What is Calendula?
Calendula bright yellow and orange flowers are used for the various medicinal purposes. The common names of the calendula plant are corn marigold, desert marigold, gold bloom, garden marigold etc. The whole plant including flower has various health benefits such as in inflammation of the skin, control bleeding, acne, eye care, chronic ulcer, jaundice, and wound healing. The plant is native of Southern Europe. It’s an annual and perennial plant with the smooth, waxy and glandular stem.
Marigold is a small hairy herb growing up to the height of 80cm. The flowers of marigold cultivated all over India in a temperate climate for its decorative purposes. Flowers and leaves of calendula are also used as a coloring agent. The leaves are spirally arranged, hairy, simple and 5-18 cm in length.
Classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
- Super Division: Spermatophyta
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Subclass: Asteridae
- Order: Asterales
- Family: Asteraceae
- Genus: Calendula
- Species: Calendula officinalis
What are the Chemical Constituents of Calendula Officinalis?
Calendula officinalis contains numbers of essential chemical constituents such as Limonene oil, ocimene, Linalool, linalyl acetate, tegetone and n-nonyl aldehyde. The flower of plant rich in lutein esters of dipalmitate, monomyristate, and dimyristate. Petals of the plant contain hydroxyflavones and tagetin. Calendula also a good source of Quinones (plastoquinone, phylloquinone, α-tocopherol, and ubiquinone). Saponins, triterpendiol ester, and flavonoids are also present in different parts of the marigold plant.
What are the Medicinal Properties of Calendula Officinalis?
- Rasa (Taste): Kashaya (astringent), Tikta (bitter)
- Guna (qualities): Ruksha (dry in nature), Laghu (light for digestion)
- Vipaka: Katu (After digestion undergoes pungent taste)
- Veerya (potency): Sheet (cold)
- Karma (Actions): Helps in reduction of vitiated kapha and pitta dosha.
- Part used: Leaf and flower.
Other Names
- Hindi Name: Gendha, Genda Phool
- English name: African marigold, Mexican marigold, Aztec marigold
- Gujarathi name: Galaghoto
- Bengali name: Genda
- Marathi name: Ghenda
- Telugu name: Bantin Puvuu
- Parsi name: Gulhazara
- Nepalese name: Sayapatri
- Kannada name: Chendu huvu, Chenduhoovu
- Malayalam name: Chendu malli
- Latin name: Tagetes erecta Linn.
- Nepalese name: Sayapatri
What are the Indications of Calendula Flower?
- Inflammation
- Eye care
- Acne
- Jaundice
- Sprain
- Small-pox
- Wound
- Insect bite
- Calendula for an ear infection
- Vaginal yeast infection
What are the Health Benefits of Calendula Officinalis?
1. For Skin
Due to its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties the herb promotes the fast healing and also helps in regeneration of skin. The anti-inflammatory properties of calendula flower used in medicinal preparation for the treatment of rashes, sunburn and minor cuts in the skin. The flower of plants contains a great restorative property which makes your skin hydrated and heals the skin damages.
2. Improves Oral Health
Calendula has great antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. These properties are helpful to prevent the tooth from various microbial and bacterial infections in the gums. It’s a popular additive, due to which it helps to reduce the inflammation and fight against the cavities, plaque, and gingivitis. The herb also acts as an astringent, which promote the healthy oral environment.
3. Treat ulcer, wounds, and hemorrhoids
Calendula contains numbers of chemical constituents which plays important role in health benefits. The various studies on calendula flower have been shown that it heals the various exposed ulcer and wound in humans. The natural chemicals in calendula can maintain the flow of blood in the wound and infected areas, which heals the wound more rapidly. The herbal tea of calendula flowers is very helpful for internal duodenal and gastric ulcer. Due to the increased flow of oxygen and blood to the infected areas and wound, the body grows new tissues.
4. Ease muscles Spasm
The natural and pure flower extract of Calendula helps to relax the impulsive muscle contractions. Due to this property, the flower of calendula is also beneficial for menstrual cramping and diarrhea.
5. Anti-Cancerous Property
Calendula is the rich source of flavonoids and linoleic acid, both shows the anti-inflammatory properties. This property of calendula makes it an interesting remedy for the treatment of cancer. Calendula prevents the proliferation and spreading of malignant cells to the other parts of the body. During cancer cells development calendula increase the production of lymphocytes (white blood cells) in the body.
6. Treat ear infection
Calendula is also used as ear drop to treat the various ear infections in children. The flower contains great anti-microbial and antibacterial properties which prevent the infection in ears.
7. Heal Burns, Cuts, and Bruises
The Calendula is a powerful healing agent which often applied to the skin to treat burns, bruises and cuts faster. There are numbers of herbal ointments, which contains pure extracts of calendula flower. Calendula increase the blood flow in the infected areas and heal it faster.
How to use Calendula Flowers?
- Place the dried flower of calendula in a clean glass jar.
- Add enough olive oil in the jar so that it covers the flowers. Shake the jar well. Oil should cover the calendula flower by at least half an inch.
- After that cap the jar tightly and place it on warmest, sunniest windowsill.
- Shake the jar once a day.
- After 3 to 5 weeks, strain the flower form the olive oil.
- Place the calendula oil in new bottle and place in a cool dark space.
- You can use this amazing homemade calendula oil for any skin related issues and for other uses.
According to Ayurveda calendula has many health benefits so that’s why it has been used in Ayurveda from many years.
