Health Benefits of Parsley Essential Oil
The health benefits of Parsley Essential Oil can be attributed to its properties like anti microbial, anti rheumatic & anti arthritic, anti septic, astringent, carminative, circulatory, detoxifier, digestive, diuretic, depurative, emenagogue, febrifuge, hypotensive, laxative, stimulant, stomachic and uterine.
Has anyone read that world famous comic book “Adventures of Asterix and Obelix” by Uderzo and Gossinni? You must have! It presents a scenario of Rome and some Gaul villages during the reign of Julius Caesar. In that book, every now and then you will find Obelix gobbling down those roasted wholesome wild boars garnished and decorated with parsley leaves (its different that he uses those parsley branches for cleaning his ears).
You may think that I must be kidding if I say that this comic book proves that parsley was in use since those times. Okay! The comic may not be a testimony of what I said, but it is true that parsley is one of the oldest spices known. It has been and still is, in use, both as seeds and fresh leaves, particularly for garnishing meat, and other food stuffs too, as well as for decorating them. It has a refreshing and appetizing herbaceous flavour which comes from its essential oils. This essential oil is derived from its dried seeds by steam distillation and contains apiole, myristicin, pinene and tetramethoxyally benzene as its chief components. By the way, the botanical name of Parsley is Petroselinum Sativum.
This herb, apart from being so widely used as a spice or condiment, has a lot of medicinal properties to offer, which again, come from its essential oil. They are as under.
- Anti Microbial: Where there are microbes, there are infections and diseases, and where there is Parsley Essential Oil, there are no microbes. Why? Because this oil has anti microbial properties. That is, this oil has certain components which can kill microbes and inhibit their growth. So, it can effectively give protection against infections.
- Anti Rheumatic & Anti Arthritic: Rheumatism and arthritis are the two diseases which are caused due to two main reasons, namely, accumulation of uric acid in the muscles and in the joints and, obstructed blood circulation. The Essential Oil of Parsley has certain properties which can help you out with both of these reasons. First of all, it is a detoxifier and depurative which again is due to the diuretic and stimulant properties it possesses. While a detoxifier speeds up removal of toxins from the body, a depurative purifies or refreshes blood. Now, being a diuretic, it increases urination, and as we all know, the toxic and unwanted substances such as excess water, salts and uric acid etc. are removed through urine. Then, being a stimulant, it stimulates flow of blood or increases circulation. This helps in two ways. First, it warms up the body and second, it does not let uric acid accumulate at a particular place, giving relief from pain of arthritis & gout.
- Anti Septic: Wounds and certain soft and sensitive internal organs go septic due to infection by microbes. The danger is more when the wound is from dirty or rusty iron objects. Septic brings pain accompanied by cramp, convulsions and even hydrophobia (if it catches tetanus). Its cure lays in eliminating microbes and inhibiting their growth in the affected area and this is exactly what Parsley Oil does. It stops microbes from multiplying and kills them.
- Astringent: Astringency is a property by virtue of which a substance can induce contractions in tissues and muscles. The effect of an astringent can be local or on the whole body. Some astringents, such as the synthetic ones like fluorides which are added in toothpastes, induce local contraction of gums. Others, most of which are natural or herbal, such as those found in guava leaves and many essential oils, can be ingested and have contractions in internal organs and the whole body, as the astringent is carried to all the tissues by blood. The Essential Oil of Parsley is one such astringent. How good it is as an astringent? It can be used externally and internally and induces contractions in gums (which holds teeth stronger), muscles and skin (gives a lift and firmness in the body, a feeling of fitness and a younger look), hair roots (prevents hair fall) and in the blood vessels (this can slow down or stop haemorrhage from wounded vessels). So, it is that good!
- Carminative: Gases in intestine can put you in very embarrassing situations, more so when you are in a party or in a gathering or in a quiet place such as a prayer hall and the gases start moving inside you making strange noises. The situation grows worse when these gases tend to come out. You are left no where. That was only the funny side of it. The darker side of the gases includes troubles like indigestion, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, headaches, stomachaches, chest pains, hypertension and even risks of heart attacks (sometimes gases can trigger a heart attack or sometimes a heart attack can be misinterpreted as a pain from gas, both way it is dangerous), caused by gases. So, sooner they are out the better it is. This can be done with the help of this oil. It does not let the gases form and help them escape from the body.
- Detoxifier: The Parsley Essential Oil promotes removal of toxins and other unwanted substances from the body, through urine. This makes it a detoxifier. This helps keep safe from many diseases which are born due to accumulation of these unwanted substances in the body, such as rheumatism, arthritis, boils, skin diseases and many such.
- Digestive: The spicy and herbaceous smell of this oil triggers on the appetite and speeds up digestion too, by increasing secretion of digestive juices in the stomach. It also makes you feel to eat which also helps psychologically to digest the food.
- Diuretic: This property is a contributor to the detoxifying property of this oil. It increases frequency and quantity of urination. One may think that how more urination can be beneficial for the body. This is the one of the best ways to remove unwanted stuff from the body (excretion is another). It removes unwanted water, salts and toxins like uric acid, fats, pollutants and microbes from the body. By removing toxins and uric acid, it protects from diseases like rheumatism, arthritis, boils, moles, acne etc. By removing water and fat, it helps lose weight and gives relief to patients of swelling and water-logging etc. Added to the benefits, the more you urinate, more the calcium and other deposits and the microbes are washed away from the kidneys and urinary tracts and you are protected from renal calculi and infections in urinary system.
- Depurative: Depurative means one who purifies blood. This is done in two ways. First, by removing unwanted substances from the blood and cleaning the blood, which this oil does, being a detoxifier, and second, by helping oxygen reach the tissues, which again, this oil does by stimulating blood circulation, being a stimulant.
- Emenagogue: The Essential Oil of Parsley has emenagogue property which makes it initiate the obstructed and delayed menstruations. It stimulates secretion of certain hormones like estrogen which help achieve this. This oil also gives relief from problems associated with menstruations, such as abdominal cramp and pain, nausea, fatigue, annoyance etc. These hormones also help bring about puberty and maturity in women and keep their reproductive organs (like uterus) in good health.
- Febrifuge: Being a depurative, detoxifier and an anti microbial at the same time, this essential oil is an effective febrifuge, that is, it reduces fever. How? Let me tell you. Due to its depurative and detoxifying properties, the toxin level is reduced in the body and this helps get rid of many ailments, including fever, which is sometimes caused due to increase in the level of toxins in the blood because fever is a reaction of the body to any abnormal insurgence or adverse change in the body. Then, due to its anti microbial properties, it inhibits microbial infections and this helps get rid of fever caused by microbial or viral actions, such as influenza, yellow fever, typhoid, malaria etc.
- Hypotensive: Drugs based on opium and sorbitol, are well known for their hypotensive actions. That is, they instantly lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack. These drugs are synthetically derived and hence their reaction is so fast. But they have their own adverse effects and in the long run may give nervous and neurotic problems. Our Essential Oil of Parsley may not be that fast, but it is a good choice for regular administration in cases of chronic hypertension and it does not have any adverse effect too. If taken systematically, it helps keep the blood pressure lower or normal.
- Laxative: Having clear bowels is a pleasant feeling and those who suffer from constipation know what it is worth. Here is good news for them. The Essential Oil of Parsley comes with laxative properties and helps you get rid of hard and difficult motions and constipation. It increases discharge of gastric juices and facilitates downward motion of excreta by stimulating the peristaltic motion.
- Stimulant: Its stimulating effects can be experienced on the whole body. It stimulates nerves, neurons, circulation of blood and lymph, digestion, excretion and immune mechanism. Thereby keeping you more active, alert, energetic, strong and safe.
- Stomachic: The Parsley Essential Oil takes care of the stomach, the power generator of our body. It soothes it, maintains proper flow of gastric juices into it, reduces inflammations in it, protects it from infections and helps heal wounds & ulcers in it.
- Uterine: This property is an outcome of its property of promoting secretions of certain hormones like estrogen and progesterone. These feminine hormones maintain uterine health by regularizing menses and protecting it from other problems of uterus like uterine ulcers, dryness etc.
- Other Benefits: This essential oil is also found effective in curing many other problems such as blood vessels rupture, cellulites, sciatica, colic, hemorrhoids, amenorrhea, cystitis, loss of libido etc.
Few Words of Caution: This oil shows moderate toxicity, particularly towards liver and non sensitizing effects. It also has abortifacient and emenagogue properties and hence should not be used in pregnancy.
Blending: Essential Oil of Parsley forms fine blends with the essential oils of clary sage, orange, rose, tea tree and ylang-ylang.
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This article was contributed by Aparup Mukherjee.
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