Common vervain health benefits and therapeutic value

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Medicinal verbena or Verbena officinalis is an odorless herbaceous perennial plant found along pathways in Europe and Asia that has been known and used since Greek and Roman times for its health benefits and therapeutic value.

• Read also: how to grow common vervain

Health benefits of common vervain

Long considered a magical plant with supernatural powers – this gave it another lay name, “wizard’s herb” – common vervain is mainly used today for its soothing properties and its effective action on the digestive functions.

• Thanks to its action on digestive juice, common vervain infusions prepared from 1 oz (30 g) plant material for 1 quart (1 liter) boiling water) opens up your appetite and enhances digestion. Effective against difficult digestion, stomach pain and diarrhea, it also helps reduce the drowsiness that usually indicates troubled digestion.

• An anti-inflammatory and analgesic, common vervain is effective against headaches, rheumatism and joint pain.

• Common vervain has relaxing and soothing effects. It reduces stress and anxiety and helps fall asleep.

• When used for mouthwash, common vervain treats small mouth wounds and ulcers.

• Topical use of common common vervain decoction (1 ½ oz (50 g) plant mass for 1 quart (1 liter) water) has been shown to be very effective on skin lesions: rear-end or solar plexus erythema, crevasses, chapped lips and skin and insect bites. A compress doused with this decoction also treats sprains, light contusions and bruises.

Growing common vervain for its health benefits

• Common vervain is a hardy plant that loves hot, sunny spots and grows easily on light soil, rather poor but cool in summer.
• The only true enemies of common vervain are slugs which are dreadful in spring.

• Common vervain, on the other hand, repels caterpillars such as the white cabbage butterfly.

• Read also: how to grow common vervain

Cooking with common vervain for its health benefits

Verbena as herbal tea is only one of the many ways to use it for its digestive and soothing properties. You can use fresh common vervain leaves when cooking up your meats and vegetables, and also as a marinade or for your desserts. It will ease digestion and help fall asleep.