Effect:
invigorating, calming, blood purifying, detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, emollient, fever-reducing, diuretic, heart-strengthening, cooling, nerve-strengthening, soothing, expectorant, diaphoretic
Areas of application:
Neurodermatitis, cleansing and tightening of the skin, as a stimulation of the nervous system, clears the brain and strengthens the mind, cough, hoarseness, bronchial problems, fever, attacks of weakness with palpitations, fatigue, strained eyes, menopause
Depression, eczema, skin rashes, nervous weakness, nervous heart problems, rheumatism, insomnia, poorly healing wounds, constipation, in childhood diseases such as rubella, scarlet fever, measles
Plant parts used:
Leaves, flowers
Collection time:
June August
To find:
garden plant
Ingredients:
Mucus, starch, tannin, essential oil, asparagine, silica, resins, vitamin C, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, saponins
Miscellaneous:
☕ Tea: 2 teaspoons of herb are poured with 1/4 liter of boiling water and drunk after 10 minutes of steeping. 2 to 3 cups daily are sufficient.
The tea should not be taken for longer than 3 weeks, you should take a longer break and then start again and it goes on like this.
The entire borage plant is covered in stiff white hairs. The stems are round, branched, hollow and succulent. The plant grows to a height of around 1.50 m. The deep green leaves are alternate, wrinkled, oval and pointed. Each is approximately 7.5cm long and approximately 3.75cm wide. The lower leaves have tiny hairs on the upper surface and on the veins on the underside. The leaf edges are wavy, but have entire margins. The flowers are bright blue and star-shaped, with showy black anthers. These form a cone in the middle called a beauty spot. The flowers start pink and then turn blue and hang in clusters. Four brown-black nuts emerge from the flowers.
🛑 It is also important to mention that borage leaves and borage flowers contain a small amount of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (as in coltsfoot), which in large quantities have a liver-damaging and perhaps carcinogenic effect, at least this has been shown in animal experiments. As with all plants, one should not overuse it. Always the 3 weeks and then a longer break... But this only applies to internal use. However, people with liver disease should not take borage in any form. Pregnant women should also avoid taking borage. In some people, the plant causes skin inflammation (dermatitis). People with schizophrenia or epilepsy should avoid using borage.
Borage is also called cucumber herb because the leaves taste just like a cucumber. It is best to use the young borage leaves for salads, sauces, fish dishes and for pickling cucumbers. Older leaves can be added to chard or spinach to improve the taste and make the color more intense.
The flowers can be used as an edible embellishment on salads.
The cooling, loosening effect makes it an important spring herb that should definitely be included in the spring treatment. Just 1 small, young leaf a day is enough.
The seeds contain large amounts of fatty oil, especially gamma-linolenic acid. It is suitable for the care of sensitive, easily irritable skin. Recently there has been good experience with neurodermatitis, both externally and internally. The reason may be that neurodermatitis sufferers cannot produce gamma-linolenic acid on their own due to an enzyme defect, so the high content in borage is just right.
Borage is the most famous magical heart herb. Even in ancient times, Pliny said that it made everyone happy and content.
Hildegard von Bingen: Blessed boragen flowers may be happily used in food and drink. They awaken the despondent, sad person to joy. The herb, cooked and eaten, is good for the sick liver.