Yarrow is a perennial plant used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Yarrow tea can help with stomach problems, hemorrhoids, and gallbladder pain. It can also treat fever, wounds, and respiratory infections. However, pregnant women and people with liver or kidney problems should consult their doctors before taking yarrow tea. The FDA does not regulate yarrow products, and thujone in yarrow can be toxic in large amounts.
Achillea millefollium, or yarrow, is a perennial plant that grows both by seed and by extending its root system. Yarrow tea is made from the dried or fresh parts of the yarrow plant. This tea is said to help with medical conditions such as stomach and digestive problems, hemorrhoids, and gallbladder pain.
The medicinal benefits of yarrow have been known for thousands of years. Yarrow was found along with other medicinal herbs in a grave in Iraq believed to be around 50,000 years old. In addition to using yarrow to help heal wounds, the ancient Chinese used yarrow stems to aid in divining or finding water. The Greek hero Achilles is said to have used yarrow to help heal wounded soldiers during the Trojan War.
Today, yarrow grows in the wild and is cultivated in gardens for its attractive appearance and hardiness. Yarrow is also grown to attract butterflies and for its medicinal values. Along with harvesting cultivated or wild yarrow, users can purchase yarrow from health food stores.
Yarrow tea can be made from fresh or dried yarrow parts. The fresh flowers, leaves and stems should be boiled slowly in water. The recipe for tea made from dried yarrow calls for steeping one to two teaspoons of the herb per cup of water for about 15 minutes. Whether you use fresh or dried yarrow, the pan or pot used should be covered to prevent the volatile oils in the yarrow from evaporating. The resulting tea will taste bitter.
One of the main uses of yarrow tea is to treat fever. Other yarrow tea benefits include treating wounds and stopping bleeding, treating upset stomachs, and treating respiratory infections. Yarrow tea is also used for menstrual pain, to stimulate appetite, and to increase circulation.
Herbs, like drugs, can have side effects. The best known of the yarrow tea side effects is that the skin can become sensitive to light exposure. Also, pregnant women and people who have liver or kidney problems should consult their doctors before taking yarrow tea.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not consider yarrow to be a drug. Therefore, the government does not regulate or set standards for yarrow products that are packaged and sold. This means that the effectiveness of yarrow can vary from brand to brand. Also, the FDA is concerned about the amount of thujone in yarrow. Thujone can be toxic to humans when taken in large amounts.
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