Gentian belongs to the gentian family (Gentianaceae). According to Pliny the Elder, the generic name Gentiana is derived from the Illyrian king Gentius (Gr. Genthios), to whom the discovery of gentian as a medicinal plant was attributed.
Occurrence and cultivation of gentian
Gentians, whose stems can grow up to 1.50 m high, bloom during the summer months in yellow or even intense blue, very rarely in white color (whites). The genus of gentians includes about 300 – 400 species. Most plants of this genus love calcareous soils and grow preferentially in the mountains of Central and Southern Europe. In some countries, such as France, Germany and Spain, the herbaceous plants are cultivated for medicinal use. Gentians, whose stems can grow up to 1.50 m high, bloom during the summer months in yellow or also intensely blue, very rarely in white (whites). They can live up to 25 years, after ten years they usually bear flowers for the first time.
Application and use
Blue-flowered gentian is often used only as an ornamental plant, whereas yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea) is used medicinally. It is used for the production of digestive liquors and in various forms of administration as a remedy. Not the whole plant, which is under protection, is used, but only the underground parts of the plant, which in their entirety can reach a weight of up to seven kilograms. They are harvested in the fall, thoroughly dried and contain the pharmaceutically relevant active ingredients: bitter substances and yellow pigments. Of particular interest are the bitter substances with gentiopicrin as the main active ingredient. The peculiar bitter taste of yellow gentian is due to the ingredient amarogentin. Amarogentin is one of the most bitter, naturally occurring substances and is still clearly perceptible in taste even after a dilution of 1: 58 million. Bitter substances generally stimulate digestion and increase mucosal blood flow. In many regions gentian is drunk as tea or consumed as a spirit. This spirit, known as “Enzele”, “Jenzer” or euphemistically as “Eau de vie” (water of life), is used to treat digestive problems of all kinds. Gentian can also be used to prepare an excellent liqueur – Hildegard von Bingen already praised this drink and recommended its use several times a day. For this purpose, the liqueur – which is still available today – is warmed in a steel vessel and drunk during or after a meal. Alternatively, she advised sprinkling a teaspoon of gentian root powder (available for order on the Internet) over the soup and then spooning it down. As a homeopathic medicine, gentian is available in the form of globules or as a dilution.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention
The healing properties of gentian have been known since ancient times. The already mentioned, western Swiss name “Eau de vie” suggests the diverse and lasting effects of gentian. Not only Hildegard von Bingen, but also the poet and naturalist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was full of praise for this unique plant. Gentian has healing and preventive effects in the human digestive system. The bitter taste leads to improved secretion in the stomach. Gentian preparations are therefore often used, for example, in cases of insufficient gastric juice production or loss of appetite. Gentian is also used as a remedy for flatulence or bloating. Gentian extracts have a slight antimicrobial effect, which explains their use in folk medicine against certain forms of intestinal parasites. In the Middle Ages, the use of yellow gentian was recommended for liver disorders and also as a remedy for gout. The antipyretic (fever-reducing) effect attributed to this medicinal plant for a long time has been scientifically disproved in the meantime. Hildegard von Bingen attributed heart-strengthening powers to the medicinal plant. In homeopathy Gentiana lutea is also used for certain balance disorders, acute abdomen, acute gastritis or gastroenteritis and also for ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract. Anthroposophic medicine, on the other hand, considers the use of gentian contraindicated in ulcers. In addition to the ailments already listed, the medicinal plant is additionally prescribed here after prolonged infectious diseases or also in cases of iron and mineral deficiency.Gentian is also used for problems of “mental” digestion, i.e. when someone has something “heavy in the stomach“, the plant, which tones not only physically but also psychologically, can exert its effect.
