Yarrow or Yarrow: properties, uses and contraindications

What is yarrow and what is it for?

The beautiful yarrow (Achillea millefolium) It has not been a plant that has gone unnoticed. His virtues as anti-inflammatory and healing before the wounds were well known in antiquity.

Is the yarrow one perennial, perennial plant between 30 and 90 cm tall, slender, with stiff, highly branched stems. The leaves are divided into fine, linear or lanceolate segments, strongly cut.

It is a very odorous plant, that grows wild in mountain environments, in meadows, bushes, bushy slopes and roadsides, but it is also frequently planted in flowerbeds in parks, gardens and orchards. In Spain it is very abundant in the mountains of the northern half of the Peninsula.

Blooms from June or July, depending on the altitude and until the month of September. The flowering tops, ranging from white to orange through yellow or gold, are collected in full bloom.

Medicinal properties of yarrow

Yarrow contains an essential oil with chamazulene, camphor and linalool, flavonoids, sesquiterpene lactones, aquilein, betaine, fatty acids and tannins.

It is highly appreciated and used in popular medicine, which attributes to it, not without reason, endless restorative virtues. It is a very versatile plant, which stands out above all for its anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, hemostatic and healing power.

It is indicated in digestive disorders, to relieve gastrointestinal spasms, nausea and vomiting. It stimulates the secretion of gastric juices and bile, and makes you gain appetite.Reduces inflammation in the liver and gallbladder and favors the dissolution and removal of gallstones and kidney stonesThe yarrow is a plant allied to women’s health, which is recommended as a remedy, to regulate the period in irregular or excessively abundant menses, to relieve premenstrual tension and muscle cramps, to promote pelvic circulation and to treat other problems such as vaginal leucorrhoea.It is also effective as a valid blood stimulant in case of varicose veins, phlebitis and hemorrhoidsIt is also a good remedy to promote the wound healing and to speed up the healing of mouth sores and canker sores.

How to make yarrow infusions and other natural remedies

Diuretic tea with yarrow

For avoid fluid retention and facilitate the expulsion of kidney stonesan especially effective formula is the one that combines equal parts yarrow with arenaria, horsetail and corn silks. Two level tablespoons per half liter of water.

How to prepare it: Boil the two tablespoons for 1 minute and let them rest for a quarter of an hour. It can be taken during the day, even cold. But this remedy It cannot be used if medications for hypertension or cardiotonics are taken.

Infusion of yarrow against menstrual pain

They are combined equally yarrow, sage, horsetail and lemon balm leavesat the rate of one tablespoon per serving of water.

How to prepare it: Infuse for 10 minutes and filter. Two cups a day are recommended, from the nine days prior to the arrival of the period.

Yarrow decoction to heal wounds

In this case, the formula that associates it with comfrey, calendula and cat’s tail (Sideritis tragoriganum), at a rate of three tablespoons per half liter of water.

How to prepare it: Boil for 2 minutes, leave to rest for 20 and strain. It can be kept in the fridge.

How to apply it: We have several options:

The wound is soaked with the infusion –with the help of a porroncito– and when it has dried, it is sprayed several more times. Washing is carried out in the morning and at night. For mouth soresthe previous infusion is used in the form of gargles.As an alternative option, apply in poultice the boiled leaves and inflorescences on the bleeding wound to prevent bleeding.

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