Edema refers to a condition where fluid is retained in your feet or hands causing them.to swell.
This condition can be quite painful and it can be brought about by the following reasons;
– Your lifestyle – if you have a sedentary lifestyle where you are mainly sitting in a single position for a long time.
– Consuming of foods with high salt content and eating too much of processed foods.
– Pregnancy could cause it
– Very poor blood circulation
– PMS
– Possibly the side effects of some prescription drugs
Peripheral edema is a chronic form of edema and it could be as a result of mire serious body conditions such as heart failure, liver or kidney disease.
Once in a while normal swelling can occur due to pregnancy, sitting or standing for long.
There are herbal remedies that will help to ease the swelling as well eliminate excess fluids in your limbs, one very potent herb is parsley.
Parsley the wonder herb
Parsley is derived from two Greek words, the first is – petrose, which means rock, this is because the herb can be seen on stone walls and also found sticking out of rocky terrain. The other word is – selenium, which is actually the old name for celery, so when these two Greek words are combined they mean – rock celery.
Currently there are two kinds of parsley – the Italian parsley with its flat and harder leaves and curly parsley.
Parsley is a popular garnish and is very useful in resolving quite a number of medical conditions, such as – urinary tract infections, asthma, it will help to lower your blood pressure, it takes care of digestive disorders, menstrual pain, allergies, it improves the health of your bones and even cures bronchitis.
Even the ancient Greek healer and philosopher – Hippocrates, used parsley as an antidote for poison, in curing rheumatism and resolving kidney stones issues. So next time you see this garnish on your plate you may want to eat it rather than shove it aside.
A natural diuretic
In 2002, the Journal of Ethnopharmacology published its findings in which it stated that parsley is a natural diuretic which inhibits potassium and sodium ion pumps, thereby directly affecting the osmosis process leading to an increase in urine flow.
Also because parsley is rich in potassium it will replenish your potassium levels while other diuretics tend to lower the potassium levels in your body.
In 2009, a Brazilian research entitled: “Diuretic and hipotensive activity of aqueous extract of parsley seeds” stated that parsley will also decrease blood pressure as well as increase urine flow.
The parsley tea recipe to combat edema
It is recommended that you should drink at least two quarts which is about 64 oz of parsley tea daily if you want to get instant results. This was according to Dr. John R. Christopher a foremost herbal remedies proponent and author of repute. He recommends that you should use the roots, seeds and fresh light-green leaves for maximum results.
Directives:
– Cut the roots and leaves into small bits.
– Put in an infusion basket about a ¼ cup of parsley.
– You should then submerge in a tea pot or pour a cup of boiled water over it.
– Allow for about 7 minutes for the mixture to steep.
– Strain the tea or you can take off the infusion basket.
– You can add raw natural honey and for added flavor and taste include ginger or lemon.
– You should drink this tea warm for best results.
You should drink this tea to relieve you of your edema and also try exercising as well, try raising your legs and placing them on a pillow, make sure they are raised right above the level of your heart when you are lying flat on your bed.
You can also take walks to help get the fluids from your legs pumped back to your heart.
Source: Super Tasty Recipes