Angelica, archangelica, garden angelica. ID: 680-41

Angelica (Angelica archangelica) is a perennial herb that has been cultivated since antiquity. In Northern Europe, the plant has been used as medicine and food since at least the 10th century.

The plant belongs to the parsley family, with large leaves, and umbrellas of white or greenish-white flowers the size of a grapefruit and bright green stems that are sometimes colored purple. Angeliki is unique in the parsley family for its aromatic smell, different from fennel, parsley, anise or cumin. It has been compared to a calf or a juniper.

Use

Digestive:

Angeliki is a warm, decongestant, aromatic and bitter herb. Widely used as a digestive aid, it appears in traditional aperitif formulas. Helps stimulate appetite and facilitates indigestion, bloating and gas.

The herb is also used to fight slow liver.

Menstruation:

The root helps to stimulate circulation, thus relieving period cramps, warming, relaxing, decongesting and stimulating blood flow. It can also cause menstruation to be delayed. For this purpose, combine angelica with hibiscus flower and rose petal. The benefits of circulation also offer it for the treatment of migraine.

Respiratory:

Angeliki has an expectorant effect on the lungs and can soothe and cure asthma, cough, bronchitis and the symptoms of colds or flu.

Historically, it has also been used to treat bladder infections and rheumatic diseases.

As a hot tea, it will reduce fever.

Gastrointestinal:

In German pediatric medicine, angelica root is often used to treat gastrointestinal disorders.

Antiviral:

A paper in Food and Chemical Toxicology states that angelica has antiviral ingredients that can help fight herpes simplex 1 and Coxsackievirus B3.

Anxiety:

A recent Chinese study found that angelica has an anti-anxiety effect comparable to Valium.

Side effects

Angelica may not be safe when taken orally during pregnancy. It is suggested that angelica can cause uterine contractions and this could threaten pregnancy.