KEBABBLE Behold the power of parsley
By Fazile Zahir
FETHIYE, Turkey - Some newspaper headlines can't help but catch your eye and
"Parsley in the Vagina" certainly rates as one. The story was run in the
mainstream Hurriyet newspaper with the fright-inducing introductory paragraph
that practices such as putting parsley and garlic in the vagina can lead to
infections that may end in sterility.
The facts are the result of a study into alternative medical treatments tried
by patients surveyed in the gynecological department of the Aegean Nursing
School in Izmir. 143 women
(mainly housewives) were questioned and 35.7% of them had used alternative
medicines - most of which were herbal remedies.
Most of the women had used common ingredients such as nettles, mint, lemon and
lindenflower for pain relief, soothing cramping muscles during periods and as
cold treatments. Some saw herbal medicines as a way to provide them with extra
energy and others took them in the hope of inducing a miscarriage or preventing
cancer. They tried the remedies on the advice of family and friends without
consulting medical personnel and 68% believed their home made treatments were
effective.
Among the remedies collated by the doctors carrying out the survey were sitting
naked above the steam coming off boiling milk or parsley in boiling water,
putting parsley in the vagina, drinking water that has had parsley boiled in
it, wrapping poultices of warm boiled rice around the waist and putting boiled
garlic in the vagina. Like many practitioners of modern medicine the doctors
were highly skeptical of the traditional herbal cures and issued a warning that
rather than improve health some of the remedies could lead to infection
spreading and infertility.
Parsley, which was mentioned often in the Aegean Nursing School survey seems a
particular favorite in the world of herbal healing and is featured prominently
on several alternative medicine Turkish websites. It is a concentrated source
of provitamin A (beta karotene) and like carrots considered to be good for the
eyesight, small vein system, adrenal glands and thyroid glands. It goes one
step further than carrots though being rich in potassium, sulfur, calcium,
magnesium and chlorine.
The high levels of chlorophyll in parsley juice are believed to increase
bloodflow and metabolize oxygen as well as cleansing urinary tract, liver and
kidneys. Other positive benefits attributed to parsley include good digestion,
aid with peristalsis in the lower intestine and aphrodisiac qualities.
According to www.kadinvizyon.com infusions of boiled parsley can help regulate
your periods, provide relief from eczema and cellulite and give you "shiny
manageable hair". Last, but not least, a bunch of parsley can provide you with
your daily recommended amount of Vitamin C. It appears that if we all gave up
pharmaceutical medicines and ate parsley three times a day the world would be a
healthier place!
Favorite parsley based remedies from www.kadinim.com are as follows:
a)
To clean the blood, make new blood, blood pressure problems, for obesity, liver
problems and hardened arteries: add lemon and honey to water boiled with
parsley and drink one to two glasses a day.
b) For kidney complaints: one bunch of parsley is washed and added to four
glasses of water, the mixture is boiled for five minutes and then strained. One
glass at a time is taken three times a day.
c) For a sound night's sleep: chew a bunch of parsley to extract the juice.
d) To treat nausea and shortness of breath: chew a pinch of parsley well and
swallow it.
e) To treat acne, wrinkles, scars and other facial marks: wash one bunch of
parsley and add (with stalks attached) to two glasses of water. Boil for five
minutes and leave to rest for 20 minutes. Strain and separate plants and water.
Place plants on the skin for a 20 minute face mask and then wash the skin with
the parsley water. Do this a few times a day.
f) For diabetes sufferers: crush three bunches of parsley and add to six
glasses of water. Boil in a closed pan and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Add
one and a half glasses of freshly squeezed lemon juice, drink one glass every
morning on an empty stomach.
Despite increased urbanization and
a decrease in medicinal plant species, interest in herbal medicine has stayed
strong in Turkey and recently various studies have been done with a view of
preserving folk medicine. In 2005 a study of herbal drugs in the herbal markets
in Mersin and Adana was published after studying herbalists and their customers
between 2002-2005. Mersin and Adana were particularly fertile grounds for the
research as there are approximately 70 herbal markets in the area.
Most of the herbs are gathered locally from around the villages in the Taurus
mountains and sold as dried bunches, pre-packed mixtures and fresh
preparations. The preparation of the medicines usually consists of boiling
plants and making them into drinks, ointments and poultices.
The study indicated that the medicines were based on two main sources, oral
folklore passed from generation to generation or ancient texts written in
Ottoman Turkish and Arabic and found that 107 different types of plants were
used to treat (in order of frequency) intestinal digestive disorders of the
gastrointestinal tract (21.68%), respiratory tract system disorders (10.43%),
heart-blood circulatory system disorders (8.48%), urinary tract system
disorders (7.70%) and skin disorders (6.48%).
The study was able to demonstrate that villagers who made use of traditional
remedies had decreased incidences of heart-blood, liver-spleen and
gynecological disorders as compared to those who did not use the herbal
medicines. Arthritis was higher than average as were some skin disorders
throughout the region although it was thought that these were related to
environmental pollution and high humidity rather than the lack of efficacy of
the herbal treatments.
Without doubt there is power and potential in plants, so much so that some
should only be administered with the advice of an expert. Herbal medicine in
Turkey is widespread as many people still live and work on the land thus giving
them access to the necessary ingredients and as there is no national health
system to provide subsidized pharmaceuticals it is cheaper to try herbal
remedies first before resorting to chemist bought products. There is also the
belief that natural medicines are likely to be better for you than drugs.
Fazile Zahir is of Turkish descent, born and brought up in London. She
moved to live in Turkey in 2005 and has been writing full time since then.
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