This winter has been a harsh one; snow-filled, cold, wet, and grey. Not a whole lot of sunshine. However, the sun is shining bright today! The snow is blinding, the sky is blue (almost forgot that was true) and you can almost start to let yourself believe that spring might actually arrive one day. Winter will end, but until it does… how nice would it be if we could capture a bit of this sunshine, infuse it in some hot water, add honey and sip on some rays? Well, crank up the kettle, because we’re about to brew up some “herbal sunshine”.
CALENDULA OFFICINALIS : Herbal Sunshine
By: Dr. Richard Vuksinic, ND
Garden marigold is bright orange-yellow, and this beautiful flower dances in the garden right up until first frost. It brings a nice pop of colour to any browning autumn vegetable garden. Referred to as the “herb of the sun” by some herbalists, Calendula flower opens with first light, and closes at dusk. When scattered throughout the garden, it looks like little bits of the sun, shining up from the soil. The name Calendula comes from the Latin word “calens”, or “the first day of each month”. This flowers blooms so consistently during the summer months that it was believed to bloom like clockwork, on the first of each month.
Calendula is easy to grow, fun to harvest and simple to prepare.
Give Me Some Skin
Calendula is a top notch skin remedy. As a vulnerary (wound healing) and anti-microbial herb Calendula is well equipped for the treatment of any number of skin issues. It is one of my first choices in preparing herbal salves for the treatment of scrapes, wounds, cuts, stings and bites. As the “herb of the sun” it is also great for treating sunburn (though no worries about that happening at this time of year).
From Type-Cast Skin Herb to Deep Acting Plant Medicine
Calendula officinalis is such a great wound healing remedy that its other healing actions are often overshadowed by its prominence as a skin remedy. It has totally been type-cast as a skin herb, with good reason. I mean, there’s a reason why everyone thinks of Robert DeNiro as a mobster; he kills it in the God Father. Same with Calendula; forever a skin remedy, because she does it well. Stepping out of her role as a wound healing herb, though, we find that she can perform on a number of stages.
Where “Herb of the Sun” Also Shines!
Calendula is an under-rated lymphatic remedy, and a helpful immune system remedy. The lymphatic system and the immune system are two closely related physiological systems. The immune system is the body’s defense against infectious pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi etc… It works to keep these harmful agents out of the body and attacks those that manage to enter.
The lymphatic system is a system of capillaries, vessels, nodes and other organs that transport a fluid called lymph from the tissues as it returns to the bloodstream. The lymphatic tissue of these organs filters and cleans the lymph of any debris, abnormal cells, or pathogens left behind by the immune system.
The lymphatic system is an often neglected system, even in many holistic models of healthcare. You can’t have healthy immune function without a healthy lymphatic system. If the lymphatic system becomes stagnant, then the potential for symptoms and disease processes, such as swollen glands, breast cysts, intestinal bloating, allergies and certain types of cancer, increases.
In the words of Medical Herbalist Paul Bergner:
“Calendula acts to mobilize white blood cells, stimulate lymphatic drainage, decrease inflammation of the lymph nodes, and generally support lymphatic circulation.
It is the lymph draining actions of Calendula that make her a welcome addition to anyone’s winter medicine cabinet or kitchen.
PREPARATIONS: BREW YOUR SELF A CUP OF SUNSHINE
Dried Calendula flower tea is the simplest way to prepare this plant medicine. Simply add 1/2-1 tsp of dried flower to a cup of hot water and let steep for 3-4 minutes. It does have a mildly bitter flavour, so a bit of honey might be welcome. I often just add a pinch of pedals into my green tea or herbal chai. Brewing a cup of sunshine will impart a warming and drying action that can benefit a stagnant lymphatic system, AND the vulnerary action can also be very soothing to the gut.
You can also brighten up your winter soups by adding a sprinkle of flower pedals before serving.
Enjoy your cup o’ sunshine!
*oh, and please note. I don’t think winter actually sucks… this one is just feeling a bit long…
REFERENCES
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Wood, Matthew. Book of Herbal Wisdom.
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De la Foret, Rosalee. Calendula Monograph. https://herbmentor.learningherbs.com/herb/calendula/#marker-416-11 accessed February 12th, 2018.
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Herbal-pedia-calendula. Accessed Feb 10, 2018 from herbmentor.com
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Amirghofran, Z, M Azadbakht, and M H Karimi. “Evaluation of the Immunomodulatory Effects of Five Herbal Plants.” Journal of ethnopharmacology 72, no. 1-2 (2000): 167-72.