Citronella root is a plant of the ginger family native to Southeast Asia. The dried root of the plant is mainly used as a medicine in China and in Japan. Citrus root is also known as a medicinal plant in traditional European medicine.
Occurrence and cultivation of citron root.
The citron root is native to Asia, where it grows preferentially in the tropical and subtropical regions of the rainforest. Citronella root (Curcuma ceodoaria) is related to ginger and turmeric. It is native to Asia, where it grows preferentially in the tropical and subtropical regions of the rainforest. The plant is perennial and herbaceous and can reach a height of up to one meter. Above ground, the citron root forms leaf shoots. Below ground, it forms rhizomes. These serve as a survival organ and can grow very large due to their multiple branching. At flowering time, the plant bears green bracts and yellow flowers. The rhizome is edible. It is white and has a mango or ginger-like fragrance. The aftertaste is rather bitter. The entire plant gives off a very strong fragrance. There is a danger of confusion with the German name Zitwer. In addition to the Asian citron root described in this text, the citron flower is also known. However, this does not come from Curcuma cedoaria, but from a poisonous Russian mugwort plant, the worm seed (Artemisia cina). In Russian folk medicine, citrus flowers were used as a vermifuge. In addition, in Germany, calamus is sometimes referred to as German zedoary.
Effect and application
Essential components of the citron root are essential oils and resin acids. These give the root its aromatic fragrance and slightly pungent taste. Furthermore, the rhizome of the plant contains zingiberene, zingiberol and shogaol. Pungents, sesquiterpenes, mucilage and bitter compounds are also present in the citric root. In addition, the root has vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus and iron. The bitter substances and the essential oils of the plant provide a digestive strengthening effect. Similar to its relatives ginger and turmeric, citric root stimulates the production of digestive juices and strengthens the liver. The increased secretion of digestive enzymes accelerates the passage of food through the intestines. In addition, the increased secretion of bile acids binds fats from food. As a result, fatty foods are digested more easily. The citric root thus relieves flatulence and bloating and can also have a regulating effect on high cholesterol levels. However, bile not only binds fats, but also toxins and harmful substances from the liver. These can now also be excreted better. Similar to curcuma, citron root is also said to have a positive effect on blood sugar levels. It also has an effect on blood vessels and blood pressure. The citron root has a slight blood pressure lowering effect and also acts as an antagonist of arachidonic acid, which can cause inflammation of the vessel walls. Thus, the citric root is also a preventive agent against arteriosclerosis. Furthermore, the root also has a positive effect on the heart and can be used to treat cardiac insufficiency. The dried root of the plant is used medicinally. For a tea from citron root, a teaspoon of the dried rhizome is poured over with boiling water. In order for all the ingredients from the tea drug to pass into the liquid, the infusion must infuse for fifteen minutes. The citric root can be well combined with other digestive and liver-strengthening tea drugs such as dandelion herb, chamomile flowers or peppermint leaves. Alternatively, a tincture can be prepared with the root. To do this, simply fill a preserving jar halfway with dried citrus root and pour a high-proof clear liquor over it until the jar is completely full. The jar should be left in a sunny warm place for about four weeks and shaken occasionally. The tincture can then be filtered and poured into a dark bottle. Ten to fifty drops of the citric root tincture should be taken three times a day.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
In Japan and China, citric root is very popular as a remedy. It is an ingredient in many traditional tea blends there, prescribed by Chinese and Japanese doctors for various ailments.In Germany, citron root was included in the German Pharmacopoeia (DAB) in 1962. In 1988, the efficacy of citron root was reviewed by an expert commission for herbal medicines on behalf of the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices. The commission came to the conclusion that the healing effect of the plant could not be sufficiently scientifically proven. The citron root received a so-called negative monograph and was no longer included in the tenth edition of the German Pharmacopoeia, which was published in 1991. The plants Curcuma longa and Curcuma xanthorrhiza, which are very close to the citron root, have been part of the German Pharmacopoeia since 1930 and 1978, respectively. The essential oil of citron root is still used in the production of liqueurs in Western countries. The essential oil is also used in the perfume industry. As a spice, citron root does not play a significant role in Germany. In India, it is used for pickling vegetables and fruit and is also a component of curry pastes. In Thailand, the young rootstocks are eaten as a vegetable. Although the citric root is not significantly inferior to curcuma root and ginger in its healing properties, the plant is rather unknown in Germany both as a remedy and as a spice and is very rarely used medicinally.
