Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria) is a herb that is still used today as a medicinal plant for various ailments. Medicinal use is usually the dried herb.
Occurrence and cultivation of agrimony
The astringent effect of agrimony can have a positive effect on wound healing. Burdock herb, liverwort, life herb, king herb, five-fingered herb, sheep’s burdock, stomachwort, spleenwort, agrimony, there are many names for agrimony. The botanical name Agrimonia eupatoria comes from Latin and means field dweller. This gives an indication of the agrimony’s preferred location. The plant is native to Europe and northern Asia. Agrimony grows in rough pastures and forest edges up to the middle mountainous areas. In Central Europe, agrimony is hardy, but only deciduous. It grows as a perennial herb and grows between 15cm and 1.5m tall. Its roots are deeply rooted in the ground. Hairy stems arise from them. Pinnate leaves are found on these. These are 10 to 25cm long and often covered with a white felt on the underside. The agrimony blooms from June to September. The yellow flowers are short-stalked and arranged in elongated racemes. The flower consists of yellow petals, stamens and carpels. In the middle sits the ovary. Between August and September, at the time of fruit ripening, the agrimony forms small fruits studded with hooks. These hooked fruits serve to disperse the seed. They get caught with their small hooks in the fur of passing animals and thus spread in the surrounding area. The agrimony belongs to the rose family and is therefore a relative of the meadowsweet. Besides the common agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria) there are 14 other species. In Germany, the great agrimony (Agrimonia procera) is also found. However, this one has no medical relevance.
Effect and application
The main active substances of agrimony are essential oils (triterpenes), tannins, bitter substances, flavonoids, phenolic carboxylic acids and silicic acid. The essential oils and tannins of agrimony are said to have an anti-inflammatory effect. The essential oils are mainly antiviral and antibacterial. The tannins have an astringent, or astringent, effect. The astringent effect of agrimony can have a positive effect on wound healing. Astringents have the ability to change or destroy protein structures. On the one hand, this is useful because the protein structures of viruses and bacteria are also altered in such a way that they perish. On the other hand, the remodeling processes form a kind of protective film that covers the damaged skin. Moreover, agrimony is rich in polyphenols. Polyphenols belong to the phytamines. Phytamines are plant substances that have a positive effect on health. They have an antioxidant effect and thus act as radical scavengers. In view of this spectrum of effects, agrimony is often used for inflammations. Inflammation of the gums, inflammation of the mouth and throat as well as inflammation of the kidneys and bladder are indications for treatment with agrimony. The basis is always agrimony tea. For this purpose, a teaspoon of dried agrimony herb is poured over 250ml of boiling water. The tea should brew covered for ten minutes. The tea is drunk for complaints of the internal organs. Inflammation of the skin can be treated with agrimony tea skin compresses. Skin compresses with agrimony tea can also provide relief from itching. For inflammation of the mouth and throat, agrimony tea can be used cooled as a gargle solution. Agrimony is also used for mild diarrhea or loss of appetite. But be careful, due to the tannins, the tea can also irritate the mucous membranes of the stomach. More than three cups of tea should not be drunk per day. In addition, it should be noted that agrimony tea should not be drunk immediately before or after taking medication. The herb hinders the absorption of active ingredients. Approximately two hours should elapse between taking the medication and drinking the tea. Agrimony is also one of the 38 flowers used in Bach Flower Therapy. Agrimony, as agrimony is called there, is a Bach flower used primarily in trauma therapy. It is supposed to help in overcoming fears and coming to terms with what has been repressed.In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), agrimony is used primarily for gastrointestinal disorders, as it has a strengthening effect on the stomach qi.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
Even 100 years before Christ, agrimony had an enthusiastic supporter. The Greek war leader Mithridates used the herb to treat a wide variety of ailments. Mithridates went by the epithet eupator, which gave agrimony its botanical epithet eupatoria. The Greek physician Dioscurides also described the healing power of agrimony thousands of years ago. The medicinal herb was also part of the medicine of St. Hildegard of Bingen. She used the agrimony mainly as a purgative, which should bring out especially tough mucus. Even today, chewable tablets based on the recipe of Hildegard of Bingen are still available. They are mainly used in the treatment of chronic sinusitis. Then in the Middle Ages, the liver-strengthening effect of the plant came into focus. The herbal book of Mathioli also recommended its use for cough, fever and external wounds. In folk and empirical medicine, agrimony still has a firm place today. Commission E, an expert commission on herbal medicines, consisting of various representatives from the fields of medicine, pharmacy and toxicology, certifies that agrimony has a positive effect on mild diarrhea, inflammation of the mouth and throat, and skin inflammation. Despite this positive plant monograph, agrimony is rarely a component of orthodox medications.
