Cornflower: properties and natural remedies for the eyes

According to Greek mythology, centaurs were creatures half man and half horse, and it is said that one of them, Chiron, was the one who taught mankind the healing value of plants. That is why it is not surprising that the name of one of the most beautiful flowers of our fields, the cornflower (centaurea cyanus), derives from that of that mythological being.

The cornflower properties for the eyes They have been known for centuries. In the French tradition, for example, the cornflower was known by eau de casselunettes (“water from broken glasses”), because it was said that whoever tasted this plant could do without glasses forever, a certainly exaggerated statement.

Nearly 500 species of knapweed have been cataloged throughout the world, of which thirty or more can be found in Spain. The cornflower is one of them, perhaps the one of the most beautiful flower.

The cornflower is an erect and graceful plant, up to 70 cm tall, branched and hairy, with linear and pointed leaves and solitary flower heads, with the outer flowers much larger than the central ones, of intense blue color. It blooms from the month of May.

Relatively frequent on the margins of orchards, fields and fallows, in meadows and scrublands, the cornflower grows in much of Europe, including the north and center of the Peninsula. However, it is believed that it may have originated in Eastern Europe, and that from there it could have been introduced to the rest of the continent.

Cornflower properties

For medicinal purposes, the flower heads are harvested, in full bloom. It contains anthocyanins, which are bluish pigments like cyanine. Also bitter principles such as cnicina and centaurine, mucilages, flavonoids, tannins and abundant mineral salts.

This composition gives it anti-inflammatory, astringent and antibiotic properties. It is also considered a diuretic, although it is widely used for this property, since herbalists recommend it especially for eye care.

What is the cornflower for

The properties of cornflower make it a great natural remedy for eye care. In fact, the preferential and almost exclusive use given to this plant by herbalists has to do with eye health:

Cornflower improves microcirculation and capillary resistance, reduces ocular inflammation and contributes to the regeneration of the vascular layer of the retina, which favors visual acuity and provides progressive relief to eyestrain. This explains why it is a very suitable plant for people who are forced to strain their eyes in front of a computer screen or a television monitor, as well as for students. It is also a good support for people who have seen their vision diminished and for myopic people.Apart from serving to treat tired eyesight, It is applied in eye baths and eye drops to treat the conjunctivitisinflammation of the eyelids and inopportune styes and also to eliminate “crow’s feet”.

Other benefits and uses of cornflower

As a bitter plant it is an excellent appetite stimulantwhich also acts as anti-inflammatory, astringent and diuretic.The astringent, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory effect of cornflower also explains its utility in dental pains, sores on the tongue, swollen lips and on bleeding gums or irritated. Due to its ability to dye it is used in some infusions to give them a bluish color. Its flowers are edible and are used in many recipes for decorative purposes.

How to use cornflower

Cornflower is applied in eye baths, eye drops and compresses for the eyes.

Eye bath with cornflower for eyestrain

An infusion of cornflower is prepared, which is used to make eye baths:

Cornflower flowers, eyebright, elderberry and Alexandria rose petals are infused in equal parts (two level tablespoons of the mixture for a quarter of a liter of water). Boil, let stand for 2 minutes and filter. With the infusion gauze or cotton is soaked and pressed about 10 times in a row on each eye, with the eyelids closed.

Remedy for styes

A stye is an inflammation of the sebaceous glands of Zeiss or of the sweat glands of Moll, located at the base of the eyelashes. Its cause is a bacterial infection usually produced by the Staphylococcus aureus.

styes They are common in children due to the habit of touching their eyes with dirty hands in adults a typical cause is Lack of cleaning of contact lenses.

If they always appear in the same eye, it may be that the tissue is weakened due to previous infections and its colonization by the causative bacteria is easier. When styes appear frequently, it may be a sign of a low immune status, anemia, hormonal disorders or allergies. In this case, a multivitamin nutritional supplement may be useful.

When a stye appears, one must avoid the temptation to try to remove it pressing, since the only thing that is obtained is spread the infection. The classic chamomile compress soothes pain and reduces inflammation, but there are more specific plants such as cornflower and oak, which are of great help to accelerate the maturation and absorption of the abscess.

How to prepare the infusion:

prepare a decoction for 5 minutes with a tablespoon of oak bark in a liter of water. Next, add another spoonful of cornflowers. Let everything simmer 5 more minutes.Strain the decoction and, when warm, apply to the affected eye a gauze soaked in the resulting liquid, three or four times a day.

Cornflower flowers relieve itching and irritationas it exerts an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory action, while the oak bark is rich in tannins and has the property of draining inflamed mucous membranes.

Side effects and contraindications

Cornflower can cause allergic reactions in people with allergies to the Asteraceae family, which includes plants such as daisies, thistles, and chicory. Other than that, there are no known side effects of cornflower and it is considered probably safe when used in small amounts to color teas.

As a precaution, since there is not enough research on its use in pregnancy and lactationit is recommended to avoid its use for greater safety.

Jordi Cebrian. Advisor: J Mª Teixé, herbalist at “El Manantial de Salud” and Rosa Guerrero