What effect does gentian have?
From a medicinal point of view, the most important representative of the Gentian family (Gentianaceae) is the yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea). The gentian root is used: as the strongest native bitter substance remedy, it helps against loss of appetite and functional digestive complaints such as bloating and flatulence.
The dried rhizome and roots of gentian contain two to three percent bitter compounds, including gentiopicroside and the extremely bitter amarogentin. Other constituents are mainly bitter-tasting two-sugars and small amounts of essential oil. These ingredients stimulate the taste buds on the one hand and the flow of saliva, gastric juice and bile on the other. For this reason, gentian root has been recognized as a traditional herbal medicine for the aforementioned ailments.
Gentian in folk medicine
In folk medicine, gentian root is also used for achylie (lack of gastric juice or pancreatic juice), muscle slackness, excess air in the gastrointestinal tract, and for post-treatment of patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
How healthy is gentian schnapps?
Gentian has been used to make schnapps for centuries. During distillation, however, the effective bitter substances do not pass into the distillate; gentian merely gives the drink its characteristic aroma. The health benefits of the medicinal plant are therefore no longer present in gentian schnapps.
In contrast to distillates, alcoholic aqueous extracts contain the medicinally active bitter substances. They are sold commercially as “stomach bitters” or “herbal bitters,” which then often also contain extracts of other bitter plants that also stimulate gastric and bile secretion – such as Iceland moss, wormwood, hops or anise.
How can you use gentian?
Only the dried rhizome and its roots should be used for medicinal purposes, as the fresh root can cause severe nausea and intoxication-like states.
Gentian as a home remedy
You can drink three to four cups of such gentian root tea daily. The time of taking it depends on the complaints to be treated: For appetite stimulation, you should drink the tea half an hour before each meal, while for digestive problems, you should drink it after eating.
When preparing the tea, you can also combine gentian root with other medicinal plants, such as wormwood, yarrow or centaury.
Home remedies based on medicinal plants have their limits. If your symptoms persist for a long period of time, do not get better or even get worse despite treatment, you should always consult a doctor.
Ready-made preparations with gentian
As an alternative to tea, you can take ready-made preparations with gentian root. For example, there are dragées with the powdered medicinal drug, drops and tinctures. Information on the use and dosage of the preparations can be found in the package leaflet or obtained from the doctor or pharmacist.
What side effects can gentian cause?
In rare cases, the use of gentian triggers gastrointestinal complaints, palpitations, itching or headaches. Gentian is basically not poisonous.
- Do not collect the gentian root, which is under nature protection, yourself, but please buy it in pharmacies!
- If you suffer from a stomach or duodenal ulcer, you must not use gentian preparations.
- No safety studies are available for the use of gentian preparations during pregnancy or lactation, or in children and adolescents under 18 years of age. These groups of people should therefore avoid gentian preparations or use them only after consulting their doctor.
- Please note the high alcohol content of beverages such as bitters. Preferably use tea or the aqueous extract of gentian for breakfast and lunch.
How to obtain gentian products
Because gentian is strictly protected, you are not allowed to collect the root wild. However, you can obtain the dried gentian root for tea preparation as well as corresponding finished medicines such as dragées, aqueous or alcoholic extracts in pharmacies, and sometimes also in drugstores, health food stores and liquor stores (bitters).
What is gentian?
Today, controlled and sustainable wild collections in countries such as Germany, Austria and France help to protect the wild population and still meet the high demand for gentian roots. The cultivation of gentian also accommodates this.
The perennial yellow gentian is a mountain plant that inhabits pastures and meadows as well as sparse, grassy mixed forests of the central and southern European mountains. The finger-thick, hollow stem grows up to 14 centimeters high. In its lower part it bears large, elliptical leaves with parallel leaf veins. From June to August, the large yellow flowers bloom, arranged in several tiers and in rich false whorls. The main root of the plant, which is used medicinally, can grow up to one meter long.
Yellow gentian can be very easily confused with the highly poisonous white germer (Veratrum album). Poisoning with germer first causes a burning sensation in the mouth and sneezing fits, followed by numbness all over the body, diarrhea, cardiac arrhythmias and collapse.