Rough centaury or traveler: properties, benefits and how to take it

What is the centaura or travalera and what is it for?

The Rough Centaury (Centaurea aspera L.)also known as “travalera”is especially known for its effective in combating diabetes.

It is a plant widespread in the east of the Iberian Peninsula and the Duero Valley, as well as in the Balearic Islands. It grows along roadsides and meadows, in sunny and dry environments, and can be found Florida almost all year.

We can buy it in the form of fresh and dry plantin powders and commercial preparations in liquid extract and tabletscombined with eucalyptus, copalchi, bean pods, Galega, gymnema or centaury, among others.

Medicinal properties

of the centaury its flowers, stems and leaves are harvestedof a deeply bitter taste that can persist long after you have tried them. That explains one of his main virtues: the ability to stimulate the secretion of gastric juices and bile by the gallbladderwhich, among other things, is useful to whet the appetite in unwilling people. However, without a doubt the main virtue of the travalerawhich it shares with other plants of the same genus, such as the C. melitensisthe C. calcitrapa and the C. jacea, is reduce the presence of sugar in the blood and the urine of diabetics. This hypoglycemic effectfor which it is being prescribed in natural medicine, was picked up in pharmacological studies in the 1950s and 1960s, but remains subject to more conclusive analysis.
Diabetics, in case of deciding to follow a herbal treatment, must control the glycemia levels anyway to adjust, if necessary, the dose of insulin or oral antidiabetics to a higher or lower concentration of the plant in the decoction or the infusion. The centaury is also considered anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.It is indicated in infections with diarrhea or nauseain mild food poisoning and to rebalance liver and gallbladder functions after liver failure.

How to take centaury

To reduce blood sugar level

Herbalists include centaury in a magisterial formula with gymnema leaves and bean podsof related effects, and a sprig of cinnamon so as not to add sugar.

How to prepare it: Boil a tablespoon of the mixture per glass for 3-4 minutes, rest for 10 minutes and take three times a day, after meals. If it is too bitter, an infusion can be made, with the plant very crushed and leaving it at rest for just 5-6 minutes.

To whet the appetite

Herbalists propose for this purpose a formula that combines equal parts centaury with gentian root –bitter plant where they exist– and star anise – which acts as a flavor corrector.

How to prepare it: Two tablespoons of this mixture per half liter of water are macerated overnight, strained and taken 3 or 4 glasses a day before meals. This same formula, taken after eating, facilitates easy digestion and prevents heartburn.

Advisor: J Mª Teixé, herbalist at “El Manantial de Salud”