herbal treasure chest : meadowsweet

meadowsweet (filipendula ulmaria)

how to grow:

Meadowsweet is a perennial that is hardy in US zones 3-9. I bought meadowsweet plants to get started.

medicinal properties and other uses:

The white flowers of meadowsweet contain salicylic acid, the same chemical that is the primary ingredient in aspirin. Whenever I have a headache I brew myself some meadowsweet tea and the headaches are gone within a short time. It has the same ingredient as aspirin but without the bad side effects on the stomach. Aspirin can cause gastric bleeding while meadowsweet is very gentle.
In fact meadowsweet is even good for the stomach as it can relieve stomach acidity and gently restores your digestive tract.
Meadowsweet is used for treating heartburn, gastritis and peptic ulceration. (A peptic ulcer is a sore on the lining of your stomach, small intestine or esophagus.)
It is anti-rheumatic and anti-inflammatory.
Meadowsweet tea can also be used as an eyewash for irritated eyes.

Between June and August when the flowers have fully opened you can collect the flowers and dry them at a temperature below 40°C.
To prepare a tea or infusion pour boiling water into a cup filled with 1-2 teaspoons of the dried herb and let it steep for 10-15 minutes.

A decoction of meadowsweet can be used to treat nervous disorders such as hysteria, neurosis and hypertension. It can also help with inflammatory disorders of the kidney and bladder. It is recommended to take 1 tablespoon (15ml) of the decoction 3 times daily after meals.
To prepare a decoction you take 5g of meadowsweet root and put it into 500ml of hot water. Let it simmer for 30 minutes, strain it and add the hot water again.

cautions and possible side effects:

Don't use meadowsweet with children under 18 years old. Aspirin can cause brain swellings in kids. There are no studies done on meadowsweet so we don't know if it has the same effect or not but it is always better to be on safe

If you can't take aspirin you shouldn't take meadowsweet either.

references:

The Herbal Handbook: A User's Guide to Medical Herbalism by David Hoffmann, ( Healing Arts Press; 3rd Edition, Revised Edition of The Herb User's Guide edition (Feb. 1 1998), ISBN-13: 978-0892817825)
A Russian Herbal: Traditional Remedies for Health and Healing by Igor Vilevich Zevin, (Healing Arts Press (1997),ISBN-13: 978-0892815494)
20,000 Secrets of Tea: The Most Effective Ways to Benefit from Nature's Healing Herbs by Victoria Zak, (Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc (Dec 1 1999), ISBN-13: 978-0440235293)