Herbs that increase appetite - to normalize the nutritional balance

Food is one of the most powerful stimulants of metabolism, and loss of appetite becomes a serious obstacle to the intake of essential nutrients into the human body and leads to a violation of the nutritional balance. Since ancient times, people have used herbs that increase appetite to solve these problems.

Even the court physician of the Persian rulers, the famous medieval scientist Avicenna, wrote in his treatise "The Canon of Medicine" that one should eat only with appetite, and also "not restrain the appetite when it flares up." Modern nutritionists are unlikely to agree with the second statement, but there are no questions about the first.

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Herbs to improve appetite

According to Ayurveda, the bitter taste (which is quite unpleasant in itself) restores a person's sense of taste, "helps fight inflammatory diseases and tones the skin and muscles, reduces fever and thirst, and kindles the digestive fire." That is, herbs that stimulate appetite must be bitter. Indeed, all medicinal plants that are widely used in official medicine to improve appetite and stimulate the production of gastric juice are bitters (amara in Latin), and by their chemical structure, they are terpenoids. During the study of the biosynthesis of terpenoids, it was found that these compounds have an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and even immunomodulatory effect.

Herbs for improving appetite, precisely because of their bitter taste, act on taste buds like a toreador's muleta on a bull... That is, bitterness excites receptors in the oral cavity, and the receptors obediently transmit a signal like "dinner is served" to the lateral nuclei of the diencephalon (hypothalamus), where the "hunger center" is located in humans. In addition, these signals reach the stomach, which begins to work more actively. This is the kind of "corrida" that happens!

So, what herbs increase appetite?

Calamus

The rhizome of calamus (Acorus calamus L.) from the araceae family, in addition to 2-4% essential oil, contains alkaloids calamine and amarin, tannins, ascorbic acid, saccharides, starch, choline, phytosterols and mucus. But the bitter glycoside acorin has an effect on increasing appetite. It is this that affects the endings of the taste nerves, increases the reflex secretion of gastric juice, activates the process of bile secretion by the liver and tones the gallbladder.

To prepare an infusion from calamus rhizome, pour 10 g (a dessert spoon) of crushed dry root with a glass of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes, and let it brew. The decoction should be drunk warm - 50 ml 3 times a day half an hour before meals.

Sagebrush

Wormwood (Arthemisia absinthium L.) belongs to the Asteraceae family, and due to its composition, this plant is used in folk medicine to treat many diseases. In official medical practice, wormwood - in the form of an infusion, tincture, extract and as part of herbal mixtures - is used as a bitter to stimulate appetite and improve digestion. In this case, the effect of azulene glycosides of this plant - absinthin and anabsinthin - is used.

Preparation of wormwood infusion: brew a teaspoon of dry herb like tea with two glasses of boiling water. Infuse for 20 minutes, strain. Take a quarter of a glass 30 minutes before meals 2-3 times a day.

Centaury

Centaury (Centaurlum umbellatum gilib) is a member of the Gentianaceae family and is valuable for its glycosides such as gentiopicrin, erithaurin and erythrocentaurin, which stimulate the appetite, promote the formation of bile, and also have an anthelmintic (antihelminthic) effect.

Centaury is used in the form of an infusion or decoction to improve appetite and increase gastrointestinal motility, as well as to relieve heartburn.

To prepare an infusion from this medicinal plant, take 10 g of dry grass, pour 200 ml of boiling water, leave under the lid for half an hour, strain. The finished infusion should be consumed one tablespoon an hour and a half before meals 3 times a day.

Dandelion

A representative of the Asteraceae family - the medicinal dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Wigg.) - has established itself in medicine by its roots. In the sense that Radix Taraxaci - the roots of this plant (which are extracted from the soil in the fall) are used for medicinal purposes. Their chemical composition includes triterpene compounds, sterols, flavonoids, saponins, pectins, tannins, resins. And the bitter glycoside of dandelion - taraxacin, which simultaneously increases the secretion of saliva and bile, is involved in increasing appetite.

In general, dandelion roots help to normalize metabolism (their decoction is recommended for diabetes), as well as improve bowel function (with chronic spastic and atonic constipation).

An appetite-increasing decoction is prepared at the rate of a teaspoon of roots per 250 ml of water: pour boiling water and bring to a boil again, infuse for at least 60 minutes (under a lid). The order of administration: a tablespoon three times a day half an hour before meals.

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Trifol

It is also known as bogbean, also known as water trefoil (of the bogbean family). For medicinal purposes - as a bitterness to improve appetite - the leaves of this plant (Folium Menyanthidis) are used. They contain monoterpene bitters - loganin, menyantin, menthifolin, which help to increase gastrointestinal secretion (in gastritis with low acidity).

To prepare the decoction, you will need a tablespoon of dry plant material, which is poured with 200 ml of boiling water and infused for an hour. The decoction should be drunk 30 minutes before meals - one tablespoon (3 times a day).

Gentian

Golden gentian (Gentianae luteae L.) in its roots - among other things - contains the bitter iridoids gentianin and gentiopicrin, which protect plants from being eaten by herbivores and from being attacked by pests. And in humans, these substances

They improve appetite and stimulate the digestion process. Therefore, no complex bitter tincture can do without gentian. However, this medicinal herb in large doses suppresses the secretory function of the stomach, although it helps well against worms.

Recipe for golden gentian infusion: pour 250 ml of boiling water over a tablespoon of crushed dry plant roots, close the container tightly and leave for two hours. Take 1-2 tablespoons 20-25 minutes before meals 3-4 times a day.

Recipe for golden gentian tincture: pour about 50 g of root with 0.5 l of vodka, leave for 10 days. Press, adding 30 drops of tincture to 50 ml of water - three times a day before meals. You can prepare such a tincture on wine, then you need to leave it for at least three weeks (and better a month). Take before meals a tablespoon twice a day.

Cetraria islandica

Cetraria islandica, or simply Icelandic moss, grows far beyond Iceland – on sandy soils in young pine forests all over Europe. It’s just that in Iceland, this lichen was once collected, ground, and added to bread…

This medicinal plant contains lichenin starch, vitamins, mucus, phenolic acids, iodine, and lichen acids (protolychesteric, paralychesteric and protocetraric). The most bitter of them is paralychesteric acid, which stimulates appetite.

It is very easy to prepare an infusion or decoction of Icelandic moss, just pour 30 g of dry crushed moss with one liter of boiling water and simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes. It is recommended to divide the entire resulting decoction into three equal parts and drink it during the day (warm) - about 30 minutes before meals.

Horseradish

If Icelandic moss has already been mentioned, then we cannot pass over in silence such a healing perennial herbaceous plant of the cruciferous family (Cruciferae), as horseradish, which is found in every Ukrainian garden.

The whole plant serves as a medicine, but the main “benefits” are concentrated in the root, which contains a mixture of essential mustard oils, glycoside sinigrin, sugars, phytoncides, ascorbic acid and many other substances valuable for health.

The pungent, bitter taste of horseradish root stimulates appetite and the secretion of gastric juice due to the presence of essential oil - allyl ester of isothiocyanic acid, which is obtained by the decomposition of sinigrin glycoside.

To improve appetite, you should take either juice of freshly grated root diluted with water (1:2), or a teaspoon of grated pulp - 15-20 minutes before meals (once a day). Horseradish is contraindicated for those who have acute or chronic inflammation of the digestive organs.

Tarragon

Tarragon, dragoon grass, tarragon wormwood, tarragon (Artemisia dracuncylus L.) is a close relative of common wormwood - a well-known spicy-flavoring plant, widely used in cooking (as a seasoning for poultry, meat, fish and sauces). But tarragon greens have also been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. Indian rajas drank a medicinal tarragon infusion, and Persian doctors used a decoction of this herb to improve appetite.

Tarragon shoots contain vitamins A and C, flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins, oligosaccharides, terpenoids, plant alkaloids, essential oils, resins and bitters. As a seasoning for dishes, tarragon helps improve appetite, increase the formation of gastric juice, and normalize the activity of the gastrointestinal tract.

Herbs to increase appetite in children

Parents often complain about poor appetite in children. But before looking for an answer to the question - what herbs increase appetite? - it is necessary to find out the reason for poor appetite.

Maybe the child has a stomach ache after eating? Maybe he is tired or does not get enough sleep? Maybe it is a lack of iron or zinc? Maybe the child is not outdoors much and does not exercise? Or maybe it is necessary to take a test for helminths to make sure that a helminthic invasion is not responsible for the loss of appetite. In short, go to the doctor, dear moms and dads! Because loss of appetite in childhood is fraught with delayed physical development. It is not for nothing that in pediatrics, children's appetite is used to draw conclusions about their health.

Herbs to increase appetite for children are the same as for adults. But a child may simply refuse to drink a bitter decoction or infusion. Then you need to take a very small amount of one bitterness (for example, calamus root, dandelion or wormwood herb) and add other plant components: chokeberries, dried fruits, juniper and rose hips, lemon peel, currants, strawberries.

If this option "doesn't work", then instead of bitterness, add equal parts of lemon balm leaves, calendula flowers, fennel fruits and caraway seeds to the herbal mixture. Brew a heaping teaspoon of this mixture with a glass of boiling water, bring to a boil, leave for 30-40 minutes, then strain and give two tablespoons 45 minutes before meals (2-3 times a day).

Reviews of herbs to increase appetite

The effectiveness of using herbs to improve appetite is beyond doubt. But many complain that it takes time to prepare infusions and decoctions of medicinal plants, and, as usual, there is never enough time…

But in addition to home-made herbal decoctions, you can just as quickly use ready-made pharmacy alcohol tinctures of herbs that stimulate appetite to stimulate your appetite:

• Bitter tincture (Tinctura amara) contains extracts of centaury herb, water clover leaves, calamus rhizome, wormwood herb and coriander fruit. It is recommended to take 10-20 drops half an hour before meals.
• It is recommended to use thick wormwood extract (Extractum Absinthii spissum) as follows: dissolve a quarter of a teaspoon in 100 ml of warm boiled water and take three times a day before meals (30 minutes).
• Wormwood tincture (Tinctura Absinthii) is taken 15-20 drops 3 times a day - 15-30 minutes before meals.

And doctors in their reviews of herbs to increase appetite note that they cannot be used for inflammatory diseases of the stomach, especially gastritis that occurs against the background of increased acidity, as well as for gastric ulcers with hypersecretion of hydrochloric acid.