Forsythia and it's Powerful Medicinal Potency
Did you know that the beautiful sunny forsythia flowers are edible?
Forsythia stands for spring sun and anticipation. After months of winter, we are all anxious to have more sunny days. The forsythia, with its lovely bright yellow flowers is a beautiful reminder that spring has sprung. Being one of the first spring flowers to open, its dazzling blooms are a picture of sunshine.
Forsythia is a genus of the flowering plants in the olive family, Oleaceae, originating from Eastern Europe and Asia. It was named after the British royal gardener William Forsyth (1737-1804) who brought forsythia to England from China. Forsythia is nicknamed, the Easter tree because its branches appear to be waving in praise of the resurrection of Jesus.
Not only is the cheerful forsythia edible but this bush also has many medicinal properties.
The stems, leaves, fruits, roots, and flowers have all been used medicinally for over 3,000 years. The fruits, especially, of forsythia have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for its antipyretic (fever reducing) and anti-inflammatory properties in the treatment of bacterial infections and upper respiratory ailments. In fact, forsythia is used for swelling of small air passages in the lung, which is known as bronchiolitis. It is also used for tonsillitis, skin infections and inflammations, sore throats, fever, vomiting, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, and various types of pain and swellings.
The main antibacterial components are forsythol and its volatile oils, which have a strong inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella and inhibition on the influenza virus, Leptospira, and other pathogens.
Traditional Chinese Medicine concludes that this plant covers 3 meridians, the lung, heart, and gallbladder. The essential functions include clearing away heat, such as; fevers, sore throats, chills, chronic skin eruptions, inflammation, and hot skin issues, and also clears toxic materials from the body, reducing swellings, and assists in dissipating nodules.
The fruit of the forsythia has the most potent medicinal properties but the flowers are also quite similar in their medicinal component make-up, but are less potent than the fruit.
If you have a forsythia bush, start picking the flowers and putting them in your foods, sprinkle on salads, make a hot tea infusion, and add this potent beauty to your herbal arsenal of anti-virals.
These flowers can be steamed, dried, used in decoctions, and tea infusions.
To make the tea, take 2 cups of the fresh flowers and place into a glass quart mason jar. Pour just boiled water to rim of jar, over the flowers, cover, and steep overnight. Strain in morning and drink throughout the day. May add honey or stevia if desired.
I have included several links below that include Forsythia Suspensa as a reference as a possible supporter in the COVID-19 and SARS.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32065348
https://www.ijbs.com/v16p1708.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28716571
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30145174
