Difference between revisions of "Ironwort"
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[[File:Sideritis syriaca.jpg|thumb|350px|left|Sideritis syriaca]] | [[File:Sideritis syriaca.jpg|thumb|350px|left|Sideritis syriaca]] | ||
| − | Other Names : | + | Other Names : Sideritis syriaca, Mountain tea, Shepherd's tea<br>The ancient Greek philosopher Hippocrates, called the father of modern medicine, hailed mountain tea for its benefits to the immune system and the respiratory system. Greek mountain tea is a generic term used in the Greek isles, Turkey and bordering countries to refer to any tea made from a great variety of wild growing herbs in the Sideritis family. The most commonly used species are syriaca, clandestina, italica, caesarea, raeseri and euboea, which contain essential oils and more than 60 other compounds, including saponine, flavonoids and iron. |
==Special Precautions of Ironwort== | ==Special Precautions of Ironwort== | ||
==Benefits and uses of Ironwort are== | ==Benefits and uses of Ironwort are== | ||
Revision as of 13:40, 19 October 2019
Other Names : Sideritis syriaca, Mountain tea, Shepherd's tea
The ancient Greek philosopher Hippocrates, called the father of modern medicine, hailed mountain tea for its benefits to the immune system and the respiratory system. Greek mountain tea is a generic term used in the Greek isles, Turkey and bordering countries to refer to any tea made from a great variety of wild growing herbs in the Sideritis family. The most commonly used species are syriaca, clandestina, italica, caesarea, raeseri and euboea, which contain essential oils and more than 60 other compounds, including saponine, flavonoids and iron.
Special Precautions of Ironwort
Benefits and uses of Ironwort are
Very popular in Greece, Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia, the plant is used as a herb either for the preparation of tisanes, or for its aromatic properties in local cuisines. The tisane is commonly prepared by decoction, by boiling the stems, leaves and flowers in a pot of water, then often serving with honey and lemon. Greek mountain tea is popular in the Mediterranean region and used as a tonic for a variety of health complaints, from colds to upset stomachs. The Sideritis family of tea plants from which the tea is made have been studied in the lab to investigate potential health benefits. The research is promising, particularly due to antioxidant properties in the tea and the tea's ability to treat ulcers.
- Ironwort has been traditionally used to aid digestion, strengthen the immune system and suppress common cold, the flu and other viruses, allergies and shortness of breath, sinus congestion, even pain and mild anxiety.
- Antibacterial : The essential oils in Sideritis italica were investigated for their antibacterial properties in a Naples, Italy, study published in the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology" in 2006. The Sideritis oil extracts were effective at reducing or killing 18 types of bacteria in vitro, including salmonella and H. pylori, the type of bacteria that causes ulcers.
- Antioxidants : Scientists at the University of Patras in Greece published a report in April 2011 in the "Journal of Medicinal Food" concerning the antioxidants found in Sideritis clandestina. Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the harmful effects of free radicals in your body. The study showed that a solution of 4 percent Greek mountain tea increased the total antioxidant power of the midbrain in mice by 72 percent.
- Cancer : Sideritis caesarea was studied in Turkey for its effects on cancer, with results published in March 2011 in the "British Journal of Nutrition." The results from using the Sideritis caesarea on rats led the researchers to conclude that constituents in the tea protected chemical-induced oxidative injury that may result in the development of cancer.
- Gastrointestinal Disorders : Several studies, including three using Sideritis caesarea, Sideritis syriaca and Sideritis raeseri, have found significant protective effects of the tea herbs against gastrointestinal disorders, particularly ulcers. The first, published in 2005 in the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology," included caesarea in a list of plants with gastric protection against ulcers, while the second, published the same year in the "Journal of Medicinal Food," showed that syriaca was able to prevent gastric bleeding, pain and ulcers in laboratory mice. The third study was published in the "Journal of Medicinal Food" in May 2011 and demonstrated that Sideritis raeseri was helpful in preventing intestinal spasms and could be beneficial for various gastrointestinal disorders.
- Osteoporosis : The aqueous extracts derived from Sideritis euboea and Sideritis clandestina were able to promote the actions of bone-forming cells called osteoblasts, in a study reported in 2004 in the "Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry." This result, combined with research published in April 2011 in the journal "Menopause" indicating Sideritis euboea promoted bone mineral density and strength, shows that Greek mountain tea herbs may play a role in preventing osteoporosis.
