Aegopodium podagraria is the Latin name for goutweed, a plant of the umbellifer family. By gardeners, the perennial is fought as a weed. Meanwhile, healers and cooks value it as a medicinal herb and wild vegetable.
Occurrence and cultivation of goutweed
According to the medieval theory of signatures, Aegopodium podagraria has been used in natural medicine against gout in the feet. The scientific name Aegopodium podagraria for goutweed, also called goat’s foot, is derived from the Greek words “aigeos” for goat and “podos” for foot, as the shape of the leaves resembles a goat’s foot. According to the medieval theory of signatures, Aegopodium podagraria has been used in natural medicine against gout in the feet. Its use in rheumatism is also documented. The plant is native to all of Europe, except the Iberian Peninsula. It is also found in the temperate climates of Asia and North America. It grows in gardens, along hedges, in shrubberies, parks, and in moist woods, often along riverbanks and streams. Goutweed prefers soils with sufficient groundwater and nitrogen, so it is very common in marshy areas. The perennial shrub grows up to 90 centimeters high and blooms between June and August. The egg-shaped seeds develop from the flowers in autumn. With its underground runners, the perennial spreads in a very short time, creating up to three square meters in one year. The white roots are slightly poisonous due to their component falcarindiol. Because of its underground shoots, it is almost impossible to tame and therefore unpopular with gardeners. However, those who are interested in the healing power of the plant and its use in the kitchen always have enough supplies, because the perennial spreads rapidly. Because it survives mild winters with its leaves close to the ground, it is considered partially wintergreen.
Effect and application
It is believed that Aegopodium podagraria was already on the menu in the Stone Age. The earliest records of goutweed are found only in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. At that time it was used equally as a medicinal and food plant. Leaves and the crushed roots of the plant were placed on the affected parts of the body for sciatic pain, rheumatism and gout. Wild vegetables and salads made from goutweed were popular at the Polish royal court. In the former monastery and peasant gardens goutweed was cultivated as a useful plant. Hildegard von Bingen appreciated it for its life-giving properties. Goutweed contains a lot of vitamin C, four times as much as a lemon. Minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, copper, zinc, carotene, silicic acid and iron are also present in larger quantities. Other constituents include essential oils, chlorogenic acid, isoquercitrin, polyols, phenolic carboxylic acids, coumarins, flavonol glycosides, resin, hyperoside, and caffeic acid. Even though science has not been able to provide any evidence of goutweed’s mode of action to date, and the plant is therefore no longer listed in the more recent pharmacopoeias, it is still taken very seriously as a medicinal plant because of its effects. Its antispasmodic, detoxifying and blood purifying properties are undisputed. The relatively high potassium content affects the metabolic process in the body, flushes out water without burdening the electrolytic balance of the organism. Due to the considerable content of minerals, goutweed has an alkaline effect, promotes metabolism, and deacidifies the body. Thus, the connective tissue is strengthened. In the Middle Ages, goutweed was also used to treat cardiovascular problems. In folk medicine, the plant is used today in the form of tea from dried flowers and leaves, external applications, as a bath additive, for salads and as a vegetable. In homeopathy, the freshly flowering plants are processed, and used against against gout and rheumatism.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
Even if medicine does not attest any scientific benefit to goutweed, in addition to its draining effect, it still plays an important role In naturopathy. The list of indications is quite extensive. Goutweed helps against cystitis, is blood purifying, deacidifies the lymph, stimulates kidney activity and solves digestive problems. In the case of sunburn and insect bites, crushed leaves, applied directly to the spot, allow the inflammation to subside quickly and cool the skin. For gout and rheumatism, a combined internal and external application is recommended. Patients bathe in a decoction of dried goutweed roots.A salad of young goutweed leaves is most effective when eaten freshly prepared. The Swiss herbalist Künzle, who worked intensively with goutweed at the beginning of the 20th century, even recommended fresh goutweed as a shoe insert against rheumatism. For purification and detoxification naturopaths advise a ten-day spring cure with goutweed juice, which is pressed from fresh shoots and diluted with mineral water or buttermilk. Goutweed can also be used in the kitchen in imaginative ways. The young, light green shoots taste like a mixture of carrot, parsley and spinach and are suitable for fresh salads. The older leaves are more intense and combine with onions and garlic to make a tasty vegetable. Herb butters, soups, sauces, casseroles and potato dishes can be enhanced with goutweed. Mixed with cream cheese or cottage cheese, a healthy spread can be made. The goutweed flowers are also edible and taste sweeter than the rest of the plant. They are suitable for flavoring herbal lemonades, vinegar and oil. The stalks and buds are also tasty as a vegetable. The leaves and the somewhat spicier seeds, can be dried, ground into powder and make an interesting seasoning for soups and sauces.
