Sweet Violet
Other Names: Banafshah, Fleur de Mars, Garden Violet, Herba Violae, Neelapushpa, Sweet Violet Herb, Sweet Violet Root, Viola odorata, Violae Odoratae Rhizoma, Viole de Carême, Violet, Violeta, Violette Commune, Violette des Haies, Violette de Mars, Violette Odorante, Violette à Parfum, Violier Commun, Zi Hua Di Ding.
Sweet violet is an herb. The root and parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine.
See also : Zi Hua Di Ding
Contents
Special Precautions of Sweet Violet
Sweet Violet is considered a safe herb with no contraindications.
Actions
- Considered anti-inflammatory, anticancer, demulcent, diuretic, emetic, expectorant, purgative.
- Seeds considered purgative and diuretic.
- Flowers considered diuretic, expectorant, purgative.
Constituents
Mucilages, cyclotides, malic and ferulic acid, saponins, phytosterols (β-sitosterol), salicylic acid (traces), anthocyanosides, flavonoids (quercetine, violaquercitrin, violarutin or rutoside), coumarins (scopoletin), carotenoid pigments, alkaloids and essential oil ((-)-zingiberene, (+)-curcumene, dihydro-β-ionone, 2,6-nonadien-1- al, undecan-2-one, isoborneol).
Health Benefits and uses of Sweet Violet are
Sweet violet has chemicals that help break up chest congestion by thinning mucous and making it easier to cough up.
- Sweet violet is used for nervous strain, hysteria, physical and mental exhaustion, symptoms of menopause (hot flashes), depression, and irritability.
- It is also used for digestive tract complaints such as abdominal pain, swelling (inflammation) of the stomach and intestines and the tissues that line them, digestion problems caused by improper diet, gas, heartburn, gallbladder disorders, and loss of appetite.
- Some people use sweet violet for respiratory tract conditions, particularly dry or sore throat, stuffy nose, coughs, hoarseness, and bronchitis.
- Other uses include treating pain in the minor joints, fever, skin diseases, headache, trouble sleeping (insomnia), and tuberculosis.
- Sweet violet is sometimes applied directly to the skin for skin disorders and as a skin cleanser.
- In herbal combinations, sweet violet is used for breathing problems including sudden (acute) and ongoing (chronic) bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, “dust-damaged” lungs, swelling (inflammation) of the respiratory tract, cold and flu symptoms, hoarseness, cough, and chest congestion. These herbal combinations are also used for involuntary urination (incontinence) in older people, bed-wetting, irritable bladder, and prostate conditions. Other uses include treating the inability to sleep (insomnia) and improving deep sleep.
- inflammation : Violet essential oil can be used with great effect on the body to deal with conditions caused by inflammation. Violet essential oil has anti-inflammatory compounds and many sufferers of rheumatism and arthritis have found it to be an effective remedy when massaged into their painful muscles and joints. Violet essential oil can also help stimulate circulation of blood to the muscles. If you are going to massage your body with violet essential oil it is important to remember that it must be diluted first with a suitable carrier oil. When it comes to essential oils, a little goes a very long way so be sure that you follow the recommended instructions for dilution.
- Heart health : Another name for violet is hearts-ease. It has been used for the physical and emotional heart for thousands of years. Violet is high in a constituent called rutin. Rutin strengthens capillaries, prevents platelet aggregation, and is anti-inflammatory. The alkaloids found in Sweet Violet have vasolidating effects, causing blood vessels to relax, allowing the blood to flow easier. This helps to decrease blood pressure, which is another well known contributory factor to heart disease.
- Headaches and stress : Violet essential oil has comforting and calming properties and can be used to help ease a number of conditions. It is said to be able to ease headaches and migraines as well as dizziness, anxiety and nervous exhaustion.
- Insomnia : Try diffusing violet essential oil near your bed at night; there is no guarantee that it will be effective but many people have reported success and unlike pharmaceutical drugs, there is no absolutely harm in trying.
- Cancer : studies shows that extract of V. odorata can inhibit growth tumor and reduce the metastatic rate in the lungs and liver and also can affect antioxidant enzyme activity and apoptosis in breast cancer. Consequently, V. odorata extract may be considered as a potential therapeutic agent in breast cancer. Further studies are useful to clarify molecular mechanisms of V. odorata on treatment of breast cancer.
