Lily of the valley is probably one of the most beautiful symbols of the month of May. But lily of the valley is not only a beautiful spring flower, it also has a very long tradition as a medicinal plant.
Occurrence and cultivation of the lily of the valley.
All parts of the plant are highly poisonous. In 2014, the lily of the valley was named the poisonous plant of the year. The lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis), also known as the maililie or mairöschen, belongs to the plant family of the asparagaceae (Asparagaceae). It has become rare and is therefore protected. Its native habitat is mainly in the semi-shade of deciduous forests, mainly beech forests, in Europe and North America. Where it still occurs, it usually grows in larger groups. The height of growth can vary between 10 and 30 cm. In spring, long, oval-shaped, pointed leaves grow from the rhizome, arranged in pairs and initially still curled. From their center later grows a delicate stem with a cluster of small, white, bell-like flowers that bends to one side. Lily of the valley has thin roots (rhizomes) that creep and anchor themselves up to 50 cm deep in the ground. The flowers have an intense attractive fragrance that attracts insects for pollination. The flowering period lasts from April to June, and from midsummer the flowers develop into red berries. All parts of the plant are highly poisonous. In 2014, the lily of the valley was named Poisonous Plant of the Year. Until the discovery of its toxicity, it had a long tradition as a medicinal plant in folk medicine since ancient times. Today, its importance is reduced to traditional medicine because of the toxicity of all parts of the plant. Because of the appearance of its leaves, it can be confused by collectors with the edible wild garlic.
Effect and application
Despite its highly toxic effect, lily of the valley is also a valuable medicinal plant that has a beneficial effect on various types of heart disease. Approximately since the 15th century, descriptions of diverese applications first appear in herbal books. The German physician, preacher and botanist Hieronymus Bock advises meyen flowers for falling sickness (epilepsy), dizziness, eye ailments and heart complaints. The physician and botanist Tabernaemontanus also recommends their effect in fainting, gout, ulcers and other diseases. Paracelsus also emphasizes its tonic effect. Like many other plants, it was long considered a panacea for a wide variety of ailments. However, after its highly toxic effects became known, its importance in folk medicine disappeared. On the other hand, lily of the valley has had a firm place in traditional medicine since the 19th century, when researchers discovered its glycosides as heart-strengthening agents. There, like foxglove (digitalis), it is used for various heart ailments. In its action, lily of the valley is similar to foxglove (digitalis), which has long been the drug of choice in the treatment of heart disease, but it is less toxic than the latter. Nevertheless, it is very toxic and should generally be used only on the basis of medical dosage to avoid symptoms of poisoning. For the production of medicines, the dried leaves, stems and flowers are processed, which are harvested during the main flowering period, because the active ingredient content is highest at this time. All parts of the plant are equally toxic and contain highly toxic steroid glycosides such as convallatoxin and convallotexol. They are mainly used in ready-to-use preparations. These preparations require a prescription and contain a precisely adjusted dose of effective glycosides. They are available as tablets, dragées or drops. They should be taken only under medical supervision to avoid serious side effects.
Health significance, treatment, and prevention.
Because lily of the valley preparations strengthen the heart, they are prescribed primarily for mild cardiac insufficiency in stages I and II, for example, when symptoms are not noticeable until physical exertion is more severe. The active ingredients of lily of the valley herb have a strengthening effect and promote the work of the heart, which can improve symptoms such as arrhythmias, shortness of breath, increased heart rate and poor performance. The preparations also help with a pressure load on the right ventricle due to an increase in pressure in the lungs and with heart-related asthma.Since a certain daily dose should not be exceeded because of the toxic side effects, it is not recommended to prepare your own tea from lily of the valley herb, because overdose can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders. With the exception of homeopathy, self-medication is not recommended. In homeopathy it is used to treat cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure with water retention, chest tightness and smoker’s heart. All other preparations are not without reason prescription, because there are various contraindications:
- Pregnancy and lactation
- Childhood
- More severe heart failure
- Too slow heartbeat (bradycardia)
- Arrhythmias due to conduction disorders in the ventricles of the heart.
- Disturbed electrolyte balance
When taking other drugs at the same time, interactions must be considered. The toxicity of lily of the valley preparations lies precisely in the heart-strengthening glycosides. From the gastrointestinal tract they are rather poorly absorbed, so the toxic effect is not immediately apparent. In cases of severe poisoning, blood pressure first rises and then falls again. Cardiac arrhythmias occur, which in the worst case can end in fatal ventricular fibrillation. Even if there is only a slight suspicion of poisoning, an emergency physician should be called immediately, and if necessary the poison control center should be contacted.
