Yarrow - For Liver, digestion, Cold & Flu and Menstrual Discomforts

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Yarrow's botanical name indicates its legendary use by Achilles during the Trojan War to stop bleeding on his fellow soldiers. The species name millefolium and a common vernacular name, milfoil, means "thousand leaves," describing yarrow's many feathery, fernlike leaves. The plant is a common perennial native to Europe and Asia but is now also found growing throughout much of temperate North America. Herbal preparations are derived from the leaves, stems, and delicate white flowertops. Yarrow has long been used not only topically but internally to treat fevers, menstrual discomforts, colds and flu, and other conditions. Some evidence suggests that yarrow's medicinal use may even go back tens of thousands of years to the Neanderthals of the Middle Paleolithic. In ancient China it played a unique cultural role: sages cast dried yarrow stems to consult the I Ching.

Traditional uses

Yarrow's traditional use to stop bleeding and promote wound healing by the Chinese and others is evident from some of its nicknames: nosebleed, bloodwort, and soldier's woundwort (wort means plant in Old English). Native Americans used a related yarrow species native to North America, and today this species is also used in Hispanic folk medicine of the Southwest. Native American tribes were also quick to adopt the Eurasian species when introduced to it by the early colonists. As a tea yarrow was taken to induce sweating and lower a fever. It was also used to treat colds and flu, diarrhea, headaches, high blood pressure, menstrual discomforts, and liver disease. In addition to wounds it was used topically for hemorrhoids, frostbite, and tooth trauma. Yarrow is also a traditional stomach tonic and digestive aid.

Modern uses

Yarrow remains a popular herb with internal and external applications. It is often combined with other herbs in formulas to alleviate colds and sore throat and to reduce fevers. Many modern herbalists continue to use it as a topical first-aid remedy for minor injuries such as burns, cuts, and bruises. Herbalists also prescribe it internally to relieve pain and inflammation associated with menstrual and intestinal conditions. Women find it can help relieve cramps and control menstrual bleeding. Yarrow can stimulate digestion and act as a remedy for indigestion and heartburn. It may be useful against allergies. Yarrow's mild sedative properties may prevent insomnia. Yarrow may also help to prevent or treat:

lack of appetite	diarrhea	gallbladder conditions
urinary infections	peptic ulcer

Product Recommendations

2 capsules provides 650 mg. of pure Yarrow Flowers

Recent findings

Yarrow has not attracted much recent research in the West, with the latest Medline citations as of mid-1999 being in the early 1990s.

Japanese researchers isolated and identified three new anti-tumor compounds from yarrow. Tests done on mice showed that the compounds were active against certain types of leukemia cells.

Scientists excavating a Neanderthal grave in Iraq found the remains of various flowers, including a type of yarrow, and concluded that the herbs could have been intentionally selected for their "considerable therapeutic effects with marked medical activity."

Do scientists know how it works?

Plant chemists have identified a complex mixture of more than 100 biologically active compounds in yarrow. The leaves and flowertops in particular contain a volatile oil with medicinal properties. Components of this essential oil include borneol, camphor, and eugenol. As does chamomile, another plant in the daisy family, most yarrow subspecies' oil also has high amounts of azulenes. These include chamazulene, which colors the oil blue and has been shown to be anti-inflammatory. Yarrow also contains tannins that may account for its power as an astringent and antiseptic. The alkaloid achilleine checks bleeding. Alkamides, coumarins, and flavonoids such as apigenin and rutin in yarrow may also interact with other compounds to help reduce inflammation and relax smooth muscles. Other constituents of yarrow include bitter compounds, sterols, lactones, and betaine.

Types of products

Yarrow is available in capsules, liquid extracts, tea bags, and bulk tea. It is a common ingredient in formulas for cold and flu, respiratory and lung, circulation, and inflammation.

Safety

Skin rashes and allergic reactions are possible from topical applications or from long-term use. Always thoroughly wash a wound before applying a yarrow product to prevent the herb from stopping the bloodflow so quickly that dirt gets sealed in. Some herbalists suggest avoiding yarrow's use during pregnancy, although no related problems have been documented.

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References
Lietava, J., "Medicinal plants in a Middle Paleolithic grave Shanidar IV?" J Ethnopharmacol (1992), 35(3):263-66

Tozyo, T., et al., "Novel antitumor sesquiterpenoids in Achillea millefolium," Chem Pharm Bull (1994), 42(5):1096-100

Abstracts
Title: Medicinal plants in a Middle Paleolithic grave Shanidar IV?
Author: Lietava J
Address: Medical Faculty Hospital, Medical Faculty of Comenius University, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia.
Source: J Ethnopharmacol, 35(3):263-6 1992 Jan
Abstract: This paper deals with phytopharmacological evaluation of the therapeutic potential of the plants found in the Neanderthal grave of a Shanidar IV individual (Iraq), where the palynological analysis of some other authors discovered the following flowers: Achillea-type, Centaurea solstitialis, Senecio-type, Muscari-type, Ephedra altissima, Althea-type. The purpose of our theoretical analysis was to evaluate the objective healing activity of the flowers. The result of the research revealed that Shanidar IV flowers possess considerable therapeutic effects with marked medical activity, which could be an intentional reason for the selection of the flowers in Middle Paleolithic Shanidar Neanderthals.
Language: Eng
Unique Identifier: 92194762
MESH Headings: Human; Paleontology *; Plants, Medicinal *
Publication Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE; REVIEW; REVIEW, TUTORIAL
ISSN: 0378-8741
Country of Publication: SWITZERLAND

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