In addition to being a beautiful living decoration, the common garden plant marigold is also a powerful healing agent that boasts a wide variety of health benefits. That
marigold on your windowsill can go in your salad, become a soup, soothe your sore throat or treat your
eczema. Although a common garden plant, marigold (
Calendula officinalis) has a long history as food and medicine.
The Egyptians employed calendula as a rejuvenating herb, while the ancient Greeks utilized the golden petals to garnish and flavor food.Long used in Europe as a culinary plant, the beautiful orange flower petals are a vibrant addition to a salad and are added to cheese and
butter for color. Calendula is a delicious, velvet textured base for broth, soup or rice dishes. Children particularly like the taste, and it's well suited to their health needs. You can even have a sip of calendula wine.
Although not a strong herbal medicine,
calendula is a multipurpose standout. It's anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antiviral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. It heals wounds, increases bile flow, and cleanses the lymph system. In Europe, calendula was known to comfort the heart, soothe agitation, strengthen eyesight and draw evil spirits. Calendula has a long history of use for headaches, jaundice, red eyes, and toothaches.
The most popular medicine use for calendula is in
treating irritated membrane conditions. During the Civil War, doctors used calendula leaves were by to treat open wounds on the battlefield.
Calendula flower is among the most soothing of herbs for salves. For soothing children's skin, herbalist Aviva Romm, author of
Natural Healing for Babies and Children, uses it along with chickweed leaf, plantain leaf, comfrey leaf, and chamomile flower. One study of calendula for wounds showed that it noticeably stimulates physiological regeneration and skin healing.
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