Goldenrod – Uses & Health Benefits

Gold rods

The goldenrod attracts attention in late summer with its profusely growing yellow flowers. Medicine uses them mainly for complaints of the kidney-bladder apparatus. The pretty herb is undemanding and grows in large numbers along roadsides, in sparse forests, on dry forest meadows and clear cuts. The eye-catching golden-yellow flowers shine in all their glory even when the midsummer plants have already faded.

Definition and Occurrence

The goldenrod belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae) and is listed under the scientific name Solidago virgaurea. The medicinal plant grows on acidic or calcareous soils and is native to Europe and North Africa. Canadian goldenrod is more common than true goldenrod, but has the same mode of action.

Real goldenrods reach a height of one meter, whereby the stems are upright and not branched except in the upper part of the flower. A plant has numerous yellow flower heads in a raceme-like arrangement. They are lanceolate in shape. The flower fruit is four millimeters in size and has a pappus (hair wreath).

Another species is the giant golden rod, which can reach a height of 2.5 meters. Their flower heads are smaller than those of the goldenrod and the Canadian goldenrod. Giant goldenrod and Canadian goldenrod are native to North America and have been naturalized (neophyte) in Europe. The goldenrod herb is also known under the popular names heavenly fire, healing wound herb, golden wound herb, rod of St. Peter and power healing herb. The flowering herb is collected from July to October.

Ingredients, effect and dosage

Essential oils , tannins , bitter substances, saponins , mono- and bidesmosidic triterpene saponins, phenolic glycosides, flavonoids (quercetin, glycosides , kaempferol, isoquercetin), polysaccharides and inulin act as ingredients . The medicinal plant has an astringent, blood-purifying, diuretic and [[anti-inflammatory|anti-inflammatory] effect. Goldenrod is used for cystitis, intestinal inflammation, diarrhea, disorders of the urinary system, kidney disease, kidney stones, kidney stones, flatulence, diabetes, edema, dropsy, rheumatism, gout, dry cough, inflammation of the mucous membranes in the throat and insect bites.For symptoms that indicate a bladder infection, the goldenrod works as a ready-made preparation or tea mixture . The interaction of the different ingredients, which mainly have an aquaretic (water-driving) effect, is responsible for the healing effect of the plant. They stimulate the kidneys to excrete more water. The urinary tract is flushed and germs are excreted.

Due to the increased water excretion, however, the user must be careful to drink plenty of fluids. In the case of degenerative joint pain, goldenrod is combined with ash and poplar and has a blood-purifying effect against rheumatic pain. Whether goldenrod is effective in treating kidney and bladder stones has not been scientifically proven. The proven mode of action is in the treatment of inflammation in the kidney and bladder apparatus. It always exists when there are positive clinical studies for the therapy in question.

Furthermore, the determined mode of action must be documented by at least one authoritative evaluation organization such as WHO, Commission E, ESCOP or HMPC. In some areas there are only empirical values ​​from convinced users and laboratory values. These include gout, gum ulcers, inflammation of the mouth and throat, edema, swollen legs, irritable bladder and urinary tract problems.

Unsafe uses include chronic eczema and rashes, blood purification, candida, hemorrhoids, suppurating wounds and phlebitis. The most commonly used are the true goldenrod and the giant goldenrod. Prepared as a kidney and bladder tea, these two types of goldenrod are often combined with horsetail and birch leaves . The bright yellow herb is also available in dry and fluid extract form. The natural plant substances are concentrated in finished preparations in tablet form.

Goldenrod herbs are the first choice for urinary tract infections. However, it is important to consult a doctor if symptoms such as burning when urinating , abdominal pain and blood in the urine do not improve after a few days. The recommended daily dose of goldenrod herb is five to six grams. Per cup of tea, 0.5 to three grams of dried herbs are used. Liquid extracts contain up to 25 percent ethanol. The recommended daily dose is 0.5 ml to 2 ml three times a day. Goldenrod tinctures contain up to 45 percent ethanol. The daily dose is 0.5 ml to 1 ml in a mixing ratio of 1:5 with water.

What do goldenrods help against?

importance to health

The goldenrod is harmless as a medicinal plant because it is not poisonous and shows no side effects. The flowering herb can be collected and processed independently. However, there is also a contraindication for this medicinal plant: people who suffer from water retention in the body ( edema ) that can be traced back to a functional disorder of the kidneys or cardiac insufficiency should not use teas and finished preparations made from goldenrod herb. Although goldenrod has shown antimicrobial activity in laboratory tests, it is still not a suitable antifungal, since its active ingredient Virgaureasaponin 1 has a toxic effect on the mucosal cells. An antibacterial effect has not been scientifically proven either.

Goldenrod has a diverse cocktail of effects on health, with an interaction between the signaling molecules responsible for the inflammatory cascades and the flavonoids in the plant. Antibiotic effects have been demonstrated in the laboratory.Experimental laboratory tests suggest that the ingredients in goldenrod can also act against cancer cells. Since there are no clinical studies, these laboratory results are not secured. Commission E supports the use of all three species of goldenrod.

Dorothy Farrar

Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.

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