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Do you ever wonder what people used to do for the common pains of flu, rheumatism, arthritis, fevers, not to mention, headaches, before there was such a thing as aspirin? Well, they turned to plants for relief, of course.
Meadowsweet, filipendula ulmaria, was one of those plants. In fact, meadowsweet is known as the original “plant aspirin.” The creamy-white flowers were found to contain salicylic acid, in the 1830’s, the same compound that had been extracted from willow bark, because it was found to be an anti-inflammatory and analgesic. And by the 1890s, a German drug company called Bayer had even patented the results of the findings!
Meadowsweet is a hardy perennial that can grow as tall as 6 feet. Introduced to America from Europe, meadowsweet can now be found growing wild from Newfoundland south to West Virginia and west to Ohio, in damp ditches, marshes and moist woods. With irregular pinnate leaves and oval, toothed leaflets, meadowseet’s creamy flowers have a pleasant almondy, or a slightly “aspirin-like” smell, and bloom from June through September.
Meadowsweet is collected when in bloom, and the whole plant is used by herbalists, including the roots. The plant is a mild analgesic, antacid, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, antiseptic, astringent, diaphoretic, and diuretic.
Some herbalists believe that meadowsweet is a superior plant remedy for hyper-acidity and heartburn, and is also helpful with peptic ulcers and gastritis. Urinary infections also benefit from meadowsweet, and because the plant has a high tannin content, giving it an astringent action, it is also effective in treating diarrhea.
In the past, meadowsweet was used the same way we use aspirin these days. But unlike aspirin, meadowsweet does not irritate the gastric lining, and is in fact, soothing and calming to the digestive tract. However, people sensitive to salicylates, and those who can not take aspirin, should also avoid meadowsweet.
But for common aches and pains, meadowsweet tea is a pleasant, and effective remedy! Always check wtih your doctor before taking any herbal supplements.
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