Tarragon health benefits includes preventing growth of cancer cells, keeping your heart healthy, maintaining blood sugar level, preventing anemia, protecting intestinal mucosa, preventing platelet aggregation, promoting healthy blood flow, reducing inflammation symptoms, improving digestive functions, supporting healthy eyes, promoting healthy female reproductive health, and improving central nervous system conditions.
What is Tarragon?
Tarragon herb, also known as Artemisia dracunculus is an aromatic herb containing a lot of beneficial nutrients. The leaves are slightly floppy, tapering, and narrow, growing from a slender stem. It is mostly used in French cuisine. Russian and French tarragons are the most famous ones. Russian tarragon is coarser than French tarragon. It is mostly cultivated for medicinal and culinary purposes mostly across North America and Eurasia. The herb can easily be grown in the backyard, thus making it easily available for immediate use.
Fresh Tarragon leaves can be used in green salads, and dried leaves can be used as a flavoring base in several cuisines to marinate fish lamb, and poultry. Tarragon contains a large amount of beneficial nutrients and minerals such as protein, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin A and C, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and manganese. Tarragon, when used in our daily diet can combat various diseases.
13 Amazing Health Benefits of Tarragon
1. Prevent The Growth Of Cancer Cells
Tarragon leaves are rich in antioxidants that help fight free radicals in the body. The antioxidants help the body fight diseases such as cancer. This factor not only prevents cancer cell growth; it will also protect the body from various other serious diseases.
2. Keep Your Heart Healthy
Tarragon leaves have high levels of potassium, which is considered essential in making the kidneys, heart and liver function properly. Tarragon leaves are also known to have anti-inflammatory properties, making the heart vessels free from any kind of damage. Owing to the potassium it contains, the leaves help in regulating heart contraction.
3. Maintaining Blood Sugar Level in Diabetic Patients
In order to maintain patient’s blood sugar, the calories consumed should be evenly distributed throughout the body. Tarragon leaves are rich in poly-phenolic compounds and dietary fibers, aiding the calorie to distribute into all organs of the body. This mechanism can lower the blood-sugar levels in diabetes patients.
4. Prevent Anemia
Tarragon leaves contain iron mineral which is important to produce red blood cells containing hemoglobin. It also contains rich levels of Vitamin C which help in absorbing the iron in the body and hence can be used to avoid blood-related issues such as anemia.
5. Protect Intestinal Mucosa
Tarragon also assists in situations where the intestinal mucosa is damaged. In such cases, zinc, which is found in tarragon, helps in the process of repairing the internal intestinal walls.
6. In Dentistry
Tarragon can be used in dentistry as an anesthetic and antiseptic agent by curing oral problems like cavities, loosening of teeth, and fragility of gums. Tarragon leaves contain eugenol, an essential oil in the herb that gives pain relieving effect. It has been proven to help decrease sore gums which can occur as a result of toothaches. Chewing tarragon leaves can help reduce the tooth pain. Drinking it as herbal tea can also give the same effect.
7. Prevent Platelet Aggregation and Promote Healthy Blood Flow
Compounds present in tarragon extract are believed to inhibit activation of platelets, preventing platelet aggregation to the walls of blood vessels. This in turn helps prevent clot formation in the small heart and brain vessels protecting the individual from a heart attack or stroke. Iron present in the herb is essential for cellular respiration and blood cell production. One of the circulatory benefits of tarragon is that it aids in improving a healthy blood flow throughout the body. It helps in the distribution of oxygen, nutrients and antioxidants in the body to keep it healthy at optimum level.
8. Reduce Inflammation Symptoms
Among common herbs, fresh tarragon is considered to have some of the highest values of antioxidants. These antioxidants are involved in reducing the prominent symptoms of inflammation such as swelling and redness at the inflammation site. Since it also has omega-3 fatty acid, this property also aids to produce an anti-inflammatory effect.
9. Improve Digestive Functions
It’s leaves can be used as a digestive tonic because they help stimulate the liver to secrete bile. This helps improve the digestive system in a natural way. This ability also aids the body to prevent digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, and upset stomach. It is also a rich source of Vitamin C, vitamin A and B-complex vitamin group such as folates, niacin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, etc. these work as antioxidants and also aid in metabolism.
This herb increases the appetite by exhibiting stimulating properties for the stomach. It also has been used as a traditional remedy for alleviating symptoms of anorexia, hiccups, dyspepsia, and flatulence. The dietary fiber present in tarragon leaves helps prevent constipation. This fiber also digests the food in order to be easily removed out if the body. Tarragon leaves also act as a natural diuretic aiding in maintaining water balance in the body.
10. Healthy Eyes
It is rich in Vitamin A which keeps our eyes healthy. This vitamin helps in improving visual acuity and protects the eyes from developing cataract or other degenerative eye diseases.
11. Promote Healthy Female Reproductive Health
It helps women deal with suppressed menstruation and can aid in maintaining a healthy female reproductive tract. As mentioned earlier, the eugenol in the herb is not only a remedy for tooth-ache, it can also reduce menstrual pains to a great extent. The herb also contains magnesium which can relax the muscles. Tarragon, however should not be used during pregnancy or nursing.
12. Anti-Rheumatic, Healthy Bone Structure And Muscle Growth
It’s oil can greatly improve the flow of blood throughout the body and is found to eliminate uric acid, a toxin unhealthy for the body. With these two benefits working hand in hand, the herb helps to reduce the risk of developing arthritis and rheumatism. The calcium and phosphorous in tarragon leaves are important for bone strength and bone formation. Tarragon aids in the adsorption of creatinine in the body that can help promote muscle growth and increases muscle mass. Magnesium present in tarragon leaves can serve as a muscle relaxant and can prevent the incidence of muscle cramps
13. Improve Conditions Involving the Central Nervous System
The vitamin B6 present in tarragon plays a vital role in the central nervous system. It helps to improve the brain and the cognitive function. Consuming this herb can help the individual to stay away from dementia, a condition in which there is a decline in memory as the person ages. Tarragon contains vitamin B12 which helps neurological function by protecting the neurons from any kind of damage. The vitamin also helps in reducing neuropathic symptom such as numbness and tingling. The leaves have a sedative effect which can be helpful in relieving anxiety and giving you a good night’s sleep.
While there is no denial to the amazing health benefits of Tarragon, you should consult with your doctor when your condition is serious.