The Medicinal Uses of Parsley

Disclaimer. I am not a licensed health practitioner. This is just another post on knowledge and understanding you might wish to acquire in advance of a disaster in case no higher care is available. As long as our society is functioning, you should leave anything more substantial than applying a Band-Aid to the professionals. No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician. Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care. 


Whenever I think of parsley, it reminds me of going to dinner at Bob's Big Boy restaurant near our home in Southern California.  Of course, as a kid I never actually ate it.  But after learning how nutritious it is, I guess I should have.  Unfortunately, while there are some medicinal and health uses for the parsley leaves, most of the medicinal value is in the seeds and the roots.

Parsley has traditionally been used to treat the following conditions:

• urinary tract diseases--UTIs, kidney stones, gout; 
• gall stones;
• amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea;
• bone fractures;
• bruises;
• insect bites and stings;
• allergies and hives.

PARSLEY LEAVES

When to harvest:  Fresh parsley is harvested as soon as you're ready to start eating it.  The leaves are used fresh as seasoning or garnishes, or dried for seasoning to use later.  Parsley leaves are best eaten during the first year, because in the second year all the energy goes to stem, flower, and seed development, and the leaves are small and bitter.  Parsley leaves may also be frozen or dehydrated for future use.

Fresh eating:  One half cup of fresh parsley provides over 500% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin K (which helps the body absorb calcium), and over 50% of the RDA of vitamin C.  Parsley inhibits the secretion of histamine, which is beneficial in dealing with environmental allergies and hives.


Poultice: Fresh parsley leaves crushed and applied (repeatedly, if desired) to a bruise helps hasten the disappearance of black-and-blue marks. The crushed leaves have also been used to treat tumors and insect bites and stings.

PARSLEY ROOTS AND SEEDS


When to harvest: The roots and seeds are collected in the second year of growth, in September, after the plant has flowered.

Infusion: Put two teaspoons of the dried leaves or the root, or one teaspoon of the crushed seeds in a cup and add one cup boiling water.  Let steep for 10 minutes and then strain. The usual recommendation is up to three cups daily.  To treat kidney stones, bladder infections, and edema, make at least two quarts of a strong infusion and drink one-half to one full cup every hour. It is reported that German physicians prescribe an infusion made from the seeds to reduce high blood pressure.

Tincture:

• Dried root:  Prepare a tincture of the dried root in a 1:5 weight to volume ratio using 40-60% alcohol.  The recommended dosage is 30-60 drops, up to three times per day, and mixed in water to drink.
• Seeds:  Prepare a tincture of the seeds in a 1:4 ratio using 40-60% alcohol.  The recommended dosage is 15-30 drops, up to three times per day, mixed in water to drink. 
• Use this tincture to treat the same conditions as for the infusion above.

Essential oil: Parsley essential oil is most commonly produced from the seeds.  Add a few drops to a bath or dilute in a carrier oil and rub on the stomach area for relief from gastrointestinal complaints such as gas, constipation, bloating, indigestion, and nausea. 


Contraindications:  Not to be used internally in medicinal quantities by small children or pregnant women.  Culinary use is fine for both groups.

Other uses:  Large quantities are used to treat foot rot in sheep.

For further reading:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24660617
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10615220  (reduces antioxidants)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19325799 (cancer prevention)
https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/archivos_pdf/apigenin-prevents-cancer-parsley.pdf  (cancer prevention)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11849841  (diuretic)
http://articles.herballegacy.com/parsley/  (kidneys, UTIs, kidney stones, gall stones)