 2019). Dietary products full of polyphenol compounds have continued to gain attention for their beneficial health effects, such as being effective antioxidant agents, reducing aging effects, oxidative stress, and chronic diseases (Michel et al., 2014). The wintergreen leaves are very saturated with polyphenols of different structures, allowing the salicylates to produce strong anti-inflammatory effects when applied to the body (Michel et al., 2022). The berries are effective, but since the berries are seasonal, the leaves have been viewed as most efficient and cost-effective source (Michel et al., 2022). Gaultheria procumbens is versatile plant that has significantly contributed to the diets and lifestyle of many different Indigenous groups across North America. The plants’ ability to act as a food source, and as a medicinal has allowed it to grow in popularity worldwide.
References
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