Centaury is mainly taken as a bitter tonic for the treatment of acute and chronic digestive complaints (dyspeptic complaints). These include, for example, flatulence or bloating.
Patients suffering from loss of appetite can also resort to the herb. However, in chronic digestive disorders and a general lack of digestive juices of the stomach and pancreas (achyly), centaury is less effective than comparable remedies such as gentian root.
Application in folk medicine and homeopathy.
In folk medicine, centaury is used as a tonic or roborans (tonic or restorative) and for the external treatment of wounds. Traditionally, the herb is also used for fever, liver disorders, biliary disorders and, in general, gastrointestinal and urinary tract complaints.
In small doses, centaury is also used as a bittering agent in foods and beverages.
In homeopathy, centaury is used for stomach complaints.
Centaury ingredients
Centaury contains very bitter iridoglycosides called secoiridoids (for example, swertiamarin and sweroside) as its main active ingredients. Some substances of this class, which are found in small amounts in the herb, are among the most bitter naturally occurring substances.
Also present in the drug are small amounts of flavonoids, phenylpropanes, triterpenes and sterols.
Centaury: indication.
Centaury finds medicinal application in the following cases:
- Loss of appetite
- Indigestion
- Indigestion
- Feeling of fullness
- Flatulence
- Dyspeptic complaints
- Gastrointestinal complaints
- Fever
- Liver disease
- Bile disorders
- Wounds
