Tansy

Tansy, also known as Tanacetum vulgare, belongs to the Asteraceae family and has been well known for centuries for its medicinal value. The tansy plant is an aromatic perennial herb that grows up to 3 feet in height and bears bright yellow colored flowers. Although this plant is native to Europe, it is also widely grown in the United States. The flowering tops and dried leaves are generally used in herbal medicinal preparations to treat and cure a number of ailments. You can either consume it orally or use it in topical applications. Although this plant has great medicinal value, it is advisable to use it under professional guidance, as high dosage can be toxic to one’s health.

Nutritional Information and Properties

The tansy plant contains volatile oils that comprise of 70% of thujone and significant amounts of camphor. It also contains other chemical constituents such as sesquiterpene lactones, bitter glycosides, terpenoids, flavonoids, resin, tannin, oxalic acid, and citric acid. It is a good source of vitamin C and minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium, manganese, iron, silicon, and sulphur.

Health Benefits and Therapeutic Uses

Herbalists use tansy for treating intestinal worms in both adults as well as children. Being rich in thujone, it is an effective medication for eliminating thread worms and round worms. Thujone also makes this plant toxic in high doses and therefore it is advisable to take only prescribed doses for expelling worms from the body. It is usually taken in tea form for this purpose.
Tansy is also valuable in the treatment of kidney weaknesses and kidney stones. For elimination of kidney stones, experts recommend combining tansy with nettles and drinking the boiled mixture once every four hours. The diuretic properties of tansy help in effective flushing out kidney stones from the body.
Tansy is a powerful emmenagogue. The thujone content in the tansy plant helps in stimulating menstrual bleeding and is therefore valuable to women who suffer from amenorrhea and other menstrual irregularities. It should never be use during pregnancy and is fatal in large doses. It is also a good treatment for leucorrhea and other vaginal discharge problems.
Tansy contains carminative properties that help improve digestion and eases dyspepsia. It is a good natural remedy for digestive disorders such as intestinal and stomach ulcers, bloating, gas, stomach pain, stomach spasms, and gallbladder problems. It is also a good appetite stimulant.
Experts recommend using tansy for painful conditions like rheumatism, arthritis, nerve pain, migraines, and sciatica. Its anti-inflammatory properties are effective in relieving pain and other symptoms associated with these conditions.
Tansy is useful for people suffering from heart problems like palpitations, irregularities in heartbeat, as well as fluid retention because of congestive heart failure.
Being a good source of vitamin C, tansy is commonly used to treat colds, coughs, and viral fevers. Its antiviral and anti-bacterial properties not only help treat these problems but also prevent them effectively.
Tansy is used to kill bacteria, hair lice, treat dandruff, and stimulate hair growth as well. You can consume it orally or apply it externally for the treatment of wounds, scabies, bruises, itching, skin irritations, rashes, sunburn, and freckles.

Other Uses

Commonly used as an insect repellent.
As a flavoring agent for beverages and foods.
Used in perfumes and green dyes.