Papaya - a world class meat tenderizer, natural digestive aid, prevents ulcers, and also a soft contact lense cleaner.Healing with Parsley
Parsley root, leaves, and fruit (seeds) all contain the volatile oil. but it is most concentrated in the seeds. Parsley oil contains two major chemicals (apiol and myristicin) with mild laxative and significant diuretic action.
High Blood Pressure - Physicians often prescribe diuretics to treat this condition, and a published study in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine suggests parsley’s diuretic action can help control it. In Germany, where herbal medicine is more mainstream than it is in the United States, parsley seed tea is widely prescribed as a diuretic to treat high blood pressure. Further study is needed to determine if parsley does indeed help in the treatment of high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is a serious health problem requiring professional care. If you’d like to include parsley in your overall treatment plan, do so only with the approval of your physician.
Diuretics deplete the body of potassium, an essential nutrient. If you use medicinal parsley preparations frequently, be sure to eat foods high in potassium, such as bananas and fresh vegetables.
Pregnant and nursing women should avoid diuretics. Congestive Heart Failure. Physicians often prescribe diuretics to combat the fluid accumulation involved in this condition. Heart failure demands professional care. If you’d like to include parsley in your overall treatment plan, do so with the approval and supervision of your physician.
Breath Freshener - Parsley also contains one of the highest levels of chlorophyll of any herb. Chlorophyll is the active ingredient in many breath fresheners (Clorets). thus supporting a use of parsley dating back to Roman times.
Women’s Health - Both apiol and myristicin are uterine stimulants. In the former Soviet Union, a preparation called Supetin, which contains 85 percent parsley juice, is used to stimulate uterine contractions during labor.
Pregnant women may eat culinary amounts of parsley, but they should not take medicinal preparations, except at term and under the supervision of a physician to help induce labor. Other women might try some parsley tea to bring on their periods.
Diuretics help relieve the bloated feeling caused by premenstrual fluid buildup. Women bothered by PMS might want to try some parsley during their premenstrual days.
Allergies - A study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology shows parsley inhibits the secretion of histamine, a chemical the body produces that triggers allergy symptoms. Parsley’s apparent antihistamine action might help those with hay fever or hives.
Fever - Parsley has never been proven effective against malaria, so the Pharmacopoeia was incorrect on that score. But apiol has some fever-reducing (antipyretic) properties. Don’t count on parsley to take the place of aspirin, but you may want to try it in addition to standard medications.
Intriguing Possibility - Parsley contains psoralen, a chemical best known for inducing photosensitivity. But psoralen shows promise in the treatment of one form of cancer, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Although it’s premature to believe that parsley can be used to treat cancer, testing this herb against cancer is certainly warranted.
Rx for Parsley
To freshen breath, a few sprigs of fresh parsley usually suffice. For a pleasant-tasting infusion that may help in the management of high blood pressure, heart failure, allergies, fever, or to induce labor, use 2 teaspoons of dried leaves or root, or 1 teaspoon of bruised seeds per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day.
In a tincture, take ½ to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day.
Medicinal doses of parsley should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.