Description
Description
This is truly an ancient herb that has been used in medicine and food for thousands of years. In Iraq, 60,000-year-old Neanderthal burial caves contain fossilized yarrow pollen. There are many mentions of Yarrow throughout history. For example, according to Greek legend, Achilles’ mother doused him in yarrow tea as soon as he was born while holding him by the ankle. The only area that the yarrow bath had missed when he passed away as the Trojan War’s champion was an ankle wound.
This gave rise to the Greek name “Achillea millefolium” for yarrow. Yarrow also has a long history in ancient China, where 64 Yarrow stick bundles have been used for millennia to decipher the I Ching’s hexagrams. The Native Americans used it for all sorts of things: reducing pain, relieving fever, and aiding restful sleep.
Yarrow’s magical application is related to controlling the energetic flow in the body since it appears to help with the physical flow of the body’s most vital substance, blood. Yarrow has a long history of use as an emergency medicine in battles, earning it the names “Herbal Militaris” and “Soldier’s Woundwort.” Yarrow was utilized to treat pain, inflammation, infections, and spasms in addition to its unrivalled capacity to stop blood flow. Before the advent of antibiotics, it was commonly used to aid in the healing of wounds and prevent infections.
Modern science has confirmed the wound-healing properties of this ancient root. According to studies, yarrow leaf extract and ointment may speed up the healing process.
Some studies suggest that yarrow tea may help with digestive issues such as IBS and ulcers.
It has also been researched in relation to depression. Studies show that the hormone corticosterone, which is elevated during prolonged stress, is secreted less when plant-based alkaloids, such as those in yarrow tea, are consumed.
We are learning more about this herb in relation to brain health, yarrow may lessen the symptoms of some brain diseases like epilepsy, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis.