The Heath pea might go Medieval on obesity
We don't hear very much about the heath pea these days, but back in King Charles II's time, it was a popular appetite suppressant.
Otherwise known as bitter vetch, heath pea (Lathyrus linifolius) was a necessity in Medieval times. Appetite suppressants weren't usually used for vanity's sake. Instead, they were a necessary evil, used to avoid hunger during years when crops failed. Eating the plant's tiny licorice-flavored tuber is said to have destroyed the appetite for weeks. Apparently, once potatoes took off, everyone's belly was kept full so the plant wasn't needed any more.
Charles II, however, reportedly was known for liking his women slim, even during the one time in history when full-figured women were in fashion. So he fed heath pea to his mistresses. Nice guy. I wonder what HIS waistline looked like.
Fast forward to our century, and obesity really is a problem. Today, London's Daily Mail is reporting that British researchers are studying the plant for possible use in an anti-obesity drug.
A very low-maintenance plant, the perennial can even be highly invasive in zones 7-9. It can tolerate sun or shade, and blooms with delicate purple flowers from mid-spring until late summer.
However, all parts of the plant are listed as toxic, and while they're great for naturalizing in a shady spot, I wouldn't recommend eating the tubers until more research is done. Those Medieval folks didn't live very long, did they?
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Comments (7)
where can I obtain this vetch, is it purchased at a special food store or can I get it at any grocery store
Hi!
I have a very healthy crop of Bitter Vetch growing - they're currently producing seeds so I might be in a position to supply some later in the year. Don't expect a quick fix as I understand the tubers are not produced in any quantity until the plant is a couple of years old. As a relative of the sweet pea they're also a bit reticent about germinating - some come up in a matter of a week or two and others suddenly appear months after they were planted.
I, too would like to cultivate this plant. How can I contact Mark Goff to possibly obtain a few seeds? Thanks
Hello,
I was hoping that I could get in touch with Mark Goff about buying some Bitter Vetch seeds. Could you please contact me if possible at Hillarybrooke1979@yahoo.com ?
Thanks!!
Hillary
I am also looking for Bitter Vetch seeds...tried several folks overseas to no avail...
any help would be great!
Hi!
I've only just come back to the site to discover that people had kindly been asking for seeds. I've sown all last year's crop however, I will have plenty of seeds later in the year as my mature plants are heavily laden with seed pods. Last year I had to fertilise all my plants with a paintbrush as the bumble bees that visited didn't bother gathering nectar by the pollinating front entrance i.e the flower - instead they chewed a hole in the sepal and got a tthe nectar that way! This year I'm being visited by a different species of bumble bee and they force their way in to the flower so there's no need for my intervention. In my earlier posting I mentioned that the seeds are very slow to germinate with some spring sown seeds not showing until September - even these little ones have all survived the winter so I don't think you need to worry too much about planting times. I should have seeds in July - if interested please send an email to mg@richmondaffinityDOTcoDOTuk - when sending me an email please replace the word DOT with a . - hopefully this will stop my email address being harvested - excuse the awful cringe-making pun.
Am now beginning to harvest seeds from my collection of Bitter Vetch - if you are interested in obtaining some seeds send me an email and I'll put your name on the list and then once I've finished harvesting I know how many I have to spare and will be in touch. If you're looking on the web for Bitter Vetch do take care as two other plants have the same name - these are Vicia Ervilia and Vicia Orobus and are cultivated crops in parts of Europe. Kind regards
Mark Goff